Demonology

"The other shape,

If shape it might be call'd, that shape had none,
Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb;
Or substance might be call'd that shadow seem'd;
For each seem'd either; black it stood as night,
Fierce as ten furies, terrible as Hell,
And shook a dreadful dart; what seem'd his head
The likeness of a kingly crown had on.
Satan was now at hand; and from his seat
The monster, moving onward, came as fast
With horrid strides; Hell trembled as he strode."
-- John Milton

" другата форма, Ако ит на форма може да бъде на извикването D, които се оформям
имам никой,Различим в член, става, или крайник,Или субстанцията може да бъде
повикване онази сянка щеше ли да изглежда щеше,За всеки изглеждайте" всеки D;
почернейте то стоя като нощта,Яростно като десет FURIES, ужасни дяволски,И се
разтърси ужасна стреличка; какво изглежда неговото щеше ли да се насочиПодобието
на кралска корона, донесена.Сатаната беше сега на разположение, и от неговото място
Чудовището, местейки се нататък, дойде толкова бързоС ужасни стъпки, ада трепереше
докато той крачеше." 

Introduction

The term "demons" was not always understood to have the absolutely
negative connotation that it does today.  Homer used the terms "demons"
and "gods" more or less interchangeably.  Another opinion was that
demons were intermediaries between men and gods, and that demons
had once been men.  Plutarch speaks of "human souls as commencing,
first heroes, then demons, and afterward as advancing to a more sublime
degree."   Philo of Byblus seems to draw on this same tradition when he
states that, "The most ancient of the barbarians, especially the
Phoenicians and Egyptians, from whom other people derived this custom,
accounted those the greatest gods who had found out things most
necessary and useful in life -- and had been benefactors to mankind."

Our current use of the term "demon" is to denote a malignant spirit, and
comes to us primarily form New Testament writers.  However, there is still
uncertainty as to whether or not demons are considered to be distinct and
separate from the Devil and his fallen angels. 

Demoniacal Possession
Demon possession - that is, a human who has become inhabited or "taken
over" by a demon and who cannot, consequently, exercise his own will - 
is  noted in the New Testament, specifically in Mark, Chapter 5, ver. 12. 
Josephus also mentions a method of exorcism prescribed by Solomon,
which had "prevailed or succeeded greatly among them down to the
present time."  Unfortunately, Josephus does not describe the method
used. 

There is little doubt that most of what was described in older times as
"demon possession" would today be diagnosed as some sort of mental
illness, and treated accordingly.  Nevertheless, a few cases of possession
do seem to crop up from time to time, and the Roman Catholic Church
does continue (sparingly) to perform exorcisms.

Periods of Increased Demon Activity

Some historians of times past believed that there were cycles during
which demonic activity increased, and used this theory to explain various
occurrences, much in the same way as today's economic historians might
explain historical events in terms of trade, productivity and other factors. 
These older historians saw a rise in demonic activity accompanying such
occurrences as the destruction of Jerusalem, the fall of Rome and the
French Revolution, and would in all likelihood also have viewed the
demonic theory at work in relation to the rise of Nazism and World War II.

Demoniacal Prophesy

Ancients also had a sort of faith in the prophetic words spoken by those
whom they believed to be possessed by demons, and this was sometimes
a component of ancient oracles.  In connection with this, it is worth
pointing out that a respected modern-day professor of psychology once
witnessed a friend, who was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia make a
specific and surprising prophecy that turned out to be perfectly accurate. 
The professor had no explanation for this event. although one is tempted
to hypothesize that there is a link between altered mental states and
psychic ability.  Some also associate the ouija board with demoniacal
prophesy, and those who have seen Linda Blair in The Exorcist will recall
that this was how her character's problems began.

