commit 057c96e10b2c5dfd032b6f02f9a132d0ebbec277 Author: ptarrant Date: Fri Jun 26 15:24:22 2026 -0500 Add PDF→markdown batch converter and research-library workflow convert.py walks pdfs/ (recursing topic subfolders), mirrors a .md tree into md/ via pymupdf4llm, idempotent on mtime. Detects no-text-layer PDFs (needs-ocr.txt) and falls back to plain per-page text when pymupdf4llm's layout pass returns near-empty despite a real text layer. Pin pymupdf4llm==0.3.4 (lightweight line; 1.27.x bundles an ML/OCR pipeline that fails on plain text PDFs). PDFs gitignored (copyrighted, large) — only generated markdown is committed. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..16456e7 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,13 @@ +# Source PDFs kept local only — copyrighted, large. Commit markdown, not PDFs. +pdfs/ + +# Generated OCR worklist (regenerated each run) +needs-ocr.txt + +# Claude Code session/harness state +.claude/ + +# Python +.venv/ +__pycache__/ +*.pyc diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6c65505 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,77 @@ +# Research library: PDF → markdown for Claude-assisted synthesis + +Local, git-tracked workflow. Drop text PDFs into topic folders, convert them to +markdown, then have Claude Code **read whole files** to cross-reference and +synthesize across a topic — instead of chunked RAG, which gave shallow results. + +## Layout + +``` +demonology/ + pdfs//*.pdf # source PDFs (gitignored — kept local, not committed) + md//*.md # converted markdown — the files Claude reads + convert.py # batch converter + requirements.txt # pins pymupdf4llm + needs-ocr.txt # generated: PDFs with no text layer (gitignored) + README.md +``` + +Group PDFs into topic subfolders under `pdfs/` (e.g. `pdfs/angelology/`). The +converter mirrors that structure into `md/`. A flat `pdfs/` (no subfolders) works +too — it just produces a flat `md/`. Currently all PDFs sit directly in `pdfs/`. + +> **PDFs are gitignored.** They are large and copyrighted, so only the generated +> markdown is committed. Keep your PDFs backed up outside git. To version the +> PDFs too, remove `pdfs/` from `.gitignore` (consider git-lfs first). + +## Setup + +```bash +python3 -m venv .venv +source .venv/bin/activate +pip install -r requirements.txt +``` + +## Convert + +```bash +source .venv/bin/activate +python convert.py # pdfs/ -> md/, idempotent +python convert.py --force # reconvert everything +python convert.py --src other --out other-md +``` + +Behavior: +- **Recurses** `pdfs/` and mirrors the folder structure into `md/`. +- **Idempotent**: skips a PDF whose `.md` exists and is newer than the PDF. +- **Scan detection**: PDFs with ~no extractable text are logged to + `needs-ocr.txt` and left unconverted (no empty markdown) — see Fallbacks. +- **Plain-text fallback**: on some PDFs pymupdf4llm's layout pass emits almost + nothing despite a real text layer. When its output is implausibly small versus + the raw extractable text, `convert.py` falls back to plain per-page text + (same `-----` page separators, marked `[plain-text fallback]` in the log). + Structure (headings/tables) is lost but the text is not. +- Prints a summary: converted / skipped / flagged-for-OCR (/ failed). + +## Using it with Claude Code + +Per topic, ask things like: + +> "Read everything under `md/demonology/` and cross-reference the documents to +> produce , then save the result as a markdown file in that +> folder." + +The markdown keeps headings, lists, tables, and page boundaries (`-----` +separators) so Claude can cite locations while reading entire files. + +## Fallbacks + +`convert.py` uses **pymupdf4llm** (fast, no ML deps, best for clean text PDFs). +If a PDF lands in `needs-ocr.txt`, or converts poorly (garbled tables/layout), +use a heavier tool on just that file: + +- **scanned / no text layer** → `marker-pdf` or `docling` (OCR + layout). +- **DOCX/PPTX/XLSX/HTML** sources → `markitdown`. + +Install on demand (see commented lines in `requirements.txt`), convert the +problem file, and drop the result into the matching `md//` path. diff --git a/convert.py b/convert.py new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f1e34ab --- /dev/null +++ b/convert.py @@ -0,0 +1,159 @@ +#!/usr/bin/env python3 +"""Batch-convert a tree of text PDFs to markdown for whole-file LLM reading. + +Walks a source directory (recursing into topic subfolders), converts each PDF to +markdown with pymupdf4llm, and writes a mirrored .md tree under the output dir. + +Design notes: +- Idempotent: a PDF is skipped when its .md already exists and is newer. +- No-text-layer PDFs (scans) yield ~no extractable text. Those are detected + cheaply *before* the expensive markdown pass, logged to needs-ocr.txt, and + left unwritten (no empty markdown) so they can go through an OCR tool later. +- Output is optimized for a model reading the entire file: a small provenance + header, then page-separated markdown that keeps headings / lists / tables. +""" + +from __future__ import annotations + +import argparse +import sys +from pathlib import Path + +import pymupdf # bundled with pymupdf4llm +import pymupdf4llm + +# A scan (image-only PDF) extracts almost nothing. Real text PDFs comfortably +# exceed this; the threshold only has to separate "basically empty" from "has a +# text layer", so it is deliberately low to avoid false OCR flags. +MIN_CHARS_PER_PAGE = 50 + + +def extractable_chars(pdf_path: Path) -> tuple[int, int]: + """Return (total_text_chars, page_count) using a cheap text extraction.""" + with pymupdf.open(pdf_path) as doc: + pages = doc.page_count + total = sum(len(page.get_text("text")) for page in doc) + return total, pages + + +def has_text_layer(total_chars: int, pages: int) -> bool: + if pages == 0: + return False + return (total_chars / pages) >= MIN_CHARS_PER_PAGE + + +def md_is_current(pdf_path: Path, md_path: Path) -> bool: + """True when md exists and is at least as new as the source PDF.""" + return md_path.exists() and md_path.stat().st_mtime >= pdf_path.stat().st_mtime + + +def plain_text_markdown(pdf_path: Path) -> str: + """Fallback: raw per-page text with the same '-----' page separators. + + Loses heading/list/table structure but never loses the text itself.""" + parts = [] + with pymupdf.open(pdf_path) as doc: + for page in doc: + parts.append(page.get_text("text").strip()) + return "\n\n-----\n\n".join(parts) + + +def convert_one(pdf_path: Path, md_path: Path, raw_chars: int) -> str: + """Write markdown for one PDF. Returns the method used: 'pymupdf4llm' or 'plain'. + + pymupdf4llm gives structured markdown ("-----" page separators preserve page + boundaries for citation). On some PDFs its layout pass emits almost nothing + even though a text layer exists; when its output is implausibly small versus + the raw extractable text, fall back to plain text extraction. + """ + md_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True) + body = pymupdf4llm.to_markdown(str(pdf_path), write_images=False, show_progress=False) + method = "pymupdf4llm" + # Generous floor: only trips when pymupdf4llm essentially gave up. + if len(body.strip()) < 0.2 * raw_chars: + body = plain_text_markdown(pdf_path) + method = "plain" + header = f"# {pdf_path.stem}\n\n> Source: `{pdf_path.name}`\n\n---\n\n" + md_path.write_text(header + body, encoding="utf-8") + return method + + +def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int: + parser = argparse.ArgumentParser( + description=__doc__, formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter + ) + parser.add_argument("--src", type=Path, default=Path("pdfs"), help="source dir of PDFs (default: pdfs)") + parser.add_argument("--out", type=Path, default=Path("md"), help="output dir for markdown (default: md)") + parser.add_argument( + "--ocr-list", type=Path, default=Path("needs-ocr.txt"), + help="file listing PDFs with no usable text layer (default: needs-ocr.txt)", + ) + parser.add_argument("--force", action="store_true", help="reconvert even if md is current") + args = parser.parse_args(argv) + + if not args.src.is_dir(): + print(f"error: source dir not found: {args.src}", file=sys.stderr) + return 2 + + pdfs = sorted(args.src.rglob("*.pdf")) + if not pdfs: + print(f"No PDFs found under {args.src}") + return 0 + + converted, skipped, failed, plain = 0, 0, 0, 0 + needs_ocr: list[Path] = [] + + for pdf in pdfs: + rel = pdf.relative_to(args.src).with_suffix(".md") + md_path = args.out / rel + + if not args.force and md_is_current(pdf, md_path): + print(f"skip {rel} (up to date)") + skipped += 1 + continue + + try: + total, pages = extractable_chars(pdf) + except Exception as exc: # unreadable / corrupt PDF + print(f"FAIL {rel} ({type(exc).__name__}: {exc})") + failed += 1 + continue + + if not has_text_layer(total, pages): + print(f"ocr? {rel} ({total} chars / {pages} pages -> no text layer)") + needs_ocr.append(pdf) + continue + + try: + method = convert_one(pdf, md_path, total) + except Exception as exc: + print(f"FAIL {rel} ({type(exc).__name__}: {exc})") + failed += 1 + continue + + tag = " [plain-text fallback]" if method == "plain" else "" + if method == "plain": + plain += 1 + print(f"conv {rel} ({pages} pages){tag}") + converted += 1 + + # Rewritten fresh each run: flagged PDFs are re-checked every time since they + # never produce markdown to skip on. + if needs_ocr: + args.ocr_list.write_text("\n".join(str(p) for p in needs_ocr) + "\n", encoding="utf-8") + elif args.ocr_list.exists(): + args.ocr_list.unlink() + + print("\n" + "=" * 48) + print(f"converted: {converted}" + (f" ({plain} via plain-text fallback)" if plain else "")) + print(f"skipped: {skipped}") + print(f"flagged for OCR: {len(needs_ocr)}") + if failed: + print(f"failed: {failed}") + if needs_ocr: + print(f"\nSee {args.ocr_list} -> run these through marker/docling (OCR).") + return 1 if failed else 0 + + +if __name__ == "__main__": + raise SystemExit(main()) diff --git a/first_prompt.md b/first_prompt.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a5093c5 --- /dev/null +++ b/first_prompt.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +# Project: PDF research library → markdown for Claude-assisted synthesis + + ## Goal + I'm building a local, git-tracked research workflow. I have folders of **text PDFs** + (real text layer, not scans) grouped by topic. I want to convert them to markdown so + that you (Claude Code) can read the actual files and answer cross-reference / synthesis + questions across a topic — instead of using a RAG tool with a small local model, which + gave shallow results. + + Treat this repo as code. Everything goes in git. + + ## Tooling decision (already made — don't re-litigate unless something breaks) + - **Primary converter: `pymupdf4llm`** — pip install, no ML deps, fast, LLM-oriented + markdown (keeps headings/lists/tables, can mark page boundaries). Best fit for clean + text PDFs. + - Fallbacks if needed: + - `markitdown` (Microsoft) — if I also need DOCX/PPTX/XLSX/HTML → md. + - `marker` or `docling` — heavier, ML/GPU, **also OCR scanned PDFs** and handle messy + layouts/tables better. Use only for PDFs that pymupdf4llm handles poorly or that + turn out to be scans (no text layer). + + ## What I want you to build + 1. A small **batch converter** (`convert.py` or similar): + - Input: a source dir of PDFs (recursing into topic subfolders). + - Output: mirrored `.md` files under an output dir, preserving the topic folder + structure. + - **Idempotent**: skip a PDF if its `.md` already exists and is newer than the PDF. + - **Detect no-text-layer PDFs** (pymupdf4llm yields little/no text) and log them to a + `needs-ocr.txt` list instead of writing empty markdown — those need the marker/OCR + path. + - Print a summary: converted / skipped / flagged-for-ocr counts. + 2. A `requirements.txt` pinning `pymupdf4llm` (and a venv setup note in the README). + 3. A short `README.md` documenting the workflow and folder layout. + + ## Suggested repo layout (adjust to what you find) + ``` + research-library/ + pdfs//*.pdf # source (consider git-lfs or .gitignore if large) + md//*.md # converted markdown — the stuff you'll read + convert.py + requirements.txt + needs-ocr.txt # generated + README.md + ``` + Recommend whether to commit the source PDFs (size?), git-lfs them, or gitignore them and + commit only the markdown. Ask me if it's a judgment call on size. + + ## How I'll use it afterward + Per topic, I'll ask you things like: "Read everything under `md//` and + cross-reference the documents to produce , then save the result as a + markdown file in that folder." So optimize the markdown for *you* reading whole files, + not for chunked retrieval. + + ## First steps for you + 1. Look at the current folder/repo state and tell me what's here. + 2. Confirm/adjust the layout above. + 3. Write `convert.py`, `requirements.txt`, `README.md`. + 4. Run a conversion pass and report the summary + anything flagged in `needs-ocr.txt`. + + That'll get the desktop session productive immediately. When you're ready to actually do + synthesis, just point it at md// and ask — that's the part jarvis was failing at, and + it's exactly what reading-whole-files is good for. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/md/A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits.md b/md/A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4e3add7 --- /dev/null +++ b/md/A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits.md @@ -0,0 +1,11196 @@ +# A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits + +> Source: `A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits.pdf` + +--- + + + +----- + +A F I E L D G U I D E TO +D E M O N S , FAIRIES, +F A L L E N A N G E L S , +AND O T H E R +S U B V E R S I V E SPIRITS + +----- + + + +----- + +A F I E L D G U I D E TO +D E M O N S , +F A I R I E S , +F A L L E N +A N G E L S , +A N D +O T H E R +S U B V E R S I V E +S P I R I T S +C A R O L +K. +M A C K +A N D +D I N A H +M A C K +A N O W L +B O O K +H E N R Y H O L T A N D C O M P A N Y +N E W +Y O R K + +----- + +Owl Books +Henry Holt and Company, LLC +Publishers +since 1866 +175 Fifth Avenue +New York, New York 10010 +www.henryholt.com +An Owl Book® and +® are registered trademarks +of Henry Holt and Company, LLC. +Copyright © 1998 by Carol K. Mack and Dinah Mack +All rights reserved. +Distributed in Canada by H. B. Fenn and Company Ltd. +Library of Congress-in-Publication Data +Mack, Carol K. +A field guide to demons, fairies, fallen angels, +and other subversive spirits / Carol K. Mack +and Dinah Mack—1st Owl books +ed. +p. +cm. +"An Owl book." +Includes bibliographical references and index. +ISBN-13: +978-0-8050-6270-0 +ISBN-10: 0-8050-6270-X +1. Demonology. +2. Fairies. I. Mack, Dinah. +II. Title. +Henry Holt books are available for special promotions and +premiums. For details contact: Director, Special Markets. +First published in hardcover in 1998 by +Arcade Publishing, Inc., New York +First Owl Books Edition 1999 +Designed by Sean McDonald +Printed in the United States of America +BF1531.M26 +1998 +133.4'2—dc21 +99-20481 +CIP +13 +15 +17 18 16 +14 + +----- + +This book is dedicated to Eliza, +may she always be surrounded by love, +joy and compassion, the demon vanquishers. + +----- + + + +----- + +Willingly I too say, Hail! to the unknown awful powers which +transcend the ken of the understanding. And the attraction +which this topic has had for me and which induces me to +unfold its parts before you is precisely because I think the +numberless forms in which this superstition has reappeared in +every time and in every people indicates the inextinguish- +ableness of wonder in man; betrays his conviction that behind +all your explanations is a vast and potent and living Nature, +inexhaustible and sublime, which you cannot explain. He is +sure no book, no man has told him all. He is sure the great +Instinct, the circumambient soul which flows into him as into +all, and is his life, has not been searched. He is sure the inti- +mate relations subsist between his character and his fortunes, +between him and the world: and until he can adequately tell +them he will tell them wildly and fabulously. Demonology is +the shadow of Theology. +RALPH WALDO EMERSON, +"ESSAY ON DEMONOLOGY," 1875 + +----- + + + +----- + +C O N T E N T S +Introduction +/ +xi +How to Use the Guide +/ +xix +How to Identify a Basic Demon +/ +xxi +How to Identify a Common Fairy +/ +xxiii +Approaches to the Field +/ +xxvii +Origin of the Species / +xxxi +WATER / +1 +Tiamat, Mesopotamia • Mermaid, +Global +Merman, Global • Kappa, Japan • Rusalka, Russia +Munuane, South America • Wahwee, Australia +Madame White, China • Kelpie, Scotland +Nixie, Teutonic • Tikoloshe, South Africa +Nuckelavee, Scotland • Bunyip, Australia +Vodyanoi, Russia • Mbulu, South Africa +Merrow, Ireland • Ponaturi, New Zealand +MOUNTAIN / +49 +Huwawa, Mesopotamia +• Tengu, Japan +Huldrefolk, Norway +• Abatwa, South Africa +Yuki-Onna, Japan • Patupairehe, New Zealand +Tommy-Knockers, North America +• Kishi, Angola +Gwyllion, Great Britain/Wales +• Mahisha-Asura, +India +Yunwi Djunsti, North America • Duergar, Great Britain +Mountain Fairies, China • Akvan, Ancient Persia +Yaksas, Nepal • White Monkey, China +FOREST / +89 +Pan, Greece • Windigo, Canada +Kuru-Pira, Brazil +• Bori, West Africa +Wood- Wives and Skoggra, Germany and Sweden +Rakshasas, India • Ravana, India • Leshii, Russia +Eloko, Zaire • Oni, Japan +• Kumbhakarna, +India +Kayeri, South America +• Dodo, Ghana +Shedim (Judaism) +• Kitsune, Japan • Khabanda, India + +----- + +C O N T E N T S +/ X +D E S E R T +/ +133 +Surem, Sonoran Desert • Set, Sahara Desert +Azazel, Judean Wilderness • Iblis, Arabian Desert +Djinn, Arabian Desert • Shaitan, Arabian Desert +Ghoul, Arabian Desert • Devalpa, Arabian Desert +Mimi, Australia +• St. Anthony's Demons, Sahara Desert +Palis, Arabian Desert • Mamu, Australia +Ahriman, Iranian Desert • Namarrgon, +Australia +Ho'ok, Sonoran Desert • Satan, Negev +D O M I C I L E / +177 +Croucher, Babylonia +• Asmodeus +(Judaism) +Changing Bear Maiden, North America +Domovoi, Russia • Hiranyakashipu, +India +Lilith (Judaism) +• Changelings, Great Britain +Pazuzu, Babylonia +• Isitwalangcengce, South Africa +Liderc, Hungary +• AI, Armenia • Fox Fairy, China +Mare, Norway +• Kitchen Fairies, China +Fair Lady, Hungary +• Nisse, Norway +P S Y C H E / +225 +Gerasene Demon, Ancient Palestine +(Jordan) +Werewolf, Global • Loup Garou, North America +Leyak, Bali • Dybbuk (Judaism) +• Kitsune- Tsuki, Japan +Mara (Buddhism) +• Yezer Ha-Ra +(Judaism) +Seven Deadly Sins (Christian West) +Mr. Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson) • Id (Freud) +Shadow (Jung) • Yamantaka (Tibetan Buddhism) +Quantum Daimon +(Guide) +Acknowledgments +/ 273 +Bibliography +/ 275 +Illustration Credits / 281 +Index +/ 285 + +----- + +INTRODUCTION +Although far more commonly sighted than angels, demons +are still the most misunderstood of the ancient spirits. Many +demons were once ancient deities or nature spirits who were +degraded or demoted over the millennia by later cultures that +settled in their areas. Together they form the most archaic +spirit strata on earth and they've never lost their power to +enchant us. Often described as unpredictable, magical, and +riveting, demons have always lived close by — much closer +than angels — too close to ignore and yet too "Other" to get +to know. Humankind has always regarded demons with +ambivalence: as supernatural adversaries who must be com- +bated, yet also as a source of superhuman secrets, which can +be wrested from them. +Universally demons have been considered agents of both +good and evil, and have been looked upon as vital or negative +forces, but share key characteristics: all demon species are +supernatural spirits of semi-divine status with limitless +energy, excessively passionate natures, shape-shifting talents, +and preference for concealment, "indwelling," and darkness. +Demons are everywhere, in every part of the world and +in every moment of recorded history. They are as invisible as +microbes. They inhabit every grain of sand and drop of water. +They lurk at crossroads, crouch at the door, hide in trees, slip +into bed, wait in caves, slide down chimneys, hover at wed- +dings and childbirth, follow caravans, pretend to be friends, +mates, or grandmothers. They slip into your mind and become +your self. +Demons include the genii loci who imbue and protect +their natural habitats at any cost and fairies who've retreated +farther and farther into the remaining pockets of wilderness. +These underground operatives await the trespassing human + +----- + +I N T R O D U C T I O N +/ +X I I +traveler, expecting their usual tithes, and when ignored they +can be vengeful. Other demons are personifications of our +own passions, impulses, and desires, lurking about in the dark, +hidden terrain of our unconscious, and their habits hold pro- +found insights into the nature of our minds. Still others serve +as explanations of misfortunes or aberrant events, or are seen +as portents bearing chilling prophecies of death or doom. The +wide array of demon functions and roles are as fascinating as +their intense personalities. +Some demons serve as portals to sacred ground. Because +demons can be protective (at times overprotective), they were +often employed as guardian spirits to watch over the sanctu- +ary entrance. They stood at the portal, baring their fangs, and +ferociously repelled malevolent spirits who would fly head-on +into their terrific images and take off in horror. They had a +riveting effect on any human who entered in the wrong spirit. +This useful, evil-averting demon function is still displayed in +many cultures at places of worship, and it continues in a more +concealed form just as the mythic traveler approaches a forest, +or attempts the ascent of a mountain, a passage through the +desert, or stands at the banks of rivers, at the well, at the +doorstep. +This demonic protector/portal function is regarded by +the Guide as one of its most relevant. In all cultures, the very +presence of a demon — or of his reputation for lurking about +a specific spot — alerts the traveler to some taboo that in itself +indicates the presence of divine powers. The sacred nature of +Forest, Desert, Water, and Mountain is to be assumed if +demon warnings are in effect. These indwelling spirits are +reminders to avoid a certain action or to perform it in a pre- +scribed way — or risk incurring divine wrath. "Although it's +commonly known that modern humankind has been destroy- +ing the environment on which its existence depends; that it is +ever faster exhausting nonrenewable sources of energy and +other riches of this planet . . . that although contemporary +humanity has been aware of these dangers, it does almost +nothing to confront or avert them," said Vaclav Havel. "It is +my deep conviction that the only option is a change in the + +----- + +X I I I +/ I I N T R O D U C T I O N +sphere of the spirit, in the sphere of human conscience, in the +actual attitude of man toward the world." +Demons, like blazing stop signs, demanded attention and +defined limits in earlier times. Their lore in the Guide +expresses an animistic worldview in which wilderness held +"forbidden" places and earth was believed to be imbued with +sacred spirits, some beneficent, some harmful, some capri- +cious. The geography of demon encounters and quellings is +marked by many peoples on sacred maps, and throughout the +world these places Eire still sites of ceremonies. Many peoples +today believe in the literal existence of the figures and tales +in the Guide, while others see them as metaphor. In either case +they serve to remind us with their retaliatory gestures of +avalanches, floods, sandstorms, and acts of mayhem that there +are consequences to acts of greed, despoiling, and deforesta- +tion, and that an attitude of humility is more appropriate than +hubris in the face of nature's awesome power. +Demons are also the essence of human storytelling. +People everywhere tell similar tales, which serve to transmit +values and contain clear messages about what traits are con- +sidered desirable or undesirable. The demons are brilliant per- +formers who entertain us marvelously as the mischievous +trickster, the town menace, the sultry temptress, in what have +become our classic plots. As you'll see in the Lore sections of +the Guide, all these plots provide us, as Mircea Eliade said, +with "models for human behavior and, by that very fact, give +meaning and value to life." +Without the choice between the demonic and, for lack of +a better word, the angelic, there can be no moral to the story. +There cannot even be a plot. There can be no story without +internal or external struggle; no hero without antagonist; no +pain, no gain; no quelling, no quest. The demon is always a +challenge. +Demonic lore was pre-media campfire entertainment. +Many grisly scenarios seem concocted as thrillers. The spirits +outdo each other: What's worse than a buffalo-headed giant? +A skinless centaur. What's worse than meeting it on a secluded +mountain path? How about in your bed when you were least + +----- + +I N T R O D U C T I O N +/ XII +expecting it? Worse? How about if you always thought he was +your husband? Many of the bogey features of the demonic +creatures were probably intended to scare young children into +staying nearby, and the humor in the Guide's retelling of these +stories is not intended with disrespect but seems implicit in +the over-the-top nature of certain folk tales. +Note that most demons, fairies, and fallen angels are +encountered, trailing their gory reputations behind them, just +when they are about to be defeated or outwitted, so we see +them in their final burst of glory, roaring and brilliant like +fireworks' finales before "The End," when the light of reality +or day comes back on. +The demon is the quintessential performance artist with +an infinite repertoire of roles. His motive is to deceive, to "lie" +so as to utterly enchant his victim — sometimes with a fatal +denouement, but sometimes for only a bit of entertainment +(they never know when to stop). When a human actor sacri- +fices his very being to the character he plays, lending his body, +gesture, voice, and energy to create a "real" fictional being, +he enchants the audience and transports it to his make- +believe world. The demon, like a brilliant actor, is a virtuoso +who will go to any extreme to create the illusions that so con- +vince his audience that they suspend their disbelief and for- +get themselves entirely. Human audiences can learn from +such demonic performance to appreciate the power of the art +of fiction. +The demon, in addition to his function as protector at the +portal of sanctuary, performer, and plot enhancer, also holds +up a magnifying mirror to our passions — each so eloquently +expressed by the species. When they crave they are relentless +and almost unstoppable and the harm they do is rarely gratu- +itous, unless you get in their way. They're unconscionable, but +only when blinded by passion. Obsessive workaholics (they +"work like a demon"), outrageous in wrath — do they begin +to sound familiar? We can gain valuable insights into the +nature of our passions from these distilled incarnations of our +most havoc-wreaking emotions. What is human love without +desire? Yet to see where Desire can lead, follow the furry + +----- + +XV / I I N T R O D U C T I O N +fanged-creature heading toward Lust with his usual fiendish +verve (see the Seven Deadly Sins in Psyche). Demons have no +word for moderation. +Much of the demon lore's humor exists in the repugnant +habits of the irrational, uncivilizable demonic species who act +out in outrageous ways: the incredibly uncouth Japanese Oni +ingests several vineyards of wine and all his dogs in one sit- +ting and spits out rivers when he laughs (see Forest); and the +kappa always reaches greedily for a cow's liver through the +anus, only to have his arm broken off every time as the ani- +mal bolts, yet he never learns (see Water); the eccentric Wood- +Wife can't stand caraway seeds and goes screaming off +indignantly, "They put caraway seeds in my loaf!" and curses +the farm family forever. All this over-the-top behavior pro- +vokes laughter in part because it is recognizable: all those +unconscious desires, unbridled lust, and gluttony normally +repressed is what the unthinkable, insatiable creatures are +made of. +Demons would be virtually unstoppable were it not for +the few important attributes they universally lack: they have +no capacity for reason, love, or compassion. The human hero +has the light of day as well as reason on his side because most +demons are doomed to vanish at dawn. Many of the most pow- +erful demons can be as easily tricked as little children because, +although supernatural, they lack the intelligence of angels or +the human's potential ability to think logically or gain wis- +dom. They also lack the human ability to rationalize or justify +action. They simply are. They are also quite literally heartless +and love is so alien it can melt them. +Like human beings who can't act reasonably when in the +throes of rage, or reflect on past history when determined to +get what they want, demons are driven entirely by instinct. +In fact many are only hypostatizations of desire (see Id in +Psyche). When human heroes use consciousness, reason, love, +and compassion as their "weapons," the demon is rendered +helpless. The towering Djinn is tricked into returning to his +bottle and then sealed within; the Dodo who's eaten the entire +wedding party continues bingeing, this time on a proffered + +----- + +I N T R O D U C T I O N +/ +XII +sword, and he dies, releasing all the guests; Lilith, when +dragged to a mirror and revealed for who she really is, +instantly vanishes. +Finally, it is the demon who guards the treasure +(whether it be gold or an immaterial reward) and must be +conquered before any hero or heroine can claim it. +Frequently, in the Guide's Lore, the hero who encounters the +demon is transported to the Other World by abduction, or +sometimes by his own choice. In either case, when the +explorer returns he is radically transformed by the journey. +The spirits who pilot the journeys are always double-sided — +holding knowledge and danger — and are capable of +bestowing gifts of supernatural powers of healing and of art +(like the Ponaturi water fairies who are the source of all +Maori carvings). +The mythic traveler who successfully harvests the bene- +fits of his demonic encounter needs special qualities to suc- +ceed. Motivation counts, and somehow all the diverse demonic +spirits — the Jewish Shedim, the Arabic Djinn, the Russian +Leshii — discern what is in the heart of the hero. To the guile- +less goes the prize; to the innocent third son the victory; to the +humble passerby, the gold ring. All mean, miserly, envious, +vain human travelers end badly. +Throughout much of demon history, the genus has been +associated with malign forces (or life-eating powers), such as +storms and disease, in part because they had long served as +explanations for aberrant natural phenomena. Demons have +been held responsible for such events as eclipses, comets, vol- +canic eruptions, and illness both mental and physical of var- +ious kinds (a "stroke" is left over from the "fairy stroke," +which was understood to be the cause of sudden paralysis), +and some were considered agents of both fortune and mis- +fortune, portents of death when sighted, and choreographers +of Fate. +Throughout all traditions the demonic spirits have +avoided the light of sun, love, truth, or reason. However, by +circling Goodness darkly, or ignoring it altogether like swarms + +----- + +X V I I +/ I I N T R O D U C T I O N +of fairies, or attacking it head-on like fallen angels, all these +subversive spirits throw our universal ideas of Good into illu- +minated relief. They are the grace notes that accentuate the +human chorus of Joy. They (inadvertently) contribute to +humankind's idea of Goodness. + +----- + + + +----- + +H O W TO U S E T H E G U I D E +This Guide is an introduction to humankind's most ancient +spirits, the demons, and is planned to aid the beginner +approaching the field. Patterns and habits of a diverse spec- +trum of demonic spirits, including many fairies and fallen +angels, are described, as well as where to find them, and what +equipment and amulets are necessary to disarm and dispel +them. +The Field Guide points to the commonality of features +and motifs as it observes the creatures side by side, fang by +talon, in their natural habitats of Water, Mountain, Forest, +Desert, Domicile, and Psyche. In this way, they cross the arti- +ficial boundaries that seem to separate them by era, culture, +or spiritual tradition. Whether these spirits were spawned +from a collective unconscious or by diffusion of stories from +culture to culture is unknown. It is clear, however, despite their +variations, plot twists, and details, that they illuminate the +universality of humankind's most profound concerns. +When in the realm of subversive spirits — and we +always are — you must carry a map. You don't ever want to be +stuck relying on one of them for directions. You want always +to travel in goodhearted company and be sure you know your +companions well before you set out. You don't ever want to ask +the time, for a supernatural hour may equal a year or century +back home. You will also want to know what you can and can- +not eat if you intend ever to go home again. In case of emer- +gency, you'll want to know how to find the exit. This +information can be found in the Lore sections of the Guide. +Dispelling & Disarming Techniques are supplied for most +entries. +As with bees, don't bother them and they won't bother +you is a good rule to follow. Especially with fairies. However, + +----- + +H O W +T O +U S E +T H E +G U I D E +/ XX +as you'll see from the Guide's Lore sections, sometimes they +expect a sacrifice, or at the very least a porridge offering. After +all, most were once seen as deities. And when you picnic in a +forest or on a mountain, remember, they believe you're