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**Shax**

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The Demon Shax (Chax, Scox) is a Fallen Angel and 44th of the 72 Spirits of Solomon. Shax is a marquis who has the form of a stork and speaks with a hoarse voice. He destroys the eyesight, hearing, and understanding of any personupon command. He steals money from kings and then returns it in 1,200 years. After he is commanded into the magician’s triangle, Shax will transport anything; otherwise he will be deceptive. Upon command, he will steal horses. He will find all hidden things, unless they are being kept by evil spirits. He sometimes gives good familiars. He commands 30 Legions of Demons.
Shax - Demon and Spirit of Solomon

**From Demonologia ( october 2003 )**

“Shax, alias Scox [or Shass or Shaz], is a darke and a great marquesse, like unto a storke, with a hoarse and subtill voice; he dooth marvellouslie take awaie the sight,hearing and understanding of anie man, at the commandement of the conjuror: he taketh awaie monie out of everie kings house, and carrieth it backe after 1200 yeares,if he be commanded, he is a horssestealer, he is thought to be faithfull in all commandements: and although he promise to be obedient to the conjuror in allthings; yet is he not so, he is a lier, except he be brought into a triangle, and there he speaketh divinelie, and telleth of things which are hidden, and not kept of wicked spirits; he promiseth good familiars, which are accepted if they be not deceivers, he hath thirtie legions.”
(Scott, Discoverie of Witchcraft , pages 222-3)

The meaning of this convoluted bit of prose seems to be that Shax is generally regarded as faithful in all dealings, except that he will lie if given the chance. To forestall this single weakness of character, he must be first put into the ritual triangle,and then he is constrained to speak the truth. It is difficult to judge how much utility there is in a Demon who only fetches the money he stole after twelve centuries have elapsed – presumably it depends on how frequently he steals, and over how long aprotracted span of time. For example, if he steals every day for twelve centuries, then he may be expected to come up with a treasure every day upon request.Collin de Plancy must have been amused by the description of Shax as a horse thief,since he caused this feature to be played up in the illustration for his book. In the Lemegeton and in Mathers' edition of the Goetia , it is said that Shax “appeareth in the forme of a Stock-Dove”
(Sloane 2731).

A stock dove is a European wild pigeon.Collin de Plancy obviously agreed with the version of the text given in Scot. There is nothing remotely pigeon-like about the Demon's beak in de Plancy's picture, but the bird does vaguely resemble a stork.

**From “The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King” (1904) Written by S.L. MacGregor Mathers**

SHAX. – The Forty-fourth Spirit is Shax, or Shaz (or Shass). He is a Great Marquis and appeareth in the Form of a Stock-Dove, speaking with a voice hoarse, but yet subtle. His Office is to take away the Sight, Hearing, or Understanding of any Man or Woman at the command of the Exorcist; and to steal money out of the houses of Kings, and to carry it again in 1,200 years. If commanded he will fetch Horses at the request of the Exorcist, or any other thing. But he must first be commanded into a Triangle, Ò, or else he will deceive him, and tell him many Lies. He can discover all things that are Hidden, and not kept by Wicked Spirits. He giveth good Familiars, sometimes. He governeth 30 Legions of Spirits, and his Seal is this, etc.

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The Seal of Shax

**From the “Pseudomonarchia Daemonum” ( 1583 ) Written by Johann Weyer (Johann Wier)**

Shax, alias Scox, is a darke and a great marquesse, like unto a storke, with a hoarse and subtill voice: he dooth marvellouslie take awaie the sight, hearing and understanding of anie man, at the commandement of the conjuror: he taketh awaie monie out of everie kings house, and carrieth it backe after 1200. yeares, if he be commanded, he is a horssestealer, he is thought to be faithfull in all commandements: and although he promise to be obedient to the conjuror in all things; yet is he not so, he is a lier, except he be brought into a triangle, and there he speaketh divinelie, and telleth of things which are hidden, and not kept of wicked spirits, he promiseth good familiars, which are accepted if they be not deceivers, he hath thirtie legions.

**Original Text :** //Chax, alias Scox, Dux est and Marchio magnus: Similis ciconiæ rauca voce and subtili. Mirabiliter aufert visum, auditum and intellectum jussu exorcistæ: aufert pecuniam ex qualibet domo regia, and reportat post mille ducentos annos, si jussus fuerit: abripit and equos. Fidelis esse in omnibus mandatis putatur: ac licet se obsecuturum exorcistæ promittat, non tamen in omnibus facit. Mendax est, nisi in triangulum introducatur: introductus autem loquitur de rebus divinis and reconditis thesauris, qui à malignis spiritibus non custodiuntur. Promittit insuper se collaturum optimos famulos, qui accepti sunt, si non fuerint deceptores. Huic subjacent legiones triginta.//

**From the “Dictionnaire Infernal” (edition of 1863 ) Written by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy**

As duke and high marquis of hell, Scox/Chax commands 30 legions. He appears as a stork with a raucous voice, and is known to be deceitful. He steals horses, and takes the silver in the houses he possesses only to return it 1200 years later if everything is still in order. If he is confined to a triangle, he will speak truth on supernatural matters, point out hidden treasures not guarded by evil spirits, and obey the exorcist. If he is not confined, he will lie and not always obey the exorcist.

**Original Text:** //Scox ou Chax, duc et grand marquis des enfers. Il a la voix rauque, l'esprit porté au mensonge; il se présente sous la forme d'une cigogne.
Il vole l'argent dans les maisons qui en possèdent el ne restitue qu'au bout de douze cents ans,toutefois il en reçoit l'ordre. Il enlève les chevaux. Il exécute tous les commandements qui lui sont donnés, lorsqu'on l'oblige d'agir de suite; et quoiqu'il promette d'obéir aux exorcistes, il ne le fait pas toujours. Il ment, s'il n'est pas dans un triangle; si au, contraire il y est renfermé, il dit la vérité en parlant des choses surnaturelles. Il indiqué les trésors cachés qui ne sont pas gardés par les malins esprits. Il commande trente légions.//

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The Demon Shax as depicted in Collin de Plancy’s Dictionnaire Infernal, 1863 edition
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