Species of Demons, as Described by Alphonse de Spina (1467)

← Fates, who alter destiny

 ← Poltergeists, who cause mischief
← Incubi and Succubi, who stimulate lust and perversion
← Marching Hordes, who bring about war
← Familiars, who assist witches
← Nightmares, who disturb sleep through bad dreams
← Demons formed from Human Semen
← Disguised Demons
← Demons who Assail the Saintly
← Demons who Instigate Witchcraft

Correspondence of Demons to the Seven Deadly Sins

(According to Peter Binsfield, a Jesuit, 1589)

Lucifer Pride
Mammon Avarice
Asmodeus Lust
Satan Anger
Beelzebub Gluttony
Leviathan Envy
Vanity and
Belphegor
Sloth

List of Demons

← Acham - the demon of Thursday.

← Alrinach - demon of shipwrecks.

← Alocer - demon in astrology.

← Any - the presiding demon of Hell.

← Anamalech - the demon of bad news.

← Andras - the demon of discord.

← Aquiel - the demon of Sunday.

← Arachula - evil spirit in the air.

← Ardad - demon that leads travelers astray.

← Ascaroth - demon of spies and informers.

← Asmodeus - mentioned in the Book of Tobias; Asmodeus (aka
Abaddon) is "The Destroyer."

← Astaroth - one of the Chief Devils, sometimes spelled as Ashtaroth. 

Astarte is its female.  

← Baal - one of the Great Demons.  Also given as Baalim.

← Bechard - the demon of tempests.

← Bechet - the demon of Friday.

← Behemoth - the demon of animal strength.

← Belial - demon of the Sidonians.

← Beelzebub - one of the Princes of Hell.  Also given as Beelzeboul.

← Belphegor.

← Braathwaate - demon of Ignorance.  

← Bucon - the demon of Hatred.

← Byleth - one of the Kings of Hell.

← Cheitan - demon born of Smoke.

← Chemos

← Lanithro - demon of the air.

← Legassa - demon of Hypocrisy.

← Leviathan.

← Lucifer - "Light-bearer."

← Mammon.

← Mastiphal - one of the Princes of Darkness.

← Moloch

← Saalah - demon that entices into the woods.

← Satan.
 ← Tenebrion - Spirit of Darkness.

← Verdelet - demon who carries witches to Sabbath.

Beelzeboul

And I summoned again to stand before me Beelzeboul, the prince of

demons, and I sat him down on a raised seat of honour, and said to him:
"Why art thou alone, prince of the demons?"  And he said to me: "Because
I alone am left of the angels of heaven that came down.  For I was first
angel in the first heaven, being entitled Beelzeboul.  And now I control all
who are bound in Tartarus . . . "

I Solomon said unto him: "Beelzeboul, what is thy employment?"  And he

answered me: "I destroy kings.  I ally myself with foreign tyrants.  And
my own demons I set on to men, in order that the latter may believe in
them and be lost.  And the chosen servants of God, priests and faithful
men, I excite unto desires for wicked sins, and evil heresies, and lawless
deeds; and they obey me, and I bear them on to destruction.  And I
inspire men with envy, and murder, and for wars and sodomy, and other
evil things.  And I will destroy the world . . . "

I said to him: "Tell me by what angel thou art frustrated."  And he

answered: "By the holy and precious name of the Almighty God, called by
the Hebrews by a row of numbers, of which the sum is 644, and among
the Greeks it is Emmanuel.   And if one of the Romans adjure me by the
name of the power Eleêth, I disappear at once."

-- Testament of Solomon, first century AD, translated by F. C. Coynbeare

Catholic Church Statement on Fallen Angels (Demons)

"These beings, because of pride, did not return God's love. God did not
destroy them, but permits them a limited scope of activity. Their condition
is permanent for no creature can turn away from the perfect good of the
beatific vision once he has come to enjoy it, and no additional reflection
could change the mind of a purely spiritual being who has turned away."

Source: Catholic Online - Angels

Does God Ever Make Use of Demons?

Before answering "no," one might wish to refer to the Book of Tobias.  In
it, a virgin named Sara weds, only to have her husband slain by the
demon Asmodeus on her wedding night.  Sara, still a virgin, marries
again, and the same thing happens.  Actually, the same thing occurs a
total of seven times.  Then Tobias marries Sara - this would make him the
young woman's eighth husband - Raphael banishes the demon Asmodeus,
and Tobias and Sara presumably live happily ever after.  Some readers
have hypothesized that the demon may have had a personal attraction to
Sara, but the Catholic Encyclopedia makes the interesting claim that "God
allowed the demon to slay these men because they entered marriage with
unholy motives,"  and that "the permission given by God to the demon in
this history seems to have as a motive to chasten man's lust and sanctify
marriage." 

