Demonology and Devil-lore

I lately heard the story of a pious negro woman whose faith in hell was sorely tried by a sceptic who asked her how brimstone enough could be found to burn all the wicked people...

Minor gods--Saint and Satyr--Tutelaries--Spells--Early Christianity and the poor--Its doctrine as to pagan deities--Mediæval Devils--Devils on the stage--An Abbot's revelations-...

During some recent years curious advertisements have appeared in a journal of Edinburgh, calling for pious persons to occupy certain hours of the night with holy exercises. It w...

Animal demons distinguished--Trivial sources of Mythology--Hedgehog--Fox--Transmigrations in Japan--Horses bewitched--Rats--Lions--Cats--The Dog--Goethe's horror of dogs--Supers...

The Wild Hunt--Euphemisms--Schimmelreiter--Odinwald--Pied Piper--Lyeshy--Waldemar's Hunt--Palne Hunter--King Abel's Hunt --Lords of Glorup--Le Grand Veneur--Robert le Diable--Ar...

Savage races believe that no man dies except by sorcery. Therefore every death must be avenged. The Actas of the Philippines regard the 'Indians' as the cause of the deaths amon...

Mephisto and Mephitis--The Raven Book--Papal sorcery--Magic seals--Mephistopheles as dog--George Sabellicus alias Faustus--The Faust myth--Marlowe's Faust--Good and evil angels-...

Most beautiful of all the goddesses of India is Maya, Illusion. In Hindu iconography she is portrayed in drapery of beautiful colours, with decoration of richest gems and broide...

In their adoration of rain-giving Indra as also a solar majesty, the ancient Hindus seem to have been fully aware of his inconsistent habits. 'Thy inebriety is most intense,' ex...

Related to the demons of Barrenness, and to the hostile human demons, but still possessing characteristics of their own, are the demons supposed to haunt gorges, mountain ranges...

We paint the Devil black, says George Herbert. On the other hand the negro paints him white, with reason enough. The name of the Devil at Mozambique is Muzungu Maya, or Wicked W...

A familiar fable in the East tells of one who met a fearful phantom, which in reply to his questioning answered--'I am Plague: I have come from yon city where ten thousand lie d...

The Devil repainted--Satan a divine agent--St. Orain's heresy--Primitive universalism--Father Sinistrari--Salvation of demons--Mediæval sects--Aquinas--His prayer for Satan--Pop...

The Holy Tree of Travancore--The growth of Demons in India and their decline--The Nepaul Iconoclast--Moral Man and unmoral Nature--Man's physical and mental migrations--Heine's...

The Fall of Man--Fall of gods--Giants--Prajápati and Ráhu--Woman and Star-serpent in Persia--Meschia and Meschiane--Bráhman legends of the creation of Man--The strength of Woman...

From the little night which clings to man even by day--his own shadow--to the world's great shade of darkness, innumerable are the coverts from which have emerged the black proc...

The Kali Age--Satan sifting Simon--Satan as Angel of Light--Epithets of Antichrist--The Cæsars--Nero--Sacraments imitated by Pagans--Satanic signs and wonders--Jerome on Antichr...

Hindu myth--Gnostic theories--Ophite scheme of redemption--Rabbinical traditions of primitive man--Pauline Pessimism--Law of death--Satan's ownership of man--Redemption of the e...

Celsus on Satan--Ferocities of inward nature--The Devil of Lust--Celibacy--Blue Beards--Shudendozi--A lady in distress--Bahirawa--The Black Prince--Madana Yaksenyo--Fair fascina...

A 'Morality' at Tours--The 'St. Anthony' of Spagnoletto--Bunyan's Pilgrim--Milton on Christ's Temptation--An Edinburgh saint and Unitarian fiend--A haunted Jewess--Conversion by...

The curse of Iblis--Samaël as Democrat--His vindication by Christ and Paul--Asmodäus--History of the name--Aschmedai of the Jews--Book of Tobit--Doré's 'Triumph of Christianity'...

In every part of the earth man's first struggle was for his daily food. With only a rude implement of stone or bone he had to get fish from the sea, bird from the air, beast fro...

Even across immemorial generations it is impossible to read without emotion the legend of the Descent of Ishtar into Hades. [44] Through seven gates the goddess of Love passes i...

Priestcraft and Pessimism--An Aryan Tetzel and his Luther--Brahman Frogs--Evolution of the sacerdotal Saint--Viswámitra the Accuser of Virtue--The Tamil Passion-play 'Harischand...

place in the Valley of Tophet or Hinnom (Gehenna). The idol Moloch was of brass, and its throne of brass; its head was that of a calf, and wore a royal crown; its stomach was a...

Asura has already been mentioned as the most ancient Aryan name for deity. The meaning of it is, the Breather. It has also been remarked that in the course of time the word came...

