Title
Chief of the Eunuchs
Hierarchy
Works for Proserpine in the “Satan’s Cabinet” hierarchy suggested by Berbiguer and Waites
Expertise
Jealousy?
Story Notes
A brief history on this one, who has some gender complications in their background. Sukkoth-Benoth gets a mention alongside Nergal, Adramellech, and a few others in 2 Kings 18:11, in a story about a bunch of Samarian/Babylonian tribes being resettled. According to the Dictionary of Deities and Demons of the Bible, “Bennoth” is an aspect of the god Marduk’s girlfriend, and Sukkoth likely comes from another Mesopotamian deity. The name has been translated as something like “a place for booths for prostitution/Babylonian worship,” and it’s probably significant that that last pair is linguistically linked. While a specific deity with this name hasn’t yet been identified, it may have been a title associated with a mother-goddess of some sort.
A.E. Waite lists the following hierarchy of Hell, in “The Book of Ceremonial Magic” (1898-ish), which Bellanger notes was influenced by the earlier works of eccentric demonologist Charles Berbiguier, and is unusually quirky.
PRINCES AND GRAND DIGNITARIES.–Beelzebuth, Supreme Chief of the Infernal Empire, founder of the Order of the Fly. Satan, Leader of the Opposition. Euronymous, Prince of Death, Grand Cross of the Order of the Fly. Moloch, Prince of the Land of Tears, Grand Cross of the Order. Pluto, Prince of Fire. Leonard, Grand Master of Sabbaths, Knight of the Fly. Baalberith, Minister of Treaties. Proserpine, Arch-she-devil, Sovereign Princess of Mischievous Spirits. MINISTERS.–Adramelek, Lord High Chancellor, Grand Cross of the Order of the Fly. Astaroth, Grand Treasurer. Nergal, Chief of the Secret Police. Baal, Commander-in-Chief of the Infernal Armies, Grand Cross of the Order of the Fly. AMBASSADORS.–Belphgor in France, Mammon in England, Belial in Turkey, Rimmon in Russia, Thamus in Spain, Hutgin in Italy, Martinet in Switzerland. JUDGES.–Lucifer, Lord Chief Justice. Alastor, Commissioner of Public Works. ROYAL HOUSEHOLD.–Verdelet, Master of Ceremonies. Succor Benoth, Chief of the Eunuchs. Chamos, Lord High Chamberlain, Knight of the Fly. Melcom, Paymaster. Misroch, Grand Steward. Behemoth, Grand Cup-Bearer. Dagon, Grand Pantler. Mullin, First Gentleman of the Bedchamber. MASTERS OF THE REVELS.–Kobal, Stage Manager. Asmodeus, Superintendent of Casinos. Nybbas, Chief Mimic. Antichrist, juggler and Mimic.
“Chief Eunuch” is an odd title for a 19th century court. The most common read on that title would be a man who was castrated and then oversaw the household affairs of a noble, but to some degree the title of “eunuch” was generalized to be any high-level household servant of a lord (like the title “chamberlain”). Since no one goes into detail on what Succor-Benoth actually did, it may be that SB was a general-purpose servant of Proserpine’s household, with the associations of physical emasculation or just general desexualization (the term was sometimes used for celibates) SB might have been the leader of a host of odd-job demons, without identity and certainly without gender, though SB themselves could have been castrated, otherwise neuter, something on the GLBT/Queer spectrum, or asexual, and each of those would have fit some meaning of the word.
Personally, with Proserpine identified as the princess of mischievous spirits, the most fun read for SB would be as Proserpine’s catty, apparently harmless, gay boyfriend/bestie.
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