King Paimon: The 9th Spirit of the Ars Goetia

He arrives to music. Before you see him, you hear the trumpets and cymbals of the spirits marching ahead of him, and then a crowned king rides in on a camel, speaking with a voice that roars. That is how the old grimoires describe King Paimon, one of the most famous spirits in Western demonology, and one of the few with a whole modern horror film built around him.

Paimon in the Ars Goetia

Paimon is the ninth spirit of the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon (also called the Lemegeton), a grimoire compiled in the seventeenth century. The Goetia catalogs seventy-two spirits, each with a rank, a number of legions, a description, a seal and a list of what it can do.

According to the Goetia, Paimon is:

• A Great King, one of the highest ranks among the seventy-two
• Very obedient to Lucifer, a detail the text singles out
• Commander of 200 legions of spirits, described as partly of the order of Angels and partly of the order of Potentates (Powers)

His rank and his loyalty to Lucifer are why Paimon is often treated as one of the most powerful and prominent spirits in the entire catalog.

How the Grimoire Describes Him

The Goetia's description of Paimon is one of its most vivid:

• He appears as a man with an effeminate face, wearing a glorious crown
• He rides a dromedary, a single-humped camel
• He is preceded by a host of spirits in the form of men playing trumpets and cymbals and other instruments
• He roars with a loud voice at his first coming, and the text says the magician cannot well understand him unless he compels him

Notice the phrase "effeminate face." Some modern sources claim Paimon is female, but that is a misreading. The grimoire consistently calls Paimon a king and uses male pronouns. The description refers to his appearance, not his gender.

What Paimon Is Said to Offer

The Goetia lists Paimon's powers in detail. He is said to:

• Teach all arts and sciences and other secret things
• Reveal hidden knowledge, including the nature of the earth, the mind and other mysteries
• Grant dignities and confirm them
• Give good familiars, helper spirits
• Bind people so that they are subject to the magician

This mix of teacher, patron and power-broker explains Paimon's appeal. He is not described as a spirit of destruction but as a king of knowledge and influence, which makes him a favorite subject for people interested in the grimoire tradition.

Older Roots: "Paymon" in Weyer

Paimon did not first appear in the Lesser Key. An earlier version, spelled Paymon, appears in Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), a catalog of demons published by the Dutch physician Johann Weyer as an appendix to his work criticizing witch trials. Much of the Goetia's list of spirits overlaps with Weyer's catalog, and comparing the two shows how these descriptions were copied, edited and expanded over time.

Which Direction Does Paimon Rule?

The Mathers edition of the Goetia says Paimon is to be observed towards the West, which is why you will often see him described as a king of the west. The grimoire tradition is not perfectly consistent from manuscript to manuscript, so check the edition you are reading.

Paimon and Hereditary

Most people today know Paimon from Ari Aster's Hereditary (2018), in which a cult works to bring Paimon into a human host. The film borrows real elements, including his name, his kingship and his association with wealth and knowledge, but the cult, its rituals and its plot are fiction. Nothing in the Goetia describes Paimon seeking a body.

The movie is a good example of how pop culture reshapes old demonology. It drove a huge wave of interest in Paimon, and many people who searched his name after the credits rolled discovered the much stranger historical sources for the first time.

Where to Read More

• Joseph H. Peterson (ed.), The Lesser Key of Solomon (2001): the most respected modern scholarly edition, based on the manuscripts
• S. L. MacGregor Mathers & Aleister Crowley, The Goetia (1904): the classic edition that brought the Goetia to modern occultists
• Johann Weyer, Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577): the earlier catalog that includes Paymon

If Paimon is your king, look for sigil jewelry in 316L stainless steel or sterling silver that shows his Goetic seal accurately (check it against a scholarly edition before you buy). A black or red velvet altar cloth printed with a clear, correct seal works for a display shelf too.

A King Who Arrives to Music

Paimon is the one spirit in the Goetia who comes with his own band. If you make music, take the hint. Lord Syko's free sounds collection has dark presets and drum kits for dark trap, dark plugg and dark glo, including the Crown Princes and Qliphoth Vital banks and the Sitra Achra drum kit, all free.

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