Marbas is a President of the Ars Goetia, ruling 36 legions of spirits.
Key facts
| Rank | President |
|---|---|
| Legions | 36 |
| Powers | Healing, Knowledge & sciences, Transformation |
| Enn (modern chant) | «Renich tasa uberace biasa icar Marbas» |
| Alternate names | Barbas |
| Sources | Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia |
| Seal no. | 05 / 72 |
| Cardinal king | Oriens · East (E) |
| External IDs | Wikidata · Wikipedia |
On this page
How it appears
A great lion, who afterward takes the form of a man at the magician's request.
What you ask of it
He answers truly concerning hidden and secret things. He causes and cures diseases, gives wisdom and the knowledge of the mechanical arts, and transforms men into other forms.
Provenance
Marbas, also called Barbas, appears in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum as a great president. The Ars Goetia incorporated him with almost no substantial change, maintaining the apparition as a lion that assumes human shape and his double power to cause and cure diseases. Already attested in the Livre des Esperitz (15th c.) as «Marcas (?) (f181v)» and in the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (Folger V.b.26, 16th c.) as «Barbas alias Corbus».
The seal: printed edition and facsimile
Marbas'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 source attributes to him the revelation of hidden things, the causing and healing of diseases, the teaching of mechanical arts, and the transformation of men. It records for Marbas no planetary hour, offering, orientation, or particular caution apart from the common rite.
Source: Ars Goetia (17th c.); already in Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, 1577, as Marbas or Barbas
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): «Renich tasa uberace biasa icar Marbas»
Source: Enn of modern demonolatry (lists disseminated by S. Connolly, The Complete Book of Demonolatry, 2006)
Contemporary demonolatry often uses him for healing, spiritual diagnosis, or technical skill, on the basis of his ancient offices.
Modern experiences (personal gnosis)
In modern demonolatry, particularly according to S. Connolly, contemporary practitioners often work with Marbas for physical healing and the understanding of complex mechanisms or hidden knowledge. His presence is described as imposing yet warm and protective, manifesting an analytical and direct temperament when assisting in processes of diagnosis or personal transformation.
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); tradición demonolátrica y luciferiana contemporánea.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Marbas?
Marbas 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 President. It is not a deity or a biblical figure: it is an entry in these historical spirit-catalogues.
What is the sigil (seal) of Marbas?
The seal image of Marbas 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 Marbas's rank in the Ars Goetia?
Marbas is a President, ruling 36 legions of spirits according to the Lesser Key of Solomon.
How do you summon Marbas?
According to the ancient sources (the Lemegeton, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum), Marbas 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 Marbas do? What is it invoked for?
He answers truly concerning hidden and secret things. He causes and cures diseases, gives wisdom and the knowledge of the mechanical arts, and transforms men into other forms.
What sources does Marbas come from?
Marbas, also called Barbas, appears in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum as a great president. The Ars Goetia incorporated him with almost no substantial change, maintaining the apparition as a lion that assumes human shape and his double power to cause and cure diseases.
What is the enn (chant) of Marbas?
The enn of Marbas circulating today is «Renich tasa uberace biasa icar Marbas». It is a MODERN demonolatry chant (late 20th c.); it does not appear in the old grimoires.
Of the same rank · President
→ Where does «your demon by birthdate» come from? See how the different systems distribute the 72 spirits: Goetia Correspondences.
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