Grimorium Verum: The True Grimoire — Complete Guide to History, Demons & Editions

Few books in the history of Western occultism are as paradoxical as the Grimorium Verum. Its title page claims publication in 1517 — a date scholars regard as almost certainly false. Its authorship is credited to an Egyptian figure who almost certainly never existed. And yet this compact, unapologetically diabolical manual has outlasted centuries of suppression, competing texts, and academic skepticism to remain one of the most studied and actively used grimoires in the world.

This guide covers everything a newcomer or serious researcher needs to know: the book's genuine history and how scholars date it, a complete breakdown of its internal structure, a fully mapped demon hierarchy (including all six deputies and all 18 inferior spirits), the notorious problem of corrupted sigils across printed editions, and a frank buyer's guide to the editions worth owning.

What Is the Grimorium Verum?

The Grimorium Verum — Latin for "True Grimoire" — is a manual of ceremonial magic from the Western occult tradition focused on summoning and working with a ranked hierarchy of demons through pacts, conjurations, and ritual procedures.

Unlike most grimoires in the Solomonic tradition, which frame their operations within an angelic or divine authority structure, the Grimorium Verum is explicitly diabolical. Its operators are not commanding demons in God's name — they are entering into direct relationships with named demonic beings, up to and including formal pacts. This directness is part of what makes it distinctive and controversial within the grimoire corpus.

The name itself signals an authenticity claim. "True Grimoire" implies that competing texts are false or incomplete — a common marketing strategy in 18th- and 19th-century occult publishing, though the book's actual origins appear earlier and more complex than its printed editions suggest.

In popular culture, demonic grimoires are routinely portrayed as fictional artifacts — props in horror films, references in fantasy games. The Grimorium Verum is neither. It is a real historical text with a documented scholarly literature, genuine manuscript connections, and an ongoing life in contemporary ceremonial magic practice.

History and Origins

The Grimorium Verum's history is more interesting — and more honestly uncertain — than its title page suggests. Working through the false dates and pseudonymous authorship reveals a text with surprisingly deep roots.

The original French title page attributes the grimoire to "Alibeck the Egyptian, at Memphis." This attribution is almost certainly fictional. Pseudonymous authorship was standard practice in grimoire publishing for two reasons: it lent an air of exotic ancient authority to the text, and it provided plausible deniability against accusations of authoring diabolical literature. Scholars have not identified any historical figure named Alibeck the Egyptian associated with the text.

The title page date of 1517 is similarly untenable. The text contains a reference to "America" in a structurally important passage. The word "America" entered European usage in 1507 — but more meaningfully, it must post-date the period when the term was common enough to appear casually in non-cartographic writing, which pushes the composition forward into the 17th century or later. On the other side: a sigil from the Grimorium Verum — specifically the seal associated with Silcharde — appears on a forged pact produced at the trial of Urbain Grandier in 1629, establishing an upper bound.

Jake Stratton-Kent, whose critical reconstruction of the text is the current scholarly standard, suggests that readers should essentially "add a century" to the title page date. The most defensible reading is that the original text was composed in the early 17th century or somewhat earlier.

Inside the Book: The Three Parts

Part I — Spirit Hierarchy and Sigils. Part I is the book's taxonomic core. It presents the full hierarchy of spirits — the three chiefs, their six deputies, and the 18 inferior spirits under Duke Syrach — along with the characters and seals (sigils) associated with each entity. Crucially, all sigil content in the original text lives here, in Part I, alongside the spirit descriptions. These seals are the practical tools an operator would inscribe on materials or carry during ritual work.

Part II — Natural and Supernatural Secrets. Part II functions as a working catalog of magical operations — divination using mirrors, achieving invisibility, healing, influencing the dreams of another person, and numerous other workings. These operations are framed as being worked through the demons described in Part I, not independently. The two parts are designed to be used together.

