Known from the Ars Goetia, part of the 17th-century Lesser Key of Solomon, Andras commands both awe and fear.
He is infamous for his volatile nature, his striking appearance, and the chaos that follows his invocation.
Andras represents the perilous side of knowledge and rebellion—the thin line between command and destruction.
This article explores his origins, description, powers, and symbolism, revealing how he embodies both wisdom and danger in the occult tradition.
Origins in Demonology
Andras appears in the Ars Goetia, a key section of the Lesser Key of Solomon, which lists 72 infernal spirits.
Compiled in the 17th century, this grimoire blends Jewish mysticism, Christian theology, and medieval European folklore.
He is the 63rd spirit, ranked as a Great Marquis, commanding 30 legions of demons.
The structured hierarchy of the Goetia reflects Renaissance attempts to categorize spiritual entities.
Each demon, including Andras, is given a clear rank, appearance, and function within Hell’s order.
This system mirrors the period’s fascination with control, classification, and the boundaries of forbidden knowledge.
Earlier echoes of Andras’s legend may trace to medieval esoteric manuscripts, where avian-headed spirits symbolized deception, death, and divine rebellion.
His placement among Solomon’s bound spirits also aligns with biblical and apocryphal themes of pride and downfall.
Thus, Andras emerges as both a destroyer and a warning—a force of discord bound by divine authority.
Description and Attributes
According to the Ars Goetia, Andras appears as an angel with the head of an owl or raven, riding a black wolf.
He carries a gleaming sword, his eyes fierce and unyielding.
Each feature carries layered meaning drawn from centuries of myth and symbolism.
- Owl or Raven Head:
Both birds represent wisdom, mystery, and death. The owl embodies night vision and hidden knowledge, while the raven suggests omens and transformation. - Black Wolf:
The wolf reflects independence, ferocity, and loyalty twisted by danger. It embodies the instinctual power that resists control. - Bright Sword:
His sword signifies authority, judgment, and violent retribution—a tool of both justice and destruction.
Andras commands 30 legions of spirits and is said to incite discord wherever he moves.
He can teach those who summon him to kill their enemies or masters, a warning of his lethal potential.
The Goetia cautions that if mismanaged, Andras will destroy the summoner instead of serving them.
This dangerous duality defines his legend: he grants strength but punishes arrogance.
Role and Powers
As a Marquis of Hell, Andras holds a position of tactical influence and destructive authority.
His primary power lies in sowing discord, dividing allies, and igniting rebellion.
He embodies chaos as an elemental force—intellect sharpened into conflict.
The Ars Goetia warns magicians that ritual precision is vital when invoking him.
Without strict control, his presence breeds confusion, rage, and betrayal.
Andras teaches violence not for protection, but for ambition and revenge.
Unlike demons of wisdom or wealth, his power tests a summoner’s discipline and integrity.
His volatile nature symbolizes the danger of wielding power without restraint.
To command Andras safely, one must balance courage with absolute focus, avoiding both fear and arrogance.
He is a destroyer of order, a force that reveals the fragility of authority when confronted with chaos.
Symbolism and Interpretation
The image of Andras fuses light and shadow—wisdom distorted into rebellion.
His owl head connects him to divine insight, yet also to death and deception.
In occult symbolism, the owl’s stare represents the pursuit of truth even in darkness.
The black wolf beneath him mirrors the primal self, untamed and loyal only to instinct.
Together, they embody the union of intellect and ferocity—clarity turned to destruction.
The sword he wields represents the mind as a weapon, capable of judgment or ruin.
Culturally, Andras echoes the archetype of the disruptor—a being that tears apart to reveal hidden truths.
In the 17th century, Europe’s climate of war and religious tension gave this symbolism real power.
Andras became a projection of societal fear: rebellion, heresy, and betrayal.
In modern occultism, he is reinterpreted as an archetype of inner conflict.
Psychologically, Andras symbolizes the shadow self—the part of the psyche that resists control.
Facing him in ritual or meditation represents confronting destructive impulses and integrating them into self-awareness.
Through this lens, Andras becomes not a villain, but a teacher of personal balance and restraint.
Andras in Modern Contexts
Although less famous than Paimon or Asmodeus, Andras maintains a presence in modern occult literature and art.
His striking imagery—the owl-headed knight astride a wolf—continues to fascinate artists and demonologists alike.
He often appears in Goetic-inspired illustrations, grimoires, and tarot-style interpretations of infernal archetypes.
In chaos magic and psychological occultism, Andras represents rebellion against stagnation.
Practitioners view him as a force of necessary destruction—a reminder that transformation requires dismantling old systems.
Some modern magicians invoke him for protection in conflict, while others meditate on his symbolism to master anger and control.
In popular culture, Andras’s traits influence portrayals of dark strategists and fallen knights, though rarely by name.
Games, novels, and graphic art borrow his wolf-riding image as shorthand for chaos cloaked in intellect.
Through these reimaginings, Andras endures as a symbol of rebellion and the cost of unbridled ambition.
Cultural and Moral Themes
Andras’s story reflects enduring human anxieties about power, betrayal, and moral restraint.
His presence in the Ars Goetia warns of the corruption that follows ambition without discipline.
He embodies the destructive aspect of intellect, where wisdom becomes weaponized through ego and pride.
In a broader sense, he mirrors the social and spiritual tensions of the Renaissance and Reformation eras.
His power to sow discord echoes fears of division—in religion, politics, and the soul itself.
Even today, his mythology resonates wherever conflict exposes the thin boundary between justice and vengeance.
Andras invites reflection on control versus chaos.
He is the voice that asks: Can knowledge exist without destruction? Can order survive truth’s rebellion?
Conclusion
Andras, the owl-headed Marquis of Hell, remains one of the most formidable figures in Goetic lore.
His image—a warrior of intellect and rebellion—captures the timeless struggle between wisdom and destruction.
He teaches that power without restraint breeds ruin, and that control demands constant vigilance.
Whether viewed as a literal demon, a psychological archetype, or a cultural symbol, Andras endures.
He embodies both the peril and potential of knowledge—a reminder that enlightenment, without humility, becomes its own downfall.
Through him, the Ars Goetia whispers an eternal warning: the sword of reason can cut both ways.