tres- +passing. Keep a respectful distance. Since some spirits travel +the universe in one step and fly faster than the speed of +light, the recommended distance is, unfortunately, undefin- +able. Lest you think all this too lighthearted, know that +human laughter is one of three sure sounds to instantly drive +off demonic spirits (the other two are church bells and fire- +crackers). +Only those demonic species who seem of particular +interest because they manifest spectacularly, or inspire good +tales, or are important in their traditions, or have idiosyncratic +twists, are seen here. The Guide's bibliography is extensive, +with the hope the reader will use it to continue exploring. + +----- + +H O W TO IDENTIFY A BASIC DEMON +The demon is universally regarded as an incorporeal spirit +who can actualize in many ways, yet is usually depicted as a +grotesque hybrid: part Homo sapiens, part wild beast, it always +walks upright. It has other recognizably human features, but +often quite unnatural or uncommon ones, such as way too +many fingers or none at all, no bones, no skin, or perhaps sev- +eral heads. There is something about its mouth and teeth that +is always alarming. +The entire species is composed of supernatural, compos- +ite feral creatures with telltale tails (often hidden from view), + +----- + +H O W +T O +I D E N T I F Y +A +B A S I C +D E M O N +/ X X I I +hooves or talons, batlike wings, and intense heliophobia. In its +basic shape, scales or fur covers at least half its body (the hid- +den half), and its "real face" is one that inspires terror. Even +when at a village dance, dressed to kill and looking irresistibly +attractive, it can always be recognized by its feet: whether they +are those of a rooster, goat, goose, or pig, webbed, or fish/snake +bottom, a discreet glance down will confirm its true nature. +In tales of enchantment the human kisses the bear, frog, +or ugly crone only to find in its place a handsome prince or +beautiful maiden. With the demonic spirit, an inverse trans- +formation occurs: the human is lured out in the night by a +beauty or handsome stranger for a tryst, only to discover a +hideous serial killer with a fanged overbite. In some tradi- +tions the person is enlightened by this encounter as to the +nature of reality and illusion, and with that insight, van- +quishes the spirit; and in others the creature must be +destroyed by wit or sword, but it is always a learning ex- +perience. +The "Basic Demon," as depicted, obviously cannot be the +being that attracts a traveler; all these creatures enchant by +"shape-shifting" into someone or something highly desirable +to that special traveler. Some say the noncorporeal spirits hide +within natural shapes (some even inhabit corpses). Others +claim they never actualize by shape-shifting but simply pro- +ject illusory images like film stars, designed to ensnare and +seduce. Like love, they do manage to alter reality for a while. +Shape-shifting is the supernatural art of creating illu- +sory appearances and transformations out of thin air. Demons, +using only their energy, can appear as smoke, as temptresses, +animals, grains of sand, flickering lights, blades of grass, or +neighbors. These magical antics Eire kept up tirelessly, heart- +lessly, and innovatively all night long. The Basic Demon +shown here can only be seen by the viewer who sees through +its seductively packaged masks. It is when one finally sees +through the Basic Demon itself that it is utterly disempow- +ered and vanishes without a trace. + +----- + +H O W TO IDENTIFY A C O M M O N FAIRY +Fairies cast a "glamour" over their prey like moonlight, an +illusory attractiveness so utterly bewitching that one is too +enchanted to ask who they really are until it's too late. Fairies +are usually depicted in a positive light: they are usually of +feminine gender and seen as dainty, winsome, small or even +tiny humans with wings that are often gossamer, sometimes +like those of a butterfly, and sometimes angelic. But a glance +down will reveal talons instead of feet. Fairies tend to vanish +rather than shape-shift. They can shape-shift if they want to, +however, and are often sighted in human guise at village +dances and markets. There is no certainty about their essen- +tial form, but the consensus is they are transparent. +Fairies live in a subterranean parallel universe of their +own that is often entered via holes in the ground, a moun- +tainside, or a hill, and also in subaqueous castles entered via a +lake or river. Fairyland is not one of everyday experience; it is +Other, and only visible from time to time to special adults and +children, not because the viewers will it, but because they +somehow fall upon it by chance. +Fairies, like demons, may be the residue of ancient deities, +diminutive nature spirits, and have also been considered the + +----- + +H O W +T O +I D E N T I F Y +A +C O M M O N +F A I R Y +/ +X X I V +souls of the dead (especially unbaptized babies), or fallen angels +(those angels who weren't so evil as to be thrust into hell, but +instead landed in the subterranean realms of earth). Fairy lore +is often interchangeable with demonic lore, although demons +have a worse reputation because they've been confused with +"devils." The Devil is of quite a different family that originates +later from Diabolos, Greek for "slanderer" or "adversary" and +referring to Satan or the Devil. Most "devils" are in hell and +not in the Guide. In the opinion of the Guide, both fairies and +demons are in a Class of Supernatural Subversive Spirits that +share most of the same traits and habits and lore. Fairies, like +demons, are considered to be supernatural helpers from time +to time, but their attitudes vary considerably, and they are +always dangerous. +Except when they kidnap human babies or borrow +human males to propagate their species, fairies prefer to have +nothing to do with the human community. They are very pri- +vate, and when disturbed by gawkers or intruders they react +violently. Some fairies were categorized by W. B. Yeats as +"sociable" and some as "solitary." The latter are always malev- +olent, but all of them, despite their small size and adorable +guises, can be surprisingly sinister. Fairies generally are more +aloof and laid back than their energetically engaging demonic +cousins, and provoke fewer involuntary encounters, but they +are equally vengeful when stepped on or rejected. (See the +Abatwa in Mountain who sends a lethal invisible arrow into +the foot of any human who steps upon him, and the Sea Fairy +in Water who will rise to the occasion when rebuffed and kiss +her ex-lover to death in his own home.) +It will be shown that if a human visits Fairyland and eats +fairy food, he or she will usually not return to the land of the +living. Joining a dancing fairy ring — Celtic fairies are always +dancing in rings — is as dangerous as ingesting fairy food. +Once enchanted by this species, it is almost always too painful +to return to everyday life, and returned people have been +known to waste away pining for lost bliss. +The Guide identifies all these creatures, demon, fairy, +and fallen angel, as "subversive spirits" because they over- + +----- + +X X V +/ +H O W +T O +I D E N T I F Y +A +C O M M O N +F A I R Y +throw all civilized order, reason, rules, and expectations. +Where they live, deep within our Psyche, or the waters or +woods of our planet, all is chaos, darkness, and turbulent cre- +ative energy that can erupt, break through, and overturn rou- +tine daytime existence. Nowhere to travel without a Guide. + +----- + + + +----- + +A P P R O A C H E S TO THE F I E L D +When and where can the various species be found? Location is +a more ambiguous issue, since the Other World surrounds us +like undetectable ether, but the surest way to encounter a +demon manifesting itself in our world is to venture alone, at +night, outside town boundaries. Your presence will probably +invite an abundant display of demon plumage. According to +every source on the demonic spirits, from canonical texts to +occult books, epics, myth, folklore, and superstitions of all +peoples, the dark spirits rise at sunset. +The Guide is arranged by habitat. The nature of the +habitat seems to shape the nature of the spirits who reside +within, or perhaps the specific nature of each habitat as seen +by humankind at its most terrifying and unmanageable is +expressed by its particular indwelling spirits. They seem to +represent the very nature of nature as experienced by +humankind, and arise from the Psyche, a terrain of unfath- +omable depth that represents the nature of human nature. +The Guide begins with WATER, the element of form- +less potential from which creation and consciousness emerge. +Its distinctive characteristics are seen in its teeming popula- +tion of aquatic femmes fatales who cause mists, drownings, +and shipwrecks. It is the most chaotic and profoundly myste- +rious of all habitats, and all its creatures are unpredictable. Its +amphibians lurk about the land at night fishing for humans +and return to their unknown depths by morning. In each +lagoon, well, lake, and river, beautiful bait waits to hook a voy- +ager. The encounters produce oceans of stories. +The MOUNTAIN, considered the sacred abode of the +divine spirits, holds in crevices and caves a huge hidden popula- +tion of fairies, who often hover like flickering lights over +precipices. They serve to guard treasure and warn any encroach- + +----- + +A P P R O A C H E S +T O +T H E +F I E L D +/ +X X V I I I +ing humans that they are trespassers by creating hazardous con- +ditions, falling rocks, and mud slides. +The FOREST houses a wild kingdom of (mostly) preda- +tory male demons, often camouflaged as beasts or trees, who +spring suddenly from shadows to catch and devour hunters and +domestic animals. Entering a forest, usually the nearest habi- +tat to a village, is crossing over into a dangerous, dark world +beyond and wholly unlike the safe community at its edge. +The species of the DESERT frequently display as +whirling powerful sandstorms but also appear in friend guise +and soon shape-shift to alien form, or instantly vanish along +with their tented villages, all expressing the powerful state of +flux and shifting reality of this terrain. It is in this vast, hos- +tile wilderness that three Western world religions have placed +their most powerfully radical species to wage battle with spir- +itual journeymen who seek them out. +For armchair travelers, the DOMICILE houses the most +variegated species of demons: they lurk in the doorway +(pouncing if the home is approached incautiously); in the bed- +room, where seductive succubi or incubi often appear to any +solitary spouse whose mate is away; and in the kitchen or base- +ment is the genius loci puttering about all night (fed or pro- +pitiated by the humans who share its abode). Dangerous +disease spirits attempt to fly in through windows, and fairies +enter the nursery and take babies in exchange for their own. +Each portion of the home defines its demon specialties by its +fears and has shelves of preventative measures. +Lastly, closer than home, is the terrain of the PSYCHE. +One doesn't have to leave one's mind to witness the lively +Dybbuk, Werewolf, or Kitsune-Tsuki, who leave their prey +looking quite normal but for that telltale vocal change and a +new je ne sais quoi behind the eyes. The Psyche, once home to +the medieval Seven Deadly Sins, in this century has the Id and +Shadow, who often require an exorcist or rather, psychoana- +lyst, to address them directly. Most important, the Psyche is +the place to recognize all of our personal demons and to dis- +cover transformation techniques. +The Field Guide will not discuss philosophical issues + +----- + +X X I X +/ A P P R O A C H E S +TO T H E +F I E L D +associated with demons, like Evil or how it arose (a vast, fas- +cinating mystery inextricably linked to the question of theod- +icy — how there can be suffering and evil if God is good). It +will avoid Halloween and bhuttas and witch hunts entirely +and the only mention of "ghost" will be the gui or shen ori- +gin of certain Chinese spirits. The "devils" and infernal +demons who have not come up for air or interacted with liv- +ing people will not be identified in these pages. With 20,000 +demons in a sole epic battle of the Ramayana, a modest +medieval professional estimate of 7,405,926 demons in the +world, and a Talmudic guess of one demon per person, the +Guide must be highly selective and has included only those +personalities who, by their nature, appearance, or stories, offer +the reader an insight to the genus — or genius — of them all. + +----- + + + +----- + +ORIGIN O F T H E S P E C I E S +In the beginning, invisible hordes wing through the universe +faster than the speed of light. In this world each tree, lake, +rock, wall, and hearth pulse with indwelling power, and any +abnormal change of weather, fortune, or health is attributed +to unseen agencies of shadowy, anonymous collectives. This is +the origin of many Western species who slowly spin into focus. +The daemonic remains unnamed and highly charged as quan- +tum energy, beyond human understanding, always present, +causal forces of good or misfortune. +In ancient Greece, Hesiod refers to innumerable invis- +ible daimons of two general types: the daimons of the hero +cult (which the heroes of the Golden Age became after death) +that act as guardian spirits, and the other daimons, evil spirits +of disease that can cause harm. There is an ambivalence con- +cerning the nature of the species: they can act for better or +worse, but either way their effect is powerful. In Homer's +Odyssey, the daimon is seen as that supernatural force (but not +one of the gods, like Zeus or Athena) which intervenes in +uncanny, preternatural moments, the kind that produce sud- +den insight, wild inspiration, peculiar behavior, or incompre- +hensible events. These fateful moments (for they are always +that important!) loosely connect the daimon to Fate itself. This +notion evolves into the concept that each person houses a dai- +mon of his/her own. In Horace, the daimon becomes the +"companion who rules the star of birth, the god of human +nature, mortal in each man," and is inextricably linked with +Fate. +It is Plato who definitively classifies and establishes the +function of the daemonic species for us, in his Symposium: the +Daimon is an intermediary spirit, described as neither god nor +mortal but something between them. The gods had no direct + +----- + +O R I G I N +O F +T H E +S P E C I E S +/ +X X X I I +contact with mortals and it was only via the Daimon that +intercourse between gods and humans became possible. It is +the Daimon that carries man's prayers to the gods and the +gods' will to mortals. The Daimon itself continues to express +a mercurial nature. Subject to passions and impulsivity, it is +known to fly off the handle and grow so enraged that it +demands placating and sacrifices. But so do the gods of this +time. This Daimon is a mediator; a halfway creature that lives +in the gap between the Divine and mortal. +The gap widens to a gulf as a pessimistic view of this +mortal world sets in like ground fog. Over the next few cen- +turies we see a radical shift in demon status. Starting in the +fourth century B.C.E., after Alexander had changed the geog- +raphy of Greece by adding vast conquered territory, borders +widened and villages became urban and people no longer +knew their neighbors. For many, a sense of alienation set in. +All seemed left to Chance. Diviners and magic practices +sprang up all over to soothe the increasingly anxious public. +We begin then to see a major downgrading of belief in +the sacrality of earthly life as the ancient world became seen +as "sublunar." The ancient gods fled for "higher places" and +without them, it was darker here. The idea took root that per- +haps an inferior demiurge (a dark daemon who was either an +angel in revolt or a totally evil impulse) was the actual creator +of this materia] world, so entirely cut off, it now seemed, from +the heavens. +This divide of spiritual versus material realms became +increasingly severe over the next century. A radically dualistic +chasm opened wide. New religious systems of the East and +some mystery cults entered the thinking of Greece and Rome, +along with migration of peoples. By the first century C.E. an +age of syncretism began. It affected the Daimon adversely. As +Christianity spread, all pagan spirits were demonized and +shoved down under to new dwelling places, and now the +"angel" inherited the function of the Daimon and began +blithely circling around the old daemonic realm. The angel +was becoming the new intermediary spirit, so it had to grow +less aloof, more approachable, and it smiled benignly as the + +----- + +X X X I I I +/ O R I G I N +O F +T H E +S P E C I E S +ancient daemon/demon sunk to new lows and fell, stunned +and soot-winged, into a subterranean abyss. +John Milton wrote about this time (calamitous for +demonic spirits in the