XXXVI - GAAP

36 - Gaap - Appears in Book of Incantations, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, The Lesser Key of Solomon, Book of Spirits, and Dictionnaire Infernal

From Discoverie / Pseudomonarchia / Book of incantations

Gaap, alias Tap, a great president and a prince, he appeareth in a meridionall signe [Note: At the moment, the meridional sign is Capricorn], and when he taketh humane shape [Clm 849 reads: He appears in the form of a doctor when he takes on a human form. He is the most excellent doctor of women, and he makes them burn with love for men.] he is the guide of the foure principall kings, as mightie as Bileth. There were certeine necromancers that offered sacrifices and burnt offerings unto him; and to call him up, they exercised an art, saieng that Salomon the wise made it. Which is false: for it was rather Cham, the sonne of Noah, who after the floud began first to invocate wicked spirits. He invocated Bileth, and made an art in his name, and a booke which is knowne to manie mathematicians. There were burnt offerings and sacrifices made, and gifts given, and much wickednes wrought by the exorcists, who mingled therewithall the holie names of God, the which in that art are everie where expressed. Marie [Certainly] there is an epistle of those names written by Salomon, as also write Helias Hierosolymitanus and Helisæus. It is to be noted, that if anie exorcist have the art of Bileth, and cannot make him stand before him, nor see him, I may not bewraie how and declare the meanes to conteine him, bicause it is abhomination, and for that I have learned nothing from Salomon of his dignitie and office. But yet I will not hide this; to wit, that he maketh a man woonderfull in philosophie and all the liberall sciences: he maketh love, hatred, insensibilitie, invisibilitie, consecration, and consecration of those things that are belonging unto the domination of Amaymon, and delivereth familiars out of the possession of other conjurors, answering truly and perfectly of things present, past, & to come, & transferreth men most speedilie into other nations, he ruleth sixtie six legions, & was of the order of potestats.

From the Lesser Key

The Thirty-third Spirit is Gaap. He is a Great President and a Mighty Prince. He appeareth when the Sun is in some of the Southern Signs, in a Human Shape, going before Four Great and Mighty Kings, as if he were a Guide to conduct them along on their way. His Office is to make men Insensible or Ignorant; as also in Philosophy to make them Knowing, and in all the Liberal Sciences. He can cause Love or Hatred, also he can teach thee to consecrate those things that belong to the Dominion of Amaymon his King. He can deliver Familiars out of the Custody of other Magicians, and answereth truly and perfectly of things Past, Present, and to Come. He can carry and re-carry men very speedily from one Kingdom to another, at the Will and Pleasure of the Exorcist. He ruleth over 66 Legions of Spirits, and he was of the Order of Potentates. His Seal is this to be made and to be worn as aforesaid, etc.

Appearance: Angelic. Appears as a doctor.

Subrace: Fallen Power.

Abilities: Divination, familiars, philosophy, travel, makes men stupid, necromancy, concecration.

Legions: 66

Rank: Prince

Notes: The names mentioned in the Pseudomonarchia citation are interesting to say the least. The first is Helias Hierosolymitanus. Helias is the greek form of the name Elijah, referring to the prophet of the same name from the book of kings. Hierosolymitanus refers to the Codex Hierosolymitanus, an 11th century greek codex that contained Didache, the Epistle of Barnabas, the First Epistle of Clement and the Second Epistle of Clement, the long version of the letters of Ignatius of Antioch and a list of books of the Bible following the order of John Chrysostom. This is the source for the bit about Gaap being summoned by Ham, son of Noah. 

The second name, Helisaeus, refers to 16th century astrologer Helisaeus Roeslin, rival to astronomer Johannes Kepler. Helisaeus is notable for his adoption of the Tychonian model of the universe. In which, the sun and moon revolve around the earth, but the stars and planets revolve around the sun. The Tychonian model attempted to reconcile the more modern Copernican system with the more biblical Ptolmeic system. Being a polymath and devout christian, it should come as no surprise that Helisaeus was a Rosicrucian. His major esoteric contribution was De potestatibus orbis Christiani, et politicis et ecclesiasticis, Discursus (1580), which used numerological concepts to divide history into three periods he called Void, Law and Gospel. A proper copy is hard to come by, but this text is largely responsible for why specific demons have astrological associations. 

Many texts cite Gaap as King of the South, yet none actually place him in the rank of king. Additionally, Weyer connects Gaap to necromancers who supposedly worshipped him. His description as “appearing as a doctor” becomes more interesting when you look at when these texts were published. The first publication to mention the description as a doctor was the Lesser Key, published in 164, the tail end of the black death. I think it is safe to say that Gaap appears as a plague doctor. 

The Book of Spirits comments on the conflicting information on Gaap as “King of the South,” saying “Those demons of cardinal directions don't appear as such in the list, except for Goap, if we identify him as Gaap, alias Tap Præses magnus & Princeps. [Great Prince]” I am of a similar opinion, I think citing Gaap as King of the South is incorrect. 

If we continue with the cardinal sin theory, Gaap is the greatest of the princes, and doctrine states that all sins have their roots in Pride. 

Brand of Pride - The brand gives the marked a temporary supernatural strength, speed, and resistance to damage, but also to pain. Skin hardens, bones are tempered, fear is quelled, but if the marked pushes too hard, the effect collapses all at once, often leading to painful incapacitation and death.