Balam is a King of the Ars Goetia, ruling 40 legions of spirits.
Key facts
| Rank | King |
|---|---|
| Legions | 40 |
| Powers | Divination, Invisibility, Knowledge & sciences |
| Enn (modern chant) | «Lirach tasa vefa wehl Balam» |
| Alternate names | Balan |
| Sources | Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia |
| Seal no. | 51 / 72 |
📺 Also appears in
This spirit has its own passage in the documentary series.
The Fallen Choirs · Episode 3 — The fallen DOMINATIONS: Paimon and Marchosias, the choir of government«There is a third name, but it demands honesty. In Weyer's Pseudomonarchia, from 1577, it is said that Balam is of the order of the Dominations.»On this page
How it appears
Three heads—of a bull, of a man, and of a ram—a serpent's tail and flaming eyes; upon a bear, with a goshawk on his fist.
What you ask of it
He gives true answers concerning the past, the present, and the future; renders invisible; and makes men witty.
Provenance
Balam already appears in Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), where the name commonly alternates with Balan. The Ars Goetia incorporates him into its series as a king and preserves the iconography of three heads, bear, and hawk.
The seal: printed edition and facsimile
Balam's main seal follows the printed Mathers–Crowley (1904) form; the Sloane MS 2731 manuscript facsimile is shown separately for comparison.
The main image and SVG/PNG downloads reproduce the printed form of S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley's 1904 edition, using the normal vector pack documented on Wikimedia Commons (public domain/CC0). The Sloane MS 2731 facsimile remains separate for comparing manuscript variants; it is not used as the main image.
The FULL manuscript facsimile («Lemegeton, Clavicula Salomonis», Sloane MS 2731) is in our library; the original is held at the British Library (Sloane MS 2731).
How it is summoned
In antiquity
According to the Ars Goetia, the operation is the same for all 72 spirits:
- The magician draws the magic Circle and never steps out of it during the whole work.
- A few paces away he draws the Triangle of Art: there, and only there, must the spirit manifest.
- On his breast he wears the lamen bearing the demon's seal, engraved in metal.
- He recites the conjurations, calling it by its names and by the divine names.
- If the spirit resists or delays, the constraint and the 'chain of spirits' are used.
- Once the request is granted, he gives it the license to depart, and never before.
The ancient tradition attributes to him three heads, a serpent's tail, flaming eyes, a bear as mount, and a hawk on his fist; he gives true answers, invisibility, and wit. No orientation, planetary hour, offering, or proper ritual caution is documented for Balam.
Source: Ars Goetia (17th c.); already in Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, 1577, as Balam/Balan
The common Goetic operation also adds, when needed: to constrain a resisting spirit (Wellcome MS 110, c74–c78), to show it the Pentacle of Solomon once manifested (Ars Theurgia-Goetia), to work in its planetary hour and day (by rank), and finally to give it licence to depart —and never before (Wellcome MS 110, c53). Practise the full rite at The Practitioner's Table.
What is the “chain of spirits”?
Modern · not ancient
- Print or draw its seal and place it before you on a clean surface.
- Light a candle and, if you wish, some incense; still your mind and set your intention.
- Intone its enn softly and repeatedly, eyes on the seal, until you feel a shift in the air.
- State your request clearly and respectfully, not as a command.
- Give thanks, let the candle burn down a little and close; modern practice is devotional, with no coercive conjuration.
Enn (modern chant): «Lirach tasa vefa wehl Balam»
Source: Enn of modern demonolatry (lists circulated by S. Connolly and Valerie Corban; tradition collected in The Complete Book of Demonolatry, 2006)
The enn is a modern devotional correspondence, separate from the conjurational procedure of the Ars Goetia.
Modern experiences (personal gnosis)
In modern demonolatry, particularly according to S. Connolly in "The Daemonolatry Goetia", practitioners seek Balam for divination, wit, and to achieve 'invisibility' by going unnoticed in adverse situations. His presence is typically described as authoritative and mentally stimulating, characterized by providing direct, unvarnished revelations regarding the past, present, or future.
Personal gnosis (UPG): how contemporary practitioners say they experience it. This is subjective experience, not a historical source or doctrine; it does not come from the ancient grimoires and may not be real.
Source: S. Connolly, «The Daemonolatry Goetia» (2010) y consensos de gnosis personal (UPG) en la demonolatría contemporánea.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Balam?
Balam is one of the 72 spirits catalogued in the Ars Goetia (the first book of the Lemegeton, 17th c.) and in Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577); it is listed with the rank of King. It is not a deity or a biblical figure: it is an entry in these historical spirit-catalogues.
What is the sigil (seal) of Balam?
The seal image of Balam that we display and offer for download follows the printed Mathers–Crowley (1904) form, using the normal vector pack documented on Wikimedia Commons (public domain/CC0). The Sloane MS 2731 manuscript facsimile is provided separately because Lemegeton witnesses preserve variants.
What is Balam's rank in the Ars Goetia?
Balam is a King, ruling 40 legions of spirits according to the Lesser Key of Solomon.
How do you summon Balam?
According to the ancient sources (the Lemegeton, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum), Balam is summoned with the goetic rite: the Circle and the Triangle of Art are traced, its seal is engraved and worn, the candles are lit and the conjuration is spoken by the divine names; if it delays, it is constrained, and at the end it is given the licence to depart. This is historical-documentary material, not a how-to for real summoning.
What does Balam do? What is it invoked for?
He gives true answers concerning the past, the present, and the future; renders invisible; and makes men witty.
What sources does Balam come from?
Balam already appears in Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), where the name commonly alternates with Balan. The Ars Goetia incorporates him into its series as a king and preserves the iconography of three heads, bear, and hawk.
What is the enn (chant) of Balam?
The enn of Balam circulating today is «Lirach tasa vefa wehl Balam». It is a MODERN demonolatry chant (late 20th c.); it does not appear in the old grimoires.
Of the same rank · King
Of the same power · Divination
→ Where does «your demon by birthdate» come from? See how the different systems distribute the 72 spirits: Goetia Correspondences.
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