Hi Mr Stroud,
I was just wondering, you know how Barti has many diferent names (well of course you know) well what would happen if a magician summoned him by one of his other names?
Also why do demons have genders, is it to suit their personalities or favourite forms?

Thanks


p.s. you rule

p.p.s. so do your books

Hi Eternity,

Good question... I think Bart's names (and those of any other fairly significant spirit) fall into two categories. Some names (in Bart's case 'Bartimaeus', 'Sakhr al-Jinni' and others) are Names of Power and can be used by a competent magician to summon him from the Other Place. In an ideal world, of course, Bart wouldn't want anyone to know these names, but since they're out in the public domain (or at least lots of magicians know them) he's happy to swagger about telling anyone he meets that he's Sakhr al-Jinni, N'gorso the mighty etc. He hopes they'll intimidate anyone with a good knowledge of demonology. (Usually it doesn't.) The other category of names are by-names such as Rekhyt which Ptolemy calls him while he's in Egypt. In other words, Ptol is NOT bandying about one of Bart's names of power - he's being courteous to his servant. If Nat stood in a pentacle and summoned 'Rekhyt' nothing would happen.

As for the gender question - you're right, I think it's down to their favoured forms and/or their personal traits. Bart (and other djinn, afrits and marids) can take on both male and female shapes, but over the centuries, most of them begin to favour one sex or other.

J