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Agares
Alternatively
known as
Aguares and Agreas.
In demonology, a
demon, Grand Duke of the eastern regions of Hell.
He has 31 infernal legions under his command.
Reginald Scot, in his 'The
Discoverie of Witchcraft' (1584) wrote of Agares:
"Agares, he commeth up
mildlie in the likenes of a faire old man, riding upon a crocodile, and carrying a hawke on his fist; hee teacheth
presentlie all maner of toongs, he fetcheth backe all such as runne
awaie, and maketh them runne that stand still; he overthroweth all dignities supernaturall and
temporall, hee maketh earthquakes, and is of the order of vertues, having
under his regiment thirtie one legions."
A master linguist, Agares is also known to
incite dance among mortals. He is usually depicted as a pale old man riding a crocodile and
carrying a goshawk on his
wrist; his main functions, besides teaching languages and dance, is to stop runaways,
destroy spiritual and temporal dignities, and to cause
earthquakes. The army
he protects in battle is indeed a fortunate one, for he disperses their
enemies and puts new courage into the hearts of cowards who fly before
superior numbers. He is also said to
distribute place and power, titles and prelacies amongst his followers
and protιgιes.
In his 'Pseudomonarchia
Daemonum', Johann Wier says of Agares:
"The first duke under the power of the east, is named
Agares, he commeth up mildile [i.e. he appears willingly] in the likenes of
a faire old man, riding upon a crocodile, and carrieng a hawke on his fist;
hee teacheth presentlie all maner of toongs, he fetcheth backe all such as
runne awaie, and maketh them runne that stand still; he overthroweth all
dignities supernaturall and temporall, hee maketh earthquakes, [lit. "and
makes spirits of the earth dance"] and is of the order of vertues, having
under his regiment thirtie one legions."
In the
Goetia,
this is how S. Liddell MacGregor Mathers describes Agares:
"The Second Spirit is a Duke called Agreas, or Agares. He
is under the Power of the East, and cometh up in the form of an old fair
Man, riding upon a Crocodile, carrying a Goshawk upon his fist, and yet mild
in appearance. He maketh them to run that stand still, and bringeth back
runaways. He teaches all Languages or Tongues presently. He hath power also
to destroy Dignities both Spiritual and Temporal, and causeth Earthquakes.
He was of the Order of Virtues. He hath under his government 31 Legions of
Spirits. And this is his Seal or Character which thou shalt wear as a Lamen
before thee."
Colin de Plancy's 'Dictionnaire Infernal'
also mentions Agares:
"Aguares, of the order of the virtues who governs
thirty-one legions, appears riding a crocodile and carrying a sparrowhawk.
He is said to make deserters return and can cause enemies to flee. He can
exalt people, teach all languages, and make the earth spirits dance."
According to legend, Agares was once in the
order of virtues, and is the 2nd of the
72 spirits Solomon is
reputed to have shut up in a brass vessel and cast into a deep lake, or banished
to "lower Egypt."
See
Heptameron,
Demonology,
Demonomancy,
Grimoires,
Casting Black Magic Spells,
Commanding Spirits,
The Tarot Store and
Divination & Scrying Tools and
Supplies.
Sources: (1) Masello, Robert,
Fallen Angels. . . and Spirits of the Dark,
The Berkley Publishing Group; (2) Spence, Lewis,
An Encyclopedia of
Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (3) de Plancy,
Collin, 'Dictionnaire Infernal',
Editions; (4) Wier, Johann, 'Pseudomonarchia
Daemonum';
(5) Mathers, S. Liddell
MacGregor,
The Goetia, The Key of Solomon the
King, The Book Tree; (6) Bailey, Nancy (editor),
The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Spells and Magic,
Sterling; (7) Scot, Reginald, 'The
Discoverie of Witchcraft', Dover
Publications; (8) Davidson, Gustav,
Dictionary of Angels:
Including the Fallen Angels, Free Press.
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