Part III — The Key to the Work. Part III provides the ritual framework that makes everything else operational. This includes the preparation and purification of the operator, the manufacture of magical instruments, and the step-by-step conjuration procedure. It also covers pact-making — the formal agreement between operator and spirit that is perhaps the Grimorium Verum's most distinctive and notorious feature.

Jake Stratton-Kent's critical edition also includes the Cabala of the Green Butterfly as an appended section — additional material that does not appear in all versions of the text but that JSK considers integral to a complete working understanding of the system.

The Demon Hierarchy: Full Breakdown

The Grimorium Verum's spirit hierarchy is one of the most structured and internally coherent demon taxonomies in the Western grimoire tradition.

The Three Chiefs. At the apex sit three superior spirits, each ruling a geographic domain: Lucifer, Emperor, rules Europe and Asia and appears as a fair young man — notably non-monstrous. Belzebuth, Prince, rules Africa and may manifest as a monstrous form, a giant cow, or a long-tailed he-goat. Astaroth, Duke, rules America and specializes in granting the favour of kings and lords.

The Six Deputies. Each of the three chiefs commands two deputies: Lucifer commands Satanakia and Agalierap; Belzebuth commands Tarchimache (also identified as Lucifuge Rofocale) and Fleurty; Astaroth commands Sagatan and Nebiros.

The 18 Inferior Spirits. Below the deputies, 18 inferior spirits operate under the authority of Duke Syrach. These are the entities most directly engaged in practical operations: Claunech (riches), Musisin (great lords and affairs of state), Bechaud (weather and storms), Frimost (love and passion), Klepoth (visions and dreams), Khil (earthquakes), Mersilde (teleportation), Clisthert (control of light and darkness), Silcharde (knowledge of animals), Hicpacth (brings distant persons instantly), Humots (brings any book desired), Segal (prodigies and monsters), Frucissière (necromancy — revives the dead), Guland (causes or heals all sicknesses), Surgat (opens any lock — considered dangerous), Morail (invisibility), Frutimière (feasts and banquets), and Huictiigaras (causes sleep in some, insomnia in others).

The Sigil Corruption Problem

Sigils — the graphic characters or seals associated with each spirit — are among the most practically important and most problematic elements of the Grimorium Verum. The critical issue: no single printed edition of the grimoire has all its sigils correct.

Sigils have been lost, reversed, misattributed, and mislabelled across every French and Italian printed version. In one influential French edition, the sigils placed beneath the characters of Lucifer, Belzebuth, and Astaroth — the three chiefs — actually belong to Claunech, Musisin, and Khil, the first three inferior spirits. This misattribution was then reproduced faithfully (and incorrectly) by subsequent editors who trusted the preceding edition rather than returning to variant sources.

Jake Stratton-Kent's The True Grimoire (Scarlet Imprint, 2nd ed. 2022) cross-referenced multiple French and Italian printed versions along with the Lansdowne manuscript — a significant British Library holding — to produce reconstructed sigils that are as close to a defensible original as the surviving evidence permits. The free text available at esotericarchives.com reproduces many of the corruption errors and should not be treated as a reliable sigil reference.

Grimorium Verum vs. The Key of Solomon

The Key of Solomon operates within what scholars call the Solomonic angelic framework. Its conjurations invoke divine names, angels, and divine authority — demons are controlled through God's power. The Grimorium Verum operates in explicitly diabolical territory. There is no divine intermediary — the operator approaches the three chiefs and their subordinates directly, and the pact-making procedures describe genuine bargained agreements between human and demon.

Jake Stratton-Kent's analysis adds an important wrinkle: rather than treating the Grimorium Verum as a late corruption or derivation of the Solomonic tradition, he argues that the Verum connects to an early stage of the Key of Solomon's own development — that both traditions share roots that pre-date the canonical form of the Key as most readers know it.

Best Editions

Jake Stratton-Kent, The True Grimoire (Scarlet Imprint, 2nd ed. 2022) is the recommended starting point for most readers. It is a critical reconstruction cross-referencing multiple source versions, with reconstructed sigils, extensive scholarly commentary, and supplementary essays — including material on the grimoire's connections to Brazilian Quimbanda spirit traditions. If you are going to own one edition, this is it.

