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It has been suggested that Symbols and symbolism in Christian demonology be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that Names of the demons be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that Hierarchy of demons be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

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 these scriptures, the scriptures of early Christian philosophers and hermits, tradition, and legends incorporated from other beliefs. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... Christian demonology has associated demons and symbols, attributing a variety of them to these entities. ... Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... According to Christian theology all Pagan deities are demons. ... Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... In early Christian theology, Satan or the Devil was seen as chief of all other demons. ... “Fiend” redirects here. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh to refer to its canon, which corresponds to the Protestant Old Testament. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... Exegesis (from the Greek to lead out) involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a holy scripture, such as of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the Talmud, the Midrash, the Quran, etc. ... A philosopher is a person who thinks deeply regarding people, society, the world, and/or the universe. ... Onuphrius lived as a hermit in the desert of Upper Egypt in the late 4th century A hermit (from the Greek erēmos, signifying desert, uninhabited, hence desert-dweller) is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion and/or isolation from society. ... For the opening number of Fiddler on the Roof, see Tradition (song). ... For other uses, see Legendary (disambiguation). ...

Development

See also: Demonology

In monotheistic religions, the deities of other religions are sometimes interpreted or created as demons. The evolution of the Christian Devil and pentagram are examples of early rituals and images that showcase evil qualities by the Christian churches. Demonology is the systematic study of demons or beliefs about demons. ... For the Celtic Frost album, see Monotheist (album) In theology, monotheism (from Greek one and god) is the belief in the existence of one deity or God, or in the oneness of God. ... Raising the devil. ...

Since early Christianity, demonology has evolved from a simple acceptance of demons to a complex study that has grown from the original ideas taken from Jewish demonology and Christian scriptures. Christian demonology is mainly studied within the Roman Catholic Church, although some other Christian churches do not deny the existence of demons.^{[citation needed]} Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Jewish mythology is a body of stories that explains or symbolizes Jewish beliefs. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

St. Albertus Magnus said of demonology, "A daemonibus docetur, de daemonibus docet, et ad daemones ducit" ("It is taught by the demons, it teaches about the demons, and it leads to the demons").^[1]

The nature of demons

Origins

According to the Book of Revelation (Rev 12:9), demons are the angels that fell from heaven with Satan when he chose to rebel against God. Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ...

Justin Martyr, a Christian who lived circa 150 AD, believed (based on Gen 6:2-4) that demons were the offspring of angels and men.^{[citation needed]} Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher) (100–165) was an early Christian apologist and saint. ... The Roman army consists of 400,000 men. ...

According to the apocryphal book of Enoch, the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim are demons. Enoch explains; ‘And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits (Angels) and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. [As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.] And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them. From the days of the slaughter and destruction and death of the giants, from the souls of whose flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring judgement’. (Enoch15v8-12, 16v1. C.H.Charles.) In Judeo-Christian theologies, apocrypha refers to religious Sacred text that have questionable authenticity or are otherwise disputed. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Nephilim are considered by some to be supernatural beings, specifically the offspring of human women and “sons of God” (proposed to be fallen angels), who appear significantly in several books of the Bible, as well as in the Torah and some non-canonical Jewish writings. ...

In John 8:44 Jesus calls the Devil "the first homicide" ("he was a murderer from the beginning" in the King James Version), perhaps referring to the murdering of Abel by Cain, a liar, and father of all lies. The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the canon of the New Testament, traditionally ascribed to John the Evangelist. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... The King James or Authorized Version of the Bible is an English translation of the Christian Bible first published in 1611. ... In the Book of Genesis, Abel (Hebrew הֶבֶל / הָבֶל, Standard Hebrew Hével / Hável, Tiberian Hebrew Héḇel / Hāḇel; Arabic هابيل Hābīl) was the second son of Adam. ... In stories common to the Abrahamic religions, Cain or Káyin (קַיִן / קָיִן spear Standard Hebrew Qáyin, Tiberian Hebrew Qáyin / Qāyin; Arabic قايين Qāyīn in the Arabic Bible; قابيل Qābīl in Islam) is the eldest son of Adam and Eve, and the first man born in creation...

