A summoner in the 16th century traced a triangle on the floor with a sword, spoke a name in Latin, and waited. The figure that appeared was described as a man with bat-like wings, carrying a burning coal. That figure was Gaap, a spirit whose symbolism has shifted across centuries of grimoire tradition.
Gaap is a Goetic spirit ranked as a prince and president, commanding sixty-six legions of demons, and traditionally associated with the element of fire, the direction south, and the power to confer knowledge of philosophy and the liberal sciences. He appears in the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a 17th-century grimoire that codified the summoning practices of earlier medieval texts.
What exactly is Gaap in the Goetic tradition?
Gaap is one of the seventy-two spirits catalogued in the Ars Goetia (circa 1640, though the manuscript tradition dates to the late 16th century). He is listed as the thirty-third spirit. The text describes him as a “great prince and president” who appears when the sun is in the southern signs and commands sixty-six legions of spirits.
The name Gaap has no clear etymological root in Hebrew or Greek. Some scholars suggest a corruption of the Hebrew ga’ap (pride) or a variant of the Greek gaia (earth), but neither is widely accepted. The Dictionnaire Infernal (1818) by Collin de Plancy lists him as “Gaap” and illustrates him as a winged figure carrying a burning stone.
What distinguishes Gaap from other Goetic spirits is his dual rank. Most Goetic spirits hold one rank: king, duke, prince, marquis, count, knight, or president. Gaap holds two: prince and president. This dual authority is rare and suggests a spirit of considerable standing in the hierarchy.
Where does Gaap appear in historical grimoires?
The earliest surviving description of Gaap appears in the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, commonly called the Lesser Key of Solomon. The manuscript tradition is complex. The earliest known copy dates to the late 16th century, but the Ars Goetia section was likely compiled from earlier sources including the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1583) by Johann Weyer.
Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum lists Gaap as “Gap” and describes him as a prince who appears “in the form of a man with wings like a bat, carrying a burning coal in his hand.” Weyer was a physician and demonologist who wrote as a skeptic. His work was meant to expose what he considered the fraud of ceremonial magic, but it became a primary source for later grimoires.
The Dictionnaire Infernal (1818) by Collin de Plancy added an illustration: Gaap as a winged figure with a star on his forehead, carrying a burning stone. De Plancy’s work was encyclopedic, compiling descriptions from earlier sources without critical commentary.
In the Goetia of Dr. Rudd (a 17th-century manuscript), Gaap is associated with the angelic name “Yelayel” and is said to be governed by the angel “Sachiel.” This angelic attribution system was part of a larger effort to Christianize the summoning tradition, placing each demon under the authority of a specific angel.
What does Gaap’s symbolism actually mean?
The symbolism of Gaap operates on multiple levels. Each attribute carries meaning.
Fire and the south. The south is the direction of fire in Western occult tradition, following the four cardinal points established in medieval astrology. Fire represents transformation, destruction, and purification. Gaap’s association with the south and with fire (the burning coal or stone) places him in the realm of active, consuming energy. He is not a spirit of contemplation but of action.
The burning coal. The coal or burning stone Gaap carries is not a weapon. In alchemical symbolism, the burning coal represents the prima materia, the raw material of transformation. It is the spark that initiates change. A spirit that carries a burning coal is a spirit that brings the capacity for transformation, not destruction.
The bat wings. Bats are creatures of twilight, neither fully diurnal nor fully nocturnal. They navigate by sound, not sight. In demonological symbolism, bat wings suggest a spirit that operates in the liminal spaces between light and dark, between the visible and the invisible. Gaap is a spirit of knowledge, and knowledge itself lives in that twilight zone.
The dual rank. Prince and president. A prince rules by blood or appointment. A president presides over a council. Gaap holds both roles, suggesting a spirit who both commands and deliberates. He is not a mere executor of orders but a figure of judgment and counsel.
How is Gaap actually summoned and used?
The Ars Goetia provides specific instructions for summoning Gaap. The practitioner must draw a triangle of conjuration, wear a ring inscribed with specific names, and speak the conjuration in a commanding voice. The spirit appears “in the form of a man with wings like a bat, carrying a burning coal.”
The text states that Gaap can make men “insensible” or “invisible” and can “cause love” and “procure the favor of great persons.” He is also said to “teach philosophy and the liberal sciences” and to “confer the knowledge of all things.”
Practitioners in the Western ceremonial tradition have historically summoned Gaap for:
- Knowledge acquisition. Gaap is said to teach philosophy, logic, and the liberal sciences. He is a spirit for scholars and those seeking intellectual mastery.
- Influence. His ability to procure favor makes him useful for those seeking advancement in social or political hierarchies.
- Protection. Some traditions associate Gaap with protective magic, using his authority over legions to ward off hostile spirits.
The summoning is traditionally performed during the day, when the sun is in the southern signs (Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, or the southern quarter of the zodiac). The practitioner must be purified and wear clean garments. The circle must be drawn with consecrated tools.
How does Gaap compare to other Goetic princes?
Gaap shares his rank of prince with several other Goetic spirits, including Stolas, Orobas, and Seere. But his dual rank as president sets him apart. Only one other spirit in the Ars Goetia holds two ranks: Buer, who is both a president and a great duke.
Compared to other fire-associated spirits, Gaap is less aggressive than Marbas (who causes disease) or Raum (who destroys cities). He is a spirit of knowledge, not destruction. His fire is the fire of the mind, not the fire of the battlefield.
Compared to other spirits who teach philosophy, such as Balam or Vassago, Gaap is more directly associated with the liberal sciences. Balam teaches “all arts and sciences,” but Gaap specifically teaches philosophy and logic. The distinction matters in the medieval university context, where philosophy was the queen of sciences.
What do people get wrong about Gaap?
That Gaap is a demon of destruction. The burning coal misleads people. Gaap is not a spirit of destruction but of transformation. The coal is the prima materia, not a weapon.
That Gaap is evil. The Goetic spirits are not inherently evil in the Christian sense. They are neutral forces that can be directed for good or ill. The grimoire tradition treats them as tools, not enemies.
That Gaap is the same as the biblical Gog or Magog. No textual evidence supports this. The name Gaap appears only in the grimoire tradition, not in biblical or apocryphal literature.
That Gaap can be summoned casually. The Ars Goetia warns that summoning requires preparation, purification, and authority. Treating it as a parlor game is dangerous, not because the spirit is malevolent, but because the practitioner is unprepared.
FAQ
Is Gaap a demon or a spirit? The Ars Goetia calls him a spirit. The term “demon” was applied by Christian demonologists like Weyer and de Plancy. In the grimoire tradition, he is a neutral spirit that can be commanded.
What does Gaap look like? He appears as a man with bat-like wings, carrying a burning coal or stone. Some illustrations show a star on his forehead.
Can Gaap grant invisibility? The Ars Goetia states he can “make men insensible or invisible.” This is interpreted by some practitioners as the ability to avoid detection or to render oneself unnoticed.
What is Gaap’s rank? He is both a prince and a president, commanding sixty-six legions of spirits. This dual rank is rare among Goetic spirits.
Closing
Gaap is not a spirit of destruction but of transformation, carrying the burning coal of the prima materia in a world that prefers its knowledge safe. He belongs to a tradition that treats spirits as tools for the willing, not enemies to be feared. For a deeper understanding of the Goetic hierarchy, see our guide to demonology and the Goetia. To explore related symbols, visit our glossary of demonological terms. And for the full context of Gaap’s role among the seventy-two spirits, read our guide to the Ars Goetia.