Sabnock is a Marquis of the Ars Goetia, ruling 50 legions of spirits.
Key facts
| Rank | Marquis |
|---|---|
| Legions | 50 |
| Powers | War, Familiars, Destruction |
| Enn (modern chant) | «Tasa Sabnock on ca Lirach» |
| Alternate names | Savnok |
| Sources | Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia |
| Seal no. | 43 / 72 |
| External IDs | Wikidata |
On this page
How it appears
An armed soldier with the head of a lion, upon a pale horse.
What you ask of it
He builds towers, castles, and cities furnished with arms; afflicts men with sores and wounds full of worms; and gives good familiars.
Provenance
Sabnock appears in Weyer (1577) as Sabnac/Salmac, a marquis with a lion's head on a pale horse. The Ars Goetia inherits his role as builder of armed fortresses and causer of infested wounds, with name variants such as Savnok or Sabnack. Already attested in the Livre des Esperitz (15th c.) as «Salmatis (f181r)» and in the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (Folger V.b.26, 16th c.) as «Barbaryes (?)».
The seal: printed edition and facsimile
Sabnock'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.
No particular direction, hour, offering, or ritual protection is attributed to him.
Source: Ars Goetia (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 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): «Tasa Sabnock on ca Lirach»
Source: Enn of modern demonolatry (lists circulated by S. Connolly, The Complete Book of Demonolatry, 2006)
Modern practice sometimes uses him for defense, fortification, and martial works; that layer does not come from the Pseudomonarchia.
Modern experiences (personal gnosis)
In modern demonolatry, particularly as detailed in S. Connolly's 'The Daemonolatry Goetia', practitioners describe Sabnock's presence as a stern, martial, and heavily protective energy. Rather than causing literal physical afflictions, contemporary occultists work with him to build robust astral defenses (psychic 'towers'), establish personal boundaries, and reflect attacks or curses back to their senders. He is unanimously perceived as a strict guardian who brings discipline and security to the ritual space.
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); reportes de gnosis personal (UPG) en la demonolatría contemporánea.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Sabnock?
Sabnock 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 Marquis. It is not a deity or a biblical figure: it is an entry in these historical spirit-catalogues.
What is the sigil (seal) of Sabnock?
The seal image of Sabnock 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 Sabnock's rank in the Ars Goetia?
Sabnock is a Marquis, ruling 50 legions of spirits according to the Lesser Key of Solomon.
How do you summon Sabnock?
According to the ancient sources (the Lemegeton, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum), Sabnock 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 Sabnock do? What is it invoked for?
He builds towers, castles, and cities furnished with arms; afflicts men with sores and wounds full of worms; and gives good familiars.
What sources does Sabnock come from?
Sabnock appears in Weyer (1577) as Sabnac/Salmac, a marquis with a lion's head on a pale horse. The Ars Goetia inherits his role as builder of armed fortresses and causer of infested wounds, with name variants such as Savnok or Sabnack.
What is the enn (chant) of Sabnock?
The enn of Sabnock circulating today is «Tasa Sabnock on ca Lirach». It is a MODERN demonolatry chant (late 20th c.); it does not appear in the old grimoires.
Of the same rank · Marquis
Of the same power · War
→ Where does «your demon by birthdate» come from? See how the different systems distribute the 72 spirits: Goetia Correspondences.
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