Number of demons

The number of demons, at least according to Christian demonology, is high. It can be deduced from the fact that the Bible mentions fallen angels, and not only one. Much has added to the growth of the number of demons when Christian theology said that all Pagan deities were demons. This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... “Fiend” redirects here. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Look up pagan, heathen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In early times of Christianity it was accepted an unknown number of demons, but later, during the Late Middle Ages, some demonologists tried to evaluate this number. Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Dante by Michelino The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th to 16th centuries (AD 1300–1500). ...

Some scholars did not accept a unique number of demons. Gregory of Nyssa, in the 4th century, supported the idea that demons procreated with other demons and with women, believing in the existence of male and female demons. Gregory of Nyssa ( 335 – after 394) was a Christian bishop and saint. ...

Other scholars supported the idea that the number of demons was unique and they could not procreate.

As it had been said by Christian theology that there was 400 millions of angels, Alfonso de Spina calculated that about one third of them were demons, and in 1467 he asserted that the number of demons was 133,316,666 demons. This idea of one third of the angels turned into demons seems to be due to an exegesis of the Book of Revelation 12:3-9. Alphonso de Spina (unknown date of birth – in or about 1491) was a Spanish Franciscan Catholic Bishop, preacher and writer. ... Exegesis (from the Greek to lead out) involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a holy scripture, such as of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the Talmud, the Midrash, the Quran, etc. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ...

Johann Weyer, in his Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1583) after a complicated system of hierarchies and calculations, estimated the number of demons in 44,435,622, divided in 666 legion, each legion composed by 6,666 demons, and all of them ruled by 66 hellish dukes, princes, kings, etc. He forgot to add the rulers of these rulers to the total, but not to mention them in his book. Besides, the number of legions mentioned by Weyer varies in different editions of his book. Johann Weyer, aka Wier, Wierus, Piscinarius, first name also Johannes (born between February 24, 1515 and February 24, 1516 — died February 24, 1588) was a Dutch physician, occultist and demonologist, disciple and follower of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. ... Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, first appears as an Appendix to Johann Weyers De praestigiis daemonum (1577). ...

The Lesser Key of Solomon (17th century) copied the division in legions from Pseudomonarchia Daemonum but added more demons, and so more legions; anyhow, its anonymous author did not calculate the number of demons cited in this work. According to the editions of this book, the number also varies. Cover of the 1995 edition of the 1904 Goetia by S.L.M. Mathers and Aleister Crowley. ...

It is suggestive that both Spina and Weyer used the 666 and other numbers composed by more than one 6 to calculate the number of demons (133,316,666 demons, 666 legions, 6,666 demons in each legion, 66 rulers). The Number of the Beast is mentioned in the Book of Revelation of the Christian New Testament and has long been accepted to be 666. ...

Characteristics

In Christian tradition, demons can be angels, are spiritual, immutable, and immortal. Demons are not omniscient, but each one has a specific knowledge (sometimes on only one subject, sometimes on more than one). Their power is limited to that which God allows, so they are not omnipotent. No reference has been made about omnipresence, so it is as yet unclear if they can be in different places at the same time, but according to the tradition of the medieval witches' Sabbath, two conclusions can be reached: either the Devil can be in different places at the same time, or he sends an emissary in his name, but it seems that the only 'omni' thing they are is malevolent; it is deducible from some passages of the Bible that they are not omnipresent.^{[citation needed]} The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni wears a late Roman military outfit in this 17th century depiction An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. ... Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about living for infinite period of time. ... Omniscience is the capacity to know everything, or at least everything that can be known. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Omnipotence (literally, all power) is the power to do absolutely anything. ... Omnipresence is the ability to be present in every place at any, and/or every, time; unbounded or universal presence. ... Francisco Goyas Los Caprichos: Linda maestra! (Nice mistress!) - witches heading to a Sabbath In Christian folklore, the Sabbath (also known as Witchs Sabbath) was a gathering supposed to have been celebrated by Satanists, witches and warlocks to honor the Devil, offend God, Jesus, the sacraments, the cross, and... The Devil is the name given to a supernatural entity who, in most Western religions, is the central embodiment of evil. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ...