I will not make any comment regarding the demon's motivation, but
would like to point out that the idea of God giving a demon permission to
slay men in order to illustrate a lesson in morality strikes me as somewhat
improbable. 

http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/articleview.asp?Post=361

Ancient Semitic Defenses against Demons

posted by Krista | 7/31/2006 7:05:07 PM | Permalink | Stumble It!
With so many types of demons wrecking havoc on human lives, the Babylonians, Assyrians and early Jews concocted
numerous ways to deal with their menacing foes. Common ways people protected themselves included carrying around an
amulet such as a ring or inscribing various symbols or numbers on tablets or discs.
С толкова много видове на демони <
HTTP://WWW.DELIRIUMSREALM.COM/DELIRIUM/ARTICLEVIEW.ASP?
POST=384 >, разбиващи опустошение на човешки животи, вавилонците,
асирийци и ранни евреи съчиниха многобройни начини за да се занимават с
техните държащи се заплашително врагове. Хора за обикновени пътища, които
са защитени включиха да носят около един амулет като пръстен или вписват
разнообразни символи или числа в таблетки или дискове.

Later Jewish rituals were similar. They would hang aloes or cacti from the arch of their doorways to ward off evil spirits. They would also
turn to God in prayer, often quoting passages from Scripture such as the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:22-27

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

По-късните еврейски ритуали бяха подобни. Те щяха да обесят алоето или
CACTI от арката от техните входове за да предотвратяват лоши духове. Те
също щяха да се обърнат към бог в молител, често цитирайки пасажи от
светото писание като благословията на AARONIC на числа 6 : 22 - 27

Тогава лордът говореше на Моузес, казвайки,

"Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
The LORD bless you, and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.'
" говорете на Аарон и да правя неговите синове, казване," по този начин вие ще
благословите синовете на Израел. Вие ще кажете към тях :

Лордът благославя вас, и прави вас,

Лордът кара неговото лице да ви осветява,

И бъдете любезни към вас :

Лордът вдига нагоре неговото изражение на вас,

И дайте ви мир."
"So they shall (H)invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them."
- Numbers 6:22-27

Other frequently quoted passages included repetition of the Shema - Deuteronomy 6:4-9,
11:13-21 and Numbers 15:37-41.

Because demons were thought to gravitate towards food and water, Jews would guard
themselves by striking the cover of the water-jar and say to themselves

Thou N son of N [ie himself],thy mother has warned thee, and said, Guard thyself from
Shabriri, Briri, Riri, Iri, Ri. I am thirsty in a white cup.

It was believed that as the person recited the syllables of the demon's name, the demon also
faded away - demonstrating how powerful words can be.

On the message board, we get numerous stories of people that wake up but can't move. Often,
they see things, hear voices, and/or feel an evil presence near or on top of them. And no
matter how hard they try, they can't move a muscle. Feeling trapped, they lie there hoping to
survive.

This week, sciencenews.org published a story on this not so uncommon phenomenon. I don't
know how long the article will be free, so I'll try to summarize it here.

One such encounter they describe as follows:

Exhausted from a bout of mononucleosis and studying for finals, Hufford retreated one
December day to his rented, off-campus room and fell into a deep sleep. An hour later, he
awoke with a start to the sound of the bedroom door creaking open- the same door he had
locked and bolted before going to bed. Hufford then heard footsteps moving toward his bed
and felt an evil presence. Terror gripped the young man, who couldn't move a muscle, his
eyes plastered open in fright.

