Asmodeus
Asmodeus · Prince of Lust — Demon Who Destroys Marriages
Great demon of Jewish apocryphal and Christian tradition. Derived from the Zoroastrian demon of wrath, Aēšma-daēva. In the Book of Tobit he appears as the lustful demon who kills Sarah's seven husbands in succession. Prince of Lust among the Seven Deadly Sins; also listed in the Lesser Key of Solomon as the 32nd of the 72 spirits, a king.
Origin
Derived from Zoroastrian Aēšma (demon of wrath) + daēva (evil deity). In the Book of Tobit, he loved Sarah so consumingly that he killed each of her seven husbands on their wedding night, until the archangel Raphael banished him by burning fish liver. Later Solomonic tradition also gave him dominion over gambling and music.
Features
- Three heads — bull, human, ram
- Dragon tail and goose feet
- Rides a dragon
- King bearing a lance and banner
Stories
Symbol of marital destruction, infidelity, and lust. Owing to the Tobit narrative, prayers to banish him appeared in rites protecting newlyweds. Also invoked as warning against gambling and ill-suited unions.