Christian demonology states that the mission of the demons is to induce humans to sin, often by testing their faith in God. Christian tradition holds that temptations come from three sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral rule, or the state of having committed such a violation. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

It is also believed that demons torment people during their life, like the case of Job or through possession, causing disgraces and diseases,^{[citation needed]} or simply showing themselves before persons to frighten them, or by provoking visions that could induce people to sin or to be afraid. (Matthew 17:15-16) Job (Hebrew אִיּוֹב, Arabic: أيوب, Standard Hebrew Iyyov, Tiberian Hebrew ʾIyyôḇ), was the protagonist of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. ... Demonic possession is a form of spiritual possession; specifically, the act of one or more demons entering a living or dead human or animal body or an object with the intention of using it for a purpose, normally evil but sometimes instead as a punishment or test. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ...

Demons are also believed to try to make people abandon the faith, commit heresy or apostasy, remain or turn themselves Pagan or venerate "idols" (the Christian term for cult images), and gain the highest number of "Satans" or adversaries of God. (Ephesians 6:12) Look up Heresy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Apostasy (from Greek αποστασία, meaning a defection or revolt, from απο, apo, away, apart, στασις, stasis, standing) is a term generally employed to describe the formal renunciation of ones religion, especially if the motive is deemed unworthy. ... Look up pagan, heathen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Idolatry is a major sin in the Abrahamic religions regarding image. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gustave Dorés depiction of Satan from John Miltons Paradise Lost Satan, from the Hebrew word for adversary (Standard Hebrew: , Satan; Tiberian Hebrew ; Koine Greek: Σατανάς Satanás, Persian: , Satanás; Aramaic: , ; Arabic: , , Geez: , Turkish: Şeytan), is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally applied to... The Epistle to Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament, written by Paul at Rome about the same time as that to the Colossians, which in many points it resembles. ...

Appearance

Referring to their appearance, demons can take any desired appearance, even that of an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Nevertheless, they were generally described as ugly and monstrous beings by Christian demonologists. Many of these descriptions have inspired famous painters like Luca Signorelli, Hieronymus Bosch, Goya, the artist that made the drawings for the Dictionnaire Infernal, and others. (Redirected from 2 Corinthians) See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... fresco of the Last Judgment (1499) in Orvieto Cathedral Luca Signorelli (c. ... Hieronymus Bosch, (latinized; also Jeroen Bosch or his real name Jeroen van Aken) (c. ... Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (March 30, 1746 – April 16, 1828) was a Spanish painter and printmaker. ... The Dictionnaire Infernal is a book on demonology that includes the name and description of the lots of demons the demonology organised in hellish hierarchies. ...

Incubi and succubi are described as being beautiful in order to accomplish their mission of seduction. Incubus, 1870 This article is about the type of demon called an Incubus. For other uses, see Incubus. ... A bracket carved as a winged succubus on the outside of an English inn, suggesting that a brothel could have been found inside. ... // In sociology, seduction is the process of deliberately enticing a person into an act. ...

The idea that demons have horns seems to have been taken from the Book of Revelation 13:1 (here it seems that John was inspired by Leviathan) and 13:11. The book of Revelation seems to have also inspired some depictions of demons (Revelation 13:1-2). This idea can also been associated with the depiction of certain ancient gods like Baal, Moloch, the shedu, etc, which were portrayed as bulls, as men with the head of a bull, or wearing bull horns as a crown. Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Names of John. ... It has been suggested that Leviathan in rabbinic literature be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Baal (disambiguation). ... Molech Moloch, Molech or Molekh, representing Hebrew מלך mlk, (translated directly into king) is either the name of a god or the name of a particular kind of sacrifice associated historically with Phoenician and related cultures in north Africa and the Levant. ... Shedu at the Louvre In Akkadian mythology the shedu were a type of demon, but they were demons of a benevolent nature, protective spirits of the houses, palaces and cities. ...

Concerning the weight of the demons, since the 17th century people affirmed that they were heavier than common humans.

About the colour of the demons' skin, since early times it was associated with black, thinking that they assumed the appearance of a black man, although not all descriptions agreed, giving demons very different aspects.