Without warning, the malevolent entity, whatever it was, jumped onto Hufford's chest. An
oppressive weight compressed his rib cage. Breathing became difficult, and Hufford felt a pair
of hands encircle his neck and start to squeeze. "I thought I was going to die," he says.
Before I get into this, the purpose of this site is not to describe in lurid detail how to summon
a 'demon'. I think the concept is silly. My interest lies in philosophy - defining 'evil,' the
problem of evil, and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
 Yet I get a ton of inquiries about it. If you're the type of person who thinks 'summoning
a demon' to do your bidding will make your life a bed of roses or you believe that 'God isn't
helping me so I might as well try Satan,' you'll probably be disappointed.

The tradition of commanding demons goes back to legends about King Solomon, which is
why many of the modern texts claim to be Solomon's magick. I've compiled a list of Pre-
Christian, 1st and 2nd C. CE, and 2nd-4th C. CE references that describe Solomon's great
wisdom and supernatural powers. According to the 2nd C. Testament of Solomon, Solomon
used a magickal ring to command demons to build the Jewish Temple.

On this site, I talk about 3 traditions for communicating with demons: The Faust myth,
discussed in the Mephistophiles article, Black Magick grimoires, and Goetic magick.

Faust
The Faust legend is a cautionary tale about making a pact with the devil. It emerged during
the time of the Protestant revolution and the witch trials when there were a lot of accusations
being thrown around. One group claimed another was doing the work of the devil and vice
versa. Much of the tale warns about the danger of gaining knowledge - and depending on
which version you read, Faust is damned or saved by love.

The story is about one human's quest for knowledge and power rather than the benefits of
making a pact with the devil. For the evolution of the Faust myth, start with Christopher
Marlowe's (published in 1604) and then J.W. von Goethe's.

Black Magick Grimoires

Also during this time, a number of satanic grimoires were written. They are incredibly
fanciful - you say a few words and you have some demon under your complete control - and
were written because people were very imaginative about what they thought happened when
witches met with the devil. The most outlandish grimoire is Le Grand Grimoire, but you can
also find a number of tomes of black magick on the Esoteric Archives page under 'Black
Magic'.

These books are much too over the top to be taken seriously but if you want to read more,
read occult historian, Arthur Edward Waite's books like The Book of Black Magic or The
Book of Ceremonial Magic or Richard Cavendish's The Black Arts.

Goetia
Now, we come to 'summoning a demon' in modern magick. Whenever modern
occultists talk about magick, their language is very floral and over the top. They do this
because the subject has been taboo for centuries and they don't want non-initiates to
understand what they are talking about.

When the Goetia discusses summoning one of the 72 demons listed, it's not talking about a
full fledged Buffy the Vampire Slayer demon manifesting in your living room. Sorry - that's
just absurd.

I'm going to point you to my HistoryOfMagick.com site for a few articles. First, I suggest you
read the intro to the Goetia on the Nature of the Spirits which explains
The spirits of the Goetia are portions of the human brain. Their seals therefore represent
methods of stimulating or regulating those particular spots (though the eye).
Now, read my Magick FAQ and the snippet from Aleister Crowley on Magick.

As you can see, when magicians talk about magick, and specifically, summoning a demon,
the vast majority aren't talking about 'demons' as one of Satan's minions who is actively
fighting against God. They're talking about aspects of your unconscious mind.

That's why, if you follow the ritual in the Goetia, you create a dark mirror (take a piece of
glass and paint one side black) and sit it in a triangle. You use the seal to focus - to stimulate
aspects of your brain - and, in many cases, you alter your consciousness with pain, sex, drugs,
meditation or fasting. I've talked about this in the my Nature of Demons article. The use of a
seal isn't that different from using a mandala in Hinduism and Buddhism to focus your
attention.

Yes, you will always find some people who claim they summoned a demon into physical
existence or that these 'demons' are more than just aspects of your mind - just like if you study
any religion, you'll find that a number of followers have had a religious experience. (See
William James' Varieties of Religious Experience, for instance.) How you interpret your
experience depends on your perspective, your belief system, and what you hope to find.

That said, if you want to read more about summoning a demon in modern occult practice,
read Carroll Runyon's Book of Solomon's Magick, Don Kraig's Modern Magick, Lon Milo
Duquette's My Life With the Spirits and other books.