Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Astetoth), in

demonology Demonology is the study of demons within religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or occultism. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a hierarchy of demons. Demons may be n ...

, is considered to be the Great Duke of

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

. He is described as a male figure, most likely named after the unrelated

Near Eastern The Near East () is a transcontinental region around the Eastern Mediterranean encompassing the historical Fertile Crescent, the Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The term was invented in the 20th ...

goddess

Astarte Astarte (; , ) is the Greek language, Hellenized form of the Religions of the ancient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern goddess ʿAṯtart. ʿAṯtart was the Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic equivalent of the East Semitic language ...

Background

The name ''Astaroth'' was ultimately derived from that of 2nd millennium BC

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

n goddess

,Lon Milo DuQuette and Christopher S. Hyatt. ''Aleister Crowley's Illustrated Goetia'' (1992). New Falcon: Temple, AZ, USA, p. 52. an equivalent of the Babylonian

Ishtar Inanna is the List of Mesopotamian deities, ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, and fertility. She is also associated with political power, divine law, sensuality, and procreation. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akk ...

, and the earlier Sumerian

Inanna Inanna is the List of Mesopotamian deities, ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, and fertility. She is also associated with political power, divine law, sensuality, and procreation. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akk ...

, and the later Greek

Aphrodite Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...

(Roman

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

). She is mentioned in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

Appearances in literature

The name "Astaroth" as a male demon is first seen in ''

The Book of Abramelin ''The Book of Abramelin'' tells the story of an Egyptian mage named Abraham, or Abra-Melin, who taught a system of magic to Abraham of Worms, a Jew from Worms, Germany, presumed to have lived from to . The system of magic from this book regai ...

'', purportedly written in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

, and recurred in most

occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...

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

of the following centuries. Astaroth also features as an

archdemon In some occult and similar writings, an archdemon (also spelled archdaemon), archdevil, or archfiend is a spiritual entity prominent in the Hell, infernal hierarchy as a leader of demons. Essentially, the archdemons are the evil opponents of the ...

associated with the ''

qlippoth In the ''Zohar'', Lurianic Kabbalah, and Hermetic Qabalah, the ''qlippoth'' (, originally , plural of ''qəlippā''; literally "peels", "shells", or "husks"), are the representation of evil or impure spiritual forces in Jewish mysticism, the ...

'' (adverse forces) according to later

Kabbalistic Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (). Jewi ...

texts, as he rules over the qlippa of Jupiter, known as

Gha'agsheblah In the ''Zohar'', Lurianic Kabbalah, and Hermetic Qabalah, the ''qlippoth'' (, originally , plural of ''qəlippā''; literally "peels", "shells", or "husks"), are the representation of evil or impure spiritual forces in Jewish mysticism, the ...

. Dutch demonologist

Johann Weyer Johannes Wier ( or '; 1515 – 24 February 1588) was a Dutch physician who was among the first to publish a thorough treatise against the trials and persecution of people accused of witchcraft. His most influential work is ('On th ...

also described Astaroth in his ''

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum The ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' () first appears as an appendix to ''De praestigiis daemonum'' (1577) by Johann Weyer.Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Liber officiorum spirituum); Johann Weyer, ed. Joseph Peterson; 2000. Available online aEsoteric Arc ...

'' (1577) thus: "Astaroth is a great and a strong duke, coming forth in the shape of a foul angel, sitting upon an infernal dragon, and carrying on his left hand a viper", who also claimed to rule 40 legions. Additionally, he had to be approached by the conjurer with a magical ring on account. He is similarly referred to in the 17th-century work ''

The Lesser Key of Solomon ''The Lesser Key of Solomon'', also known by its Latin title ''Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis'' or simply the ''Lemegeton'', is an anonymously authored grimoire on Goetia, sorcery, mysticism and Magic (supernatural), magic. It was compiled in th ...