Henri Boguet and some English demonologists of the same epoch asserted that witches and warlocks confessed (under torture) that demons' bodies were icy. During the 17th century this belief prevailed. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Witchcraft. ... Warlocks are, among historic Christian traditions, said to be the male equivalent of witches (usually in the pejorative sense of Europes Middle Ages), and were said to ride pitchforks instead of broomsticks. ... Torture is defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he...

Demonic abilities

Demonic supernatural powers are believed to include fabrication, psychokinesis, levitation, divination, possession, seduction, ESP, telepathy, witchcraft, and curses, as well as binding, making contracts, controlling the classical elements, animal control, and provocation. Demons use variants and combinations of these powers to harass, demoralize, confuse, and disorient the victim, or the willing subject of demonic interest. Many of these attacks can be nulled by God, effect or scope of these Demonic attacks. A fictional example of the above is featured in the movie The Exorcist. Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Fabrication may refer to more than one thing: Fabrication (metal) Semiconductor device fabrication Lie Fiction Fable This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Psychokinesis (Greek ψυχή + κίνησις, literally spirit-movement)[1][2] or PK, also known as telekinesis[3] (Greek + , literally distant-movement referring to telekinesis) or TK, is the proposed paranormal ability of the mind to influence matter or energy without the use of any currently known type of physical means. ... A cubical magnet levitating over a superconducting material (this is known as the Meissner effect) Levitation (from Latin levare, to raise) is the process by which an object is suspended against gravity, in a stable position, by a force without physical contact. ... This article is about the religious practice of divination. ... Demonic possession, in supernatural belief systems, is a form of spiritual possession whereby certain malevolent extra-dimensional entities, demons, gain control over a mortal persons body, which is then used for an evil or destructive purpose. ... // In sociology, seduction is the process of deliberately enticing a person into an act. ... Extra-sensory perception (ESP) is defined in parapsychology as the ability to aquire information by paranormal means. ... Telepathy, from the Greek τῆλε, tele, remote; and πάθεια, patheia, to be effected by, describes the hypothetical transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five classical senses. ... For other uses, see Witchcraft (disambiguation). ... Look up Curse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binding can mean: Binding (computer science) - a tie (for example) to certain names in programming languages Binding (knot) - A type of knot Binding (linguistics) - a property relating to anaphors (pronouns and R-expressions) and c-command Bookbinding - the protective cover of a book; and the art of constructing this Ski... A contract is any promise or set of promises made by one party to another for the breach of which the law provides a remedy. ... Chinese (Wu Xing) Japanese (Godai) Earth (地) | Water (æ°´) | Fire (火) | Air / Wind (風) | Void / Sky / Heaven (空) Hinduism (Tattva) and Buddhism (MahābhÅ«ta) Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water Bön New Zealand “The Four Elements” redirects here. ... The term provocation, besides its generic meaning of an act to be a cause of something, has the following technical meanings. ... The Exorcist is an Academy Award-winning 1973 American horror and thriller film, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl, and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted...

Demons are believed to have the power to physically or mentally hurt people, but only within the boundaries of what God will allow. Demons can destroy anything material on the earth; these supernatural powers are always inferior to the power of God. God may use His will to cancel or destroy any effect the demon chooses to invoke. Demons, however, are granted permission to test, bring about trials, and to tempt people through the use of their destructive powers, to make people prove their faith, sometimes as a means to carry out the will of the Lord. Often Demons are said to creating negative emotions, wrecking havoc, ensuing chaos, and disrupting peace.^[2][3]

Incarnation of Demons

The incarnation of the demons has been a problem to Christian demonology and theology since early times. A very early form of incarnation of demons was the idea of demon possession, trying to explain that a demon entered the body of a person with some purpose or simply to punish that one for some allegedly committed sin. But this soon acquired greater proportions, trying to explain how demons could seduce people to have sexual relationships with them or induce them to commit other sins. To Christian scholars demons had to manifest themselves in a visible and if possible tangible form. Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Look up incarnation, incarnate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... “Fiend” redirects here. ... Demonic possession is a form of spiritual possession; specifically, the act of one or more demons entering a living or dead human or animal body or an object with the intention of using it for a purpose, normally evil but sometimes instead as a punishment or test. ... Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral rule, or the state of having committed such a violation. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... A scholar is either a student or someone who has achieved a mastery of some academic discipline, perhaps receiving financial support through a scholarship. ...

