Amdusias, also called Amduscias, is the sixty-seventh spirit of the Ars Goetia, a duke ruling twenty-nine legions. He first appears as a unicorn and later stands in human form. The catalogue makes music a principal feature of the encounter.[1][2]
Instruments heard but unseen#
Amdusias causes trumpets and other instruments to be heard without their visible appearance. This differs from the processions attending Paimon and Purson, where musicians form part of a described company. Here the separation of sound from a visible source is itself the effect.[2]
The entry also credits him with making trees bend and incline and with giving excellent familiars. Sound, movement in the landscape, and continuing spirit assistance belong together in his short office.
Unicorn and human figure#
The initial unicorn is the spirit's form, not a mount carrying him. Later images can place a unicorn head on a human-like body, but the text describes successive animal and human appearances. The distinction affects how an engraving should be read.[1]
The seal gives another identifier alongside the unusual musical office. Amdusias's entry is a useful example of how a grimoire uses sensory effects: not every promised result is hidden knowledge or material wealth. Unseen instruments and bent trees make the imagined encounter audible and physically conspicuous.
See also#
References
- Lemegeton, Goetia: Amdusias, Sloane 3825 transcription · Joseph H. Peterson edition of the historical grimoire, with manuscript readings. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
- S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley, The Goetia (1904), spirit 67 · Public-domain edition. Offices and appearances are statements in this catalogue. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