Sigil of Marax
At a glance
- Entry
- 21 of 72
- Rank
- Earl and President
- Legions
- 30 in the text
Description in the text
Marax is said to teach astronomy and the liberal sciences. The account also attributes to him familiars knowledgeable about the properties of herbs and precious stones.
Read entry 21 on page 28 of the 1916 edition
Appearance
A large bull with a human face.
Topics attributed to this entry
- Astronomy
- Liberal sciences
- Herbs and stones
Reading this entry
Marax has the body of a large bull and the face of a man. He is both earl and president, another case where the catalogue gives a spirit two ranks. His principal attributed subject is astronomy, joined to the liberal sciences. The account also says he supplies knowledgeable familiars who understand herbs and precious stones. That last detail assigns some expertise to the attendants rather than only to Marax himself.
A footnote in the printed edition follows the name, but the numbered description’s central identification is clear. The entry gives no later human transformation despite its human face; the hybrid remains the stated visible form. Thirty legions and a seal complete the record. Marax is best read alongside the other astronomy teachers while keeping the bull, dual rank, and specialized familiars that distinguish him.
Read entry 21 on page 28 of the 1916 edition or compare the 1904 transcription.
A closer reading of entry 21
What the numbered text says
Marax is both earl and president, and his bull with a human face introduces an office built around instruction. Astronomy and liberal sciences belong to Marax directly; knowledge of herbs and precious stones is attributed to the familiars he can provide. Keeping the agent of each claim clear prevents the passage from becoming a list of undifferentiated powers. The numbered text is compact and provides no particular astronomical scheme or plant catalogue.
About the printed seal
The third 1916 plate numbers Marax’s seal 21. The footnote marker after the name signals an editorial issue in the transcription, but the mark remains tied to the numbered Marax entry. The bull portrait is in the text, not explained by the seal.
Compare another entry
Compare entry 32: Asmoday. Asmoday also receives astronomy, but as one item in a list with arithmetic, geometry, and crafts. Marax pairs astronomy with liberal sciences and delegates herb-and-stone knowledge to familiars. The two entries use a shared learned subject in different ways.