A Comparison of the Ars Goetia and the Overlords in Demonology

The Ars Goetia lists 72 spirits of varying ranks, while the four Overlords (Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, Amaymon) are the principal Kings ruling the cardinal directions. The key difference is authority: the Overlords govern the other spirits and must be invoked first to bind the 72.

Definition: What separates the Goetia’s 72 from the Overlords?

The Ars Goetia is the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire compiled in the 17th century. It catalogs 72 spirits of varying ranks: Kings, Dukes, Princes, Marquises, Counts, Presidents, and Knights. Each has a seal, a description, and a specific power (teaching arts, discovering treasures, causing love or hatred). The Overlords are the four principal Kings of the Goetia who rule over the cardinal directions: Oriens (East), Paimon (West), Ariton (North), and Amaymon (South). These four are not separate from the 72; they are the highest-ranking members of that list. The distinction is one of scale: the Overlords govern the other spirits, and the 72 are the spirits bound to serve the conjurer under the authority of the Overlords.

Where do the Goetia and the Overlords come from?

The 72 spirits first appear in Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1563), a catalog of demons appended to his larger work De Praestigiis Daemonum. Weyer listed 69 spirits, not 72, and gave no seals. The Lemegeton (circa 1640s) expanded the list to 72, added the seals, and organized them into the familiar Ars Goetia. The four Overlords appear in both sources with variant names. Weyer calls them Amaymon (South), Corson (West), Zimimay (North), and Goap (East); the Lemegeton uses Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, Amaymon. The overlap is imperfect, but the function is identical: they are the rulers of the four quarters, each commanding a legion of spirits. The origin of the four Overlords predates the Goetia. They appear in the Key of Solomon manuscripts, where they are called the “four principal kings” and are invoked to control the lesser spirits. Some traditions trace them to the four archangels of the cardinal points (Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel), inverted. The connection is structural: the conjurer must first establish dominion over the quarters before any spirit can be bound.

What the Overlords and the 72 actually do

The Overlords are not summoned for favors. They are invoked to establish authority. In the Goetia, the conjurer calls the Overlords first, reciting a specific prayer: “O you great, powerful, and mighty princes of the four quarters, Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, Amaymon, I conjure you…” The purpose is to compel the Overlords to send the specific spirit you need. The Overlords do not appear in the triangle; they are acknowledged outside the circle. The 72 spirits, by contrast, are the ones who appear in the triangle, answer questions, and materialize in physical form. The concrete practice: we keep a copy of the Lemegeton on the shelf. The binding is cracked, the pages foxed, but the list of 72 spirits is still legible. The four Kings are on page 4. When we prepare a Goetic working, we draw the circle with the names of the four Overlords inscribed at the cardinal points. The triangle of manifestation is placed outside the circle, facing the direction of the spirit we intend to call. The Overlords are invoked first, then the specific spirit is commanded. If the spirit resists, the conjurer returns to the Overlords and repeats their names as a threat. That is the practical difference: the Overlords are the gatekeepers, the 72 are the employees. You do not negotiate with the gatekeepers; you command them. The 72 spirits may be bargained with, but only under the Overlords’ authority.

Symbolism of the numbers: 72 and 4

The number 72 carries deep astrological and Kabbalistic weight. The 72 spirits correspond to the 72 names of God derived from the three verses of Exodus 14:19-21, each name composed of three letters. The 72 spirits are the demonic counterparts of these divine names. The Goetia itself states that each spirit is “under the power of” a divine name. The four Overlords correspond to the four cardinal directions, the four elements, the four winds, and the four letters of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH). They are the structural pillars of the entire system. The contrast is between a closed set (72) and an open set (4). The 72 spirits cover every conceivable domain: love, war, knowledge, nature, treasure, illusion. The four Overlords do nothing specific; they rule. Their power is not in a function but in a domain. The 72 spirits are the toolbox, the Overlords are the workshop.