A Hanover relic--Mr. Atkinson on the Dove--The Dove in the Old Testament--Ecclesiastical symbol--Judicial symbol--A vision of St. Dunstan's--The witness of chastity--Dove and Se...

The Abode of Devils--Ketef--Disorder--Talmudic legends--The restless Spirit--The Fall of Lucifer--Asteria, Hecate, Lilith--The Dragon's triumph--A Gipsy legend--Cædmon's Poem of...

The attempt of the compilers of the Book of Genesis to amalgamate the Elohist and Jehovist legends, ignoring the moral abyss that yawns between them, led to some sufficiently cu...

Public Prosecutors--Satan as Accuser--English Devil-worshipper --Conversion by Terror--Satan in the Old Testament--The trial of Joshua--Sender of Plagues--Satan and Serpent--Por...

That Serpent-worship in India was developed by euphemism seems sufficiently shown in the famous Vedic hymn called Kankato na, recited as an antidote against all venom, of which...

Theology has pronounced Incarnation a mystery, but nothing is simpler. The demigod is man's appeal from the gods. It may also be, as Emerson says, that 'when the half-gods go th...

Hebrew Polytheism--Problem of Evil--Job's disbelief in a future life--The Divider's realm--Salted Sacrifices--Theory of Orthodoxy--Job's reasoning--His humour--Impartiality of F...

A Dragoon once presented himself before Frederick the Great and offered the king a small pebble, which, he said, had been cut from the head of a king-snake, and would no doubt p...

In Lucas van Leyden's picture of Satan tempting Christ (Fig. 6), the fiend is represented in the garb of a University man of the time. From his head falls a streamer which coils...

The Devil, having shown Jesus all the kingdoms of this world, said, 'All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I w...

'We are all nothing other than Wills,' says St. Augustine; and he adds that of the good and bad angels the nature is the same, the will different. In harmony with this John Beau...

Mr. Irving's impersonation of Superstition--Revolution against pious privilege--Doctrine of 'merits'--Saintly immorality in India--A Pantheon turned Inferno--Zendavesta on Good...

The phenomena of the transformation of deities into demons meet the student of Demonology at every step. We shall have to consider many examples of a kind similar to those which...

The etymologies of the words Dragon and Ophis given in the preceding chapter, ideally the same, both refer to powers of the serpent which it does not possess in nature,--the præ...

In none of the ancient scriptures do we get back to any theory or explanation of the origin of evil or of the enemies of the gods. In a Persian text at Persepolis, of Darius I.,...

That Abraham was a Fire-worshipper might be suspected from the immemorial efforts of all Semitic authorities to relieve him of traditional connection with that particular idolat...

Gustave Dorè has painted a picture of 'Love and Fate,' in which the terrible hag is portrayed towering above the tender Eros, and while the latter is extending the thread as far...

The realm of the Unknown has now, by exploration of our planet and by science, been pretty well pressed into annexation with the Unknowable. In early periods, however, unexplore...

On the eve of January 1, 1863,--that historic New Year's Day on which President Lincoln proclaimed freedom to American slaves,--I was present at a Watchnight held by negroes in...

Who is this that cometh from Edom, In dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, Travelling in the greatness of his strength? I who promise deliverance, mi...

In the preceding chapter it was noted that there were two myths wrapped up in the story of Jacob and Esau,--the one theological, the other human. The former was there treated, t...

The considerations advanced in the previous chapter enable us to dismiss with facility many of the rationalistic interpretations which have been advanced to explain the monstrou...

The sacred books of the Hebrews bring us into the presence of the gods (Elohim) supposed to have created all things out of nothing--nature-gods--just as they are in transition t...

The first pantheon of each race was built of intellectual speculations. In a moral sense, each form in it might be described as more or less demonic; and, indeed, it may almost...

A lady residing in Hampshire, England, recently said to a friend of the present writer, both being mothers, 'Do you make your children bow their heads whenever they mention the...

The beauty of the Serpent--Emerson on ideal forms--Michelet's thoughts on the viper's head--Unique characters of the Serpent--The monkey's horror of Snakes--The Serpent protecte...

The Demons' bequest to their conquerors--Nondescripts-- Exaggerations of tradition--Saurian Theory of Dragons-- The Dragon not primitive in Mythology--Monsters of Egyptian, Iran...

A college in the State of Ohio has adopted for its motto the words 'Orient thyself.' This significant admonition to Western youth represents one condition of attaining truth in...

The atmospheric conditions having been prepared in the human mind for the production of demons, the particular shapes or names they would assume would be determined by a variety...

In the hymn referred to we find a graphic account of how, when Ahi was sleeping on the waters he obstructed, Indra hurled at him his thunderbolt. It says that when Indra had 'an...

Fire was of old the element of fiends. No doubt this was in part due to the fact that it also was a devouring element. Sacrifices were burnt; the demon visibly consumed them. Bu...

