Demon-A type of spirit that may be either good or evil, and that allegedly has the ability to intervene in the affairs of humankind.
In Christianity, demons are evil and are minions of Satan. Their sole purpose is to tempt and torment people and lead them to sin. The Gods and Goddesses of Pagan religions became Demons in Christianity. In other religions, demons can be either good or evil, or have a duel nature.
The term "Demon" means "replete with wisdom" and is derived from the Greek term Daimon, which means "divine power," "fate," or "God." Daimonses were rather like guardian spirits to the Greeks.
Demons have been classified and organized into hierarchies. The Testament of Solomon, which appeared between 100 and 400, list the names and functions of various Hebrew, Greek, Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and perhaps Persian demons. Solomon controlled his demons, called Djinn, with his magic ring. Ceremonial magic rituals for the summoning and control of demons continue to be practiced worldwide in modern times.
Christian demonologists of the 16th and 17th centuries devised elaborate organizational schemes of demons, for example, John Weyer estimated that there were 7,405,926 demons, serving under 72 princes of Hell. Jewish demonologies also are complex. One class of demons is the night terror, female demons that attack sleeping men, children and women in childbed to suck them of their vitality and blood.
Demons are often blamed for a host of ills and misfortunes, and in many cultures, are routinely exorcised. In Catholic Christianity, demonic possession in which demons battle for control of a soul, are addressed by formal exorcism rites, dating back to 1614.
It is widely believed that sex with demons is possible, albeit unppleasant or horrific. Lore holds that the offspring of human demon union usually are monstrous. Some of the night terror demons also are sexual molesters. In the Middle Ages, Christian authorities set forth the beliefs that sex with demon's was a sign of witchcraft. A succubus or demon masquerading as a voluptuous woman, molested men, while an incubus, a demon masquerading as a man, molesed women. Though sterile, the incubi were said to be able to impregnate women with semen collected from the nocturnal emissions of men. Possession cases of the period, commonly involved sexual molestation, it is possible that sexual repressions ( especially among nuns, who seemed susceptible to possessions ), were more a factor than actual demonic forces. Some poltergeist cases, even in modern times, feture demonic sexual molestation.
From: Ghosts and Spirits
By: Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Return to TOP of page
