What is the Lemegeton?
The Lemegeton, formally The Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis), is a grimoire (book of magic) thought to have been compiled in Europe around the 17th century. Several manuscripts survive today, in the British Library and elsewhere. Its title comes from King Solomon, but it was not actually written by him; it is thought to have been edited from earlier books of magic.
King Solomon and the 72 demons
Solomon, king of ancient Israel in the Old Testament, is known for his great wisdom. In later ages, a legend arose that he used the power of a ring given by God to command demons and made them build the temple in Jerusalem. The Lemegeton presents itself as a book recording how to summon and command demons based on this legend.
The Goetia (the 72 demons)
The Lemegeton has five parts, the most famous being the first, the “Goetia.” It records 72 demons, such as Bael, Agares, Asmodeus and Belial, with their ranks (kings, dukes and so on), appearances, specialties, the number of legions they command, and each one’s seal (sigil). It also depicts the magic circle and triangle used to summon the demons and the steps of the ritual.
Popularity today
At the end of the 19th century, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and others connected with a British magical order translated the Goetia into English and published it, making it widely known. Today the demons of the Goetia are hugely popular as the sources for characters in games, manga and anime, and the term “72 pillars of Solomon” is often used in Japan. See also demons and the Devil.
