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Asmodeus

Asmodeus · Prince of Lust — Demon Who Destroys Marriages

Great demon of Jewish apocryphal and Christian tradition. Derived from the Zoroastrian demon of wrath, Aēšma-daēva. In the Book of Tobit he appears as the lustful demon who kills Sarah's seven husbands in succession. Prince of Lust among the Seven Deadly Sins; also listed in the Lesser Key of Solomon as the 32nd of the 72 spirits, a king.

Origin

Derived from Zoroastrian Aēšma (demon of wrath) + daēva (evil deity). In the Book of Tobit, he loved Sarah so consumingly that he killed each of her seven husbands on their wedding night, until the archangel Raphael banished him by burning fish liver. Later Solomonic tradition also gave him dominion over gambling and music.

Features

Three heads — bull, human, ram
Dragon tail and goose feet
Rides a dragon
King bearing a lance and banner

Stories

Symbol of marital destruction, infidelity, and lust. Owing to the Tobit narrative, prayers to banish him appeared in rites protecting newlyweds. Also invoked as warning against gambling and ill-suited unions.