The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

07:31 Dec 21 2005
Times Read: 553

A "Demon" was originally a Greek term which meant a wise, guardian spirit. In present day spiritualism and parapsychology, the word connotes an entity which appears to have a malicious and resentful nature, and is possibly of a non-human origin: differentiated from a spirit which proceeded from a once-living person.



What characteristics do these entities evince?



1- They seem interested in, and often resentful (perhaps envious?) of living human beings.



2- Although they have been known to inflict minor injuries on people, such as scratches, welts and even what appear to be bite marks, primarily they assault the human mind through oppressive anxiety and fear.



3- They sometimes make their presence known through our senses, such as inexplicable foul odors and low gutteral growling (examples of which have been recorded during M.O.P.I investigations as well as investigations by other paranormal research groups).



Demons may exist as a "quasi life-form," inteligent though not reasoning as do human beings, and existing outside the boundaries of our experience of linear time.



An exorcism or spiritual cleansing may provide a remedy, either temporary or hopefully permanent, against demonic infestation by making the environment hostile for the entity or entities.



Here's a topic for speculation: Obviously, not much is known for certain regarding these entities called demons other than their presence is quite inconvenient. Consider, could a human spirit become demonic, or be assimilated by the demonic entities? Are they always of non-human origin?



What do you think?







Geno

Demonology A cultural history
07:30 Dec 21 2005
Times Read: 554

DEMONS, A CULTURAL HISTORY: part one, the sources



Researchers must be careful to consider the context of demonological

works. Unlike modern historians or folklorists, who are concerned with the

reliability of sources and the verifiability of findings, medieval and

early modern writers on the infernal hierarchy are often quick to accept

tradition as truth, to give credence to stories told by

friends-of-friends, and to let their own bias into their writing. Indeed,

many demonological works are polemic; that is, the information they

provide about demons merely serves as ammunition in a larger argument.

Much late antique (200-500 AD) Christian thinking on demons is a reaction

against the polytheistic traditions of the Roman and Germanic worlds; the

gods or guardian-spirits of non-Christian cultures were quickly re-labeled

and re-packaged as demons by Christian intellectuals and missionaries.

During the period of the Protestant reformation, the struggle between

Catholic orthodoxy and the newer sects animated demonological discussions:

Protestant writers claimed that Catholic traditions were demon-worship in

disguise, or, taking a slightly different approach, decried the Catholic

fear of demons as unreasonable superstition. For those who believe in the

possibility of supernatural beings, the earlier writings of demonologists

might very well provide useful evidence, but only when approached

critically. One must always realize that a demonological work is more

likely to give information about the cultural and intellectual environment

of its time than to offer the "truth" about extra-natural entities.



I would also argue that our concept of "demon" is uniquely western

and uniquely informed by the Christian thought of the middle ages.

Although we can point to dark or evil gods in pagan pantheons, we often do

them an injustice when we squeeze them into the "war in heaven" mythology

that has developed in the Christian church. For example, Loki is not

simply the "Satan" of the Norse pantheon; his role is far more ambiguous

-- after all, in many stories he's Thor's drinking buddy.



Diana Lynn Walzel has argued that the medieval conception of

demons comes from four sources: greco-roman mythology, hebrew traditions,

celtic and germanic mythology, and early Christian cosmology. This

medieval conception is largely consistent with the writings of later

demonologists such as Johannes Nider, John Weyer and Martin Del Rio, and

is still with us today in popular culture, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

to Dungeons and Dragons to heavy-metal record covers and horror novels.



So, what were these traditions and what did each of them

contribute to our ideas of demons? The following paraphrases Walzel's

argument.



One of the most influential classical writers on demonology is

Apuleius, who is most famous for his novel The Metamorphoses, more

popularly known as The Golden Ass for its main character, an unfortunate

rogue who is transformed into a donkey. Apuleius became an invaluable

source for later generations because Saint Augustine included excerpts

from and discussions of his writings in his famous City of God.



For Apuleius, demons were neutral messengers between the gods and

humankind. The greek word daemon, in fact, means a messenger. Like humans,

demons had souls; unlike humans, they were bodiless.



Many of the names later applied to demons come from Hebrew

mythology. In the late antique period, a Jewish folklore of demons began

to develop. As E.M. Butler discusses, the Jewish Testament of Solomon

(written sometime between 100 and 400 A.D.), tells of Solomon summoning

demons to build the temple at Jerusalem. The tale contains a list of

demons including Asmodeus and Ornias. Butler points out that even this

text, one of the oldest remaining to us, already contains signs of

cultural mixing and overlapping: the names of Mesopotamian deities and

spirits pop up along with Hebrew names. The later books of "Solomonic"

magic that appear during the middle ages and renaissance come from this

folkloric tradition, or at least purport to.