History

There is no biblical mention of the incarnation of demons in the New Testament, but according to the Matthew, Mark and Luke they could be seen and heard (there are several allusions). This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... The Gospel of Mark (literally, according to Mark; Greek, Κατά Μαρκον, Kata Markon),(anonymous[1] but ascribed to Mark the Evangelist) is a Gospel of the New Testament. ... The Gospel of Luke (literally, according to Luke; Greek, Κατά Λουκαν, Kata Loukan) is a synoptic Gospel, and the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament. ...

Basil of Caesarea was, apparently, the first who wrote on this subject. He believed that demons, to materialise, had to condense vapours and with them form the body of a person or animal, then entering that body as if it were a puppet to which they gave life. Henry More supported this idea, saying that their bodies were cold due to the solidification of water vapour to form them (see below). Many authors believed that demons could assume the shape of an animal, preferably black. Basil (ca. ... Henry More. ...

It seems that until the first millennium, when the fear for the coming of the Antichrist reached proportions that were out of control, the appearance of demons was not a significant problem. But since this moment on, demons acquired a terrible appearance in the mind of those who believed to have seen them. Revelation 13:16-18 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast...

Raoul Glaber, a monk of Saint-Léger, Belgium, seems to have been the first in writing about the visit of a demon of horrible aspect in his Historiarum suis temporis, Libri quinque (History of his time, Book five). Rodulfus Glaber or Ralph Glaber (985–1047) was a monk and chronicler of the years around 1000 and is one of the chief sources for the history of France in that period. ... St. ... Saint-Léger commemorates Saint Léger, or Leodegar, 7th century Bishop of Autun. ...

Augustine thought that demons often were imaginary, but sometimes could enter human bodies, but later accepted the idea of the materialisation of demons. Thomas Aquinas followed Augustine's idea, but added that demonic materialisation had sexual connotations because demons tried to seduce people to commit sexual sins. “Augustinus” redirects here. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas (also Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino; c. ...

Ambrogio de Vignati, disagreeing with other authors, asserted that demons, besides of not to have a material body could not create it, and all what they seemed to do was a mere hallucination provoked by them in the mind of those who had made a diabolical pact or were "victims" of a succubus or incubus, including the sexual act. According to Christian tradition on witchcraft the diabolical pact is a pact between a person and Satan or any other demon (or demons) in which the person offers (or sells) his/her soul in exchange for favours. ... A bracket carved as a winged succubus on the outside of an English inn, suggesting that a brothel could have been found inside. ... Incubus, 1870 This article is about the type of demon called an Incubus. For other uses, see Incubus. ...

Sexuality of demons

The demons' behind, genitalia and sperm were a subject of dedicated study by Christian theologians, demonologists and inquisitors. The Inquisition seemed to have been particularly interested in this topic. A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in an complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ... Inquisition (capitalized I) is broadly used, to refer to things related to judgment of heresy by the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Concerning the demons' behind, there were confessions asserting that they were normal, others telling that instead of an anus they had another mouth and thus when kissing their behind during the Sabbath people received another kiss in exchange, and confessions telling that demons did not have buttocks. Francisco Goyas Los Caprichos: Linda maestra! (Nice mistress!) - witches heading to a Sabbath In Christian folklore, the Sabbath (also known as Witchs Sabbath) was a gathering supposed to have been celebrated by Satanists, witches and warlocks to honor the Devil, offend God, Jesus, the sacraments, the cross, and...

About the demons' testicles, only one witch confessed to Pierre de Rostegny that the demon with whom she had sexual relationships had them. Other confessions denied that demons had them. Henri Boguet supported the idea that demons did not have sexual organs and Johann Meyfarth asserted that demons had not a penis. The testicle (from Latin testis, meaning witness [1], plural testes) is the male generative gland in animals. ... Pierre de Rostegny, Lord of De Lancre, aka De Lancre (1553 - 1631) was a French jurist. ...

