DEMONS: AN OVERVIEW

Except in some monotheistic religions, all demons are not assumed to be evil. Many kinds of spiritual beings who are not obviously gods may be described as demons. Demons are far more powerful than humans, though their powers are limited and they are longer-lived, though not necessarily immortal. Demons often seem to be the anthropomorphic conceptualization of discrete, invisible natural forces that are perceptible mainly through their effects, such as wind or specific diseases. In prescientific cosmologies, air, wind, and the “breath” (spiritus) of life are usually conceived as invisible or even immaterial. As spirits, demons are normally invisible, becoming perceptible either through their effects on humans, or through language or signs. When becoming visible, demons may exhibit their own inherent shapes or assume familiar or monstrous forms.

Demonic spirits may protect or inhabit places, bodies of water, or vegetation. Demons may also inhabit or be guardians of an underworld, and may torment human souls there. At times ghosts have demonic characteristics. They may be the ancestors of the culture that describes them, or recently deceased family members who, it is feared, could return to claim surviving relatives or neighbors.

In some religions (particularly Judaism, Christianity and Islam), demons may be identified with or compared to angels or devils. However, in English and other modern languages, the three terms, all derived from ancient Greek, have differing implications. Daimon, and its derivatives daimonios, daimonion (daemon, daemonium in Latin), denote a suprahuman spiritual being that interacts directly with humans. The daimon ‘s character may be good, evil, or changeable, but late Judaism and Christianity eventually define demons as profoundly, irredeemably evil.

Angel (aggelos or angelos; Latin angelus) denotes a messenger, and was originally applicable to human as well as suprahuman envoys. In Judaism and Christianity, the angel is a spirit messenger sent to humans by the god, but the term could include other functions, such as rewarding or punishing humans.

Tribal Cultures

The belief in invisible beings who control or strongly affect the conditions of human life is universal. It appears to be an essential trait of humanity to think of its own interactions with the physical world in anthropomorphic terms, considering forces and even objects as if they had personalities and desires. From the point of view of cultures possessing writing, demonic modes of thinking resemble the literary and ethical device of allegory, wherein psychological and physical phenomena are described as well-defined “people.” According to the critic Angus Fletcher, demons “share [a] major characteristic of allegorical agents, the fact that they compartmentalize function,” explaining limited aspects of the world: “Constriction of meaning, when it is the limit put upon a personified force or power, causes that personification to act somewhat mechanistically” (Fletcher, 1964, 40, 55). This relative predictability expresses a desire to tame or domesticate the world: “Coming from the term that means ‘to divide,’; daemon implies an endless series of divisions of all important aspects of the world into separate elements for study and control” (Fletcher, 1964, 59). The need to understand the conditions of life leads to a belief that good—and especially, bad—fortunes are due to the agency of spirits. Demons give shape to inchoate fears of sudden vulnerability, dependence or victimization, triggered by solitary wastelands, darkness, or sexual anxieties. Attempts to control or placate these invisible forces take the form of exorcism, trickery (e.g., substituting effigies for potential human victims), or worship.

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Demons, Devils, Monsters & Evil Spirits

Database of Demons, Evil Spirits, and Monsters

Different religions and cultures have different ways of defining and representing evil. Evil can be seen as a force that opposes good, a source of harm and suffering, or a violation of moral and natural laws. Some of the common types of evil entities are:

  • Demons/Fallen AngelsThese are supernatural beings that are usually associated with the Judeo-Christian Devil or other malevolent forces. They may cause diseases, temptations, possessions, or other forms of harm to humans. Some examples are Satan, Lilith, Asmodeus, etc.
  • Chaos MonstersThese are primordial creatures that represent disorder, chaos, and destruction. They may try to overthrow the gods or disrupt the cosmic balance. Some examples are Tiamat, Typhon, Leviathan, etc.
  • Underworld DeitiesThese are gods and goddesses that rule over the realm of the dead or the underworld. They may be involved in death, fertility, or rebirth cycles. They may also demand sacrifices or punish the wicked. Some examples are Hades, Hel, Anubis, etc.
  • Natural Evils These are forces of nature that can cause disasters, calamities, or plagues. They may be seen as gods or spirits that need to be appeased or propitiated. Some examples are hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.
  • TrickstersThese are entities that are cunning, mischievous, or deceptive. They may play pranks, cause trouble, or challenge the gods. Some examples are Loki, Coyote, Anansi, etc.
  • Demonology CatalogsThese are entities that are listed as demons by demonologists (e.g. Pseudomonarchia daemonum (1583) or Dictionnaire Infernal (1863)) or occultists (e.g. the Goetia).

These are some of the main categories of evil entities that you will find on this page. However, keep in mind that what is considered evil may vary depending on the perspective and context of each religion and culture. One religion’s gods may become another religion’s demons – especially as Christianity became dominant and demonized pagan or foreign gods and goddesses. Therefore, this page is not meant to be a definitive or comprehensive list of evil entities, but rather a study of how different religions of the world personify “evil.”

List of Demons, Evil Spirits, and Monsters

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