The early Christian contribution took the neutral spirits of the

Greeks and the lively usual suspects of Jewish mythology and placed them

in the cosmic context of a war between good and evil. As Walzel points

out, Christians explained demons as the fallen angels from the Bible and

saw them as their enemies. As a way of distancing themselves from their

non-believing counterparts, early Christians quickly identified the gods

of Rome as demons. This doctrine became solidified in Augustine's City of

God, when Christianity had become more accepted and widespread. Augustine

clearly identified the gods of Rome as demons who had deceived men into

worshipping them, and he carefully refuted Apuleis's claim that demons

were neutral.



Walzel is less clear about the contribution of celtic or germanic

mythology to medieval demon-lore. One might imagine that as Christianity

spread throughout northern europe, the rich and imaginative depictions of

monsters and fairies of non-Roman culture shaped people's idea of what a

demon might look like. A good example of this unstable mix of

german-tribal-monster and Christian demon is Beowulf's Grendel: a giant

worthy of myth who in the poem is called a descendant of Cain.



These traditions mixed to create the medieval conception of demons

that was further elaborated in theological and legal texts, and described

in the magical grimoires that circulated in the period.



Works Cited: Butler, Elizabeth M. Ritual Magic. Reprint. University Park: Penn State

UP, 1998.



Kors, Alan Charles and Edward Peters. Witchcraft in Europe: 400-1700, A

Documentary History. 2nd edition. Philadelphia: Penn UP, 2001.



Walzel, Diana Lynn. "Sources of Medieval Demonology" repr. in Witchcraft

in the Ancient World and the Middle Ages ed. Brian P. Levack. New York:

Garland, 1992.



Geno

07:29 Dec 21 2005
Times Read: 555




Q: Are Ouija boards really dangerous?

A: It is not the Ouija board itself which is dangerous. The potential danger stems from the fact that by using a Ouija board to communicate with spirits (or any similar divination device), an individual is opening up his or her free will, thereby leaving oneself vulnerable to an invading spirit presence. There are a great many examples of individuals successfully contacting what at first appear to be "nice" spirits through the use of o Ouija board...only to have these spirits turn on them once they have gained a foothold. Demons can be very adept at masquerading as departed loved ones, even going so far as to reveal hidden knowledge, which was supposedly known only to the deceased...and this hidden information will often eventually prove to be verifiable. However, once demonic spirits have gained someone's trust, they will then cleverly begin mixing lies with the truth, in an effort to confuse. Some individuals eventually become emotionally dependant upon these "spirit friends"...and a demonic presence will have no reservations about using a person's loneliness or emotional vulnerabilities to gain a stronger foothold. By the time it is too late, and a hostile entity has revealed it's true colors, the person who has unwittingly been communicating with these types of spirits will often find that they are much harder to get rid of, than they were to bring in. Also, under no circumstances should anyone ask a spirit to manifest itself (appear) to them through the use of a Ouija board...since a demonic spirit will consider this an open invitation to infiltrate that person's life!





Q: How true to life are the events portrayed in "The Exorcist"? A: "The Exorcist", written by William Peter Blattey, is based upon an actual case of demonic possession, and the subsequent exorcism, of a fourteen-year-old boy, which took place in the U.S. in 1949. Some of the events are documented as having actually occurred, such as writing appearing on the boy's flesh, and his ability (while under possession) of speaking in foreign languages. In the actual case, the exorcism eventually proved successful, and the boy went on to live a normal, healthy life. None of the priests involved actually died as the result of the exorcism, or became possessed themselves, although one priest did suffer a broken nose. Some of the more bizarre phenomena portrayed in both the book and the movie never actually happened, such as the head spinning and the "spider walk". Some of the events portrayed in "The Exorcist", however, when taken in context, are actually supposed to be telepathically projected into the minds of certain characters.

One thing I should mention about "The Exorcist" which happens to be very true to life, is that these types of parasitic, hostile entities are often initially and inadvertently "invited" in to begin oppressing certain individuals, through the use of a Ouija board.





Q: What exactly are Demons? A: In the Judeo/Christian belief, demons are "fallen angels" who conspired against the Heavenly Kingdom under the leadership of Satan, were defeated by the Archangel Michael and the holy angels, and were cast out of the Heavenly Realm...banished to roam the earth and the earthly heavens. Although we know very little about this terrible incident, it is assumed to have taken place long before recorded human history. Demons, like Satan and like their angelic counterparts, are inhuman spirit beings, never having been human...NOT the damned souls of evil humans.