The demons' penis was a terrible problem for inquisitors and scholars. All of them manifested a morbid interest in the demons' genitalia, but the penis reached pathological proportions. Many questions during the interrogatories in the witch trials referred to this theme. All persons confessed to have had sexual relationships with at least one demon, but the descriptions given of this particular part of their anatomy vary from a small phallus to a big one. Some confessions described a normal penis in the appropriate place, others a normal one in the behind, others two phalluses, one in its place and the other in the behind, and others a bifid one, like the tongue of a snake. Confessions that described two phalluses or a bifid one often added the particularity that the demon practised vaginal and anal coitus at the same time; Sylvester Prieras was a supporter of this idea. Even some confessions described three penises. Concerning the material of which it were made, there were confessions affirming that it was normal and flesh-made, others saying that it was iron or horn-made, others telling that it was half flesh and half iron, and others saying that it had scales and, being scaly, the sexual act was painful; even some confessions asserted that it was bone or wooden-made. The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sylvester Mazzolini, in Italian Silvestro Mazzolini da Prierio, in Latin Sylvester Prierias. ...

The sperm of the demons constituted another problem. Some persons confessed that this sperm was icy, meanwhile others felt it as that of a common man. But another problem arose among scholars to determine if demons had their own sperm or not. Ludovico Maria Sinistrari was one of the few authors that supported the idea that demons were corporeal entities that had their own sperm and with it could impregnate women and conceive children with them. But most scholars denied the idea that demons could have their own sperm, and concluded that they took sperm from men. The problem grew when these authors had to explain how did demons took that sperm, how did they put it into a woman's vagina, and if that sperm could conceive children or not. Michelangelos David is the classical image of youthful male beauty in Western art A man is a male human. ... Diverse women. ... The vagina, (from Latin, literally sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. ...

Most theologians agreed in the fact that demons acted first as succubae to collect sperm from men and then as incubi to put it into a woman's vagina. But as many of them agreed also in the fact that demons' bodies were icy, they reached the conclusion that the frozen sperm taken first from a man could not have generative qualities. Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas wrote that demons acted in this way but could fecundate women. Ulrich Molitor and Nicholas Remy disagreed in the fact that women could be impregnated; besides, Remy thought that a woman could never be fecundated by another being than a man. Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger (authors of the Malleus Maleficarum) adopted again an intermediate position; they wrote that demons acted first as succubae and then as incubi, but added the possibility that incubi could receive semen from succubae, but they considered that this sperm could not fecundate women. Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... A bracket carved as a winged succubus on the outside of an English inn, suggesting that a brothel could have been found inside. ... Incubus, 1870 This article is about the type of demon called an Incubus. For other uses, see Incubus. ... Albertus Magnus (b. ... Ulrich Molitor (15th century) was a Professor of Law at the University of Constance, Germany. ... Nicholas Remy (aka Rémy and Remigius) (1534 - 1600) was a French Catholic priest. ... Heinrich Kramer (also known under latinised name Heinrich Institor, 1430?-1505) was a churchman and inquisitor. ... James Sprenger was born in Basel between 1436 and 1438. ... Cover of the seventh Cologne edition of the Malleus Maleficarum, 1520 (from the University of Sydney Library). ... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ...

Peter of Paluda and Martin of Arles among others supported the idea that demons could take sperm from dead men and impregnate women. Some demonologists thought that demons could take semen from dying or recently deceased men, and thus dead men should be buried as soon as possible to avoid it. Martinus de Arles y Andosilla (1451?-1521) was doctor of theology and canon in Pamplona and archdeacon of Aibar, author of a tractatus de superstitionibus, contra maleficia seu sortilegia quae hodie vigent in orbe terrarum (1515), a work on demonology in the context of the Early Modern witch-hunts. ...

