Movies - TV
Hereditary Ending Explained: All Hail Paimon
By RYAN LESTON
Even though we don’t see it right away the first time, the demon Paimon is at the core of “Hereditary” right from the beginning. Peter’s grandmother, Ellen, intended him to be the host for the lord of hell all along, and every terrible thing that happens to him over the course of the film only serves to make him a good host.
Paimon’s influence is presented in subtle ways throughout the film, like at Ellen’s funeral where we see a demonic sigil on her necklace, and the etching on the pole that decapitates Charlie. Evidently, the cult influences the Graham family’s life from the very start.
VIewers will see the words "satony," "zazas," and "liftoach pandemonium" scrawled onto walls throughout the film, like in the scene where Annie finds obscure writing on Charlie’s wall. According to director Ari Aster, these words are “pieces of an invocation spell” used by the cult to call on Paimon.
It’s also revealed to us that Annie had a schizophrenic brother who committed suicide many years prior, but things get complicated when Annie explains how his “suicide note blamed [their mother], accusing her of putting people inside him.” This is a disturbing revelation that granny used her own son as a vessel for Paimon, and when that failed, she moved on to Peter.
Paimon demanded a male host, but as it turns out, grandma couldn’t get to Peter right away because of his father’s dislike of her. When Annie began talking to her mother again, Ellen was able to make Charlie a host for Paimon when Annie was pregnant with her, and he inhabited Charlie from the very beginning, until he could possess his intended host, Peter.