Satanism Today - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore and Popular ...

Demons 65
contact with the dualist vision of Zoroastrianism,
a more defined role for demons was developed
within the tradition, in particular in the aggadah
that reflected popular rabbinic beliefs. These
mythological figures drew from indigenous pagan
beliefs (such as the shedim) and were believed to
be either creations of God or offspring of Lilith,
the first wife of Adam. In the cabala during the
Middle Ages, the evil forces of the Jewish tradition
took definite forms, names, and roles, although
they were never really fully accepted into
Orthodox Judaism.
The Greek word daimon was used in the
Roman and Hellenistic world to indicate evil
forces, and thus entered early Christian writings
with the negative connotation of impure spirits.
The Judeo-Christian tradition elaborated the
concept of the Devil as the fallen angel who
tempted Adam and Eve and was forever banished
from Paradise. Christian literature also drew upon
the belief systems of their neighbors in the depiction
of the Apocalypse, wherein appear demons
that recall Jewish, Persian, and Mesopotamian
myths. In the transmission of the texts of the
Scriptures the devil (in Hellenistic Greek, diabolos)
came to be identified with Satan (the name used
in the Hebrew bible to indicate an adversary). The
belief in evil powers as the source of sicknesses and
problems for humans is found in early Christian
literature, and Christian theology acknowledges
evil as necessary for the fulfillment of free will.
From very early, Christianity developed the practice
of exorcism to expel evil spirits who had taken
control of human individuals. In medieval
Europe, the belief in the existence of demons came
to be associated with witchcraft and contributed
to the development of the practice of exorcism
and witch-hunting.
Since the early drafting of the Koran, Muslims
have also believed in the existence of demonic
forces, known as shaytan, who are in constant
revolt against God—ifrit, marid, and jann (a.k.a.
jinn, pre-Islamic hostile spirits in general associated
with the desert). Sometimes these evil forces
are identified with animals (such as the snake and
the scorpion) or with natural elements. One
ambiguous figure, divine and evil (jinn) at the
same time, is Iblis, who partially resembles the
Devil of the Judeo-Christian tradition as a fallen
angel. Believed to be eternally expelled from the
Garden of heaven for refusing to bow, upon God’s
order, in front of Adam (i.e., a being made of
earth), he gradually also came to be called Satan.
The Hindu tradition is rich with mythic figures
of divine, or semidivine, superhuman nature. In
its literature demons are hierarchically ranked in
various cosmic layers. Demons who belong to the
lower part of hierarchy are demonic, dark beings,
such as the asuras, who are always adversaries to
humankind. Raksasas are demons who embody
various hostile animals (snakes, vultures, etc.), are
identified with spirits of the night, kill people, and
resemble vampires.
Other demons of the Indian tradition that
passed into Buddhism are the bhutas, the pretas,
and pisacas. Buddhism, especially at the popular
level, inherited the lore of mythological Hinduism
about the asuras and other demons. They belong to
the category of sentient beings (like humans and
gods), and as such are subject to the cycle of reincarnation.
The Buddhist archfiend is Mara, who in
vain tempted Gautama shortly before his enlightenment.
Evil forces are encountered in the
Burmese Buddhist figures of the nats and other
ghosts who inflict pain on humans. In Mahayana
Buddhism demons are alternatively good or evil
in their efforts to keep their devotees in the faith.
A number of female demonic figures have also
been developed that explain children’s sicknesses
or death. In medieval central and eastern Europe
the lamias, mythic figures of Greek and Roman
origin, were believed to kill all children by drinking
their blood; the Hindu Churalin (who embodies
the women who died because of childbirth),
and in Islam ghul, are female demons who lie in
wait and practice cannibalism. In Judaism Lilith,
considered to be the first wife of Adam, typically
was believed to attack children.
Most of the traditional cultures of the world
visualize the universe as a three-tiered cosmos of
heaven, earth, and underworld. Heaven is reserved
for deities, living human beings occupy the middle
world, and demons often reside in the underworld.
The spirits of the dead are also often
perceived as living underground, perhaps as a
result of the custom of burial in the ground.