Balam (Ars Goetia Demon)

Balam is a powerful king in the demonic hierarchy, described in the Ars Goetia of the Lesser Key of Solomon. He is the 51st of the 72 Goetic spirits and was once part of the angelic Order of Dominations. The demon is known for his great authority, commanding many infernal legions and having the power to give accurate answers about the past, present, and future.

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Overview

Attribute	Details
Primary Name	Balam
Other Names	Balan, Balaam
Titles	King, Terrible King, Mighty King, Prince of the Order of Dominations
Gender	Male
Alignment	Lawful Evil
Role	Granting invisibility, providing prophecy, bestowing wit and hidden knowledge, teaching the secrets of the past and future
Rank	King of Hell
Hierarchy	Formerly of the Order of Dominations; serves in the Infernal Monarchy
Legions / Followers	40 Legions of Spirits
Appearance	A three-headed being (bull, man, and ram) with a serpent’s tail and flaming eyes, riding upon a giant bear and carrying a goshawk.
Powers & Abilities	Prophecy, invisibility, bestowing wit, command over forty legions, knowledge of all temporal events
Associated Figures	Solomon, Asmodeus, Paimon, Belial, Amon, Purson, Zagan, Belphegor, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Astaroth
Weaknesses	The seal of Solomon, specific invocations, holy names of God
Opposing Forces	The Angel Haziel
Pantheon	Abrahamic (Christian/Jewish demonology)
Region of Origin	Middle East / Levant
First Known Appearance	16th Century (Pseudomonarchia Daemonum)
Primary Sources	Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, Dictionnaire Infernal, The Discoverie of Witchcraft

Description

Balam symbolizes the loss of divine favor and the corruption of a once high-ranking angel.

As a former member of the Order of Dominations, he went from being a celestial regulator to an infernal king who controls time and influences how people see reality. He is known for his mastery of information, especially his complete knowledge of time.

Unlike chaotic spirits that seek only destruction, Balam stands for a more organized form of evil. He offers forbidden knowledge and the ability to become invisible, which can undermine social order. He represents the risks of searching for hidden truths and the pride often seen in fallen angels in the Solomonic tradition.

Appearance

Balam has a strange, hybrid body with three heads: one a bull’s, one a man’s, and one a ram’s. His eyes are often said to glow with a fierce, burning light, showing his intense and frightening nature. He also has the tail of a venomous serpent.

The demon does not walk on the earth in his primary form but instead sits astride a massive, powerful bear. In his hand, or perched after his fist, he carries a goshawk, a bird of prey that signifies his predatory vigilance and high rank. His voice is noted for being hoarse and harsh, reflecting his ancient and weathered infernal status.

History

The Fall from Grace

Balam was once a high-ranking angel in the Order of Dominations, also called the Dominions, which is the fourth rank in the angelic hierarchy. In this role, he oversaw the duties of lower angels and helped maintain divine justice and cosmic order.

When Lucifer led his rebellion, he was among the one-third of angels who left their divine roles to join him. Because Balam was a Dominion, his leadership and military skills strengthened the rebel forces.

During the War in Heaven, Balam acted as a strategist, using his knowledge of celestial laws to oppose the loyal angels. According to traditional demonology, this conflict was not just physical but also a deep spiritual divide.

The demon helped defend the northern parts of the heavens, fighting alongside the Morning Star. He used his knowledge to predict the archangels’ moves, but in the end, he could not resist the power of the divine command.

When Michael the Archangel led the loyal angels to expel the rebels, Balam was cast out of the highest Heaven. As he fell, his once-bright nature became corrupted, and he took on his monstrous, three-headed form.

After arriving in the infernal realms, Balam was made a King of Hell, not given a lesser role. He kept command of forty legions, made up of spirits who had served with him before. He set up a court focused on controlling time, keeping his place as a leader in both knowledge and administration.

The Binding by King Solomon

According to Solomonic legends, King Solomon used his magical ring, marked with the seal of God, to summon and bind the 72 Goetic spirits. Balam was one of those summoned. Solomon ordered Balam to use his knowledge of the past, present, and future to help the kingdom.

He was forced to reveal the secrets of invisibility and how someone could become clever and quick-witted, among other things. Even with his frightening look and rough voice, he was trapped in a brass vessel with the other spirits.

Later, the Babylonians broke the vessel, freeing Balam and the others to return to their places in Hell’s hierarchy.

The Prophet and the Demon

In later occult and folklore stories, Balam is sometimes mixed up with Balaam, the biblical prophet asked to curse the Israelites. Although the Ars Goetia treats Balam as a separate demon, the shared name led to tales in which Balam secretly influenced the prophet’s messages.

In these stories, the demon is said to have whispered to the prophet, giving him the ability to see the future of nations but also leading him toward spiritual downfall. This link highlights Balam’s role as a source of true prophecy that is still dangerous to the soul.

Genealogy

Attribute	Details
Parents	None (Created as an Angel)
Siblings	Other members of the Order of Dominations
Other Relationships	Peer of Asmodeus and Paimon; subordinate to the Four Kings of the Cardinal Directions (varies by text)

Sources

Source	Quote
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum	Balam is a great and a terrible king, he commeth foorth with three heads, the first of a bull, the second of a man, the third of a ram, he hath a serpents taile, and flaming eies, riding vpon a furious beare, and carrieng a hawke on his fist, he speaketh with a hoarse voice, answering perfectlie of things present, past, and to come, hee maketh men invisible and wise, he gouerneth fortie legions, and was of the order of dominations.
Ars Goetia	The Fifty-first Spirit is Balam or Balaam. He is a Terrible, Great, and Powerful King. He appeareth with three Heads: the first is like that of a Bull; the second is like that of a Man; and the third is like that of a Ram. He hath the Tail of a Serpent, and Flaming Eyes. He rideth upon a furious Bear, and carrieth a Goshawk upon his Fist. He speaketh with a hoarse Voice, giving True Answers of Things Past, Present, and to Come. He maketh men to go Invisible, and also to be Witty.
Dictionnaire Infernal	Balam, grand et puissant roi des enfers. Il paraît avec trois têtes, celle d’un taureau, celle d’un homme et celle d’un bélier. Il a une queue de serpent, des yeux qui jettent des flammes; il monte un ours effroyable et porte un épervier sur le poing. Sa voix est rauque; il répond sur le passé, le présent et l’avenir.

Powers

Balam has the special power to control how time and visibility are perceived. His main ability is chronomancy, which means he knows everything about the past, present, and future. When summoned, he gives clear and direct answers, not riddles. This lets people see the future or discover lost history.

Balam can also grant invisibility, often making others overlook the person he helps so they can move around unnoticed. Besides this, he can make someone smarter and quicker in thought, giving them extra wit or sharpness.

This gift is not just about being funny, but about thinking faster and being more clever in social situations. As a King, Balam also commands 40 legions of lesser spirits to do his bidding in both the mortal world and Hell.

Occult correspondences

Attribute	Details
Planet	Sun
Zodiac Sign	Sagittarius
Element	Earth
Direction	North
Color	Yellow / Gold
Number	51
Metal	Gold
Crystal / Mineral	Topaz / Diamond
Herb / Plant	Sage
Incense	Frankincense
Sacred Animal / Symbol	Bear / Goshawk / Bull

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