How the ranks compare: Overlords are Kings, but not all Kings are Overlords

The Goetia lists multiple Kings: Bael (King of the East), Purson (King of the West), Vine (King of the East), Zagan (King of the West), etc. But only the four Overlords have the title “principal King” and rule the cardinal directions. The other Kings are subordinate to the Overlords. For example, Bael is a King but he is under Oriens. The hierarchy is: Overlords (4) > Kings (9) > Dukes (16) > Princes (7) > Marquises (12) > Counts (10) > Presidents (14) > Knights (1). The Overlords sit at the top, but they are also part of the list of 72 — they are Kings of the highest order. This is a common point of confusion. The Overlords are not separate from the 72; they are the first four entries in the list (Oriens is not listed as a separate spirit in most editions; the four Kings are named in the opening invocation, not in the numbered list). Actually, the Lemegeton does not number the four Kings among the 72. The 72 spirits include other Kings, but the four Overlords are listed separately in the preface. This means the total number of spirits in the system is 76 (4 Overlords + 72), but the Overlords are often considered part of the Goetia’s hierarchy.

What people get wrong about the Overlords and the Goetia

Misconception 1: The Overlords are more powerful than the 72. This is true in rank, but not in the sense that you can summon them for a task. The Overlords do not grant wishes. They are the authority mechanism, not the service providers. Misconception 2: The 72 spirits are all equal. They are not. The ranks matter: a Duke has more authority than a President, and a King has more than a Duke. The Overlords are the only spirits who command the quarters. Misconception 3: The Overlords are not part of the Ars Goetia. They are central to the ritual. Without them, the conjurer cannot bind the 72 spirits. The Goetia explicitly says “unless you have first compelled the four Kings, you cannot bind any of the other spirits.”

Misconception 4: The Overlords are evil archangels. There is no evidence for this in the source texts. They are demonic rulers, but their origin is not angelic inversion; it is a borrowing from the Key of Solomon’s four regional kings.

FAQ

Are the Overlords mentioned in the Ars Goetia itself?
Yes, the opening invocation of the Ars Goetia commands the four principal Kings: Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaymon. They are not listed among the 72 numbered spirits but are essential to the ritual. Which Overlord rules which direction?
Oriens rules the East, Paimon the West, Ariton the North, and Amaymon the South. Some sources give different names (Corson for West, Zimimay for North, Goap for East), but the function is identical. Can you summon an Overlord directly?
The ritual calls the Overlords to establish authority, not to manifest. They are addressed in the circle, not in the triangle. Few texts describe summoning an Overlord for a specific task; the standard practice is to command them to send a lesser spirit.

The Overlords in wider demonology

Outside the Goetia, the concept of Overlords appears in the Dictionnaire Infernal (Collin de Plancy, 1818) and later grimoires. The Grand Grimoire lists “four great princes” who command the legions of hell: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Astaroth, and Leviathan. These are not the same as the Goetia’s Overlords, but they share the function of top-tier rulers. The Grimorium Verum also has a set of four kings: Amaymon, Egyn, Bechard, and … (variants). The Goetia’s Overlords are unique in that they are tied to the Solomonic tradition and the 72 spirits. For a practitioner, the comparison matters because it determines how you approach the ritual. If you are working with Goetia, you must start with the Overlords. If you are working with the Grand Grimoire, you start with the three princes. The system is the boss.

Closing

The difference between the Ars Goetia’s 72 spirits and the four Overlords is not a matter of power but of function. The Overlords are the structure; the 72 are the content. Understanding that hierarchy is the difference between a successful conjuration and a silent triangle. For a deeper look at the seals and sigils of the Goetia, see our glossary of seals. For the full system of Solomonic demonology, start with our vertical hub on demonology and the Goetia. And if you need the step-by-step ritual for summoning a specific spirit, our guide to Goetic summoning rituals covers the circle, the triangle, and the words of command.