The 14 Presidents of Hell
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Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to discuss the 14 presidents of hell.Alright, let's get into it.The "Lesser Key of Solomon" is an anonymous grimoire on demonology. It was compiled in the mid-17th century, primarily from materials created and circulated in the two centuries preceding its publication. It is divided into five books, and by far the most popular of the five is the first, the Ars Goetia, which contains descriptions of the 72 demons that Solomon is said to have evoked and confined in a bronze vessel sealed by magic symbols, and that he compelled to work for him. Each demon is described in detail, including its appearance, its rank, the powers it can confer upon the conjurer, and the ritual instructions for summoning it.Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (often shortened to S.L.M. Mathers) lived from 1854-1918 and was a prominent figure in late 19th and early 20th century occultism. He was a co-founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a secretive organization dedicated to the study and practice of the occult, metaphysics, and paranormal activities. Mathers translated the 'Lesser Key of Solomon into English in 1904, making him the first person to do so. His translation was significant as it made one of the most famous grimoires accessible to English-speaking audiences for the first time. Before this, such works were typically only available to scholars or to lay enthusiasts well versed in Latin. Mathers' translation thus democratized access to the "Lesser Key of Solomon," significantly influencing Western occultism by contributing to the dissemination and development of magical practices in the English-speaking world. In the Ars Goetia, as said before, there are 72 demons, each one ascribed a rank. There are 9 kings, 23 Dukes, 7 princes, 15 marquis, 14 presidents, 10 earls, or counts, and 1 knight. (The reason that the number totaled by adding all of these ranks is greater than 72 is that some demons hold more than one rank.) We will now, for the rest of the video, read directly from the 'Lesser Key of Solomon' (specifically, from Mather's English Translation of the Ars Goetia), going over each of the 14 entries that discuss the 14 demonic presidents.