| Enn | Lyan Ramec Catya Ganen Belphegor |
| Common Associations | Earth, North, Green, Lemon Balm, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Gum Arabic, |
| Rank | Prince |
| Domain | Sloth, Fertility, Misanthropy |
| Common Titles | Prince of Hell, Disputer, Lord of The Gap, Lord of the Opening |
Belphegor
Belphegore (Lord of the Opening/Gap) is also known under the spelling Belphegore and the name Baal-peor or Ba’al Phegor. Sometimes also referred to in long as Lord of Mt Phegor. Baal-peor (or Baal of Peor) is a deity, believed to be morphed into Belphegore over time to try and control religious beliefs and practices at the time. This is sadly a very common origin to many demons and will be common to see.
Baal is a title that comes from the religion Baal, one that is lead back to often in demonic studies. There are also connections to other demons such as Beelzebub and Baalim. There are many more to name, a lot of history to go over in that part alone, though we want to focus on Belphegore specifically here. If you wish to know more or learn more, I urge you to do so! There is a rich history you can find buried in the rubble when you’re willing to dig.
Prominent Books and Text Mentioning Belphegor
Dictionnaire Infernal
–Mentioned as Baal-peor
Numbers 25:3
Deuteronomy 4:3
Psalm 106:28
”Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;” -Psalm 106:28
“So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.” -Numbers 25:3
“Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor.” -Deuteronomy 4:3
Depictions
It’s not surprising that there is a “not so” favorable image of most demons, Belphegor is a demon on a toilet, often looking disengaged or even menacing. This is the most common depiction of Belphegor, and most widely recognized. This depiction comes from the offerings to Belphegor being excrement and being a way to try and steer people away from turning to him. It’s even used in pop culture references, where the demon is depicted on a toilet, an example being games such as Shin Megami Tensei, or Persona. Followers often report different accounts of his physical appearance that he presented to them, so it looks like appearance is very flexible and fluid for Belphegore in worship. There are some that claim Belphegore will appear as a young woman, though I do not see many followers talk about this form. It is usually referred to trick men to fall into his ranks, which may explain why worshiping followers may not have the same experience.
Common Information and History
With the link between Belphegor and Baal of Peor, we can see the Belphegor started as the god that was worshiped in Moab. Commonly, it’s seen that the demonizing came with Moses, who became enraged at the worship people began to give to Ba’al Peor and condemned them to death for the worship. With this, overtime Ba’al Peor became Belphegor, with little traces to the god he once was. This is a very common thing in demons, as many were once deities of an older religion turned to demons to prevent or discourage worship, and aid in colonization.
One of the most common ways we see Belphegor now is mentioned is in a hierarchy of sin, being the demon to reside over sloth. This is classified by Auxiliary Bishop Peter Binsfeld, labeling Belphegor as the Chief demon of the deadly sin Sloth in Christian Tradition. He is supposed to promise men get rich quick schemes and show them to cut corners to get to their end goal in the easiest way possible. This is often warned against as it is lazy, and you will only be tricked into failure from your laziness. In worship, not many fear this, and I believe it is there to steer people away from Demons.
Interactions Towards Followers and Common Offerings and Devotional Acts
Many followers see Belphegore as a stern and serious demon. Often people warn he prefers a more experienced person to reach to him, and interactions often reflect this. He can be very ‘closed off’ in human terms, and many report this is from the misanthropic aspects of Belphegor.
Belphegore often helps people who classify themselves as workaholics, or busy bodies, helping them settle into a more balanced work and rest cycle. Many followers work with Belphegore to learn to relax more and enjoy the rest. It’s also common for others go to him for aspects of misanthropic habits, for guidance and growth. Others worship him to embrace these aspects of themselves.
Offerings I’ve seen people report were favored were often things like lemon balm, patchouli, sandalwood, gum Arabic, and absinthe. I’ve also seen people offer wines, chocolates, imagery of beds or moons to indicate rest or relaxation. Open mouths, and toilet imagery can also be a strong symbol of Belphegor you can use to represent his presence. Altars dedicated to Belphegor are favored, and burning incense (sandalwood seems to be a common choice) on this altar can be respected.
Often related to sleep (sloth, laziness), keeping up on sleep and taking naps are seen as devotional to Belphegor, especially if you already have a bad relationship with sleep. Shadow work and taking the time to journal can be a good act of devotion to Belphegor. Especially if you are working on trying to relax in this shadow work and journaling about your progress and thought process. Or if you’re trying to work on your sleep schedule, the same can apply.
Share your thoughts!