According to the Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, Gapnu (Gepen in Hebrew, meaning “the vine”) is a divine name in Ugaritic mythological texts. The cuneiform texts from Ugarit known as “Keilalphabetische Texte aus Ugarit” or KTU usually pair “gpn” (meaning vine or vineyard) with “ugr” meaning field. Harold Louis Ginsberg (1944) believed they were considered two separate deities who served as Baal’s messengers. [ref]Becking, Bob, Pieter W. Van Der. Horst, and Karel Van Der. Toorn. “Gepen.” Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible: Second Extensively Revised Edition. 2nd ed. Leiden: Brill, 1999. 341. Print.[/ref]
Vine in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum
According to Weir (1583), Vine is a Great Kind and Earl. He appears as a lion riding a black horse and carrying a viper in his hands. His powers include building large towers and making bodies of water rough. An exorcist can command him to reveal hidden insights, information about witches and knowledge of past, present and future.
Vine is a great king and an earle, he showeth himselfe as a lion, riding on a blacke horsse, and carrieth a viper in his hand, he gladlie buildeth large towres, he throweth downe stone walles, and maketh waters rough. At the commandement of the exorcist he answereth of things hidden, of witches, and of things present, past, and to come. [ref]Weyer, Johann. “Vine.” Pseudomonarchia Daemonum. 1583. Esoteric Archives. Web. 22 Jul. 2017.[/ref]
Vine in the Dictionaire Infernal
According to Collin De Plancy’s Dictionarie Infernal, Vine is a Great King and Count on the Infernal Court. He shows himself as furious lion, riding a black horse, and carrying a viper in his hand. He builds houses, swells rivers and knows the past. Nineteen legions obey him.[ref]Collin De Plancy, Jacques Auguste Simon. “Vine.” Dictionaire Infernal. Paris: Henri Plon, Imprimeur-Editeur, 1863. 688. Internet Archive. Web. Jul. 22, 2017.[/ref]
Vine in the Goetia
S. L. MacGregor Mathers’ description of Vine includes aspects of both Weir and de Plancy’s descriptions. One difference is that Mathers says Vine commands 36 legions of spirits while de Plancy says 19. His seal is included.
The Forty-fifth Spirit is Vine, or Vinea. He is a Great King, and an Earl; and appeareth in the Form of a Lion, riding upon a Black Horse, and bearing a Viper in his hand. His Office is to discover Things Hidden, Witches, Wizards, and Things Present, Past, and to Come. He, at the command of the Exorcist will build Towers, overthrow Great Stone Walls, and make the Waters rough with Storms. He governeth 36 Legions of Spirits. And his Seal is this, which wear thou, as aforesaid, etc.