51. Balam: a king of the Ars Goetia

How to read the labels Historical what the old sources say. Later tradition what later writers added. Modern modern practice and my own notes.

Balam is spirit 51 of the 72 in the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon. The 1904 edition by S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley calls him a king ruling 40 legions, and the first office it gives him is this: Balam gives true answers of things past, present, and to come.

He is a three-headed king who makes men invisible and witty, with a name that recalls the prophet Balaam. Each part below carries a label for its layer, explained in how to read a spirit page.

At a glance

The 1904 entry

Historical The full entry from the 1904 edition, with footnote numbers and the dash after the heading left out and the heading set in ordinary type:

Balam. The Fifty-first Spirit is Balam or Balaam. He is a Terrible, Great, and Powerful King. He appeareth with three Heads: the first is like that of a Bull; the second is like that of a Man; the third is like that of a Ram. He hath the Tail of a Serpent, and Flaming Eyes. He rideth upon a furious Bear, and carrieth a Goshawk upon his Fist. He speaketh with a hoarse Voice, giving True Answers of Things Past, Present, and to Come. He maketh men to go Invisible, and also to be Witty. He governeth 40 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, etc.

Balam is “a Terrible, Great, and Powerful King” with three heads, “like that of a Bull”, “like that of a Man” and “like that of a Ram”. He has “the Tail of a Serpent, and Flaming Eyes”, rides “upon a furious Bear” and carries “a Goshawk upon his Fist”, like a falconer. His offices are true answers of past, present and future, invisibility and wit. “Witty” here means clever or wise, not funny.

Appearance

Historical Balam “appeareth with three Heads: the first is like that of a Bull; the second is like that of a Man; the third is like that of a Ram.” He has a serpent’s tail and flaming eyes, rides a furious bear, and carries a goshawk on his fist. He “speaketh with a hoarse Voice.”

Offices in the Ars Goetia

Historical The offices of Balam, in the order the 1904 text gives them:

• Gives true answers of things past, present, and to come.
• Makes men go invisible.
• Makes men witty.

He is “a Terrible, Great, and Powerful King” and governs 40 legions.

Source comparison: Weyer and Scot

Historical The Weyer catalog, as Scot renders it, gives “Balam” as “a great and a terrible king,” with three heads of bull, man, and ram, a serpent’s tail, flaming eyes, a furious bear, and a hawk. The offices match. Both give 40 legions.

Historical Weyer’s Latin, “Balã” with an abbreviation mark, agrees closely: “tribus capitibus, primo tauri, altero hominis, tertio arietis”. The bear is “urso fortissimo”, very strong rather than furious, and the bird is “accipitrem”, a hawk. He makes a man “& invisibilem & prudentem”, both invisible and prudent, where the Goetia has “Witty”. Weyer adds that he “fuit ex ordine dominat[ionum]”, of the order of Dominions, which the Goetia drops. (About Weyer and Scot.)

Name and etymology

Historical The 1904 text gives Balam or Balaam. The name matches the prophet of Numbers 22 to 24, discussed below; Le Breton’s plate spells it Balan.

Seal and images

Historical The seal above is Balam’s as printed in 1904, and by the rules of the Observations it would be made in gold, the metal of his rank. Why seals were worn, why editions draw them differently and how to study one are explained in seals, circle and triangle.

Later tradition Le Breton’s 1863 plate, titled Balan, shows a crowned, horned and long-bearded figure riding a bear. It keeps one head instead of the text’s three.

Later tradition and modern practice

Later tradition The name recalls Balaam, the prophet of Numbers 22 to 24 whose donkey speaks to him. There is no evidence that the compilers intended a link beyond the name. Balam’s three heads are the same as Asmoday’s (32), an echo that may reflect a shared source.

Modern Little modern practice centers on this spirit beyond the offices above.

Lore about Balam’s personality, likes or chosen people is modern, not grimoire material; modern approaches explains where such claims come from.

Beginner’s quick reference

Before you burn or handle anything listed for Balam, read incense, plants and offerings.

Practical notes

Balam is a king, and “Terrible.” His offices are divination, invisibility, and wit. Not a choice for a first contact under the beginner criteria.

In the directory, Balam is not among the 30 spirits that fit the beginner criteria.

Try this: one question to study

Compare Balam’s three heads with those of Asmoday (32), and list what else the two kings share.

What next

To compare Balam with other spirits of his rank, read Vine and Zagan.

Later tradition In the Golden Dawn scheme of the decans, Balam is the night spirit of the third decan of Leo, which belongs to the Seven of Wands; the day spirit of the same decan is Eligos (spirit 15).