Who is a demon?

The demon is a supernatural entity, verypowerful. Something intermediate between the divine and the human. Initially, evil and good for the demon are equivalent. Actually, demons are angels, but fallen ones, cast down from heaven and lost their divine origin. Read more about this in our article Do demons exist.

Meaning of the word

The etymology is from the Greek "daio", which means"Burn", "burn". Therefore, the demon (daimon) is burning. In the pre-Christian tradition, the concept defined all spirits without exception: good and evil. Later, Christianity gives the concept a purely negative meaning. In explanatory dictionaries, the concept of who a demon is, has several interpretations.

1. The conventional designation of characters, as a rule -supernatural - in the myths of different nations. Demons are not deities, they are lower than the gods on the hierarchy, but occupy a higher position compared to people (for example, in the myths of ancient Greece).
2. In the Christian tradition, the evil spirit, the devil, Satan (for example, the evil spirit tempting the first people or Jesus).
3. In the poetic, book context - a tempter, an evil genius, and also an inquisitive mind (for example, Lermontov's poem "Demon").

Demons in different cultures

• In the pre-Christian tradition, these beings lovethe element of air, but can also live in the mountains, and in the water. The "daemons" people invariably endowed with malicious force: destroying crops and livestock animals.
• Brimstone demons, for example, resemble the appearance of decrepit old people with faded skin, black teeth, dirty-yellow eye sockets. Not living and not dead. Stuck somewhere in the middle of the worlds.
• Arab and European demons like to roam the underworld, eat human flesh, drink ichor (a watery liquid that is released from the wounds of the dead). Their wings are of a dark gray color.
• Demons are traditionally associated with evil. But it is not always the case. In the oldest traditions there are pruritus - good and cacodemons - evil.

Christian classification of demons

• Asmodeus is a demon of jealousy, anger, debauchery.
• Astaroth is a demon, patron of scientists, all knowledge, secrets of the past and the future.
• Baal - demons of fertility and rural way of life.
• Belial is a strong and evil helper of Satan, provoking people to sin.
• Lucifer is the main demon of Hell.

Are there demons? The question is purely personal, and everyone responds to it in their own way. And how to call a demon and how to become it, read in our articles How to call a demon and How to become a demon.