According to the writings in The Lesser Key of Solomon, Berith is the twenty-eighth spirit listed in the Goetia.
He rides a gigantic red horse and burns those without manners. He is a Great Duke of Hell with twenty-six legions of demons under his command. He is depicted as a knight or soldier wearing red armour and a golden crown.
In order to speak with him the conjurer must wear a silver ring and hold it before his face. He gives true answers to all things past, present and future as long as he is asked, but when not answering questions is a liar. He can turn any metal into gold, give dignities and confirm them.
Berith in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum[]
The Pseudomonarchia daemonum, or False Monarchy of Demons, by the Dutch occultist Johann Weyer, was published as an appendix to his book titled De praestigiis daemonum, or On the Tricks of Demons, in 1577. The description of Berith from the Pseudomonarchia daemonum is as follows:
| “ | Berith is a great and a terrible duke, and hath three names. Of some he is called Beall; of the Jewes Berithi [Berith]; of Nigromancers Bolfry [Bolfri]: he commeth foorth as a red souldier, with red clothing, and upon a horsse of that colour, and a crowne on his head. He answereth trulie of things present, past, and to come. He is compelled at a certeine houre, through divine vertue, by a ring of art magicke. He is also a lier, he turneth all mettals into gold, he adorneth a man with dignities, and confirmeth them, he speaketh with a cleare and a subtill voice, and six and twentie legions are under him.[1] | ” |
Berith in the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (Ars Goetia)[]
The Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis or Lesser Key of Solomon is an anonymously written book of demonology that is believed to have been complied sometime during the 17th century CE. The work is divided into five books, the first of which, known as the Ars Goetia, lists 72 demons. The Ars Goetia is heavily based off of Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia daemonum.
In 1904, the British occultist and founder of the religion of Thelema, Aleister Crowley, published a version of the Lesser Key of Solomon which was translated by another British occultist, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, and contained additional invocations added by Crowley. The Ars Goetia's passage on Berith from the 1904 version is as follows:
| “ | BERITH. - The Twenty-eighth Spirit in Order, as Solomon bound them, is named Berith. He is a Mighty, Great, and Terrible Duke. He hath two other Names given unto him by men of later times, viz.: BEALE, or BEAL, and BOFRY or BOLFRY. He appeareth in the Form of a Soldier with Red Clothing, riding upon a Red Horse, and having a Crown of Gold upon his head. He giveth true answers, Past, Present, and to Come. Thou must make use of a Ring in calling him forth, as is before spoken of regarding Beleth.17 He can turn all metals into Gold. He can give Dignities, and can confirm them unto Man. He speaketh with a, very clear and subtle Voice. He governeth 26 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, etc.[2] | ” |
Berith in the Dictionnaire Infernal[]
The Infernal Dictionary is a book of demonology written in 1818 by the French occultist Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy. The entry for Berith is as follows:
| “ | Berith , Duke of Hell, great and terrible. He is known by three names; some call him Beal, the Jews Berith, and the necromancers Bolfri. He appears in the guise of a young soldier dressed in red from head to toe, mounted on a horse of the same color, wearing a crown on his forehead; he answers about the past, the present, and the future. He is controlled by the virtue of magic rings; but it should not be forgotten that he is often a liar. He has the talent of changing all metals into gold: so he is sometimes regarded as the demon of alchemists. He bestows dignities and makes the voices of singers clear and refined. Twenty-six legions are at his command. He was the idol of the Shechemites, and perhapsIs it the same as the Beruth of Sanchoniaton, whom some scholars believe to be Pallas or Diana?
The author of The Solid Treasure of Little Albert tells of Bérith an adventure which would make one believe that this demon is nothing more than a fool or goblin, if indeed it is the same Bérith. "I found myself," he said, "in a castle where a familiar spirit appeared who for six years had taken care to govern the clock and curry the horses. I was curious one morning to examine this activity: my astonishment was great to see the currycomb running over the horse's rump, without it appearing to be led by any visible hand. The groom told me that, to attract this sprite to his service, he had taken a small black hen, that he had bled it in a large crossroad; that with this blood he had written on a piece of paper: 'Bérith will do my work for twenty years, and I will reward him;' that having then buried the hen a foot deep, the same day the sprite had taken care of the clock and the horses, and that from time to time he himself made finds that were worth something to him..." The historian seems to believe that this elf was a mandrake. The Kabbalists see nothing other than a sylph.[3] |
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Gallery[]
| The 72 Demons of The Ars Goetia | |
|---|---|
| Kings | Asmodeus • Bael • Balam • Beleth • Belial • Paimon • Purson • Vine • Zagan |
| Dukes | Abigor • Aim • Agares • Allocer • Amduscias • Astaroth • Barbatos • Bathin • Bune • Berith • Crocell • Dantalion • Flauros • Focalor • Gremory • Gusion • Murmur • Sallos • Valefor • Vapula • Vepar • Vual • Zepar |
| Princes | Gaap • Ipos • Orobas • Seere • Stolas • Sytry • Vassago |
| Marquises | Amon • Andrealphus • Andras • Cimejes • Decarabia • Forneus • Gamigin • Leraje • Marchosias • Nebiros • Orias • Phenex • Ronové • Sabnock • Shax |
| Counts | Andromalius • Bifrons • Furfur • Halphas • Raum |
| Knights | Furcas |
| Presidents | Buer • Botis • Foras • Glasya-Labolas • Marbas • Morax |
| Great Presidents | Amy • Camio • Haagenti • Malphas • Ose • Volac |