- Where Do Halphas and Valak Appear in the Grimoire Tradition?
- What Each Spirit Actually Does
- Seals and Summoning: How You Spoke to Each
- Symbolism: Towers, Serpents, and the Two-Headed Dragon
- Halphas vs Valak: A Direct Comparison
- Why They Are Often Confused
- Notable Mistranslations
- Common Misconceptions
- Closing
A summoner working through the Ars Goetia for the first time often notes that several spirits share the same rank of President and the same broad domain of war. They sit together in the list, seals cut from similar instructions, and it is easy to mistake one for the other. But a summoner who treats Halphas and Valak as interchangeable will find that the spirits respond very differently. Their functions are not the same.
Halphas (also called Malthus or Alphas) and Valak (also Valac, Ualac, or Valu) are both presidents of Hell in the Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire compiled from earlier manuscripts in the 17th century. Halphas builds fortresses and supplies armies. Valak locates serpents and delivers hidden treasure. Neither is a simple war spirit. Their differences lie in what they actually do once summoned.
Where Do Halphas and Valak Appear in the Grimoire Tradition?
The earliest printed source for both spirits is Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), a catalogue of demons appended to his larger work De Praestigiis Daemonum. Weyer lists Halphas as the 38th spirit, a mighty president commanding 26 legions, appearing as a stock dove with a hoarse voice. Valak appears as the 62nd spirit, also a mighty president, commanding 38 legions, shown as a winged child riding a two-headed dragon.
The later Lesser Key of Solomon (17th century, first published in 1904 by S.L. MacGregor Mathers after earlier manuscripts) rearranged the numbering. Halphas becomes the 38th in one common edition, Valak the 62nd. But the seal descriptions, functions, and ranks remained largely unchanged from Weyer.
An earlier manuscript, The Book of the Office of Spirits (circa 1583), includes a spirit called “Valu” that matches Valak’s description. Halphas appears in a 15th-century German manuscript of the Munich Manual of Demonic Magic under the name “Mathus”. The names shift, but the functions hold.
We do not know who first recorded these spirits. The tradition credits King Solomon, but the grimoires are medieval and Renaissance compilations drawing on Jewish angelology, Arabic astral magic, and European folk charm books.
What Each Spirit Actually Does
Halphas builds. When a summoner calls him, he is said to construct towers and fill them with armor and weapons. He delivers ammunition and supplies to armies. He also sends warriors of his own, as if a quartermaster and an engineer rolled into one. The Ars Goetia says he “buildeth up towers and filleth them with munition and armour” and that “he sendeth men of war to places appointed by the exorcist.”
Valak does something different. He reveals hidden serpents and delivers them to the magician. He also gives knowledge of treasure that serpents guard. The Ars Goetia says he “giveth true answer of hidden treasures” and “telleth where serpents may be seen.” The two-headed dragon he rides is not decoration; it signals his domain over reptiles and the underground.
One builds what is above ground. The other uncovers what is below.
Seals and Summoning: How You Spoke to Each
The seal of Halphas, as drawn in the Lemegeton manuscripts, contains three intersecting circles with internal crosses and a central point. It is inscribed during the hour of the Sun or Mars, depending on the goal. The summoner writes it on virgin parchment with a consecrated iron stylus. No blood is used; the grimoires specify “pure black ink” or “the blood of a bat” in some variants, but the standard instruction asks for ink and parchment.
Valak’s seal is a vertical oval bisected by a line, with three parallel lines crossing it, each ending in a small circle. It is written on parchment made from the skin of a snake (a detail some practitioners interpret literally, others symbolically). The seal is placed inside a triangle of art facing east. Valak is said to appear quickly, sometimes before the summoner finishes the first conjuration.
Both spirits are ranked President, which means they can compel 50 or fewer legions of inferiors. In practice, the summoner does not command them directly but negotiates. Halphas is more cooperative during daylight hours. Valak is easier at night, when serpents are most active.
The fire in the brazier is not arbitrary. For Halphas, oak and laurel. For Valak, juniper and cypress. Smoke carries the words.
Symbolism: Towers, Serpents, and the Two-Headed Dragon
Halphas appears as a stock dove (a bird of the pigeon family) but speaks with a hoarse voice. The dove is a strange vessel for a war spirit. Some commentators suggest the dove signals peace that Halphas breaks by building fortifications. Others see the stock dove’s habit of nesting in ruins as a clue: he builds on destruction.
