Bifrons is a

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

described in the demonological

grimoire A grimoire ( ) (also known as a "book of spells" or a "spellbook") is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination, and ...

s the ''

Lesser Key of Solomon ''The Lesser Key of Solomon'', also known as ''Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis'' or simply ''Lemegeton'', is an anonymous grimoire on demonology. It was compiled in the mid-17th century, mostly from materials a couple of centuries older.''Lemegeto ...

'' (as the forty-sixth spirit) and the ''

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'', or ''False Monarchy of Demons'', first appears as an Appendix to ''De praestigiis daemonum'' (1577) by Johann Weyer.Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Liber officiorum spirituum); Johann Weyer, ed. Joseph Peterson; 2000. Avai ...

'' (as the forty-seventh spirit), as well as being mentioned in the ''

Dictionnaire Infernal The ''Dictionnaire infernal'' ( en, "Infernal Dictionary") is a book on demonology, describing demons organised in hierarchies. It was written by Jacques Collin de Plancy and first published in 1818. There were several editions of the book; per ...

''. These works describe Bifrons as an

earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

who initially appears as a monster before adopting a more human form. His duties include teaching arts and sciences, including astrology, geometry, and the properties of different plants and stones. He also moves bodies into different graves, lights candles over graves, and (depending on the version) commands either 6, 26, or 60 legions of spirits. The word ''"bifrons"'' literally means "two-faced" in Latin, and is also a prominent epithet of the ancient Roman god

Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; la, Ianvs ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janu ...

, which suggests that Bifrons may be a corrupted and demonized form of Janus. According to Rudd, Bifrons is opposed by the

Shemhamphorasch ''Shem HaMephorash'' ( he, שֵׁם הַמְּפֹרָשׁ ''Šēm hamMəfōrāš'', also ''Shem ha-Mephorash''), meaning "the explicit name," is originally a Tannaitic term describing the Tetragrammaton. In Kabbalah, it may refer to a name of Go ...

angel Ariel.

References

Goetic demons {{occult-stub