The Classification of Demonic Spirits

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From the beginning people have recognized the existence of supernatural beings, and they have endeavored to divide them into good spirits and evil spirits. Giving these entities names and classifying them according to the varying criteria of different cultures has always been a central task. It is through the action of naming and classifying that the first steps towards gaining control over those elusive forces are taken. In our own, the western civilization, the classification of evil spirits, or demons as they came to be called, has to a great extent been based upon the hierarchies of angels, as laid down by early Christian theologians and writers. Based primarily on the writings of St Paul, the angelic court was devised during the fourth century P.E. It consisted of three hierarchies, and each hierarchy contained a certain number of categories. They are given here in ascending order:

The first hierarchy consisted of the Angels, the Archangels and the Virtues.
The second hierarchy grouped the Powers, the Principalities and the Dominions.
In the third and highest hierarchy are found the Thrones, the Cherubim and finally, closest to God, the Seraphim.

A fifth century philosopher divided demons into five distinct categories. Four of them were associated with the four elements (fire, air, water and earth), while the fifth category was located underground.

According to Michael Spells, who worked in the eleventh century, demons were divided into six classes. To the aforementioned five classes he added a sixth: the demons that were mere shadows in the nature of ghosts. St Augustine comprehended all demons under Psellus' sixth category.

During the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance, due to the revival of the magical arts and the development of a specifically European witchcraft, it was necessary to draw up extremely complex and ordered hierarchies, delineating the exact position of every conceivable demon in the infernal empire.

A good example of such a classification can be found in the books of the magician Johan Wierus, or Jean Wier, who drew up a complete catalogue of demons. According to him, the sum total of demons came to seven million, four hundred and nine thousand, one hundred and twenty-seven, commanded by seventy-nine princes. Quite different figures have been given by various authors of that same period. This is rather understandable as each of these de- monologists based his calculations on his own specific magical and numerological system.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Englishman, Francis Barrett, published a book called The Magus. In that work he proposed the following classification, dividing all evil spirits into nine "degrees":

1. The False Gods or Demons who wish to be worshipped like God.

2. The Spirits of Lies who delude men by divinations and predictions.

3. The Vessels of Iniquity or Vessels of Wrath; inventors of evil things such as cards and dice.

4. The Revengers of Evil whose prince is Asmodeus.

5. The Deluders who imitate miracles and serve conjurors and witches; their prince is Satan.

6. The Aerial Powers who offer themselves and join themselves to thunder and lightning, causing pestilence; their prince is called Meririm.

7. The Furies who are powers of evil discord, war and devastation; led by Abaddon.

8. The Accusers or Inquisitors whose prince is Astaroth; in Greek he is called "diabolos" which means "accuser" or "calumniator".

9. The Templers and Ensnarers one of which is present in every man, which we call the evil genius; their prince is Mammon whose name means "intrepid covetness".

From The Book of Demons by Hyatt/Charles

The Hierarchy of Demons & Angels as proposed by Paul

The angelic court had been invented in the fourth century out of the writings of Paul (Col. i. 16; Eph. i. 21) by the Pseudo-dionysius and consisted of nine orders of angels. There where three hierarchies, each with three orders.

First Hierarchy

Seraphim - Lucifer
Seraphim - Beelzebub (who is the prince of seraphim and next unto Lucifer)
Seraphim - Leviathin (who is the prince of the same order and the ring leader of the heritics)
Seraphim - Asmodeus (who is of the same order and in a seraphim unto this day because he burns with the desire to tempt men with his swine of luxuriousness and is the prince of wantons)
Cherubim - Balberith (who is the prince of cherubim)
Thrones - Astaroth (who is the prince of thrones)
Thrones - Verrine (who is next unto Astaroth)
Thrones - Gressil (who is third in the order of thrones)
Thrones - Sonneillon (who is fourth in the order of thrones)

Second Hierarchy

Power - Carreau (who is the prince of powers)
Power - Carnivean (who is also a prince of powers)
Dominion - Oeillet (who is the prince of dominion)
Dominion - Rosier (who is next unto Oeillet)
Principality - Verrier (who is the prince of principalities)

Third Hierarchy

Virtue - Belias (who is the prince of virtues)
Archangel - Olivier (who is the prince of archangels)
Angel - Iuvart (who is the prince of angels)

From the Grimoire of Pope Honorius:

Principle Infernal Spirits

Lucifer - Emperor
Beelzebub - Prince
Astaroth - Grand Duke

Superior Spirits

Lucifage Rofocale - Prime Minister
Satanchia - Grand General
Agaliarept - Aussi General
Feurety - Lieutenant Commander
Sargantanas - Major
Nebiros - Field Marshall

Subordinate Spirits

Bael , Bathim, Agares, Pursan, Marbas, Abigar, Pruslas, Loray, Aamon, Valefar, Barbatos, Forau, Buer, Ayperos, Gusoyn, Nuberus, Botis, Glasyabolis

Johan Weyer's Hierarchy of Hell:

Beelzebuth - Supreme Chieftan
Satan - Occupies second place as prince of darkness
Eurynomous - Prince of death
Moloch - Prince of the land of tears
Pluto - Prince of fire
Baal - Commander of the armies of hell
Lucifer - Dispenses justice
Asmodeus - Gambling
Baalberith - Minister of pacts and treaties
Proserpine - Prince of demonic spirit
Astaroth - Prince and treasurer of hell
Nergal - Chief of secret police
Others: Chamos, Melchom, Behamoth, Dagon, Adramalek

Faust's Hierarchy of the Kingdoms:

Beelzebub - North
Lucifer - East
Belial - South
Astaroth - West
Phlegathon - Center

Medieval Hierarchies (source unknown)

The Seven Princes of Hell

Baal-beryth - master of rituals and pacts
Dumah - commander of the demons of gehenna
Meririm - prince of air
Rahab - prince of oceans
Sariel - Prince of the moon
Mephistopheles - the destroyer
Lucifer Rofocale - prime minister and controls wealth

The Arch-demons of Hell

Adramaleck - Prince of Fire
Carniveau - Demon of Possession
Python - Prince of lying spirits
Mammon - Prince of tempters, avarice, and greed
Rimmon - Prince of lightning and storms

The Demonesses of Hell - One of the Very Few All Female Demon Hierarchies.

Leviathan - The Chaos Dragon
Barbelo - Unknown
Proserpine - Destroyer
Astarte - Queen of spirits of the dead
Agrat-bat-mahlaht - One of Satan's wives and demoness of whores
Eisheth Zenunim - Same as above
Lilith - Satan's favorite wife
Naamah - demoness of seduction

Hierarchies & Classifications by date

Species of Demons, as Described by Alphonse de Spina (1467)

Fates, who alter destiny
Poltergeists, who cause mischief
Incubi and Succubi, who stimulate lust and perversion
Marching Hordes, who bring about war
Familiars, who assist witches
Nightmares, who disturb sleep through bad dreams
Demons formed from Human Semen
Disguised Demons
Demons who Assail the Saintly
Demons who Instigate Witchcraft

Correspondence of Demons to the Seven Deadly Sins
(According to Peter Binsfield, Jesuit monk, 1589)

Asmodeus - Lust
Beelzebub - Gluttony
Belphegor - Vanity & Sloth
Leviathan - Envy
Lucifer - Pride
Mammon - Avarice
Satan - anger

Sebastien Michaelis's Histoire admirable de la Possession et conversion d'une penitente (1613)