Western world) his famous poem, "On +the Morning of Christ's Nativity" in 1629. Here is a sampling +of the verse that tolled the death knoll for many ancient +deities: +XIX +The Oracles are dumm, +No voice or hideous humm +Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving. +Apollo from his shrine +Can no more divine, +With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos +leaving... +The lonely mountains o're, +And the resounding shore, +A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament; +From haunted spring, and dale +Edg'd with poplar pale. +The parting Genius is with sighing sent, +With flowered-inwoven +tresses torn +The Nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn. +Judaism never officially recognized demons, but several +species were very popular in Jewish folklore and called shedim, +seirim, or mazzikin. They were much discussed, and from the +Hagigah (a tractate of the Babylonian Talmud) comes this +description: +Six things have been said about demons: They are +like angels in three particulars, but resemble men +in three others. Like angels they have wings, and +are able to fly from one end of the world to another, +and know the future.. . . Like men, the demons +take nourishment, marry, beget children, and ulti- +mately die. + +----- + +O R I G I N +O F +T H E +S P E C I E S +/ X X X I I +Shedim were demons (borrowed from neighbors of the +ancient Israelites) to whom other peoples performed sacrifices. +In Deuteronomy (32:17) is an admonishment not to borrow the +practice: "And they shall offer no more sacrifices unto devils +after whom they go a whoring." In Leviticus (17:7), the seirim +(hairy ones), satyr, goatlike spirits, are clearly mentioned as +forbidden objects of worship. These prohibitions generally in- +dicate that contrary customs were popular. +One Jewish source related that the demons were created +on the Sixth Day of Creation when the Lord was producing +many creatures, but He was interrupted by the approaching +eve of Sabbath, and so there was not enough time to give all +the souls He had created bodies of their own. Another Jewish +source claimed that a demon race existed long before +humankind and grew so arrogant that finally humans were +created to replace them. They were left hanging about in +resentful droves. The notion of the demon as an elder sib- +ling/spirit who came before humankind is found in the folk- +lore and myth of many traditions. It is said to explain their +attitude and their sense of prior claim on property, thus +expecting tithes or sacrifices from mortal usurpers. +Meanwhile, in India, ancient spirits were winged hover- +ing siblings of equal power. They were all brilliant shape- +shifters who shared the power to create illusion (maya). Their +struggles were a kind of recognizable sibling rivalry for the +same turf known to so many human families. Even the word +asura, which came to mean anti-god, in early Vedic mythol- +ogy meant "gods." But the devas (gods) and the asuras became +locked in battle until one major incident divided the spirits +forever: +Myth has it that the gods and asuras were working +together cooperatively to churn the cosmic ocean and produce +the Elixir of Immortality when Vishnu appeared as a tortoise +with the World Mountain on his back wrapped round with the +World Serpent. The gods grabbed the serpent's tail and the +asuras its head. When the Elixir was ready, the serpent spit +venom at the demons, temporarily blinding them while the +gods gulped down the drink. In another version, it is said that + +----- + +X X X I I I / O R I G I N +O F +T H E +S P E C I E S +Vishnu showed up disguised as a temptress, and the asuras, +influenced by their slightly "lower" nature, were so distracted +by this sexy illusion they didn't even notice the Elixir was +gone. +In any case, in Hinduism, the asuras lost immortal sta- +tus, but kept a longevity of eons. From then on, the asuras, +semi-divine, with a nature unsuitable for angels, have +become their warring adversaries. A tad greedy, too lustful +and envious, too "human" to fly eternally, the asuras provide +the action. On earth they become the Guide species of +Rakshasas and include the formidable Kavana and Mahisha- +Asura. But none remain radically evil. They often transform +from one lifetime to the next and can be reborn as saintly +human beings. In the lore of India, all demons are born with +the seeds of their own self-destruction set in place by their +own action, and they will come to their inevitable end by +their own actions. +Farther east in Asia we witness demonic power as the +wrathful or terrific aspect of a deity, to be harnessed for vari- + +----- + +O R I G I N +O F +T H E +S P E C I E S +/ X X X I I +ous uses. In Buddhism, the demon was considered basically as +an obstacle to Enlightenment. Various techniques and meth- +ods were practiced to vanquish it. In Tibetan Buddhism we see +how the "weapon" of Compassion can utterly transform a +demon. Powerless in the force field of love and compassion, +they melt, truly vanish, and leave a luminous, empty land- +scape in their place. +In China, the yin/yang symbol shows a bit of light +extending into the dark, and a bit of dark in the light, all in a +whole circle of inextricable Oneness. The original characters +for yin and yang were the light and shaded side of a mountain +peak. This points the traveler to the inseparability of the spir- +itual and material terrain of this worldview. +The Chinese gui (deceased persons who do not become +shen) become demons, devils, and goblins who prey upon +mankind if not fed and given offerings by the living. These +restless spirits cast no shadow and usually serve the gods who +govern the universe and punish evildoers. They can possess +humans or cause misfortune. The gui of suicides go about +wearing a red ribbon around their throats and try to convince +others to do the same (and so take their place in hell). +Chinese lore of +demons springs from a mix of +Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It is rich and colorful +and much is found in Taoist tales. When visiting Eastern habi- +tats, one finds oneself in a constantly transforming, dreamlike +reality where there is no sure footing, and shen, gui, the world +itself, can vanish instantly. +In many cultures we run across subversive spirits who are +creative although anarchic and unconscionable. They often +play important roles in creation stories and remind us of the +sheer energy and innovative brilliance of these ancient pow- +erful, shape-shifting, intermediary figures. They proliferate +in the four corners of the world, practicing specialties that +account for all human urges, passions, impulses, ambitions. +The demon hovers near every one of life's special occasions, +and it appears at every border where we may cross too dan- +gerously near the realm of the Divine. +Demons wait to trip us up at birth, at weddings, at death, + +----- + +X X X I I I / O R I G I N +O F +T H E +S P E C I E S +at the building of houses, at setting out on travels, at having +too good a piece of luck (the kind that incites envy), or when +accounting for a piece of bad fortune. They are ever present +and uninvited. Naturally, they produce oceans of advice on +how to avert them, how to conjure, control, or tame them, how +to exorcise them, how to rid the house or mind of them. Yet +worldwide, like flying grace notes, they point clearly and uni- +versally to the good life, highlighting love and compassion and +all they are not. The tales in the Guide attest to the powers of +a demon-filled universe, to the unexplained, to human capac- +ity for wonder and ambivalence, to the extraordinary richness +of human Imagination, the faculty Blake calls "Divine." + +----- + + + +----- + +W A T E R + +----- + + + +----- + +W +ATER, CONSIDERED TO BE THE ELEMENT OF FORMLESS +potential, beyond order or cultivation, covers two-thirds +of the earth's surface and holds a vast supernatural population +in its fathomless depths. In the lore of Japan, India, Egypt, and +Babylonia, and in the Jewish tradition, it was the primal sea +from which creation emerged. Ancient deities imbued the +Nile, the Euphrates, the Ganges, and the fountains of ancient +Rome. +As a sacred element, water is believed to hold purifying +and healing powers. It can relieve thirst, renew the earth, or +destroy by flood. If water is withheld there will be drought and +death. It is both the elixir of life and the source of the deluge. +Approaching a body of water is still an occasion for prayer in +many traditions. The washing of hands and feet, the baptismal +font, the sacred spring, and the holy well — all flow with +myth. Human sacrifices were routinely cast into water to pro- +pitiate the spirits within, and then fortunes were told by ora- +cles at the riverbank. +Vast seas with their still uncharted depths and their mys- +terious hidden creatures have prompted many sailors' tales. +Watch Water for its unpredictable, creative figures, its sub- +aqueous fairy kingdoms, sunken demonic treasures, fierce +guardians, and oceans of stories. + +----- + + + +----- + +W H O ' S W H O IN WATER +TIAMAT +Mesopotamia +MERMAID +Global +MERMAN +Global +KAPPA +Japan +RUSALKA +Russia +MUNUANE +South America +WAHWEE +Australia +MADAME W H I T E +China +KELPIE +Scotland +NIXIE +Teutonic +TIKOLOSHE +South Africa +NUCKELAVEE +Scotland +BUNYIP +Australia +VODYANOI +Russia +MBULU +South Africa +MERROW +Ireland +PONATURI +New Zealand + +----- + + + +----- + +T I A M A T +Mesopotamia +Tiamat, of the Babylonian Epic of Creation (first millennium +B.C.E.), is an ancient sea goddess who gave birth to all. Part glis- +tening cosmic serpent, part winged animal, her image may +superficially appear more dragon than demon. But within, she +holds the essential DNA of all demonic species: the dark, cre- +ative, turbulent, protean spirit of the unconscious deep. +LORE +When skies above were not yet named +Nor earth below pronounced by name +There was water.. . +and Tiamat mingled her salt seas with the fresh waters of +Apsu, her consort, and bore populations of gods who lived + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +8 +within her darkness until finally Apsu could no longer bear +the disorder and clamor of the young gods. He attempted to +destroy their offspring. Naturally enraged, Tiamat collabo- +rated with her son and destroyed Apsu. Generations passed +until her great-great-grandson, the solar god Marduk, chal- +lenged her dominion. +Marduk was a perfect hero. He had four eyes and four +ears and could breathe fire. In preparation for the battle, +Marduk made a bow and arrow and a huge net. Carrying a +spell on his lips, an herb in one hand that worked against +Tiamat's poisons, and a mace in the other, he mounted his ter- +rifying storm chariot and marshaled the seven winds to follow +him into battle. +Tiamat was infuriated. From her rage came forth mon- +sters, demons, horned snakes, bull men, fish men, filled not +with blood but venom. Her army was radiant and terrible. She +appointed Kingu, a monster offspring, to be her spouse and to +lead her brood into battle. But Marduk challenged her to +single combat. He caught her in his net and then sent evil +winds toward her. She opened her mouth like a mammoth +cave to swallow them, but the winds were of such power her +jaws were forced to remain open. The winds distended her +belly. Marduk entered and saw within her an entire army of +gods, snakes, and demons. He shot his arrow. It split her heart +in two. She perished. He stood on her body and smashed her +skull with his mace. +Then Marduk sliced Tiamat in two like a cosmic clam, +and raised one half of her to become the roof of the sky. He +bolted it to hold the waters in check. With her lower half, he +created the earth above the subterranean waters. From her +eyes he created two rivers; from her udder, mountains and +foothills. From her saliva he made rain and clouds; from her +poisons, fog. After Marduk named each thing and set the stars +and gods in their places, he created man out of the blood of +Kingu, poisonous spouse-creation of Tiamat. +This Epic of Creation was read annually at the +Babylonian new year's festival, and since most of it featured +the slaying of Tiamat by Marduk, the supreme god of their + +----- + +9 +/ +T l A M A T +pantheon, the story was naturally told from his point of view. +The ancient goddess is seen as demonic in the eyes of the new +hegemony: male sun god defeats dark feminine life force of +chaos and creates civilization. +Yet without her essence nothing could be created. +Tiamat is primordial chaos. Homo sapiens can only walk about +and build civilizations in an ordered universe, and so Tiamat +must be divided and named, but within and of Tiamat is all +life. From this inchoate broth come tides, fish, birds, flowers, +weeks, night and day. +Water is, with rare exception, seen as female and quin- +tessentially Tiamat, and its anarchic, untameable spirits sur- +face globally. Despite its terrific dangers, we also arise from +these fertile depths both in body and consciousness. + +----- + +M E R M A I D +Global +The Mermaid +is a species of human size, rapacious, salt- +water femmes fatales (though they've also been sighted in +lakes and as far inland as many coastal fishes). The charac- +teristic shape of the Mermaid +distinguishes it from afar. +From ancient sailors we hear, "It is a beaste of the sea, won- +derly shape as a mayde from the navel upwarde." The +Mermaid always has shining hair streaming in wavelets over +ample breasts and very fair skin — a skin so strong, however, +that it could be used for making soles of boots that would last +three years or more. Her seal-like lower torso that ends in +one or two fish tails is conveniently hidden by surf. The +species is long-necked and comely with distinctive voice and +luring song. +From ancient Greece come three supernatural spirits +whose images and attitudes contribute to the development of +the Mermaid: Skylla ("Bitch"), the six-headed monster with +triple rows of teeth in each canine mouth who could devour +six sailors at a time when their ships sailed close enough to her +cave; the Sirens, with women's heads and bird bodies, later +seen with fish tails, who sang irresistibly (it was to avoid the + +----- + +1 1 / MERMAID +Sirens' lure that Odysseus had himself tied to the mast and +wore earplugs); and most important, the fifty Nereids, ancient +sea fairies who lived in an underwater kingdom but came up +to the surface to play. Nereids, who had whole human bodies, +were often seen riding naked upon sea monsters that resem- +bled dogfish. They were considered responsible for ship- +wrecks and storms, and, like the Sirens, had irresistible +singing voices. They were fickle. They were never what they +appeared to be. They were slippery and incredibly dangerous. +And they were enchanting. +There has been some debate as to whether the Mermaid +is utterly malicious or just forgetful about human ability to +breathe underwater. The available information is ambivalent +at best. With oblivious impulsivity (a demonic trait), she is +said to grasp her mortal lover so tightly that he is crushed to +death. Call her irresponsible rather than malevolent. In some +lore she shows a bit of remorse by heavy sighing at the loss. +There are tales of men lured to the dazzling undersea king- +dom of the sea-fairy-type Mermaid who do manage to live and +to return to shore, but when they have stayed dry awhile, they +so miss the subterranean depths that they pine to death. +Sighted singing on rocks, combing their long hair, with +looking glasses in hand that wink in the sunlight, they are +irresistible to sailors far from home and desperate for female +company. Sailors' maps have been found with spots marked +"Here be mermaydes!" written with obvious enthusiasm, but +none of these seafaring cartographers has lived to tell his +Mermaid tales. +Mermaids habitually eat their victims after drowning +them. From Portugal comes a seventeenth-century sighting +that claims they eat only the nose, eyes, tips of fingers, and pri- +vate parts of their prey, and toss the rest on the sand, where +the dismembered corpses are eventually found. On the other +hand, once in a while, a human man follows a Mermaid to her +world beneath the waves and lives underwater in splendor. +(This is the sea fairy branch of the family, indistinguishable at +first glance from their demonic cousins, but generally fatal in +the end.) + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +1 2 +L O R E +One night a man was walking along the beach and saw +a group of Mermaids and mermen dancing in the moonlight. +Their sealskins, which enable them to live at the depths of the +sea, were piled up on the sand beside them. After the dance +each Mermaid and merman picked up its skin and dove into +the water. +One of the Mermaids forgot her sealskin, and the man +found it and took it home. The next day when he returned to +the water he saw a beautiful maiden crying on a rock. She was +weeping over the loss of her sealskin; without it she