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A bracket carved as a winged succubus on the outside of an English inn, suggesting that a brothel could have been found inside.

In Western medieval legend, a succubus (plural succubi) or succuba (plural succubae) is a demon, who takes the form of a beautiful woman to seduce men, especially monks ^[1] in dreams to have sexual intercourse. They draw energy from the men to sustain themselves, often until the point of exhaustion or death of the victim. From mythology and fantasy, Lilith and the Lilin (Jewish) and Lilitu (Sumerian) are in redactive Christian fables (folktales not part of official Christian theology), considered succubi. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Look up succubus in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (723x1024, 104 KB) A 16th century wooden bracket supporting a jettied floor of a coaching inn in Cambridge. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (723x1024, 104 KB) A 16th century wooden bracket supporting a jettied floor of a coaching inn in Cambridge. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A brothel, also known as a bordello or whorehouse, is an establishment specifically dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sex with the clients. ... Occident redirects here. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... For other uses, see Legend (disambiguation). ... “Fiend” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Dream (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fantasy (disambiguation). ... This article is about the demon Lilith. ... According to The Alphabet of Ben-Sira, the lilin or lilim (singular lili) are the daughters of Lilith and Asmodai, engendered while Lilith was still Adams wife. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the demon Lilith. ... Sumer (or Šumer; Sumerian: KI-EN-GIR [1]) was the earliest known civilization of the ancient Near East, located in lower Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), from the time of the earliest records in the mid 4th millennium BC until the rise of Babylonia in the late 3rd millennium BC. The term... Christian mythology is the body of traditional narrative associated with Christianity. ...

According to the Malleus Maleficarum, or "Witches' Hammer", published against the recommendation of the Catholic Church in 1487 and officially banned in 1490, succubi would collect semen from the men they slept with, which incubi would then use to impregnate women^[2] thus explaining how demons could apparently sire children in spite of the traditional belief that demons were incapable of reproduction through generative or gestative means. Children so begotten were supposed to be those that were born deformed, or more susceptible to supernatural influences.^[3] Cover of the seventh Cologne edition of the Malleus Maleficarum, 1520 (from the University of Sydney Library). ... Incubus, 1870 This article is about the type of demon called an Incubus. For other uses, see Incubus. ...

From the 16th century, the carving of a succubus on the outside of an inn indicated that the establishment also operated as a brothel. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Inns are establishments where travellers can procure food, drink, and lodging. ... A brothel, also known as a bordello or whorehouse, is an establishment specifically dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sex with the clients. ...

Etymology

Look up succubus in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The word "succubus" comes from an alteration of the Late Latin succuba meaning "strumpet". The word itself is derived from the Latin prefix "sub-" which means "below, underneath", and the verb "cubo" which means "I lie". So a succubus is someone who lies under another person, whereas an incubus (Latin "in-" in this case stands for "on top") is someone who lies on top of another person.^[4] Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... Incubus, 1870 This article is about the type of demon called an Incubus. For other uses, see Incubus. ...

Mare was also a term used to describe the sighing, suffocative panting, or an intercepted utterance, with a sense of pressure across the chest, which occurs during sleep.^[5] These symptoms were also thought to be an incubus (or succubus), an evil preternatural being, causing nightmares and/or nocturnal emissions. This phenomenon is now thought to be an experience of sleep paralysis. A mara or mare is a kind of malignant female wraith in Scandinavian folklore believed to cause nightmares. ... The preternatural or praeternatural are phenomenon which appear outside (Latin praeter) the realm of nature as currently explained by science. ... The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. ... A nocturnal emission is an ejaculation of semen experienced by a male during sleep. ... The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be one of the classic depictions of sleep paralysis perceived as a demonic visitation. ...

Appearance

The appearance of succubi varies, but in general they are depicted as alluring women with great beauty,^[3][6] often with demonic batlike wings, and large breasts; they also have other demonic features, such as horns and cloven feet. Occasionally they appear as an attractive woman in dreams that the victim cannot seem to get off his mind. They lure males and in some cases, the male has seemed to fall "in love" with her. Even out of the dream she will not leave his mind. She will remain there slowly draining energy from him until death by exhaustion.^[6] Other sources say the demon will steal the male's soul through the act of intercourse.^[6]

Middle Eastern belief

A Middle Eastern version of the succubus known as "um al duwayce" (Arabic: أٌم الدويس‎) portrays this succubus as a beautiful, alluringly scented woman who wanders the desert on the hooves of a camel. While other forms of the succubus participate in sexual intercourse to collect semen and become impregnated, this particular succubus is instead a judge of character and exacts revenge on those who commit adultery. She attempts to lure these men to have intercourse with her, at which time sharp razors within her vagina slice off the partner's penis, leaving him in agonizing pain. Having rendered the man helpless, she turns into her true form and proceeds to eat him alive.^{[citations needed]} A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Arabic redirects here. ... For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation). ... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ... This article is about fertilisation in animals and plants. ... This article is about the act of adultery. ... 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. ... The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ...

See also

Al Basti (Also Al Kardai or just Al) is a tormenting feminine night-demon in Turkish folklore (Anatolia, Turkmenistan). ... In ancient Greek mythology, the Empusa (or Empousa) was a female supernatural monster or demoness. ... An energy vampire or psychic vampire is a being said to have the ability to feed off the life force (often also called qi, prana, energy or vitality) of other living creatures. ... Hisa-me (氷雨 or 必殺娘) were originally female demons of death in the Japanese underworld (Yomi). ... Incubus, 1870 This article is about the type of demon called an Incubus. For other uses, see Incubus. ... The Lamia who moodily watches the serpent on her forearm (painting by Herbert James Draper, 1909), appears to represent the hetaira. ... This article is about the demon Lilith. ... A mara or mare is a kind of malignant female wraith in Scandinavian folklore believed to cause nightmares. ... Melusines secret discovered, from One of sixteen paintings by Guillebert de Mets circa 1410. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Naamah or Naamah (Hebrew: נעמה, meaning pleasant) is a figure in Jewish mysticism and Babylonian mythology. ... A succubus is a type of demoness referenced in various works of fiction. ...

References