A cruel old man on a pale horse, a scythe held in his hand.
The Spirit
Furcas is the fiftieth spirit of the Ars Goetia and one of the very few to hold the rank of Knight rather than the more common titles of King, Duke, or President. He appears as a stern and cruel old man with a long beard and hoary hair, riding upon a pale horse and carrying a sharp weapon or scythe in his hand. The image is unmistakably one of Time or Death — an aged reaper — and it lends him a severe, ascetic character quite unlike the animal-shaped or angelic spirits elsewhere in the catalogue.
Despite his forbidding appearance, Furcas is fundamentally a teacher, a spirit of disciplined study whose harsh aspect matches the rigour of the subjects he governs.
Office
The Goetia says that Furcas teaches the arts of philosophy, astronomy, and rhetoric, together with logic, chiromancy, and pyromancy — that is, divination by the hand and by fire. His curriculum spans the classical liberal arts and the reading of hidden signs, and he instructs in these subjects fully and perfectly. His office is thus one of complete tuition in learning and prophecy, delivered under the stern figure of the old horseman.
Attributes
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Number | 50 |
| Rank | Knight |
| Legions | 20 |
| Appearance | A cruel old man with a long beard, on a pale horse, bearing a scythe |