''. He also makes an appearance in the notorious ''

Grimorium Verum The ''Grimorium Verum'' (Latin for ''True Grimoire'') is an 18th-century grimoire attributed to one "Alibeck the Egyptian" of Memphis, who purportedly wrote it in 1517. Like many grimoires, it claims a tradition originating with King Solomon. T ...

'' (''True Grimoire''), as the infernal principality which rules the Americas. According to some

demonologists Demonology is the study of demons within Religion, religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or occultism. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a Classification of demons, hi ...

of the 16th century, August is the month during which this demon's attacks against man are stronger. According to Sebastien Michaelis, he is a

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

of the First Hierarchy, who seduces by means of laziness, self-doubt, and rationalized philosophies. His adversary is St.

Bartholomew Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). New Testament references The name ''Bartholomew ...

, who can protect against him for he has resisted Astaroth's "temptations". To others, he teaches

mathematical Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

sciences and handicrafts, can make men invisible and lead them to hidden treasures, and answers every question formulated to him. He was also said to give to mortal beings the power over serpents. Was mentioned as a co-signatory of a Diabolical pact with

Urban Grandier Urbain Grandier (1590 – 18 August 1634) was a French Catholic priest who was burned at the stake after being convicted of witchcraft, following the events of the so-called " Loudun possessions". Most modern commentators have concluded that Gra ...

. According to Francis Barrett (), Astaroth is the prince of accusers and inquisitors. In art, in the ''

Dictionnaire Infernal The ''Dictionnaire Infernal'' () 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; perhaps the most famous is th ...

'' (1818), Astaroth is depicted as a nude man with feathered wings, wearing a crown, holding a serpent in one hand, and riding a beast with

dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

-like wings and a serpent-like tail.

Appearances in film

Ashtaroth is one of three demons summoned by Faustus to attack Benvolio in '' Doctor Faustus''. The "Star of Astoroth" features prominently in the 1971 Disney film ''

Bedknobs and Broomsticks ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' is a 1971 American live-action/animated hybrid musical fantasy film directed by Robert Stevenson from a screenplay by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi and with songs written by the Sherman Brothers. It was produced by ...

'', where it takes the form of a magical medallion. Astaroth is named in the 1976 Hammer horror film ''

To the Devil a Daughter ''To the Devil a Daughter'', sometimes stylised as ''To the Devil... a Daughter'', is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Peter Sykes and starring Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Nastassja Kinski, and Denholm E ...

''. In the 1920 silent horror film '' The Golem: How He Came into the World'',

Rabbi Loew Judah Loew ben Bezalel (; 1512 – 17 September 1609), also known as Rabbi Loew ( Löw, Loewe, Löwe or Levai), the Maharal of Prague (), or simply the Maharal (the Hebrew acronym of "''Moreinu ha-Rav Loew''", 'Our Teacher, Rabbi Loew'), was an i ...

and his assistant summon Astaroth to animate the

Golem A golem ( ; ) is an animated Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century ...

resulting in deadly and destructive results. Astaroth also appears in the 2007 television series '' Blood Ties'', with his symbol displayed in the first few episodes. The Solomonic seal of Astaroth makes an appearance in the 2017 film '' Pyewacket''. Astaroth is also seen in anime adaptations, features as the djinn of Kouen Ren in "

Magi Magi (), or magus (), is the term for priests in Zoroastrianism and earlier Iranian religions. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription. Old Per ...

". Astaroth symbolism is also prevalent in the 2018 film '' Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made'', and a symbol of Astaroth appears in the movie over 170 times. Astaroth is the title character in "Astaroth"/"Astaroth Female Demon", a film by the Brazilian director Larissa Anzoategui. The name of the company that made the film is also "Astaroth Produções" Astaroth appears as the main antagonist of the 2022 movie '' R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned''.

References

Sources

* S. L. MacGregor Mathers, A. Crowley, '' The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King'' (1904). 1995 reprint: .

External links