Q: Are Demons the same as "Ghosts"?A: Ultimately, no. Whereas a ghost is generally considered to be the disembodied spirit essence of a deceased person (or animal, in some cases), a demon was never physically alive, in the way in which we are familiar with life. Because demons are spirit beings, and sometimes function in similar ways - even sometimes intentionally masquerading as ghosts - they are often mistaken as being ghosts. However, there is actually quite a difference between the two, both in character and abilities.





Q: Can Demons materialize themselves as humans or animals?A: Yes, although their ability to do so seems limited. Also, seemingly as a rule, even on the rare occasions where they manifest themselves in photographs, they are never "complete"...that is to say, either a body part is missing (eyes, legs, or the entire head, etc.), or they are disfigured in some noticeable way. Perhaps this is God's cosmic law at work, commanding that they must in some way display that they are not of human origin.

Q: Can demons actually possess dolls and statues?

A: Although demons do not technically "possess" inanimate objects such as dolls and statues, they will sometimes attach or link themselves to certain objects. Although there are a variety of reasons for this, the most obvious cause would be if a doll or a statue has been "personified," or given recognition as an object of profane worship, or used in a ceremonial practice in which demonic entities were invoked. (Two Scriptural references which specifically refer to this as the worship of idols are: 1) Revelation 9:20, and 2) 1 Corinthians 10:20.) Incidentally, demonic attachments to inanimate objects are not limited to dolls and statues. In fact, I once knew someone who, as a young boy of about five years old, picked up a glove which had been left in a cemetery...and a demonic entity instantly began harassing him! The vehicle in which screen idol Jimmy Dean was killed in is another example. Also, it almost goes without saying that the most common inanimate object to which a demonic entity will attach itself is the infamous Ouija board.



Another cause of demonic entities having attached themselves to inanimate objects such as dolls or statues, is if someone who was demon possessed or severely oppressed, has owned or venerated this particular object.

Of course, there is no reason to go through your house searching out every inanimate object which you've ever felt slightly unnerved about. However, if you do seriously feel there is something unnatural about an abject in your possession...be it a doll, statue, Ouija board or what have you...it might just be a good idea to look up the history of this object, if possible. For information pertaining to the disposal of such an object, you may wish to contact a member of the clergy of your particular faith, or perhaps a reputable paranormal research organization.



More on the way...





Geno

Who's who in the underworld
07:28 Dec 21 2005
Times Read: 556

The existance of evil and its demonic deliverers has been pondered since the beginning of time. There are many views on the subject, as well as many people who have dedicated their lives to demonology.

Some will be mentioned throughout this essay. Their work through the centuries has been agreed upon, argued over and the validity, at times, by some, completely ignored. I suspect that this is due to the controversial nature of the subject. Varying religions and cultural backgrounds certainly have affected the information passed down to us by the brilliant researchers, philosophers and historians of centuries past. However, there are too many similiarities to ignore. In light of this, in some instances, the information may be in conflict with information found through resources other than those I have utilized here.

Alphonsus de Spina, in 1467, published his Fortalicium Fidei (Fortress of the Faith). He became a professor at the University of Salamanca and later a bishop of the church. He was consdidered an authority on all things theological, including demonology. He concluded that there are ten orderes of demons and that they totalled in the millions. He categorized the demons as falling into nine specific types. He also divided them into classes according to what their purposes are. Following the list of the demonic names and ranks are the explanations of the types and orders as de Spina recorded them.

Johannes Weyer (Weir), another authority in demonic studies, wrote his De Praestigiis Daemonum in the 16th century. He studied the works of such authorities as Diodorus Siculus of the 1st century, the philosopher Apaleius of the 2nd century and many other notable historians. It is noted that Weyer said that the infernal regions had 66 princes that commanded 6,666 legionsand each legion being comprised of 6,666 demons or devils. The figures here bring to mind the well recognized "number of the beast", 666. Some Cabalists believe that this is 600 (false religion), 66 (greed) and 6 (this world). Weyer felt that the names of the demons explained what their intentions and/or duties were to be. many demonics in Hebrew tradition were named after places (Astaroth) or qualities (Remmen, meaning loftiness).



