Evil Spirits on Earth
The primitive
philosophy in which Nature's domain was
peopled by elemental spirits, each having jurisdiction over
a specific area of natural phenomena and supplying the
motive power that induces change, was called animism. This gradual
evolution of elemental spirits-which were
capable of both good and evil-into good spirits and bad
spirits and finally demons and angels, was the product of
ages of slow development.
The entities described as having supernatural
powers, and being committed to destruction, are called demons.
They always traveled at night, were winged, and were
invisible. Demons were considered by theologians as
instruments of divine punishment, when acting as agents
of witches and sorcerers. We will deal with their attempts
to possess humans later.
There was, therefore, from the beginning
a tendency to regard demons as playing a somewhat ambivalent role.
Although extremely powerful in their own right, they could
be compelled to submit to the incantations of the magician.
The problem was further complicated by the fact that the
gods of conquered peoples tended to be incorporated among
the demons of the conquerors.
Demons in the East favored isolated
locations, especially deserts. They accumulated in hordes and haunted
the
deserts of Assyria. Classified as warriors, destroyers,
vampires, phantoms, and ghosts, they were so dreadful
that when shown their own reflections in giant mirrors placed
on the walls of cities they fled in terror from the scene.
Psalm 91 of the
Old Testament reflected this general terror of demons: "Thou
shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow
that flieth by day; nor for
the
pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction
that wasteth at noonday."³
The ancient Jews attempted to dilute the negativity of
these evil entities before the development of the idea of
Satan. The Greek diabolos was the origin of the word devil.
These demonic spirits were later ascribed the role as
servants to the Devil or Satan.
The Church looked upon Satan as an
evil former angel trying to make himself equal to God. This negative
entity
constantly sought to undermine God's Kingdom by the
complete destruction of humanity. The eminent sixteenth-
century theologian Johann Weyer expressed the formidability
of Satan
Satan possesses great courage,
incredible cunning, superhuman wisdom, the most acute penetration,
consummate prudence, an incomparable skill in
veiling the most pernicious artifices under a specious
disguise, and a malefic and infinite hatred towards the
human race, implacable and incurable.¹5.
Christian leaders totaled the number
of demons at
7,405,926; according to one demonologist they were divided
into twelve classes whose functions were so organized as
to cover every aspect of human suffering, ranging from
hunger to death. Others grouped these entities under the
classes of earth, air, fire, and water.
In 1589, the demonologist Binsfeld compiled a list of
devils to cover each of the seven deadly sins: Lucifer was
the devil of pride, Mammon the devil of avarice, Asmodeus
of lechery, Satan of anger, Beelzebub of gluttony, Leviathan
of envy, and Belphegor of sloth.16 Another writer increased
the number of groups to ten, divided into fates, poltergeists,
incubi and succubi, marching hosts, familiars, nightmare
demons, demons constructed from human semen, deceptive
demons, clean demons, and those who deceived witches
into the belief that they flew to the sabbath.17
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