Joseph H. Peterson, Grimorium Verum (2023) is a more spare critical text without JSK's extensive commentary, focused on presenting the source material accurately. Recommended for researchers who want a clean text to cross-reference against the JSK edition.

The free text at esotericarchives.com is drawn from a single uncorrected French source and reproduces the sigil corruption errors documented above. Useful for initial orientation only.

The Grimorium Verum in Modern Occultism

The Grimorium Verum is not a museum piece. Before JSK's work, scholarly and practitioner attention in the Western ceremonial magic revival was heavily concentrated on the Lemegeton — particularly its first section, the Goetia — as the primary demonic grimoire. JSK's edition is widely credited with catalyzing a significant shift in grimoire scholarship toward the wider corpus.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the grimoire's contemporary relevance is its connection to Brazilian Quimbanda. Several of the spirit figures from the Verum hierarchy — particularly figures in the Exu lineage — appear in Quimbanda traditions in forms that reflect a documented historical and cultural transmission path. This is a specific, traceable cross-cultural legacy that scholars of both the grimoire tradition and Afro-Brazilian religious traditions have documented.

The result is that the Grimorium Verum now occupies an unusual position: it is simultaneously a subject of academic historical study and an actively consulted working text for practitioners of ceremonial magic worldwide.

The Three Chiefs: Full Detail

At the apex of the hierarchy sit three superior spirits, each ruling a geographic domain and appearing in a characteristic form:

Lucifer holds the title of Emperor and rules Europe and Asia. He appears as a fair young man — notably non-monstrous — but turns red with anger.

Belzebuth (spelled with one 'e' in the original French, not the more familiar Beelzebuth) holds the title of Prince and rules Africa. His appearances are more varied and dramatic: he may manifest as a monstrous form, a giant cow, or a long-tailed he-goat, and he vomits fire when angered.

Astaroth holds the title of Duke and rules America — the New World, in the geographic imagination of the text's composition period. He appears in a black human shape and specializes in granting the favour of kings and lords.

The Six Deputies: Full Assignments

Each of the three chiefs commands two deputies, giving six mid-tier figures in the hierarchy. Lucifer commands Satanakia and Agalierap. Belzebuth commands Tarchimache (also called Lucifuge Rofocale — the same figure who appears prominently in the Grand Grimoire) and Fleurty. Astaroth commands Sagatan and Nebiros.

The identification of Tarchimache with Lucifuge Rofocale is one of several cross-textual connections that scholars use to trace relationships between grimoire traditions.

The 18 Inferior Spirits: Complete List

Below the deputies, 18 inferior spirits operate under the authority of Duke Syrach. The variant names in parentheses reflect the real-world challenge of working with this text — different manuscript and print traditions spell these names inconsistently, and researchers matching spirit names across sources need to account for this phonetic drift.

1. Claunech (Elantiel, Chaunta) — Riches and treasure. Described as "much loved by Lucifer."
2. Musisin (Resochin, Roschim) — Great lords and affairs of state.
3. Bechaud (Bechet, Bechar, Bechard) — All weather: storms, tempests, rain, snow, hail.
4. Frimost (Frimoth) — Love, women, human passions.
5. Klepoth (Kleppoth, Kepoth) — Dancing, music, visions and dreams.
6. Khil (Klic, Kleim) — Earthquakes.
7. Mersilde (Mertiel, Inertiel) — Teleportation: instant transport to any location.
8. Clisthert (Sirumel, Selytarel) — Controls perception of day and night, light and darkness.
9. Silcharde — Knowledge of all animals and creatures and their virtues.
10. Hicpacth (Hiepact, Hepoth) — Brings any distant person to you instantly.
11. Humots (Humet) — Brings any book you desire.
12. Segal (Fegot) — Causes all sorts of prodigies and monsters to appear.
13. Frucissière (Frulhel, Frastiel) — Revives the dead; infernal necromancy.
14. Guland (Galant) — Causes or heals all sicknesses.
15. Surgat (Surgatha) — Opens any lock. Described as dangerous; requires a triple-ring circle.
16. Morail (Menail) — Makes you or anything invisible.
17. Frutimière (Glitia) — Prepares feasts and banquets.
18. Huictigaras — Causes sleep in some, insomnia in others.

