Demons are the essence of
human storytelling. People from all over the world tell similar
tales which all serve to transmit values and contain clear messages
about which traits are considered desirable or undesirable. In addition,
these tales and plots provide us, as Mircea Eliade said "with
models of human behavior and, by that very fact, give meaning and value
to life." For without demons and the choice between the
demonic and the angelic, there can be no moral to any story. There
would be no plot, no story about internal or external struggles, no
heroes, no pain, no gain, and no quest. A demon is always a
challenge.
Throughout all traditions
and in all parts of the world, the demonic spirits have avoided the
light of sun, of love, of truth, and of reason. By surrounding yourself
with love, joy and compassion, all demons can be vanquished. And
the fact that we all have choices in the paths that we take on this
earth walk makes the demon's work that much more difficult for
him/her.
What and Who are Demons?
They are a low-level spirit, nature
spirit, or non-human intelligence that interacts with the material
world and is concerned with the direction of lower plane activities.
The term 'demon' is derived
ultimately from the Sanskrit root div ('to shine'), through the Greek
daimon
('divine power'). To the
Greeks daimons were intermediary spirits between humans and the Gods.
In Western religion and occult lore, demons are classified into
various elaborate systems, and hierarchies of hell, and have ascribed
to them various characters, forms, attributes and duties. The most
complex hierarchy was devised by Johann Weyer, who estimated that
there were 7,405,926 demons serving under seventy-two princes.
In Christianity,
demons are associated only with evil. They include those demons who
were cast out of heaven together with Lucifer,
as well as pagan deities
branded as demons by the church. Demons devote themselves to
tormenting human beings, assaulting them, sexually abusing them, and possessing
them. The possibility of sex with demons was denied before the twelfth
century, but by the later Middle Ages belief in sexually voracious
demons in alluring male or female form who preyed on sleeping men and
women (see Incubus,
Succubus)
become widely accepted. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in
Europe witches
were regularly accused of having sex with demons (see Sabbat).
It was held that demons could be expelled or kept at bay by the ritual
of exorcism,
or by the use of certain prayers, or a special charm,
or by wearing an amulet
or talisman.
See Grand
Grimoire, grimoires
and demonology.
Demons tend to fall into
six basic categories throughout the world. This section of my site
will barely scratch the surface of demons and their worlds, but will
provide brief notes and information related to the demons of:
