Demon

Anthony plagued by demons, as imagined by Martin Schongauer , in the 1480s. In religion and mythology , occultism and folklore , a demon (or daemon , daimon ; from Greek δαίμων daimôn ) is a supernatural being that is generally described as a malevolent spirit ; however, the original neutral connotations of the Greek word daimon does not carry the negative ones that were later projected onto it, as Christianity spread. In Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the derived Abrahamic traditions , including ancient and medieval Christian demonology , a demon is considered an " unclean spirit " which may cause demonic possession , to be addressed with an act of exorcism . In Western occultism and Renaissance magic , which grew out of an amalgamation of pagan Greco-Roman , Jewish and Christian tradition, a demon is considered a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled.

( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Lilith , by John Collier , 1892 A demon , daemon (from Koine Greek δαιμόνιον daimonion ), or fiend is a supernatural, often malevolent being prevalent in religion , occultism , literature , fiction , mythology and folklore . The original Greek word daimon does not carry the negative connotation initially understood by implementation of the Koine δαιμόνιον (daimonion), and later ascribed to any cognate words sharing the root. In Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions , including ancient and medieval Christian demonology , a demon is considered an unclean spirit , a fallen angel , or a spirit of unknown type which may cause demonic possession , calling for an exorcism . In Western occultism and Renaissance magic , which grew out of an amalgamation of Greco-Roman magic , Jewish Aggadah and Christian demonology , a demon is believed to be a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled. See, for example, the course synopsis and bibliography for " "Magic, Science, Religion: The Development of the Western Esoteric Traditions" , at Central European University, Budapest

Paranormal being prevalent in religion, occultism, mythology, and folklore This article is about conceptions of evil spirits from around the world. Bronze statuette of the Assyro-Babylonian demon king Pazuzu , circa 800 BC – circa 700 BCE, Louvre Mephistopheles (A Medieval demon from German folklore ) flying over Wittenberg , in a lithograph by Eugène Delacroix . A demon is a supernatural being, typically associated with evil , prevalent historically in religion , occultism , literature , fiction , mythology , and folklore ; as well as in media such as comics , video games , movies and television series . The original Greek word daimon does not carry negative connotations. The Ancient Greek word δαίμων daimōn denotes a spirit or divine power, much like the Latin genius or numen . The Greek conception of a daimōn notably appears in the works of Plato , where it describes the divine inspiration of Socrates . In Ancient Near Eastern religions and in the Abrahamic traditions , including ancient and medieval Christian demonology , a demon is considered a harmful spiritual entity which may cause demonic possession , calling for an exorcism . In Western occultism and Renaissance magic , which grew out of an amalgamation of Greco-Roman magic , Jewish Aggadah and Christian demonology , a demon is believed to be a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled.

Evil supernatural being For other uses, see Demon (disambiguation) . "Evil spirit" and "Evil spirits" redirect here. Bronze statuette of the Assyro-Babylonian demon king Pazuzu , c. 800–700 BCE , Louvre A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion , occultism , literature , fiction , mythology , and folklore ; as well as in media such as comics , video games , movies , and television series . Belief in demons probably goes back to the Paleolithic age , stemming from humanity's fear of the unknown, the strange and the horrific. In ancient Near Eastern religions and in the Abrahamic religions , including early Judaism and ancient-medieval Christian demonology , a demon is considered a harmful spiritual entity which may cause demonic possession , calling for an exorcism . Large portions of Jewish demonology , a key influence on Christianity and Islam , originated from a later form of Zoroastrianism , and was transferred to Judaism during the Persian era . Demons may or may not also be considered to be devils: minions of the Devil . In many traditions, demons are independent operators, with different demons causing different types of evils (destructive natural phenomena, specific diseases, etc.). In religions featuring a principal Devil (e.g. Satan) locked in an eternal struggle with God, demons are often also thought to be subordinates of the principal Devil. As lesser spirits doing the Devil's work, they have additional duties— causing humans to have sinful thoughts and tempting humans to commit sinful actions. The original Ancient Greek word daimōn ( δαίμων ) did not carry negative connotations, as it denotes a spirit or divine power. The Greek conception of a daimōn notably appears in the philosophical works of Plato , where it describes the divine inspiration of Socrates . In Christianity, morally ambivalent daimōn were replaced by demons, forces of evil only striving for corruption. Such demons are not the Greek intermediary spirits, but hostile entities, already known in Iranian beliefs. In Western occultism and Renaissance magic , which grew out of an amalgamation of Greco-Roman magic , Jewish Aggadah and Christian demonology, a demon is believed to be a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled. Belief in demons remains an important part of many modern religions and occultist traditions. Demons are still feared largely due to their alleged power to possess living creatures. In the contemporary Western occultist tradition (perhaps epitomized by the work of Aleister Crowley ), a demon (such as Choronzon , which is Crowley's interpretation of the so-called "Demon of the Abyss") is a useful metaphor for certain inner psychological processes (inner demons), though some may also regard it as an objectively real phenomenon. A Dictionary of Comparative Religion edited by S.G.F. L'imaginaire du démoniaque dans la Septante: Une analyse comparée de la notion de "démon" dans la Septante et dans la Bible Hébraïque . Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism (in French).

Evil supernatural being or mythical creature For other uses, see Demon (disambiguation) . "Evil spirit" and "Evil spirits" redirect here. Bronze statue of the Assyro-Babylonian demon king Pazuzu , c. 800–700 BCE , Louvre A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore , mythology , religion , occultism , and literature ; these beliefs are reflected in media including fiction , comics , film , television , and video games . Belief in demons probably goes back to the Paleolithic age , stemming from humanity's fear of the unknown, the strange and the horrific. In ancient Near Eastern religions and in the Abrahamic religions , including early Judaism and ancient-medieval Christian demonology , a demon is considered a harmful spiritual entity that may cause demonic possession , calling for an exorcism . Large portions of Jewish demonology , a key influence on Christianity and Islam , originated from a later form of Zoroastrianism , and was transferred to Judaism during the Persian era . Demons may or may not be considered to be devils: minions of the Devil . In many traditions, demons are independent operators, with different demons causing different types of evils (destructive natural phenomena, specific diseases, etc.) in general, while devils appear more often as demons within a theologial framework ; demons opposing the Divine principle. As lesser spirits doing the Devil's work, they have additional duties— causing humans to have sinful thoughts and tempting humans to commit sinful actions. The original Ancient Greek word daimōn ( δαίμων ) did not carry negative connotations, as it denotes a spirit or divine power. The Greek conception of a daimōn notably appears in the philosophical works of Plato , where it describes the divine inspiration of Socrates . In Christianity, morally ambivalent daimōn were replaced by demons, forces of evil only striving for corruption. Such demons are not the Greek intermediary spirits, but hostile entities, already known in Iranian beliefs. In Western esotericism and Renaissance magic , which grew out of an amalgamation of Greco-Roman magic , Jewish Aggadah , and Christian demonology, a demon is believed to be a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled. Belief in demons remains an important part of many modern religions and occult traditions. Demons are still feared largely due to their alleged power to possess living creatures. In contemporary Western esoteric traditions, demons may be used as metaphors for inner psychological processes ("inner demons"). Evil in Turkish Muslim horror film: the demonic in “Semum”. The Epistemology of Spirit Beliefs .