Demons are generally classified as spirits that are believed to enter into relations with the human race. As such, the term includes: •
angels that, in
Christian tradition,
fell from grace; • spirits such as receive a
cult (e.g.,
ancestor worship); Excluded are souls conceived as inhabiting another world. Yet just as
gods are not necessarily spiritual, demons may also be regarded as corporeal;
vampires, for example, are sometimes described as human heads with appended entrails, which issue from the tomb to attack the living during the night watches. The
incubi and
succubi of the
Middle Ages are sometimes regarded as spiritual beings; but they were held to give proof of their bodily existence, Belief in demons goes back many millennia.
Ancient Mesopotamian religion impression showing the god
Dumuzid being tortured in the
underworld by
galla demons The
ancient Mesopotamians believed that the
underworld (Kur) was home to many
demons, which are sometimes referred to as "offspring of
arali". These demons could sometimes leave
the underworld and terrorize
mortals on earth. One class of demons that were believed to reside in the underworld was known as
galla; their primary purpose appears to have been to drag unfortunate mortals back to Kur. They are frequently referenced in magical texts, and some texts describe them as being seven in number. Several extant poems describe the
galla dragging the god
Dumuzid into the underworld. Like other demons, however,
galla could also be benevolent and, in a hymn from King
Gudea of
Lagash ( 2144 – 2124 BC), a minor god named Ig-alima is described as "the great
galla of
Girsu". Demons had no
cult in
Mesopotamian religious practice since demons "know no food, know no drink, eat no flour offering and drink no
libation."
Abrahamic religions Judaism Judaism does not have a demonology or any set of
doctrines about demons.
Christianity Christian demonology is the study of
demons from a
Christian point of view. It is primarily based on the
Bible (
Old Testament and
New Testament), the
exegesis of scriptures, the writings of early Christian
philosophers and
hermits,
tradition, and
legends incorporated from other beliefs. Some scholars suggest that the origins of early
Greek Old Testament demonology can be traced to two distinctive and often competing mythologies of evil— Adamic and Enochic. The first tradition — the Adamic tradition — ties demons to the
fall of man caused by
the serpent who beguiled
Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden. Thus, the Adamic story traces the source of evil to
Satan's transgression and the fall of man, a trend reflected in the Books of Adam and
Eve which explains the reason for Satan's demotion by his refusal to worship and submit to God. This tradition bases its understanding of the origin of demons on the story of the fallen
Watchers led by
Azazel. scholars believe its
post-exilic concepts of
eschatology, angelology, and demonology were influenced by
Zoroastrianism. Some, however, believe these concepts were received as part of the
Kabbalistic tradition. While many people believe today
Lucifer and Satan are different names for the same being, not all scholars subscribe to this view. Several authors throughout Christian history have written about demons for a variety of purposes. Theologians like
Thomas Aquinas wrote concerning the behaviors of which Christians should be aware, while witch hunters like
Heinrich Kramer wrote about how to find and what to do with
people they believed were involved with demons. Some texts such as the
Lesser Key of Solomon or
The Grimoire of Pope Honorius (although these, the earliest manuscripts, were from well after these individuals had died) are written with
instructions on how to summon demons in the name of God and often were claimed to have been written by individuals respected within the Church. These latter texts were usually more detailed, giving names, ranks, and descriptions of demons individually and categorically. Most Christians commonly reject these texts as either diabolical or fictitious. In modern times, some demonological texts have been written by Christians, usually in a similar vein to Thomas Aquinas, explaining their effects in the world and how faith may lessen or eliminate damage by them. A few Christian authors, such as
Jack Chick and
John Todd, write with intentions similar to Kramer, proclaiming that demons and their human agents are active in the world. These claims can stray from mainstream ideology, and may include such beliefs as that
Christian rock is a means through which demons influence people. Not all Christians believe that demons exist in the literal sense. Some believe that the New Testament's exorcism language was originally part of curing ceremonies for what are now recognized as epilepsy, mental illness, etc.
Islam . Illustration in an
illuminated manuscript of the Iranian
epic Shahnameh Many demonic or demon-like entities are not purely spiritual but physical in nature and related to animals.
Julius Wellhausen states, that Islamic
demonology is always
zoology as well. One prominent classification is given by
al-Jahiz, who classifies
jinn as: •
Amir, jinn who live among humans. •
Angels, benevolent and good jinn
. •
Devils, malicious and evil jinn. •
Marid, strong jinn who steal information from Heaven. •
Ifrit, the most powerful jinn.
Zakariya al-Qazwini's ''
Aja'ib al-Makhluqat mentions seven types of animals. The jinn'' are classified as animals composed of fire and can appear in many forms. Among them, the angels are created from the light of fire, the jinn from a blaze of fire, and the devils from the smoke of fire. Satan is counted among these animals. They inhabited the earth before mankind. The German
orientalist Almut Wieland-Karimi classified the Jinn in the ten most common categories mentioned in folklore literature: •
Jinn or
Jann: ordinary jinn, a class apart from other jinn types, but also used as a collective to refer to invisible beings in general •
Shaitan: Malevolent jinni, who causes illness and madness •
Ifrit: delimitation to ordinary jinn remains unclear. Can be either a powerful, cunning Jinn or a strong Shaitan. Ifrits are generally bad. •
Marid: a haughty and powerful Shaitan or very malevolent Ifrit. •
Bu'bu: a jinn that frightens children. •
Si'lah: a female demon who seduces men. •
Amir: spirits dwelling in houses. •
Ghul: generally evil, lives in the desert. •
Qarînah: name for a specific demon or
doppelgänger, a type of spirit that follows every human. •
Hatif: a mysterious phenomenon, which can only be heard but never seen.
Buddhism Traditionally,
Buddhism affirms the existence of
hells populated by demons who torment sinners and tempt mortals to sin, or who seek to thwart their
enlightenment, with a demon named
Mara as chief tempter, "prince of darkness", or "Evil One" in Sanskrit sources. The followers of Mara were also called
mara, the devils, and are frequently cited as a cause of disease or representations of mental obstructions. ==See also==