The Jews had already, when Christ appeared, formed the theory that the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, and his resistance to the departure of Israel from Egypt, were due to diabol...

The statements made concerning the fair names of the chief demons and devils which have haunted the imagination of mankind, heighten the contrast between their celestial origin...

Herakles and Athena in a holy picture--Human significance of Eden--The legend in Genesis puzzling--Silence of later books concerning it--Its Vedic elements--Its explanation--Epi...

Minor gods--Saint and Satyr--Tutelaries--Spells--Early Christianity and the poor--Its doctrine as to pagan deities--Mediæval Devils--Devils on the stage--An Abbot's revelations-...

The Fall of Man--Fall of gods--Giants--Prajápati and Ráhu--Woman and Star-Serpent in Persia--Meschia and Meschiane--Bráhman legends of the creation of Man--The strength of Woman...

The Holy Tree of Travancore--The growth of Demons in India, and their decline--The Nepaul Iconoclast--Moral Man and unmoral Nature--Man's physical and mental migrations--Heine's...

A 'Morality' at Tours--The 'St. Anthony' of Spagnoletto--Bunyan's Pilgrim--Milton on Christ's Temptation--An Edinburgh saint and Unitarian fiend--A haunted Jewess--Conversion by...

The curse of Iblis--Samaël as Democrat--His vindication by Christ and Paul--Asmodäus--History of the name--Aschmedai of the Jews--Book of Tobit--Doré's 'Triumph of Christianity'...

A Hanover relic--Mr. Atkinson on the Dove--The Dove in the Old Testament--Ecclesiastical symbol--Judicial symbol--A vision of St. Dunstan's--The witness of chastity--Dove and Se...

The Devil repainted--Satan a divine agent--St. Orain's heresy--Primitive universalism--Father Sinistrari--Salvation of demons--Mediæval sects--Aquinas--His prayer for Satan--Pop...

The Wild Hunt--Euphemisms--Schimmelreiter--Odinwald--Pied Piper --Lyeshy--Waldemar's Hunt--Palne Hunter--King Abel's Hunt--Lords of Glorup--Le Grand Veneur--Robert le Diable--Ar...

Animal demons distinguished--Trivial sources of Mythology-- Hedgehog--Fox--Transmigrations in Japan--Horses bewitched-- Rats--Lions--Cats--The Dog--Goethe's horror of dogs--Supe...

Hebrew Polytheism--Problem of Evil--Job's disbelief in a future life--The Divider's realm--Salted sacrifices--Theory of Orthodoxy--Job's reasoning--His humour--Impartiality of F...

The Kali Age--Satan sifting Simon--Satan as Angel of Light-- Epithets of Antichrist--The Cæsars--Nero--Sacraments imitated by Pagans--Satanic signs and wonders--Jerome on Antich...

Hindu myth--Gnostic theories--Ophite scheme of redemption-- Rabbinical traditions of Primitive Man--Pauline Pessimism--Law of death--Satan's ownership of Man--Redemption of the...

The beauty of the Serpent--Emerson on ideal forms--Michelet's thoughts on the viper's head--Unique characters of the Serpent--The Monkey's horror of Snakes--The Serpent protecte...

The Abode of Devils--Ketef--Disorder--Talmudic legends--The restless Spirit--The Fall of Lucifer--Asteria, Hecate, Lilith--The Dragon's triumph--A Gipsy legend--Cædmon's Poem of...

Celsus on Satan--Ferocities of inward nature--The Devil of Lust--Celibacy--Blue Beards--Shudendozi--A lady in distress--Bahirawa--The Black Prince--Madana Yaksenyo--Fair fascina...

Mr. Irving's impersonation of Superstition--Revolution against pious privilege--Doctrine of 'Merits'--Saintly immorality in India--A Pantheon turned Inferno--Zendavesta on Good...

Herakles and Athena in a holy picture--Human significance of Eden--The legend in Genesis puzzling--Silence of later books concerning it--Its Vedic elements--Its explanation--Epi...

Mephisto and Mephitis--The Raven Book--Papal sorcery--Magic seals--Mephistopheles as dog--George Sabellicus alias Faustus--The Faust myth--Marlowe's 'Faust'--Good and evil angel...

Priestcraft and Pessimism--An Aryan Tetzel and his Luther--Brahman Frogs--Evolution of the Sacerdotal Saint--Viswámitra the Accuser of Virtue--The Tamil Passion-Play 'Harischand...

A Scottish Munasa--Rudra--Siva's lightning eye--The flaming sword--Limping Demons--Demons of the storm--Helios, Elias, Perun--Thor arrows--The Bob-tailed Dragon--Whirlwind--Japa...

Public Prosecutors--Satan as Accuser--English Devil-Worshipper --Conversion by Terror--Satan in the Old Testament--The trial of Joshua--Sender of Plagues--Satan and Serpent--Por...