Valak rides a two-headed dragon. The two heads signify dual knowledge – what is hidden and what is revealed. The dragon is a chthonic creature, tied to earth and underground waters. In alchemical symbolism, the two-headed dragon represents the reconciliation of opposites; Valak as a winged child on its back suggests pure intellect mastering primal forces.
Halphas is associated with metal and stone. Valak with serpent venom and the secrecy of the earth. These are not the same elements.
Halphas vs Valak: A Direct Comparison
| Attribute | Halphas | Valak |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | President | President |
| Legions | 26 | 38 (or 30 in Weyer) |
| Appearance | Stock dove (crow-like in some manuscripts) | Winged child on a two-headed dragon |
| Function | Builds towers, supplies armies, sends warriors | Reveals serpents, locates hidden treasure |
| Planetary hour | Day (Sun/Mars) | Night (Moon/Jupiter) |
| Seal material | Parchment (generic) | Snake skin parchment |
| Direction | East (some sources South) | East |
| Temperament | Cooperative, military precision | Less talkative, uses riddles |
Why They Are Often Confused
Both are presidents. Both command legions. Both appear in the same grimoire. Medieval scribes sometimes swapped their names. In the Munich Manual, a spirit called “Malthus” does what later texts assign to Valak. In the Liber Officiorum Spirituum, “Valu” builds towers. The confusion is not modern; it began in the scriptorium.
Some modern practitioners also conflate them because both can be used for protection. Halphas fortifies a location. Valak can be asked to guard a space through serpentine sentinels. But the method differs: Halphas erects a visible barrier; Valak sets hidden watchers.
Notable Mistranslations
The word “stock dove” in Halphas’s description has been mistranslated as “crow” or “raven” in some English editions of Weyer. The original German Weyer used “Stocktaube,” which is a stock dove, not a corvid. The error gave Halphas a darker, more menacing image and led some readers to associate him with death omens.
Valak’s name has been spelled Valac, Balak, and Ualac. The 1904 Mathers edition uses “Valac.” The older Hebrew manuscripts sometimes write it as B.L.K. or V.L.K. The root may be connected to the Hebrew word for “swallow” (swallowing knowledge? swallowing serpents?). No one knows for certain.
Common Misconceptions
Misconception: Both are purely war demons.
Halphas is a war engineer, but Valak is not a fighter. He is a seeker. The serpents he reveals may be literal snakes or metaphors for hidden veins of treasure. War is incidental to Valak.
Misconception: The seals can be used interchangeably.
They cannot. The seal of Halphas without the specific signs of his office draws no response. The seal of Valak must be drawn on the correct material. Substituting parchment for snake skin weakens the connection.
Misconception: Halphas and Valak are the same spirit under different names.
They have separate legions, separate seals, separate appearances, and separate functions. No source in the canonical grimoire treats them as duplicates.
FAQ
Can Halphas and Valak be summoned together?
Some grimoires advise against mixing spirits unless a particular operation requires it. Halphas and Valak have different planetary hours and natures; a combined summoning is feasible only if you balance both conditions, which is rare.
Which spirit is more dangerous?
Neither is considered dangerous by nature if the summoner follows protocol. Halphas is direct. Valak may test patience by speaking in riddles. The danger lies in ignoring the dominion each controls.
Do either of these spirits harm people?
The grimoires do not list them as inflicting harm. Halphas supplies armies, but does not kill. Valak gives knowledge, not injury. The summoner’s intent determines the ethical field.
Why does Valak ride a two-headed dragon?
The two-headed dragon symbolizes mastery over opposites: above and below, hidden and revealed. Valak’s domain is underground knowledge, so the dragon carries him through that realm as a natural vehicle.
Closing
The difference between Halphas and Valak is not trivial. One builds what you can see. One uncovers what you cannot. Both serve the same grimoire, but a summoner who mistakes the seal for the function will find the triangle empty. If you are working through the Goetia, know which spirit you actually need.
For more on the spirits of the Ars Goetia, see our demonology and Goetia hub. The seal of each spirit has specific instructions that change the outcome. And if you are planning a summoning, our guide on preparing the circle and triangle walks through the ritual step by step.