Naberius
The Demon Naberius ( Cerberus) is a Fallen Angel and 24th of the 72 Spirits of Solomon. Naberius is a marquis who commands 19 Legions of Demons. He appears as a crowing cock and flutters about the magic circle. In a hoarse voice, he imparts skill in arts and sciences, especially rhetoric. He also restores lost dignities and honors.
The jinni Naberius was first mentioned by Johann Weyer in 1583. He is supposedly the most valiant Marquis of Jinnestan, and has nineteen legions of jinn under his command. He makes men cunning in all arts, but especially in rhetoric, speaking with a hoarse voice. He also restores lost dignities and honors, although to Johann Weyer he procures the loss of them.
Naberius appears as a three-headed dog or a raven. He has a raucous voice but presents himself as eloquent and amiable. He teaches the art of gracious living. He is depicted as a crow or a black crane.
Concerning his name, it is unclear if there is an association with the Greek Cerberus. It is said that in 1583, Johann Weyer considers both of them to be the same Demon. He claimed:
“Naberius [Naberus], alias Cerberus, is a valiant marquesse, shewing himselfe in the forme of a crowe, when he speaketh with a hoarse voice: he maketh a man amiable and cunning in all arts, and speciallie in rhetorike, he procureth the losse of prelacies and dignities: nineteene legions heare (and obeie) him.”
Other spellings: Cerberus,Cerbere, Naberus, Nebiros.
From “The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King” (1904) Written by S.L. MacGregor Mathers
NABERIUS. – The Twenty-fourth Spirit is Naberius. He is a most valiant Marquis, and showeth in the form of a Black Crane, fluttering about the Circle, and when he speaketh it is with a hoarse voice. He maketh men cunning in all Arts and Sciences, but especially in the Art of Rhetoric. He restoreth lost Dignities and Honours. He governeth 19 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, which is to be worn, etc.
The Seal of Naberius
From the “Pseudomonarchia Daemonum” ( 1583 ) Written by Johann Weyer (Johann Wier)
Naberius [Naberus], alias Cerberus, is a valiant marquesse, shewing himselfe in the forme of a crowe, when he speaketh with a hoarse voice: he maketh a man amiable and cunning in all arts, and speciallie in rhetorike, he procureth the losse of prelacies and dignities: nineteene legions hearehim.
Original Text : Naberus, alias Cerberus, Marchio est fortis, forma corvi se ostentans: Si quando loquitur, raucam edit vocem. Reddit and hominem amabilem and artium intelligentem, cum primis in Rhetoricis eximium. Prælaturarum and dignitatum jacturam parit. Novendecim legiones hunc audiunt.
From the “Dictionnaire Infernal” (edition of 1863 ) Written by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy
Original Text : Cerbère. Cerberus ou Naberus est chez nousun démon. Wierus le met au nombre des marquisde l’empire infernal. Il est fort et puissant ; il semontre, quand il n’a pas ses trois têtes de chien,sous la forme d’un corbeau; sa voix est rauque : néanmoins il donne l’éloquence et l’amabilité ; ilenseigne les beaux-arts. Dix-neuf légions luiobéissent. On voit que ce n’est plus là le Cerbère des anciens,ce redoutable chien, portier incorruptibledes enfers, appelé aussi la bête aux cent têtes, centiceps bellua, à cause de la multitude de serpentsdont ses trois crinières étaient ornées. Hésiodelui donne cinquante têtes de chien ; maison s’accorde généralement à ne lui en reconnaîtreque trois. Ses dents étaient noires et tranchantes,et sa morsure causait une prompte mort. On croit que la fable de Cerbère remonte auxÉgyptiens, qui faisaient garder les tombeaux pardes dogues. Mais c’est principalement ici du démonCerberus qu’il a fallu nous occuper. En 1586,il fit alliance, avec une Picarde nommée MarieMartin.’
Translated from above: Cerberus. Cerberus or Naberus is with us a demon. Wierus puts him among the Marquis of the Hellish Empire. He is strong and powerful; it shows, when it does not have its three dog heads, in the form of a crow; his voice is hoarse: nevertheless it gives eloquence and friendliness; he teaches fine arts. Nineteen legions obey him. We see that this is no longer the Cerberus of the ancients, this formidable dog, incorruptible porter of the underworld, also called the beast with a hundred heads, centiceps bellua, because of the multitude of snakes with which its three manes were decorated. Hesiodelui gives fifty dog heads; house generally agrees to recognize only three of them. His teeth were black and sharp, and his bite caused prompt death. It is believed that the fable of Cerberus dates back to the Egyptians, who had the tombs guarded by mastiffs. But this is mainly the demonCerberus that we had to deal with. In 1586 he made an alliance with a Picardy girl named MarieMartin. ’
Naberius as depicted in Collin de Plancy’s Dictionnaire Infernal, 1863 edition.
