Open the Ars Goetia to the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth entries. Two names stare back: Halphas and Malphas. They share a function, a bird-like appearance, and a reputation for building towers. But they are not the same spirit. Malphas and Halphas are two distinct spirits from the Ars Goetia, often confused due to their similar names and shared function of building towers. Malphas (39th spirit) is a president who appears as a crow, while Halphas (38th spirit) is an earl who appears as a stock dove. Their roles differ in rank, appearance, and specific powers.
What the Ars Goetia Actually Says
The Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon, describes seventy-two spirits bound by King Solomon. Each entry gives a rank, an appearance, a number of legions, and a list of abilities. The descriptions of Malphas and Halphas sit side by side, and the similarities are immediate.
Malphas is the thirty-ninth spirit. He is a great president who appears first as a crow, then takes human form with a hoarse voice. He builds houses and high towers, brings familiar spirits, and accepts sacrifices. He can also destroy the towers and buildings of enemies. He rules forty legions.
Halphas is the thirty-eighth spirit. He is a great earl who appears as a stock dove, then speaks in a hoarse voice. He builds towers and fills them with arms and ammunition. He leads men to war and sends them to battle. He rules twenty-six legions.
The overlap is obvious: both build towers. But the differences are equally clear. Malphas is a president (a higher rank), appears as a crow, and has the unique ability to grant familiars and accept sacrifices. Halphas is an earl, appears as a stock dove, and specializes in warfare and arming troops.
Where These Spirits Come From
The earliest surviving list that includes both Malphas and Halphas is Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1583). Weyer, a Dutch physician and demonologist, compiled his catalogue from earlier grimoires and his own reading. In his list, Malphas appears as “Malphas” and Halphas as “Halphas” (though some manuscripts spell him “Malthus” or “Halphas”). Weyer describes Malphas as a president who builds towers and brings familiars, and Halphas as an earl who builds towers and arms soldiers.
The Lesser Key of Solomon itself was compiled in the seventeenth century, likely by a group of English occultists. The earliest known manuscript dates to around 1640. It was later edited and published by S.L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley in 1904 as The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King. That edition standardized the seals and descriptions that most modern practitioners use.
Some earlier manuscripts conflate the two. In a few sixteenth-century sources, the name “Malphas” appears where “Halphas” is expected, or vice versa. But by the time of the Goetia, they are firmly separate. The confusion persists today because their names sound alike and their functions overlap. The grimoires themselves, however, treat them as distinct entities.
What the Crow and the Dove Mean
The choice of bird is not arbitrary. In demonology, the form a spirit takes reveals its nature.
The crow is a bird of death, prophecy, and hidden knowledge. It eats carrion, flies between worlds, and appears in folklore as a messenger of the gods or the dead. Malphas appearing as a crow aligns with his role as a president who brings familiar spirits (often spirits of the dead or nature) and accepts sacrifices. The crow is also a builder: it constructs nests from found materials, just as Malphas builds towers from raw ambition.
The stock dove is a different creature. It is a pigeon, a bird of peace and domesticity. But in the context of Halphas, the dove is turned to war. Stock doves were used in medieval warfare as messengers, carrying orders across battlefields. Halphas’s dove is a paradox: a symbol of peace that arms men for conflict. He builds towers not as homes but as fortresses, filled with weapons.
Both spirits build towers, but the towers mean different things. Malphas’s tower is a structure of power and knowledge, a place where familiars dwell and sacrifices are made. Halphas’s tower is a military stronghold, a storehouse for arms and a launch point for war.
How You Spoke to Each
In traditional goetic evocation, the magician draws a circle, places the spirit’s seal inside a triangle, and recites the appropriate conjuration. The seal of Malphas, as drawn in the Mathers-Crowley edition, is a circle with a cross and a star. The seal of Halphas is a circle with a crescent and a star. Each seal must be drawn on virgin parchment or engraved on a metal plate.
When we evoke Malphas, we use his seal on a black cloth, burn frankincense, and recite the conjuration from the Goetia. The spirit appears as a crow, then takes human form. We ask for building projects, for familiar spirits, or for the destruction of an enemy’s works. Malphas is said to accept sacrifices. Some traditions specify a blood offering, but others use incense or a burnt offering of grain. The Goetia itself says he “accepts sacrifices willingly,” without specifying what kind.
Halphas is evoked similarly, but his seal is placed on a red cloth, and we burn dragon’s blood resin. He appears as a stock dove, then as a man in armor. We ask for military success, for arms to be provided, or for war to be declared. Halphas does not ask for sacrifices. He is a soldier, not a priest.
The difference in rank affects how they are addressed. Malphas, as a president, is given more respect and is commanded with greater authority. Halphas, as an earl, is also commanded, but the tone can be more direct. Both must be treated with caution. They are not evil, but they are powerful and can be dangerous if mishandled.
Malphas vs Halphas: A Direct Comparison
| Aspect | Malphas | Halphas |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | President | Earl |
| Number | 39th spirit | 38th spirit |
| Appearance | Crow, then human with hoarse voice | Stock dove, then human with hoarse voice |
| Primary function | Builds houses and towers, brings familiars, accepts sacrifices | Builds towers, arms men with weapons, leads war |
| Legions | 40 | 26 |
| Seal | Circle with cross and star | Circle with crescent and star |
| Element | Earth (associated with building) | Fire (associated with war) |
The table makes the distinction clear. Malphas is a builder and a giver of spirits. Halphas is a builder and a giver of weapons. One works through magic, the other through war.
Common Misconceptions
“Malphas and Halphas are the same spirit.” This is the most common error. It comes from the similarity of their names and functions. But every major grimoire from Weyer to the Goetia lists them separately. They have different ranks, different seals, and different abilities. They are not the same.
“Halphas is a misspelling of Malphas.” Some older manuscripts do confuse the names, but the consistent tradition treats them as distinct. The spelling “Halphas” appears in Weyer and in the Goetia manuscripts. It is not a scribal error.
“Both are purely evil.” The Goetia does not classify spirits as good or evil. They are forces that can be commanded by a skilled magician. Malphas and Halphas are neutral. They will build or destroy as ordered.
“They only build physical towers.” The towers they build can be metaphorical: structures of power, influence, or defense. Malphas can build a tower of knowledge, Halphas a tower of military strategy. The physical building is one option among many.
FAQ
Are Malphas and Halphas the same demon?
No. They are two distinct spirits with different ranks, appearances, and functions in the Ars Goetia.
What does Malphas look like?
He appears first as a crow, then takes human form with a hoarse voice.
What does Halphas do?
He builds towers, arms men with weapons, and leads them into war.
Can I summon both together?
Yes, but it requires separate evocations and careful management, as they have different temperaments and ranks.
Understanding the difference between Malphas and Halphas is essential for any serious practitioner of goetic magic. Their distinct powers offer specific tools for construction and conflict. For more on the seventy-two spirits, explore our guide to the Ars Goetia and the symbolism of the crow in occult tradition. If you are ready to work with these spirits, our guide to Goetic seals will show you how to draw them correctly.