Ephippas: The Wind Demon

In the Testament of Solomon, Ephippas is an Arabian wind demon who was captured by King Solomon.  This demon holds power over the wind and the storms of the desert. This means that he can control and manipulate strong wind to kill men and animals. He can move mountains, carry houses from place to place and overthrow kings.

Similar Demons

• Bianakith
• Phath
• Ruax
• Onoskelis
• Alleborith

About:

At that time, the wise kings had learned from Angel Michael, the names of demons and how to bend them but Adarkes, the King of Arabia asked Solomon for help against a vicious wind demon that appeared every morning when a fresh wind starts. While the wind blew, it wreaked havoc in the city, killing both man and beast.

The King tried to control the demon but couldn’t, so he asked Solomon to send someone who could do so. Unfortunately, Solomon forgot about Adarkes’ request until he encountered a problem while building the temple of Jerusalem. A particular stone that Solomon intended to use as a cornerstone was of great weight that the manual workers and demon laborers were unable to move it.

Solomon quickly remembered the demon that King Adarkes had mentioned and sent a servant out into the desert of Arabia to capture the demon in a leather flask. This servant put the magical ring of Solomon at the neck of the flask and sealed the demon in it. The locals were convinced that the demon had been contained successfully when the wind didn’t blow for three consecutive days.

 

Testament of Solomon, F. C. Conybeare translation (1898):

So I said to him:

“Bring to me thy child, who is, as thou sayest, in the Red Sea.” But he said to me: “I will not bring him to thee. But there shall come to me another demon called Ephippas. He will I bind, and he will bring him up from the deep unto me.” And I said to him: “How comes thy son to be in the depth of the sea, and what is his name? “And he answered me: “Ask me not, for thou canst not learn from me. However, he will come to thee by any command, and will tell thee openly.”

 

When the servant returned the flask to Solomon, the King was surprised to see the flask moving on its own. It took seven steps, before falling on its neck. When questioned, the demon spoke from the flask and said his name was Ephippas. He talked about his ability to move mountains and cause a storm.  Then Solomon ordered him to move the cornerstone which the manual workers couldn’t move.

 

Ephippas promised to move the cornerstone and also raise the pillar of air from the Red Sea. He moved the cornerstone to the entrance of the temple of Jerusalem and together with the demon of the red sea, Abezethibou, they moved the pillar.

 

… and after a while, I saw the pillar being borne through the air and was astonished at the strength of the two demons. And when I considered with myself how mighty they were, and how they could shake the whole world in a moment of time, I feared to let them go; I made, therefore, a circle about them in the air with my ring, and said, “Stay there!” And the demons stayed, holding the pillar sloping between heaven and earth; and there they are to this day. And if anyone looks, he can see the pillar sloping in the heavens, but the demons he cannot see.”

 

Unfortunately, Solomon deceived them and bound them to the pillar of air to keep them up in the air and in place until the end of time. The pillar of air may be the same as the “pillar of cloud” referred to in the Old Testament and may mean the Milky Way.

 

References

1.https://www.grimoire.org/demon/ephippas/

2.http://demonology.enacademic.com/206/Ephippas

3.https://genies.fandom.com/wiki/Ephippas

4.The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology.