Paimon is a King of the Ars Goetia, ruling 200 legions of spirits.
Key facts
| Rank | King |
|---|---|
| Legions | 200 |
| Powers | Knowledge & sciences, Dignities & favors, Familiars |
| Enn (modern chant) | «Linan tasa jedan Paimon» |
| Alternate names | Paymon |
| Sources | Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia |
| Seal no. | 09 / 72 |
| Cardinal king | Paymon · West (W) |
| External IDs | Wikidata · Wikipedia |
📺 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«The ninth spirit is Paimon... a great king, very obedient to Lucifer. The Goetia says that he is of the order of the Dominations. This is his seal.»On this page
How it appears
A man with an effeminate face, crowned, who rides a dromedary, preceded by a host with trumpets, cymbals, and thunderous music.
What you ask of it
He teaches all arts, sciences, and secrets; he reveals what the earth is and what holds it up upon the waters. He grants dignities, confirms in them, subjects men to the magician's will, and gives good familiars.
Provenance
He already appears as a king in Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), which in turn draws on the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (16th c.). The Ars Goetia (17th c.) inherits him almost unchanged, fixes him as number 9, and engraves for him a proper seal that Weyer did not have. Already attested in the Livre des Esperitz (15th c.) as «Poymon (f180r)» and in the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (Folger V.b.26, 16th c.) as «Paymon».
The seal: printed edition and facsimile
Paimon'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
Direction: NW (Weyer/Sloane) / West (Mathers 1904, Livre des Esperitz). «His dwelling» is a late gloss, not primary.
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, a few paces away, the Triangle of Art; the exorcist looks toward the North when calling him (so Weyer, «Aquilonem»; Mathers's Goetia renders it «north-west»).
- Wear upon the breast the lamen with his seal engraved in metal, and keep the wand and ring of the art at hand.
- Summon him with offering or sacrifice: thus the kings Bebal and Abalam come with him, and his host of trumpets, cymbals, and thunderous music.
- Receive that din without yielding; his voice comes like a roar, so require him to speak plainly and in an intelligible tongue.
- Make him swear to give faithful answer before asking anything of him; then he teaches arts, sciences, and the secrets of the earth and of the abyss.
- Once the petition is granted, give him license to depart — and never before.
Source: Ars Goetia (Lemegeton, 17th c.) · already in 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 his seal and place it before you on a clean surface.
- Light a candle (modern practice associates him with the west and with gold/indigo tones) and some incense.
- Fix your gaze upon the seal and intone his enn softly and repeatedly until you feel a change in the atmosphere.
- State your petition clearly — knowledge, arts and sciences, teaching, influence over another’s will.
- Give thanks, extinguish the candle, and put away the seal; there is no coercive conjuration: modern practice is devotional.
Enn (modern chant): «Linan tasa jedan Paimon»
Source: Enn of modern demonolatry (lists disseminated by S. Connolly, The Complete Book of Demonolatry, 2006); candle and color associations from contemporary practice.
A practice of contemporary demonolatry (20th–21st c.). It does not come from the ancient grimoires; its worth is devotional, not historical — it may not be real.
Modern experiences (personal gnosis)
In contemporary demonolatry, practitioners often describe King Paimon as an intense energetic presence, characterized by a patient and magisterial authority. He is primarily worked with to acquire knowledge in occult sciences, enhance artistic talents, and obtain dignities, with very clear or musical mental communication frequently reported. He is perceived as a noble yet strict guide who demands intellectual rigor and formal respect.
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: Demonolatría contemporánea (s. XX–XXI); S. Connolly, «The Complete Book of Demonolatry» (2006) y «The Daemonolatry Goetia» (2010).
Frequently asked questions
Who is Paimon?
Paimon 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 Paimon?
The seal image of Paimon 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 Paimon's rank in the Ars Goetia?
Paimon is a King, ruling 200 legions of spirits according to the Lesser Key of Solomon.
How do you summon Paimon?
According to the ancient sources (the Lemegeton, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum), Paimon 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 Paimon do? What is it invoked for?
He teaches all arts, sciences, and secrets; he reveals what the earth is and what holds it up upon the waters. He grants dignities, confirms in them, subjects men to the magician's will, and gives good familiars.
What sources does Paimon come from?
He already appears as a king in Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), which in turn draws on the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (16th c.). The Ars Goetia (17th c.) inherits him almost unchanged, fixes him as number 9, and engraves for him a proper seal that Weyer did not have.
What is the enn (chant) of Paimon?
The enn of Paimon circulating today is «Linan tasa jedan Paimon». 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 · Knowledge & sciences
→ Where does «your demon by birthdate» come from? See how the different systems distribute the 72 spirits: Goetia Correspondences.
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