47. Vual: a duke 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.

Spirit 47 of the Ars Goetia is Vual. The 1904 edition by S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley calls him a duke ruling 37 legions, and the first office it gives him is this: Vual procures the love of women.

He speaks Egyptian, badly, and his offices are love, prophecy and friendship. 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:

Uvall, Vual, or Voval. The Forty-seventh Spirit is Uvall, or Vual, or Voval. He is a Duke, Great, Mighty, and Strong; and appeareth in the Form of a Mighty Dromedary at the first, but after a while at the Command of the Exorcist he putteth on Human Shape, and speaketh the Egyptian Tongue, but not perfectly. His Office is to procure the Love of Women, and to tell Things Past, Present, and to Come. He also procureth Friendship between Friends and Foes. He was of the Order of Potestates or Powers. He governeth 37 Legions of Spirits, and his Seal is this, to be made and worn before thee, etc.

Vual appears “in the Form of a Mighty Dromedary at the first” and then in human shape, “and speaketh the Egyptian Tongue, but not perfectly”. The offices are “to procure the Love of Women, and to tell Things Past, Present, and to Come”, and friendship “between Friends and Foes”. He “was of the Order of Potestates or Powers”, the sixth of the nine choirs of angels in the usual medieval order. Crowley added a dry footnote to the Egyptian: “He can nowadays converse in sound though colloquial Coptic.”

Appearance

Historical Vual appears “in the Form of a Mighty Dromedary at the first, but after a while at the Command of the Exorcist he putteth on Human Shape, and speaketh the Egyptian Tongue, but not perfectly.”

Offices in the Ars Goetia

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

• Procures the love of women. Reported as history; not taught here.
• Tells things past, present, and to come.
• Procures friendship between friends and foes.

He “was of the Order of Potestates or Powers” and governs 37 legions.

Crowley added a joke in a note: “He can nowadays converse in sound though colloquial Coptic.”

Source comparison: Weyer and Scot

Historical Scot’s Weyer gives “Vuall” as “a great duke and a strong,” “seene as a great and terrible dromedarie,” who in human form “soundeth out in a base voice the Aegyptian toong.” He “above all other procureth the especiall love of women.” Both give 37 legions and the order of Powers.

Historical Weyer’s Latin gives the voice as “linguam sonat Ægyptiacam graviter”, he sounds the Egyptian tongue deeply or heavily. Scot reads this as “in a base voice”, a low one; the Goetia’s “not perfectly” is a different reading of the same word. The love office is “præ cæteris … maximè”, above all others. Both give 37 legions and the order of Powers. (About Weyer and Scot.)

Name and etymology

Historical The 1904 text gives Uvall, Vual and Voval, Weyer Vual and Scot Vuall. U and V were one letter in early printing, which explains most of the variation. No meaning is known.

Seal and images

Historical The seal above is Vual’s as printed in 1904, and by the rules of the Observations it would be made in copper, 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 and modern practice

Later tradition The “Egyptian tongue” reflects the Renaissance fascination with Egypt as a source of ancient wisdom.

Modern Some modern writers read Vual as a spirit of language and friendship.

Lore about Vual’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 Vual, read incense, plants and offerings.

Practical notes

Vual’s main office is procuring love, which I do not teach as work on another person. His office of friendship could be framed as a question about your own social life, but he does not fit the teaching criteria well. Learning Coptic, on the other hand, is a fine hobby that needs only a grammar book.

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

Try this: one question to study

Weyer’s “graviter” can mean deeply, heavily or seriously. Decide which sense Scot chose, which the Goetia chose, and why the choice changes the spirit.

What next

To compare Vual with other spirits of his rank, read Crocell and Vepar.

Later tradition In the Golden Dawn scheme of the decans, Vual is the night spirit of the second decan of Cancer, which belongs to the Three of Cups; the day spirit of the same decan is Gusion (spirit 11).