Further Subordinate Lines

The hierarchy extends considerably deeper than the 18 inferior spirits. Satanakia governs a further tier including Sergutthy, Heramael, Trimasael, and Sustugriel as principal figures, with roughly 45–54 additional subordinates. Agalierap governs Elelogap, who specializes in water-related matters. Nebiros governs Hael and Sergulath, who in turn command eight named subordinates: Proculo, Haristum, Brulefer, Pentagnony, Aglasis, Sidragosam, Minoson, and Bucon.

For most researchers, the three chiefs, six deputies, and 18 inferior spirits represent the primary operational tier. The subordinate lines are worth knowing — they appear in the text and are part of a complete understanding of the system — but they function as extensions of the main hierarchy rather than as independent entities.

FAQ

What is the Grimorium Verum?

The Grimorium Verum (Latin for "True Grimoire") is a manual of Western ceremonial magic focused on summoning and working with a structured hierarchy of demons. It is organized into three parts: a spirit hierarchy with sigils, a catalog of magical operations, and a ritual framework for conjuration and pact-making. Scholars date its composition to the early 17th century or earlier, despite its title page claiming 1517.

What demons are in the Grimorium Verum?

The text presents a three-tier hierarchy. At the top: three chiefs — Lucifer (Emperor, rules Europe and Asia), Belzebuth (Prince, rules Africa), and Astaroth (Duke, rules America). Below them: six deputies, two per chief. Below the deputies: 18 inferior spirits under Duke Syrach, each with a specialized domain ranging from wealth and weather to invisibility and necromancy. The hierarchy extends further into additional subordinate layers.

Is the Grimorium Verum real or fictional?

It is a real historical text. The Grimorium Verum exists in multiple manuscript and printed versions spanning several centuries, is held in major library collections, and has been the subject of serious academic scholarship. It is neither a Hollywood invention nor a modern fabrication. Its title page date of 1517 is almost certainly false, but the text's existence and historical significance are well documented.

How is the Grimorium Verum different from the Key of Solomon?

The Key of Solomon frames its conjurations within a divine authority structure — demons are controlled through God's power. The Grimorium Verum is explicitly diabolical: operators approach demonic beings directly and may enter into formal pacts with them, without a divine intermediary. JSK also argues that rather than the Verum being derived from the Key, both texts may share common roots that pre-date the canonical Key as most readers know it.

What is the best edition of the Grimorium Verum?

For most readers — whether researchers or practitioners — Jake Stratton-Kent's The True Grimoire (Scarlet Imprint, 2nd ed. 2022) is the recommended starting point. It is a critical reconstruction cross-referencing multiple source versions, with reconstructed sigils and extensive scholarly commentary. Note that both paid editions are "reconstructions" rather than translations of a single definitive original — that distinction matters given the text's transmission history.

Conclusion

The Grimorium Verum rewards careful attention in a way that few grimoires do. It is compact, internally consistent, and operationally specific — a working manual rather than a speculative philosophy. Its history is genuinely interesting: a text that probably originated in the early 17th century or earlier, transmitted through flawed printed editions, dismissed by mainstream scholarship, and ultimately recovered to serious study through rigorous critical reconstruction.

For anyone approaching this text for the first time, Jake Stratton-Kent's The True Grimoire (Scarlet Imprint, 2nd ed. 2022) is the recommended entry point. It is the most accurate reconstruction of the text currently available and provides the scholarly context needed to use the material responsibly. From there, comparison with the Peterson edition and engagement with the broader grimoire tradition — the Grand Grimoire, the Key of Solomon, the Lemegeton — will deepen your understanding of where the Verum sits and why it matters.