Alphonsus de Spina's Nine Types of Demon

1. False gods 2. Lying spirits 3. Inquisitors

4. Vengeful 5. Deluding 6. Creators of Tempests

7. Furies 8. Accusers 9. Tempters



de Spina's Division of Classes



Fates

Poltergeists

Incubi and Succubi

Armies

Familiar spirits

Nightmares

Those produced by intercourse with humans

Those in disguise

Those who assail saints

Those who persuade



Ten Orders of the Demonic



Seraphim

Angels

Principalities

Virtues

Thrones

Cherubim

Domination

Powers

Potentates

Archangels



There is a supposed pattern to their specific lull and peak in activity, our own yearly calendar. Here is a list of the Chief entities that are most active during the corresponding months.



January Belial

February Leviathan

March Satan

April Astarte

May Lucifer

June Baalberith

July Beelzebub

August Astaroth

September Thamuz

October Baal

November (unknown)

December Moloch



The " Lesser Key of Solomon" or the " Lemegeton", plays an important role in the history, study of, summoning of and exorcising of demonics. The first pasrt of the book, Goetia, gives the conjurations for 72 different spirits or demons. It also includes the ranks and offices of the demonic heirarchy.

The second part of the book, Theurgia Goetia, deals with the sprits at the cardinal points. The third part is called the "Pauline Art" ( reason unknown), it concerns the spirits of the hours of the days and nights of the Zodiac. The fourth part, the Almadel, deals with the " Quarternary of the Attitude", or the four other choirs of spirits inhabiting hell. The last part of the Key of Solomon is the Book of Orations and Prayers, said to have been used by King Solomon himself.

Another controversial demonologist that received much criticism on her work was the Latin American, Rita Cabezas. The criticism was not in her findings, yet in her means of attaining the information. She spent some time communicating with those residing in the Infernal regions. Her work was built, according to her, on the word of the demonic themselves. This may have been through conjuration, summonings, channeling or even seance type activitities. As we are all aware, this was an extremely risky approach. Her findings were that there were the following six principalities (in spanish): Damian, Asmodeo, Menguelesh, Arios, Beelzebub and Nosferateus. Under each of these were six govenors for each nation. She claimed that in Costa Rica, for example, are Shiebo, Quiebo, Ameneo, Mephistopheles, Nostrodamus and Azazel. The United States, in her findings, was territory to Ralphes, Anoritho, Manchester, Apolion, Deviltook and alas, one unnamed. The word from the mouths of demonic beings could be considered incredulous, to say the least. Please note some of the similiarities in her findings. Apolion, in her findings, seems surely to be Apollyon from the research done by the great demonologists mentioned previously. Also, Asmodeo is clearly the same entity as Asmodeus. Another similiar entity to Ralphes, is none other than Raphael, the very one that did banish Asmodeus to the desert. Mephistopheles, Azazel and Beelzebub are mentioned in a multitude of other literary pieces on the subject, dating back centuries.

There are a number of other names that have been documented as that of demons. Some may be cultural or regional names given to already listed entities. However, the following is included to avoid any erroneous omittances.

Agliarept Tarchimache

Lucifuge Rofocale Fleurety

Sargatanas Pu Satanachia



There are some noted as being demonics that also have a very high reverence as being benign and even maternal/paternal figures, in pagan cultures from past and present. They are as follows :

Hecate Kali

Pan Loki

Lilith Baphomet



Cultural differences may divide humanity in many ways, however, we are unified in our intrigue and in our fear when it comes to the Infernal regions. Here are some examples of the evil that plagues our other lands.



- Apep (Egypt) Opposer of the sun god Ra. Takes the form of a serpent/crocodile.

- Chernobog (Baltic/Slavic) "The Black God", rules evil, misfortune, death and night.

- Elathan (Celtic) Domain is the darkness

- Erebus (Greek) Son of Chaos, guardian of the darkness surrounding hell.

- Grand Bois (Hailti) Master of the forest and of night

- Hatu-Atu-Topun (Polynesia) Dangerous female demon specifically at dawn and dusk.

- Ikwaokinyapippilele (Panama) Causes ills of all kinds.

- Lilitu (Hebrew) Ancient female demon connectd with Lilith.

- Manuval (New Guinea) Active only at night, spreading ills, chaos, and the like.

- Mush (Iran) Demon of eclipses and of night.

- Nyx (Greek) Daughter of Chaos, sister to Erebus.

- Oroan (Guyana) Another demon of the eclipse

- Sakarabu (West Africa ) Judge and demon of darkness

- Oni (Japan) Demon that creates and lives in the eye of its tempests.



With the findings of our predesessors and our ambition to discover more about the inhuman entities that walk among us and reside below us, we hope over time to unfold these most intriguing mysteries of the Infernal regions. Knowledge is power.







Geno