Berith is a Duke of the Ars Goetia, ruling 26 legions of spirits.
Key facts
| Rank | Duke |
|---|---|
| Legions | 26 |
| Powers | Dignities & favors, Wealth & treasure, Divination |
| Enn (modern chant) | «Hoath redar ganabal Berith» |
| Alternate names | Beal, Bofry |
| Sources | Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia, Bible |
| Seal no. | 28 / 72 |
| Cardinal king | Amaymon · South (S) |
On this page
How it appears
A soldier clothed in red, with a golden crown, upon a red horse.
What you ask of it
He tells the past, the present, and the future; grants dignities; and turns all metals into gold. He gives answers… but he is a great liar.
Provenance
Berith appears in Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), where the names Beal and Bolfri are also recorded. The Ars Goetia inherits him as spirit 28 and preserves the warning that he is a liar, although he answers concerning times and dignities. Already attested in the Livre des Esperitz (15th c.) as «Berteth (f182r)» and in the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (Folger V.b.26, 16th c.) as «Berith (no. 5)».
The seal: printed edition and facsimile
Berith'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).
Documented ancient datum
The «ring as with Beleth» is a cross-reference found only in the Lemegeton (Weyer does not mention Beleth).
How it is summoned
In antiquity
In addition to the common procedure, the source preserves: a specific ritual prescription.
Ancient operation: common procedure plus the documented detail in this entry.
- Trace the magical Circle and the Triangle of Art, and wear upon the breast the lamen with Berith’s seal.
- Prepare the magical ring according to the Goetic use indicated for Beleth, for the source requires that it be employed when calling him.
- Recite the conjurations by the divine names and cite Berith, also called Beal or Bolfri, that he may appear in the Triangle.
- When he appears as a red soldier upon a red horse and crowned, keep the operation under the ring of the art and do not trust his words without proof, because the source calls him a great liar.
- Put the questions concerning past, present, future, dignities, or transmutation of metals, requiring clear and truthful answers under obedience to the seal.
- When the charge is concluded, give him license to depart and remain in the Circle until he withdraws in peace.
Source: Ars Goetia (17th c.); Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, 1577
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): «Hoath redar ganabal Berith»
Source: Enn of modern demonolatry (lists disseminated by S. Connolly, The Complete Book of Demonolatry, 2006)
Modern practice often associates him with pacts, prestige, offices, assertion of will, and matters of wealth; this reinterprets his Goetic office.
Modern experiences (personal gnosis)
In modern magic (Winterfield; S. Connolly), Berith is invoked for dignities and advancement, and for his old alchemical fame of turning metals to gold —read today as prosperity and material achievement—. Practitioners describe him as eloquent and regal, but echo the source's warning: he is skilled in deceit, and each promise should be verified and anchored.
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: Magia ceremonial y demonolatría contemporáneas (s. XX–XXI); Gordon Winterfield, «Demons of Magick» (2016); S. Connolly, «The Complete Book of Demonolatry» (2006).
Frequently asked questions
Who is Berith?
Berith 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 Duke. It is not a deity or a biblical figure: it is an entry in these historical spirit-catalogues.
What is the sigil (seal) of Berith?
The seal image of Berith 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 Berith's rank in the Ars Goetia?
Berith is a Duke, ruling 26 legions of spirits according to the Lesser Key of Solomon.
How do you summon Berith?
According to the ancient sources (the Lemegeton, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum), Berith 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 Berith do? What is it invoked for?
He tells the past, the present, and the future; grants dignities; and turns all metals into gold. He gives answers… but he is a great liar.
What sources does Berith come from?
Berith appears in Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), where the names Beal and Bolfri are also recorded. The Ars Goetia inherits him as spirit 28 and preserves the warning that he is a liar, although he answers concerning times and dignities.
What is the enn (chant) of Berith?
The enn of Berith circulating today is «Hoath redar ganabal Berith». It is a MODERN demonolatry chant (late 20th c.); it does not appear in the old grimoires.
Of the same rank · Duke
Of the same power · Dignities & favors
→ Where does «your demon by birthdate» come from? See how the different systems distribute the 72 spirits: Goetia Correspondences.
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