Valac

Valac, also known as Volac or Valak, holds the 62nd position in the Goetia hierarchy, a catalog of 72 infernal spirits compiled in the Ars Goetia, part of the Lemegeton or Lesser Key of Solomon, a 17th-century grimoire pseudepigraphically attributed to Solomon. His first documented mention appears in Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, published in 1577 as an appendix to his treatise De Praestigiis Daemonum, where he is described as the sixty-second spirit, a powerful president of hell. Weyer, a Dutch physician and demonologist, compiled this list based on earlier circulating manuscripts of Solomonic magic in Renaissance Europe, influenced by Kabbalistic and Neoplatonic traditions. In these texts, Valac is integrated into the Goetic structure as a duke or president, highlighting his role in revealing earthly secrets, reflecting the Renaissance fascination with occult knowledge and mastery over nature. This numerical position and hierarchical ranks underscore the pseudosolomonic systematization of demons, adapted for ritual invocations with specific sigil seals.

In the canonical descriptions of the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and Ars Goetia, Valac manifests as a small child with angel wings, riding a two-headed fire-breathing dragon, an image combining childish innocence with draconic ferocity, perhaps symbolizing the duality of his revealing and destructive power. This hybrid form, with the child representing purity or eternal youth and the dragon evoking ancient mythologies' treasure guardians, underscores his association with hidden secrets and subterranean creatures. The texts specify that he answers courteously to evocators, speaking with a clear and obedient voice, contrasting his monstrous mount. In variant Lemegeton manuscripts like Sloane Ms. 2731, his magical seal is detailed, an intricate pentacle used in invocation circles for control. This visual iconography has influenced later modern occult representations, where he is often painted in Renaissance garb or light armor, emphasizing his presidential status in the infernal court.

Valac possesses the power to discover buried hidden treasures and reveal the exact location of serpents, both venomous and guardians of wealth, abilities making him an invaluable ally for alchemists and fortune seekers in Goetic tradition. He commands thirty legions of spirits, a modest number compared to greater princes, but sufficient for prospecting and location operations. The grimoires prescribe his invocation on planetary days and hours associated with Saturn or Mercury, using his seal in virgin wax within an evocatory triangle, with offerings of incense and animal blood to ensure obedience. In historical contexts, his serpent specialty evokes Hermetic symbolisms of kundalini or chthonic guardians, while treasures allude to spiritual transmutation. Though obedient, the texts warn of his potential cunning, recommending reinforced protective circles. His legacy endures in contemporary ceremonial magic, invoked for guidance in occult explorations and recovery of lost knowledge.