Other Views

Not all Christians accept that demons exist in a literal sense. There is the view that the New Testament language of exorcism is an example of the language of the day being employed to describe the healings of what today would be classified as epilepsy, mental illness etc.^[4]

See also

• Classification of the demons
• Deliverance ministry
• Demon possession
• Demonic hierarchy
• Demons and animals
• Exorcism
• Incarnation of the demons
• Names of the demons
• Number of demons
• Sexuality in Christian demonology
• Symbols and symbolism in Christian demonology
• Nigromancy
• Grimoire
• Fall of man

The Temptation of St. ... In charismatic Christianity, deliverance ministries are activities carried out by individuals or groups aimed at solving problems related to demons and spirits, especially possession. ... Demonic possession is a form of spiritual possession; specifically, the act of one or more demons entering a living or dead human or animal body or an object with the intention of using it for a purpose, normally evil but sometimes instead as a punishment or test. ... In early Christian theology, Satan or the Devil was seen as chief of all other demons. ... Christian demonology establishes a relationship between demons and certain animals that are considered diabolical. ... Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure, correctly pronounced exercism) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed (taken control of). ... The incarnation of the demons has been a problem to Christian demonology and theology since early times. ... According to Christian theology all Pagan deities are demons. ... The number of demons, at least according to Christian demonology, is high. ... This article deals with the concept of sexuality in Christian demonology. ... Christian demonology has associated demons and symbols, attributing a variety of them to these entities. ... Necromancy (Greek νεκρομαντία, nekromantía) is a form of divination in which the practitioner seeks to summon operative spirits or spirits of divination, for multiple reasons, from spiritual protection to wisdom. ... This design for an amulet comes from the Black Pullet grimoire. ... Adam, Eve, and the (female) serpent at the entrance to Notre Dame de Paris In Abrahamic religion, the Fall of Man, the Story of the Fall, or simply, the Fall, refers to mans transition from a state of innocence to a state of knowing only dualities such as good...

Literature: Demonologies From Christian and Pagan Perspectives

• Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1274)--Christian
• The Sworn Book of Honorius (13th century)--Witchcraft
• Nicholas Magni, Tractatus de superstitionibus (1405)--Christian
• Johannes Hartlieb, Buch aller verpoten kunst (1456)--Witchcraft
• The Book of Abramelin (1450s)--Witchcraft
• Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, Malleus Maleficarum (1486)--Christian
• Martin of Arles, Tractatus de superstitionibus (1515)--Christian
• Key of Solomon (16th century)--Witchcraft
• Nicholas Remy, Daemonolatreiae libri tres (1595)--Christian

Saint Thomas Aquinas (also Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino; c. ... The Summa Theologica (also widely known as the Summa Theologiae) is the most famous work of St. ... The Sworne Booke of Honorius or Liber Juratus is one among many grimoires that circulate among occultists, both of the academic and practitioner interests. ... Nicholas Magni (Nicolaus Magni de Iawor, Mikuláš Magni z Jawora, Nikolaus Groß von Jauer, born ca. ... Johannes Hartlieb (born ca. ... Cover of the 2006 edition of Steven Guths English translation of The Book of Abramelin, compiled and edited by Georg Dehn ; the cover design is by Phillip Augusta, adaped from Emblem 23 of Michael Maier’s Atalanta Fugiens. ... Heinrich Kramer (also known under latinised name Heinrich Institor, 1430?-1505) was a churchman and inquisitor. ... James Sprenger was born in Basel between 1436 and 1438. ... Cover of the seventh Cologne edition of the Malleus Maleficarum, 1520 (from the University of Sydney Library). ... Martinus de Arles y Andosilla (1451?-1521) was doctor of theology and canon in Pamplona and archdeacon of Aibar, author of a tractatus de superstitionibus, contra maleficia seu sortilegia quae hodie vigent in orbe terrarum (1515), a work on demonology in the context of the Early Modern witch-hunts. ... The Key of Solomon is a grimoire or book on magic attributed to King Solomon (as several others were). ... Nicholas Remy (aka Rémy and Remigius) (1534 - 1600) was a French Catholic priest. ... Daemonolatreiae libri tres is a 1595 work by Nicholas Remy. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04713a.htm
2. ^ http://www.demonbuster.com/zpart2-w11.html
3. ^ http://www.circleofchristianwomen.com/how_demons_enter.htm
4. ^ http://www.realdevil.info/4-1.htm

External links