could not +live in her home beneath the sea. The man had never seen +such a beauty and he fell passionately in love with her. When +she begged him to return her skin, he refused, asking her +instead to live with him. He promised to love her so much that +she would forget all about her watery dwelling. She realized +she could not change his mind, and so agreed. +The two were married and had two children. The man +was happy but his supernatural wife wanted nothing more +than to return to the depths. Every day she would sit on the +rocks and gaze sadly at the water. One day her son found the +sealskin that his father had hidden, and he innocently brought +it to his mother to ask her what it was. +She wept with joy. She kissed her son for the last time. +"Farewell!" she called, as she ran across the sand. At that +moment the man saw his wife running toward the water, seal- +skin in hand, and hurried to stop her. But he was too late and +she never returned to him again. +At their best, such as in this tale from the Shetland +Islands, mermaids are not reliable. In most tales of Mermaid +capture it is usual for the kin to retaliate by causing heavy +mists, storms, gales, and shipwrecks, cutting off all trade and +livelihood to the coastal human community. +The famous German tale of Undine reveals the true +nature of a wild sea fairy: +A fisherman and his wife lost their beloved young +daughter, Bertha, who fell into the lake and presumably +drowned. During a tempestuous storm the following evening, + +----- + +1 3 +/ +M E R M A I D +the grief-stricken couple heard a knock on their door, and in +from the winds and torrential rain came a pretty laughing +child who said she did not know where she had come from but +she had fallen into the lake and her name was Undine. The +couple raised her as their own and tried to ignore her wayward +disposition and her habit of running wild through the rain and +singing, although it caused them great anxiety. +One evening, when the child had grown to young wom- +anhood, a knight named Hildebrand passed by the cottage. He +was lost and seemed quite sad because of his hopeless love for +a proud young woman named Bertha. A sudden storm raged +outside and the knight was forced to stay for several days until +it had subsided. He became enchanted by Undine, and finally +proposed marriage. (The true story: When Bertha fell into the +lake, the sea fairies decided to send their own Undine to be +raised by a human family, marry a human man, and thus gain +a soul. They delivered Undine to the bereaved couple and sent +Bertha farther down the lake to a childless noble couple who +raised her as their own.) +Undine worried at the wedding ceremony that "there +must be something extremely awful about a soul," but out of +love she went on with it and seemed to undergo a radical change. +She became oddly tender, meek, and helpful and even seemed +content doing domestic chores. But after a short time there was +a reunion of Bertha and Hildebrand and he realized he loved +Bertha still. He spoke angrily to Undine, although she warned +him never to speak to her harshly — especially near water — +because the result could be dreadful. In response to his cruel +outburst as they were out boating, she fell into the lake, saying +only "Woe" as she vanished into the water. Hildebrand made +plans to remarry, but on his wedding day he saw the door of his +bedroom chamber open very slowly and watched in terror as +the spirit of Undine entered. "You will die," she said quietly. +Then she took him in her arms and kissed him to death. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Some say placing barrels on the side of ships discourages +the species from getting too close. Once they do there's no + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +1 4 +getting away, so it is important to be well informed. There are +aberrant, gentle mermaids who behave benevolently to sailors +and even share their supernatural skills and buried treasures, +but they are exceedingly rare and have received inordinate +amounts of attention. This overreported variety may have +originated in the Middle Ages when sightings were frequent +and there was debate in the Church as to whether or not a mer- +maid, who was part animal, could gain a human soul and +whether her status changed if she married a human being. +The Hans Christian Andersen tale "The Little Mermaid," +which evolved from this Undine tradition, has propagated a +pasteurized, radically denatured spirit in an unlikely story +with a mawkish ending in which the mermaid herself +becomes the sacrificial victim. Not only did Andersen remove +the spirit's ability to sing or speak and her wish to bite, he +tamed her, and rather than seek revenge at her betrayal, she +opted to turn into foam. And why? To gain a human "soul" at +some future time. Andersen's mermaid is a Christianization of +a sea spirit that is incredible to anyone acquainted with gen- +uine accounts of this ancient, ferocious, proud, exuberant, and +unremorseful species. +The Guide sets Thackeray's literary account of the +species in Vanity Fair against Andersen's disinformation: +They look pretty enough when they sit upon a rock, +twanging their harps and combing their hair, and +sing, and beckon you to come and hold the looking- +glass; but when they sink into their native element, +depend on it those mermaids are about no good, and +we had best not examine the fiendish marine can- +nibals, revelling and feasting on their wretched +pickled victims. + +----- + +M E R M A N +Global +The Merman, male of the species, is said to have a powerful, +attractive upper torso, a fish bottom, and a hollow look in his +eyes. He is reputedly always lusting after human females and +carrying them off whenever possible, making it a general rule +of thumb that "no woman should adventure to come near the +sea, except her husband were with her." +It is said that the Merman keeps the souls of drowned +sailors or humans under pots or in cages in his underwater +palace at the very depths of the sea, lake, or river. +L O R E +Once there was a Merman who befriended a neighbor- +ing farmer, some say a miller, and invited the human being to +dine with him in his underwater palace. The neighbor +accepted the invitation, and found himself fathoms deep, +enchanted by the magnificent rooms all filled with golden +treasures, the floors made of pearls, emeralds, rubies, and the +walls of shells studded with jewels, all blazing with light from +huge crystal chandeliers. After a sumptuous meal, the man + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +1 6 +was about to leave when he noticed many pots overturned on +the floor in the long halls. He asked what the objects were for, +and the merman replied casually that they held the captive +souls of the drowned he was known to keep. The neighbor said +nothing, but he was deeply disturbed by the proof of such +rumors and could not forget it. Sometime later, when he was +sure the Merman had gone out, he carefully descended and +again came to the enchanting palace. He retraced his steps to +the long halls and there, one by one, he overturned the pots +and all the souls floated up through the water to finally be +delivered. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Nothing is said of the fate of the human neighbor after +his exploit, however, since mermen and mermaids are well +known for their vengeful natures, and since the weather, mists, +rains, and floods are influenced by these spirits, it can only be +assumed that inclement weather arose and the farmer may +have found himself in the depths again as prisoner. The sign +of the cross can help, as can metal objects such as knives to +avert the species, and various food offerings and lit candles +may placate the mermen under normal circumstances. + +----- + +K A P P A +Japan +The Kappa, a life-sucking amphibian, usually lives in swampy +pools, but watch for it while swimming in any river, lake, or +stream. The Kappa is the size of a ten-year-old boy; it has +webbed hands and feet, a tortoise shell covering its back, the +face of a monkey, a long beaky nose. It is quite slimy and emits +a putrid odor. Its most singular characteristic is a large bowl- +like indentation on the top of its head, filled with a clear, +gelatinous fluid. This mysterious substance is the secret of the +Kappa's power. Around this indentation it wears its black hair +in a short pageboy style. +The Kappa pulls its human victims into the water and +sucks the life out of them. Avoiding the neck, it always sucks +out their entrails through the anus. It is said to enjoy the +human liver most of all. Sometimes the Kappa will just take a +bite of flesh as a snack and nibble. Often it challenges +passersby to a game of pull-finger, whereupon it grabs at the +victim and pulls him into its home. The Kappa always wins. +L O R E +Long ago, in the river of a small village in Japan, there +lived a Kappa. He had eaten a number of residents and farm +animals. One day a horse went to the river to drink. Soon as +the Kappa struck, the horse reared and ran back to his master, +ripping one of the demon's arms off in the scuffle. In terrible +pain, the Kappa ran to retrieve his arm from the farm. He +promised to leave the villagers alone if he could only have his +arm back. The farmer made him sign a document, which he +did, with a webbed handprint. He never bothered the villagers +again. Furthermore, if he knew of another Kappa in the water, +he warned the villagers of the danger. The demon print can +be viewed to this day in a small temple that contains the orig- +inal document. +In another village, a Kappa got stuck to a cow as he +reached into the animal by his usual route. The cow reared +and ran home, breaking off his arm in the process. When the + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +1 8 +Kappa went to retrieve his arm from the cow's owner, the man +was reluctant to give it back to him. The Kappa promised that +in exchange, he would teach the man how to set broken bones. +From then on the man became a famed healer and passed the +art down to his son. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Although the Kappa usually gets its prey, there is one +well-known method of escape. It is based on the fact that a +Kappa is notoriously courteous, that bowing is a national cus- +tom, and that the creature's head indentation holds all its +power in liquid form. So, when encountering a Kappa, travel- +ers should keep bowing to it as a sign of respect. The Kappa +will have no choice but to bow back. As it bows lower and lower +to the ground, the vital fluid begins to drip from the Kappa's +indented head. When there is no fluid left, the demon will be +powerless. Take this opportunity to run as far from the water +as possible. +The Kappa is also said to love cucumbers, eggplants, and +fleshy melon. Many throw a cucumber inscribed with the name +of their loved ones into the water, for there's a good chance that +the Kappa will accept this offering and leave them alone. When +there is fresh produce floating atop the water, it's most prob- +able that there's a Kappa just below the surface, eating. +It is evident that humans can gain healing skills from +this supernatural creature, and protection as well. But to +obtain anything from a Kappa, the challenger must have +heroic qualities of strength and fearlessness. + +----- + +R U S A L K A +Russia +The Rusalka (pi. Rusalki), a charming, amphibious lake/river +species, is best sighted on a clear night when the moonlight +reflects off her long pistachio green hair. With delicate pale +skin and comely features, she is as much a temptress as any of +her saltwater cousins, but she can also shape-shift into toad, +frog, or fish with alacrity. +The original Rusalka is a Russian underwater princess +who lives in a palace at the utmost depths of the river or lake. +She is always on the alert for a mortal playmate to share her +palatial digs. She uses her amphibian prowess to roam about +on land luring children with baskets of goodies and young +men with her obvious charms. Unfortunately she is doomed +to remain lonely; either her partners drown or she tickles them +to death before they have a chance. This serial behavior keeps +her in continual prowl mode. Yet she never seems to learn. +The Rusalka is able to live on land for long times at a +stretch, years, according to some lore. This is because she +keeps with her a magic comb that she uses to conjure up +water, bringing some element of home to whatever habitat +she visits. +Rusalki are thought to be the souls of babies who died +before being baptized and also of drowned virgins. In the +spring they leave their underwater worlds and head for the +field and forest to dance in circles with garlands in their hair. +They are especially powerful and dangerous during the + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +2 0 +Rusal'naia week festival in mid-June. In this celebration of +spring, there was an old rite among peasants in southern +Russia and Ukraine of creating an effigy of the Rusalka, +which was buried or torn apart. Offerings were made to the +Rusalki: eggs and garlands to appease them. Songs were sung +to avert their powers. +L O R E +One June, a young hunter met a Rusalka in the woods. +She was lovely, with bits of flowers clinging to her long pale +hair; and she was breathless as if she'd been running or danc- +ing in the woods. He was immediately enchanted. He asked +her to marry him and she accepted. For months they were +blissfully happy. The Rusalka seemed almost sad to part, but +summer was over and she had to leave for her home in a +nearby stream. Her husband pleaded with her not to leave him +until she agreed to leave her address. The poor man felt so +dispirited after she'd gone that he roamed the woods hollow- +eyed and grew thin, for he couldn't eat. Finally he bravely +approached her stream and dove straight to the bottom to find +her. She was waiting for him and embraced him hungrily. It +seemed an eternity, that moment between life and death, and +in it he regained his senses and realized he was about to die in +the arms of his "wife." He managed to make the sign of the +cross, and instantly he found himself back in his own village, +a wiser but sadder man. +In other tales where a mortal man is enchanted by a +demonic spirit or fairy species his return to terrestrial realm +only seems instantaneous, but in fact fifty years or more may +have passed. He may return from the dead, as it were, and +upon reentry to the mortal world, will instantly turn to dust. +A real time difference exists between worlds and should be +kept in mind by all travelers. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The sign of the cross, so effective in this tale, can disarm +many Western demonic spirits, and when it does, proves them +to be of that ilk. Another method is to draw a magic circle and + +----- + +2 1 +/ +R U S A L K A +drag the Rusalka inside. This was reportedly done by a brave +villager in the past century after being attacked by a group of +Rusalki. The one he captured worked for him all year, but she +had to return to the water the following spring, as these spir- +its always do. + +----- + +M U N U A N E +South America +The Munuane is a toothless, gray-haired guardian demon +with eyes in his knees. He always travels on a simple raft. He +carries a bow and only one arrow, for he never misses his tar- +get. He is very large and somewhat slow-witted but equipped +with charismatic power and can psychically lure his victims to +him. The Munuane is considered by the Sikuani to be the +"Master of Fish," and will appear wherever there are many +fish in the water. +L O R E +Once a man went to the lagoon to fish. When he got there +he climbed up into a tree and carelessly shot many arrows into +the water from above. After a while, he climbed down into the +water to retrieve his catch. But when he pulled at his arrow, +only a stick came out. He knew this was a bad sign, but he per- +sisted, climbing back up into the tree to shoot at fish. The +Munuane +came sidling by on his raft, pushing his way +through the water with a long pole. Seeing the reflection of +the tree man in the water, the Munuane shot an arrow into it, +and was surprised when it didn't hit him. Finally, with a slow- +wittedness large demonic species mercifully exhibit, he real- +ized it was only a reflection he had shot in the water. He +retrieved his arrow and aimed at the real thing. +This fisherman had certain shamanic powers, and the +Munuane's arrow was unable to kill him. But the impact of +the arrow made the fisherman fall into the water, whereupon +the Munuane pulled him up onto his raft and paddled away +determinedly, calling out to his wife: "I'm bringing some- +thing home to boil for soup!" He repeated his words over and +over again as he headed for home. But as the Munuane +pushed forward with his paddle, the fisherman crept slowly +to the back of the raft and slipped silently into the water. +When the Munuane realized what had happened, he shouted +out, "My soup escaped!" +The Munuane began to feel around rather stupidly in the + +----- + +2 3 / MUNUANE +water with his hands while far away ashore the fisherman +watched his futile search. Then, suddenly, the Munuane spot- +ted the man, climbed from the raft, and the chase began. The +man climbed up a palm tree and, using his magic powers, +made it grow taller until it bent over like a bridge to the other +side of the lagoon. He jumped off, and immediately the tree +shrunk back to its original size, thwarting the demon's pursuit. +The following day, the Munuane reached the man's vil- +lage. When his family saw him approaching, they tried to +shoot arrows into its body, head, and arms. But the fisherman +knew the important secret: A Munuane must always be shot +in the knees! The man shot the Munuane in the knees and it +immediately perished. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +When fishing in Sikuani waters, it is said a person must +take only what he truly needs. The Munuane lives to protect +local residents and, as their guardian, considers all human +beings edible and destructive. If, by acting greedily, the hunter +should encounter the Munuane, its knees are its weakness. + +----- + +W A H W E E +Australia +The Wahwee is a deep-water-hole amphibian of the Aborigine +with a froglike head, a long tail, and three legs on either side +of its body. It is nearly thirty feet long. It is known for its insa- +tiable appetite and for its supernatural power to cause flood- +ing, rains, or drought. +The Wahwee is best sighted after everybody has fallen +fast asleep, when it slithers silently over the ground to a camp- +site and selects its human meals. It swallows its victims whole, +and after thirty or fifty average-size humans is still hungry. It +will also eat bush animals such as kangaroo, wallaby, and +wombat. +L O R E +Two children, a boy and a girl, used to play near the +Wahwee's deep water hole and dig for shellfish. They were +young and innocent and never realized that the place was +owned (and occupied) by a Wahwee. The elder members of the +tribe knew of the Wahwee, and that it might be getting angry. +They tried to warn the heedless children, but to no avail. +Meanwhile the Wahwee, who could see the children +through its hole, watched and waited. Time is nothing to +demons. It waited until they grew up. It saw how deeply the +boy loved the girl. One day, as the girl (now a young woman) +waited for her sweetheart, an old woman approached her, +weeping. The girl asked why she wept, and the old woman said +it was because she knew what destruction the girl would cause +her people by stealing shellfish from the Wahwee's home. +Shocked, the young woman said she would rather sacrifice +herself than cause any harm to her people or to her beloved +childhood sweetheart. +"Then return tomorrow," the old woman said. "And I +will tell you what you must do." After the girl left, the old +woman turned into an eel and slithered down into the water +hole. The next day the girl met the "old woman" as she had +promised, and was given a choice: if the girl had courage + +----- + +2 5 +/ +W A H W E E +enough to plunge into the hole, all would be forgiven; if not, +the Wahwee would call for the rains and destroy the village. +The girl immediately agreed to follow the old woman into the +water hole. +When the boy came to meet his sweetheart, she had van- +ished. Everybody knew that the Wahwee had taken the girl. +The boy wept and wept, crazy from loss. Every day he sat by +the water hole and sang for her. One day he noticed a little +green leaf unfold in the water. Each day, as he sang, another +green leaf unfolded before his eyes. He called again for his +friend, and this time a red lily opened in the water. The boy +plunged into the water hole and found his sweetheart. She +clung to him. He was changed into a water rush, and soon, the +water hole was covered with lilies and rushes. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +It seems in this case that it was true love that conquered +the Wahwee and transformed his habitat into a site of great +beauty. However, one must consider that the lovers were sac- +rificed in the effort. It seems there is nothing other than +extreme measures here, so to avoid loss, the Guide advises a +healthy respect for such powerful nature spirits as the +Wahwee. + +----- + +M A D A M E W H I T E +China +Madame White, a lethal, possessive, eerie demon of Taoist +lore, appears as a fabulously beautiful human woman dressed +in white. She has typical fairy features: a dainty, cherrylike +mouth, a tiny waist, and petite feet. She is always accompa- +nied by a demure maid dressed all in blue. Her appearance is +utterly illusory, and she will revert, under stress, to her +demonic form: a white python. Her maid is a blue fish. +L O R E +In a famous legend, Madame White was sighted by a +young man named Xuxuan who was on his way by ferry to a +temple on the bank of West Lake in central China. It was early +spring, during the Qing Ming Festival (a time of remem- +brance of the dead during which many supernatural sightings +take place). He was charmed by her, paid her fare, and, as it +had begun to rain, loaned her his umbrella. +Madame White invited him to visit her at home, and +soon after his arrival, she gave him many silver pieces, +declared her love for him, and even proposed marriage. +Unfortunately, when Xuxuan arrived in his own hometown +with the silver, the pieces were discovered to bear treasury +marks and he found himself under arrest. He protested his +innocence and told the authorities where and how he had +acquired the silver. They all went to visit Madame White, but +found her "mansion" to be an abandoned ruin. Just as the +inspectors entered, the demoness made a flittingly brief but +astonishing appearance, then vanished, leaving in her stead +the rest of the silver. +Xuxuan was exonerated but, perhaps because of his con- +tact with unnatural spirits, was forced to leave his native +province to work in a far-off place. There, he again ran into +Madame White. She persuaded him that the silver incident +had been a simple misunderstanding. They married and lived +happily for a while. When spring came, Xuxuan went again to +the temple for the Qing Ming Festival, and there met a Taoist + +----- + +2 7 +/ M A D A M E +W H I T E +priest. As they stood outside the temple talking, +Madame +White approached on a boat with her maid in blue to bring +Xuxuan home. Seeing her, the priest called out: "Demon!" +She vanished. So did the boat and maid. Xuxuan was very +upset. The priest told him to go back to his hometown. He did, +only to find "Madame White" lying in wait for him as his +"wife." By now he was very frightened that at any moment +What he now knew to be his supernatural wife would do him +harm. He asked the local village priest for help. +The priest gave him a bowl and told him to press it on +Madame White's head as hard as he could. Xuxuan did and +watched as she became smaller and smaller under pressure. +When she had shrunk to almost nothing, the priest com- +manded her to name herself. She confessed that she was a +white python who had fallen in love with Xuxuan from a dis- +tance, and thus changed into human form to gain his affec- +tion. The priest chanted incantations that kept her in the bowl +in the form of a small white snake accompanied by a blue fish. +They still live under a pagoda near a lake. +In an eerier sighting, again on Qing Ming, another vul- +nerable young man, Xuanzan, was out by himself passing by +the Broken Bridge when he saw a little girl crying. He stopped +to help. She said her name was White and she lived by the lake. +She had been walking with her grandmother and was now +lost. He took the child in. Soon the grandmother showed up, +and in gratitude she invited him home for dinner. +Home turned out to be an exquisitely furnished grand +palace near the temple that he had never noticed before. A +beautiful woman dressed all in white came to greet him, say- +ing she was the little girl's mother. They all drank a bit and +then it was suggested that Xuanzan should become her new +bridegroom. "Yes," she said, "and have the other prepared for +an appetizer." So the servants dragged her old lover from a +chamber where he had been resting, tore him apart, cut open +his belly, and removed his heart and liver. They offered some +of this appetizer along with hot wine to Xuanzan. +Xuanzan wanted desperately to flee. However, he man- +aged to spend the night with the woman in white and before + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +2 8 +he noticed a month had passed. At this point a new groom +arrived. Xuanzan knew he was slated for vivisection, but he +was saved by the little granddaughter. She flew him home, for +she had certain magical powers. Unfortunately this was not +the end of it. Next Qing Ming Festival, it happened again. It +was not that Xuanzan was gullible, or that he did not learn +from experience, it was a case of holiday possession. He was +again saved by the skin of his teeth. But this time the demon +woman in white was furious. She turned up at his home and +claimed he owed her his heart and liver. Fortunately, +Xuanzan's uncle was a Taoist priest and realized his nephew +was under attack. He recited incantations, burned incense, and +successfully exorcised the demonic creatures. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Watch for this species on holidays like Qing Ming, the +Festival of the Dead, when the boundary between the spirit +and terrestrial world is fragile and the air is filled with spirits. +There are no ordinary measures known and these matters +must be left to professionals. + +----- + +K E L P I E +Scotland +The Kelpie, also known as Each-uisg, is a male amphibian +species that can be found in and near all moving water and +notably in Loch Ness. The Scotland west coast Kelpie is +described as a young, sleek, handsome horse, black or brown +in color, who can shape-shift into human form. The east coast +variety has been sighted only as a golden yellow "horse." The +Kelpie has skin like glue. After enticing humans onto his back, +he gallops away with his victims stuck on for the final ride into +the depths of the river. When plunging into the water, the +Kelpie slaps his tail hard against the surface, making a tremen- +dous banging sound, and disappears under the water to devour +his prey. +There are, unfortunately, many stories of children who +are out playing much too close to the water's edge when a +handsome horse suddenly appears. He draws the children onto +his back, and can actually lengthen his body to make room for +as many as twenty of them. +L O R E +One west coast Kelpie shape-shifted into a handsome +young man and had great success with consecutive mortal +maidens. One night he fell asleep by the side of his latest, + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +3 0 +when she happened to notice a bit of sea grass in his hair and +something equine about his appearance. She fled. He followed +her home, vowing to get her back. After a while the poor +maiden managed to forget the brief encounter and met her +true sweetheart. But on her wedding day, just as the bride was +on her way out the church door, she was seized by a huge black +horse and was last seen heading to the water. Some say her face +bobs up from time to time, looking quite pale in the light of +the moon. +A Kelpie can be caught only by trapping it with a bridle +that is engraved or adorned with a cross. A captured Kelpie can +be used for hard labor. It is tireless, works like a demon, and +has such stamina it can carry its rider endlessly. Unfortunately, +at the end of each day it must claim one human victim. +One day, some people working in a field heard a strange +voice crying: "The hour is come but not the man!" Just then, +they sighted a Kelpie rising from the water and then sink down +again. Suddenly they saw a rider appear on a horse who was +speeding toward the water. The workers jumped up from their +labors, and tried to catch hold of the rider. They warned him +about the nearby Kelpie and the dangerous water, but he paid +no heed. Determined to save the strange rider despite himself, +they carried him, struggling, to a nearby church, and locked +him within. They told him they would free him soon as the +prophesied hour had safely passed. But when they returned to +unlock him after the dangerous time, they found the poor man +drowned in a trough of water near the door. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +When approaching loch country, remember: Kelpies are +an unflaggingly persistent species and fatal encounters cannot +be averted by usual methods. Even entrapment with a cross- +engraved saddle or working the creature overtime ploughing +hard land will not stop its eating habits. There is only one +thing that can stop a Kelpie. Though they live in moving +water, Kelpies cannot be exposed to still water of any kind: +puddle water, rain or tap water, or non-fizzy bottled water. +Travelers usually pack a small bottle of puddle water. And + +----- + +3 1 / +K E L P I E +beware of barbecuing near the loch. There's a story of one man +who did and unwittingly attracted the Kelpie with a roast. The +fellow unfortunately lost his daughter, who was sitting nearby +and was devoured whole. It is commonly said that the Kelpie +species tends to come out mostly in November. + +----- + +N I X I E +Teutonic +The Nixie is a freshwater femme fatale amphibian. Like the +mermaid, she has a characteristic profile of breasts and fish +tail. But watch for some odd features here. She has been said +to be completely green: skin, hair, and teeth. She has even been +sighted from time to time as a gray horse (these may be mis- +reported Kelpie sightings). She is often found in the mill pond. +Unlike the traditional mermaid, the Nixie always dwells very +close to and mingles with human communities. +L O R E +The Nixie can usually be distinguished from a mermaid +because she is a shopper. Because of this habit, she is often +found in town, where a mermaid would never travel. She is +sometimes seen in the marketplace in the guise of an old + +----- + +3 3 +/ +N I X I E +woman. How can one tell if it's a Nixie and not a new neigh- +bor? The discovery is usually made when somebody, a child or +clever villager, raises the hem of her long skirt slightly, expos- +ing her fish tail. She also drips fresh water behind her, leaving +a telltale trail of wetness in the marketplace for some obser- +vant human witness. +Aside from shopping, the Nixie loves to dance. As a fre- +quent visitor to village dances, she always appears in the guise +of an attractive young woman. There she entices many a vic- +tim and lures them home to the nearby millstream. In pagan +times, she was given at least one sacrifice a year, so now she +takes her own as her due. In fact, rescuing a drowning person +can often cause a reprisal by the Nixie (who feels understand- +ably unhappy about the food loss and disrespect). She expects +to be propitiated, not scorned. +The Nixie can live on land for extended periods; she has +been known to marry a mortal man, and even to raise an +entire family. However, these long absences present problems +among her original water demon kin, who sometimes come +to claim her. Whenever a young wife vanishes, it is certain +she was a Nixie if she is last seen sinking into a body of +water, and the water turns the color of blood. These occur- +rences are not infrequent as the Nixie often chooses human +mates to propagate her species, and her frequent intermin- +gling has caused much talk of changelings. (See Changeling +in Domicile.) +The male of the species is the Nokk. He lives in lakes, +ponds, rivers, and waterfalls. He resembles an old man with +green eyes, huge ears, and a long wet beard. The Nokk drags +people down, especially small children if they play too close to +the edge of the water or attempt to pick water lilies. He is most +dangerous after sunset, and to see or hear the Nokk means +someone will drown. He is often heard shrieking during ship- +wrecks. The Nokk often takes the shape of a bird that perches +on the surface of the water. He has also been seen as a horse or +half a horse, also as half a ship, or a gleaming silver coin or +ring. The Nokk plays music on a golden harp to lure his vic- +tim closer if his precious-object disguise doesn't work. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +3 4 +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Travelers who may need to drink water inhabited by a +Nokk, spit in it first to avert harm. In Sweden, when planning +to go swimming, first throw a steel knife or scissors into the +water and say: "Nokk, Nokk, needle thief, thou art on the land +but I am in the water." Conversely, when emerging say: +"Nokk, Nokk, needle thief, I am on land, and thou art in the +water." +Like many demons, the Nokk loses his power when +called by name. The best prevention against the Nokk is to say +his name three times: Nokk, Nokk, Nokk. It may sound oddly +familiar, but it is not followed by "Who's there?" and it works. + +----- + +T I K O L O S H E +South Africa +A Tikoloshe is a river amphibian demon of the Xhosa people. +Short and hirsute, he walks on land swinging his arms like a +baboon. The Tikoloshe is known for his voracious sexual +appetite, and preys upon local village women. But the +Tikoloshe can also be seen in urban areas as far away as Natal +and Johannesburg, where he often travels to copulate. +A Tikoloshe wheedles his way into a woman's heart by +offering to carry her heavy bundles or her water jar in return +for sexual favors. Like most amphibian river species, Tikoloshe +mingle with the human community in many forms. They can +appear at dances in the village, dressed quite convincingly like +attractive neighbors. They are extraordinarily charming and +seductive, and it is well known that many women find them +irresistible and fall under their spell. However, if a woman +does not succumb to his charms, a Tikoloshe will become +vicious and take her by force. +L O R E +One morning a man entered his hut and was horrified to +see what looked like a Tikoloshe on his way out. That night the +husband pretended to leave the hut again, but this time he hid +just outside and waited to see if the Tikoloshe would return. +When he did, the man silently entered his hut and, much to +his dismay, witnessed his wife copulating with the short hir- +sute demon. He killed the Tikoloshe, but resisted killing his +adulterous wife. He demanded that she tie up her slaughtered +lover, and when she had done so, they marched together into +the village carrying the corpse to show the others what had +happened. The man no longer wanted the woman as a wife +and the other villagers understood that. They returned the +cattle he had paid for his wife's dowry, and with the cattle but +without a wife, he sadly returned to his hut. The other hus- +bands knew it was only a matter of time before the Tikoloshe +struck again. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +3 6 +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +One common custom is to raise one's bed on bricks: this +prevents the very short Tikoloshe from snatching a sleeping +female away in the night. There is a twin Chinese species +called the White Monkey (see Mountain). He is very tall and +no defensive measures are known. + +----- + +N U C K E L A V E E +Scotland +The Nuckelavee is a lethal amphibian centaur. He has a head +the size of a small human, and his mouth, which rests on a +snoutlike piggish projection, is several feet in width. His +human-shaped upper body rises from his horselike torso. He +has only one eye, which is huge and bloodshot. However, what +makes the Nuckelavee uniquely unsightly in appearance is +that he has no skin at all! +The Nuckelavee is from the Fuath (Foo-a) family. Many +of the male Fuaths have tails, manes, webbed feet, and are +noseless. The females sometimes marry mortal men. +It is said that if a Nuckelavee breathes on a vegetable it +withers, and if he breathes on an animal it could die on the +spot. He is blamed for crops that are blighted by sea winds, and +for the death of cattle that fall from the rocks near the edge of +the sea. He is also blamed for epidemics and for droughts. He +seems driven by a vengeful desire to do as much harm as pos- +sible by land, sea, and air. +L O R E +It was on a moonless night near the sea that Tammie first +saw the Nuckelavee approach him on a deserted road. He had +first thought the creature was only a horse galloping toward +him, but identified the demon by the fins flapping loudly on +his legs and the hideous wide mouth snorting steam in his +direction. What caused Tammie utter terror was the skinless +body. He saw it all: the muscles and sinews all raw and dark +and pulsing as the thing moved closer and closer. Riveted, he +couldn't turn his eyes away from the Nuckelavee. He knew it +was futile to try to run. It was just then, as the horrid maw of +the demon opened for its dinner, that Tammie remembered +the antidote. +It was well known that the species was repelled by fresh +water. For one thing, it never appeared in the rain. Hoping +desperately that this was true, Tammie headed straight for +the loch. When he neared it, just ahead of the Nuckelavee, he + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +3 8 +accidentally splashed the demon's horse legs with some loch +water. The Nuckelavee reared and backed off instantly. So it +was true! Tammie leaped into the freshwater loch. He crossed +it, to fall exhausted on the bank, but lived to tell this story. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Travelers in the Scottish Isles carry a bottle of spring +water with them. As a rule of thumb sweet water and not salt- +water dispels demons. All Fuaths can be harmed by steel or +sunlight. + +----- + +B U N Y I P +Australia +The Bunyip is an important lagoon species of the Aborigine, +at least four times the size of a seal or about the size of a small +bull. It is covered with gray hair (or sometimes feathers). It +has hoofed feet like those of a horse, a flat, wide tail, and a very +wide mouth filled with large sharp teeth and two walruslike +fangs. It is said to have an equine mane down the middle of its +neck like the Kelpie, a head like an emu, and big flippers. The +Bunyip can be heard long before it is seen. It has a distinctive +loud and repetitive roar. +The Bunyip stays primarily in the lagoon and seizes any- +one who comes too close to its habitat. Instead of devouring its +victims, it holds them prisoner, makes them work, and eats +them later. The Bunyip also is said to have a long-lasting +supernatural claim over its human victims; even if they +escape, it will cause them death or misfortune. The Bunyip +also has power to control or cause floods or drought. +L O R E +Once many young men of a tribe disappeared after going +out to hunt. Their footprints all led to the lagoon and ended +abruptly at the water's edge. Thinking that crocodiles might +have killed the men, people began to avoid the lagoon, but it +had been an important source of food and soon the people +became hungry. One old visionary did not believe that croco- +diles were responsible for vanishing hunters, so he went home +and looked into his magic glass. There he saw all the young +men imprisoned in a cave on the other side of the lagoon. He +bravely set out for the cave, and it was then he first noticed the +strange, hooflike footprints on the shore. He followed the +tracks, then suddenly, out of the water rose two large animals, +four times the size of a large dog, covered with gray hair, with +fangs like a walrus, and short tails. Bunyips! He ran for his life. +The Bunyips followed, until finally the old man was forced +into a cave, the very one he'd foreseen, and there were all the +missing men. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +4 0 +Bravely clutching his magic stick, he told the hunters not +to worry because before he'd left the village he had arranged +for his friend to follow his tracks, and to listen to the ground +for certain tapping sounds that he could make with his magic +stick from deep below the earth. There, he'd instructed his +friend to dig a hole large enough for a man to climb through, +and prepare a tree ladder. The old man began tapping and +soon they saw a hole opening up above them. A ladder came +down, and despite near capture by Bunyip guards, all prison- +ers climbed out and safely returned to the village. +After much celebration, the people grew afraid of the +wrath of the Bunyip. They sang drought songs to dry up the +water in the lagoon and destroy the crocodiles and Bunyips. +Then they sang rain songs and the lagoon filled up again and +was soon teeming with fish. Later the villagers found the +bones of the crocodiles, but the remains of the Bunyips were +never found. +These villagers were fortunate, for the wrath of the +Bunyip can be overwhelming. In another village some young +men were out fishing late one afternoon and one of them +strung some meat on his hook. Soon something pulled hard on +his line. Very hard. Frightened, he called his friends to help +pull up the heavy catch, but when they pulled the creature up +they all began to tremble. None had ever seen a Bunyip before, +but they knew at once that what lay before them on the bank +was a child of the legendary species. +Despite an ominous, distinctive roar from the lagoon, the +fisherman defiantly announced he planned to take the Bunyip +home and give it to his betrothed as a present. They warned +him as he hoisted it on his shoulders, and then suddenly all +saw the head of the Bunyip's mother rise up from the lagoon, +and at her roar they ran for their lives. But no human can run +from the wrath of a Bunyip and, after glaring with horrid +flaming eyes at the fleeing fishermen, the mother vanished. +Instantly the water rose, and began to spread beneath the feet +of the men. The waters continued to rise as the men ran just +ahead of the mounting flood that roared into their village +home. As they reached their families, all was swept away: hills, + +----- + +4 1 / +B U N Y I P +trees, houses, were all swallowed by the violent waters. The +young man dropped the Bunyip, reached his sweetheart, and +embraced her. Trying to climb the tallest tree to save her, he +felt his feet grow cold, and when he looked down they were +talons, then his arms turned to wings. He looked at his sweet- +heart still held in his embrace and she had become a black +swan. No trace of earth was left and all had become water. He +floated there with his friends, for now they were all black +swans, and they never became human again. After the Bunyip +was safely carried home by his mother, the waters slowly +receded. Much later, when new people came to live near the +lagoon, they knew never to disturb the Bunyip. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +There is nothing to be done to avert the wrath of the +Bunyip once provoked, so the tales serve to warn travelers to +be mindful at the lagoon and to obey various prohibitions not +to pollute or greedily consume. This demon embodies the +unlimited fury of nature's retaliatory powers, which can even +cause an annihilating deluge. + +----- + +V O D Y A N O I +Russia +The Vodyanoi is a male freshwater species whose primary res- +idence is at the utmost depth of millponds. He has been +sighted as an old man with a greenish beard all covered with +muck, or sometimes covered with scales. It is also said that he +is half-fish, half-man, and some insist they have seen a tail. +Most say he never comes all the way up to the surface of the +water, and that he rarely moves from his site — usually near +the dam or mill wheel. He is considered responsible for all +local drownings. Further, if anyone attempts to retrieve a body +for burial, the act invites retaliation. +L O R E +The Vodyanoi is said to be a fallen angel cast into the +water by the Archangel Michael. He lives in a shining under- +water palace with exquisite furnishings and chandeliers and +considers himself a property owner in charge of all the many +fishes and spirits of his pool or pond. It is said that when a new +mill is built, the Vodyanoi will seek revenge by taking at least +one human life because it tampers with his habitat. +The Vodyanoi is reputed to have a single-minded pur- +pose: to drown human beings. The only people he maintains +a special relationship with are the miller and a few fishermen. +The miller has been suspected of sorcery and of making a pact +with the Vodyanoi (akin to the Devil in some local opinions). +He is said to dine with him in his underwater palace on occa- +sion. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +To avert human sacrifice, local folk use a chicken or a +black rooster in rites of propitiation, and the Vodyanoi is usu- +ally placated. It is said that crossing oneself before diving in +will lessen any problems that may arise on a close encounter. +Fishermen make offerings of bread, salt, vodka, and tobacco +to ensure his help, for the Vodyanoi is easily aggravated and +can punish them by hiding all fish and ripping up their nets. + +----- + +M B U L U +South Africa +The Mbulu is an amphibian river species of the Zulu people +who appears human at first glance. But a careful look reveals +scaly skin and a long, extraordinary tail that has at the tip +a mouth with very sharp teeth and a will of its own. When +the Mbulu comes out onto land, it is notorious for following +people down lonely paths and whispering softly in their ears. +L O R E +Once there was a widow who after tragically losing her +children, all but one, lost her will to live. She gave her only liv- +ing daughter a stick and sent her off to her uncle's house, +instructing her to tap the ground outside his house with the stick. +The mother promised that all her possessions would rise from +the earth. She said farewell; she planned to end her own life. +The girl reluctantly left home. When she had gone a +little way, she looked back and saw her mother's house burning. +She knew her mother had set fire to the house intending to +immolate herself, and that she could do nothing to help. She +continued walking on, keeping to a path on the bank of a river. +She soon encountered what she thought was a man sitting on a +rock, who announced that whoever got wet when walking near +the water must go in to bathe. Then he thrashed his hidden tail +on the water so hard that water splashed the girl in the face. +Obediently, she went in the river to bathe. While she was in the +water, the Mbulu took her clothes and put them on. When the +girl came out of the water and asked politely for her clothes, +the Mbulu told her he would return them as soon as she was dry. +Trustingly, the orphan walked on with the Mbulu at her side +and, later, again asked for her clothes. This time the Mbulu said +he would return them when they arrived at the next village. +When they arrived at the village and the girl begged for +her clothes, the Mbulu instructed her to tell everyone that she +was his servant girl. The girl was afraid of the Mbulu now, for +•he realized she was dealing with a powerful and strange +being. She obeyed him, so people imagined the Mbulu to be + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +4 4 +an important woman with fine clothes and her as his servant +girl. They did wonder why his voice was so deep for a woman, +but he said he had been quite ill. +After a while, the Mbulu married a man from the vil- +lage, while the poor girl was sent to work in the fields. While +working, she regained her voice and began to sing sad songs +about her enslavement and adventures. A woman who worked +near her finally heard the words of the song and made a plan +to see if they were true. +Since it is known that the tail of a real Mbulu is always hun- +gry, always hidden, and has a will of its own, the girl set a trap to +expose the creature. She dug a hole and filled the bottom with +milk, then demanded that everyone in the village jump over the +hole. The Mbulu, posing as a wife, was naturally reluctant but +had no choice as everybody was participating. "She" tried to +jump quickly, but the tail was out of control. It couldn't pass up +delicious milk and came out of hiding to drink. Outraged, the +villagers killed the Mbulu and buried it in the hole. +The man who had mistakenly married the Mbulu mar- +ried the girl. She had a child, and one day while it was play- +ing ä pumpkin grew from the ground where the Mbulu had +been buried, and it tried to kill the child. The villagers hacked +the pumpkin to pieces, burned it, and threw the ashes into the +river. Finally rid of the threat forever, the girl regained her +courage and set out with her husband and daughter and magic +stick to visit her uncle. There she tapped her stick upon the +ground and all her possessions rose as promised and she shared +them with her family. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Courage and alertness is called for with the trickster +demon Mbulu, as well as a sophisticated knowledge of its +habits and uncontrollable tail. As long as the heroine remained +in victim mode, she was enslaved, but when she raised her +voice in song, she was able to conquer the demon. As with +many spirits, death and burial is not enough, for from the +bones or blood of dark powers, other destructive forces or +beings can often arise. + +----- + +M E R R O W +Ireland +The Merrow — in Irish, Moruadh +or Moruach — is a +uniquely musical species of sea fairy that is believed to have +been ancestor to certain human families living today on the +western and southern coasts of Ireland. Its nature is one of pro- +found attachment to mortal men, whom the Merrow enchants +easily. They are always seen wearing red caps covered with +feathers, which somehow endows them with the ability to dive +to their undersea homes. Their music is heard coming from +the depths of the ocean, or at times notes float on the surface. +They can be seen dancing to it on the shore or on the waves. +They are charming and seductive by nature but extremely +vengeful if crossed. They are all daughters of kings who live +beneath the waves. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +4 6 +L O R E +It is said that the Merrow metamorphosed into the harp, +the national instrument of Ireland, and became thereby an +embodied musical essence. In Moore's Irish Melodies we hear +the opening lines: +'Tis believed that this harp, which I now wake for thee, +Was a syren of old, who sung under the sea; +And who often, at eve, through the bright waters roved +To meet, on the green shore, a youth whom she loved +The Merrow has been sighted in these parts as early as +887 c.e., when one was found cast ashore in the country of +Alba (now Scotland). She was documented as being of extraor- +dinarily large proportions: one hundred and ninety-five feet +long, with seven-foot-long fingers and nose. She was whiter +than a swan from top to tip. It is difficult to credit the accu- +racy of these described proportions with the frequent later +reports of her charms and mortal matings. +In another early sighting, one of Ireland's ancient kings +of the legendary Fomorians came within reach of several +Merrows while sailing these parts as he heard them singing. +He drew closer but unfortunately they tore him limb from +limb and scattered him to the waves. It is hard to know what +provoked them. +The male Merrow is quite deformed and unshapely, with +green hair, a red nose, and tiny eyes. They normally stay +underwater, where they keep the spirits of drowned fisherman +and sailors in cages at the very bottom of the measureless sea. +It is said that the females prefer human lovers to the male +Merrow. + +----- + +P O N A T U R I +New Zealand +The Maori Ponaturi is a coastal species of malevolent sea +fairies who live in the watery deeps. Their skin is greenish +white with an unnatural inner phosphorescent radiance, and +their long fingers end in clawlike talons. They can be seen +ashore in the middle of the night and glow eerily in the dark. +L O R E +Late one afternoon, a young boy was swimming with his +friends. He was much too far out and the sea was rough in the +rising winds.' The other boys tried to warn him, but he only +laughed. Then suddenly, he disappeared beneath the pound- +ing surf. When he came up he was no longer laughing, and he +seemed caught somehow. But by what? In the fading light they +could barely see him and they ran off to tell his father. "He's +drowning!" they shouted, and they all ran back to show him +the spot. But now the waters were dark and oddly still and the +boy was no longer there. Devastated, the boy's father plunged +into the water. Deeper and deeper he went, the water crush- +ing his chest as he searched for his son. +At the very bottom he saw a long shadowy form resting +among the seagrass and mounds of shells. He drifted closer. It +seemed to be a strange house, all covered with mysterious +carvings, with no windows; it was a long, low dwelling that +might hold several families. He circled the house in search of +the entrance until he came to a door, and attached to the door +hung the body of his drowned child. Shaken, he went inside. +The house was empty but for a very old and frail woman who +sat just inside the doorway. "Show me the people who stole my +son!" he demanded. +The old woman decided to help him. She said, "This is +the home of the Ponaturi. Do as I tell you if you want to avenge +your son's death. First, cover all the cracks in the house and +then hide yourself well." +The father of the drowned boy did as he was told. +When, near dawn, the Ponaturi returned, he began to leave his + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +4 8 +hiding place to go after them, but the woman held her hand +out: "Wait," she whispered. "The Ponaturi do not know the +cracks of their house are covered, and when the new day is at +its brightest, they will be tricked into thinking it is night. The +light of the sun will kill them instantly." +The Ponaturi were soon fast asleep, and after a few hours +the father made a loud noise. The chief was the first to +awaken, and he asked if it was still day. The old woman +replied, "No, you have slept long and it is nearly night." The +chief said, "I will sleep a few more hours because I am still +tired. Wake me then." +When the sun was high in the sky, the old woman awak- +ened the Ponaturi in the darkened house. The chief asked, +"What time is it now?" And the old woman answered, "It is +time for you to get to work." When all the terrible fairies had +gathered to leave, the father crept out of his hiding place, and +opened the door very wide. The Ponaturi burst through the +doorway and shot upward to the surface of the water. Powerful +rays of sunlight flooded the house, and instantly they all died, +swallowed by the light of the new day. +The father bid the old woman good-bye. He tore the ter- +rible door to the house of the sea fairies from its hinges and +took it with him. When he returned to the shore the villagers +looked at the door in wonder: it held a wood carving so like his +drowned child that it moved them to tears. +It is said that from this tragic drowning and from the +brave father's descent to the dwelling of demons, the art of +carving was transmitted to the Maori people. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Like all demons, the Ponaturi have a fatal flaw, and +humans can use daylight as a weapon. Like most demonic spir- +its the fairies are creative as well as destructive and can +become a source of inspiration. The father's dive into their +subaqueous dwelling allowed him to wrest a gift of art from +those who took life. At a terrible cost he found an eternal secret +and brought it up to the light of consciousness. + +----- + +M O U N T A I N + +----- + + + +----- + +M +ountains have universally been considered the abode of +the Divine; their highest peaks, often concealed in mist +and clouds, are sacred sites of revelation to which only the holy +may ascend. Mount Sinai, Mount Olympus, Mount Fuji, +Mount Ararat, the Five Sacred Mountains of China, Mount +Meru in Tanzania, Mount Kailas in Tibet — all have been +places of contact with the Other World. As always, spirit- +imbued territory holds terrible danger and is forbidden to +mere mortals. +When lightning flashes and thunder rumbles ominously, +the powerful mountain peaks are thought to be the origins of +storms. The waters that crash down and pour into rivers are +necessary to life itself, and when withheld their source must +be appeased through sacrifice. Who can approach Mountain's +awesome peaks? It is clearly off limits to ordinary human +beings. If cliffs, gorges, and avalanches don't scare a person +off, the Mountain holds demonic spirits in great abundance to +warn a daring climber. The spirits can appear as lights beck- +oning from a precipice and lead him to death, or they may +loosen a rock underfoot or above his head. +Active volcanos erupt in fiery display of the Mountain's +connection to subterranean worlds, where the dead reside. +Mountains also hold treasure —minerals and gold — that +belong to the chthonic beings deep within the earth, who are +often very reluctant to part with it. Many demons are associ- +ated with mining activities. +Paracelsus, the Renaissance magician, physician, and +alchemist, trained in metallurgy and mining, believed the var- +ious demons were there to guard treasure so that it would not +be revealed all at once to careless human beings. +In ancient China, mountains, the intermediary forms +between Heaven and Earth, were worshiped collectively as +deities. It was high in the mountains that Taoist wizards +gained supernatural powers and learned the secrets of medi- +cinal herbs for longevity and even immortal life. There are + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +5 2 +several mountains in the East that are sites of pilgrimage to +this day. +In Europe, the early Church knew there were abundant +shrines to pagan gods in the mountains — and what terrain +could be less hospitable to humans except perhaps the sea? So +the Roman Empire claimed that the Mountain habitat +belonged to the Devil himself. Formerly home to nature spir- +its, the climate changed. A huge new population of malevo- +lent fairies hatched. The word alp ("elf" in English) means +both "mountain" and "demon of the mountain" and +expresses our ambivalence about wilderness — that mixture +of reverence, awe, and terror which informs the multitude of +demonic images and fierce lore of the Mountain habitat. + +----- + +W H O ' S W H O IN MOUNTAIN +HUWAWA +Mesopotamia +TENGU +Japan +HULDREFOLK +Norway +ABATWA +South Africa +YUKI-ONNA +Japan +PATUPAIREHE +New Zealand +TOMMY-KNOCKERS +North America +KISHI +Angola +GWYLLION +Wales +MAHISHA-ASURA +India +YUNWi DJUNSTI +North America +DUERGAR +Great Britain +MOUNTAIN FAIRIES +China +AKVAN +Ancient Persia +YAKSAS +Nepal +W H I T E MONKEY +China + +----- + + + +----- + +H U W A W A +Mesopotamia +Huwawa, an ancient guardian demon, was appointed by the +Sumerian storm god Enlil to watch over the Cedar Mountain +forest, located in the coastal mountains of Syria. +Huwawa +appears in The Gilgamesh Epic, the best known story of its +day (circa 1600—2000 B.C.E.) and the model for much of later +Western hero literature, written in Akkadian in Old Babylon +but based on earlier Sumerian legend. Huwawa is a creature +of colossal size. His massive gorgonlike face is composed of +ropy twisted coils of intestine and can strike terror into the +heart of the beholder. He has a snarling mouth of fire and his +breath kills. Some say he is a personified volcano associated +with the underworld. Some say he is a storm god. He is a vir- +tually invincible guardian demon whose presence renders the +Cedar Mountain invulnerable. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +5 6 +L O R E +One night in the palace of the Sumerian city of Uruk that +Gilgamesh had built and ruled, Gilgamesh's friend Enkidu +had a nightmare, the meaning of which he could not decipher. +Concerned, Enkidu and Gilgamesh made offerings to the sun +god Shamash, who revealed the meaning to them: the heroes' +mission was to kill Huwawa and to cut down the seven cedars +of the sacred forest that he guarded on Cedar Mountain to +build a temple in Uruk. +Despite the misgivings of his community and his mother, +Gilgamesh (part-divine, part-human hero) had weapons +made, and set forth with Enkidu to the Land of the Cedars. +They traveled northwest for more than two years over seven +mountains to the edge of the world. +When they finally reached Cedar Mountain and beheld +the towering evergreens lit by the sun, all their mighty deeds +seemed suddenly minute. They felt small and vulnerable in +this giant landscape, and as the sun descended and then van- +ished, they became afraid. Again they made a sacrifice to +Shamash and waited for dawn. In the morning they called out +to Huwawa, but he did not answer. They trembled in the utter +silence. +Suddenly Huwawa appeared, roaring like a thunder- +storm. The ancient cedars bowed at the sound. Gilgamesh was +stunned by the horrid, vast head of the demon. In the terrible, +fierce battle that followed, Gilgamesh employed the savage +winds of Shamash to rage against the mighty +Huwawa. +Finally he stabbed him with his weapons and it was Enkidu +who cut off the head of the creature to carry home in victory. +Then, together, they stripped the mountain of cedar trees. +The duo returned home in glory, dressed in golden robes. +Because of this shining attire, Gilgamesh attracted the eye of +the goddess Ishtar. When he rebuffed her rudely, she took +offense and sent the bull of heaven down to destroy him. The +two men fought the bull and won, but now they had gone +much too far. To teach Gilgamesh a lesson, Enkidu was killed +by Enlil, who was the protector of Huwawa. Gilgamesh spent +the rest of his days grieving, searching for Enkidu, and learn- + +----- + +5 7 +/ +H U W A W A +ing about the limits of human life and the meaning of mor- +tality. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The chain of tragic events in the narrative of Gilgamesh +was set in motion by his arrogant act of killing Huwawa and +chopping down sacred trees of Cedar Mountain. The feat that +the hero chose, conquering nature itself, daring to go beyond +limits set by gods to claim the wilderness his own, has great +resonance in later lore and even in present-day concerns. +Look for the echo of Huwawa in the very nature of the +later demon population of mountain habitat. Many settled +here to guard sacred treasures against the hubris of the mor- +tal interloper, and like the terrain itself, they are fierce and +pitiless. + +----- + +T E N G U +Japan +The tengu comprise a class of high-flying demons, probably +Chinese in origin, who principally inhabit cedar or pine trees +in the mountainous areas of Japan. +The tengu are of two main types. The "higher tengu" has +a human form, and wears the red robes of a bishop and a small +crown; it has white hair, a red face, and is often seen holding +a fan made of feathers; each higher tengu resides on its own +mountain peak. The "inferior tengu" has small wings and +sharp claws on the ends of its fingers and toes. Sometimes they +are seen wearing small black hats and clothes made of leaves. +They all have large, shining, mischievous eyes. They usually +travel in flocks. All tengu, higher and inferior, have elongated +beaklike noses. +The tengu shares several traits with the Chinese T'ien- + +----- + +5 9 +/ T E N G U +kou, who is sometimes described as a shooting star and some- +times as a mountain demon in the shape of a dog that came +from the sky in fire and thunder. In either version, the Chinese +demon has two wings and kidnaps and eats small children, and +it can readily shape-shift. Another close cousin of the Japanese +tengu is the Hindu supernatural bird, Garuda. +Tengu are generally believed to be the spirits of arrogant +or vengeful dead, and are well known for their malicious +delight in practical jokes. They tend to prey on Buddhist +monks, interrupting their pious work by strapping them to the +tops of trees, or by offering them delicious food that turns out +to be excrement. They also can appear as Buddhist monks and +lead other monks astray, always in an attempt to stop prayers. +They also appear to many travelers who get lost in the moun- +tains. +Like fairies, the tengu enjoy stealing human children +and hiding them from their parents. When and if the children +are returned, they've usually been reduced to a confused state +and never fully regain their senses. At other times the lower +tengu are busy carrying out nasty errands for the higher tengu. +Because all tengu can endow their followers with supernatural +powers, the species has attracted a large group of worshipers +known as mountain priests, or Yamabushi, who claim to be +able to cure diseases and exorcise demons. +L O R E +A Zen parable tells of a hunter who was in the moun- +tains. He came across a snake killing a bird. Suddenly a boar +appeared and began to devour the snake. The hunter thought +he should kill the boar, but changed his mind because he did +not want to be a link in such a chain, and cause his own death +by the next predator to come along. On his way home he heard +a voice call to him from the top of a tree. It was the voice of a +tengu. It told him how lucky he was, for had he killed the boar, +the tengu would have killed him. The man subsequently +moved into a cave and never killed another animal. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +6 0 +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Understand the rules: Tengu own all the trees in the +mountains and must be propitiated for any lumber taken. +Historically, they have had frequent contact with woodcutters; +in order to successfully chop down a tree, woodcutters offer +rice cakes to appease the spirit. If not satisfied, the tengu play +all sorts of vicious tricks, such as starting avalanches or caus- +ing ax heads to fall off handles. + +----- + +H U L D R E F O L K +Norway +The Huldrefolk (hidden people) are fairies. They're invisible, +so though populous, are hard to spot. Some say it is their hats +that make them invisible; others report that the secret lies in +a special coat. Whatever the reason, they are there at all times, +living in another dimension, hidden behind a veil of invisible +vapor. When, on rare occasions, this veil lifts, the Huldrefolk +can be glimpsed. The males closely resemble miniature +humans; the female Huldre wears a blue, green, or white +dress, has a cowlike tail and a hollow back. +L O R E +The Huldrefolk live very much like Homo sapiens in +their parallel universe. They get married, have offspring, own +homes, farms, and businesses. The Huldrefolk are said to be +Adam's children, by his first wife, Lilith (see her in Domicile). +It is said that when the Lord unexpectedly dropped by and +asked Eve to show him the children, she hid Lilith's. The Lord +asked her if she had shown Him all the children. She said yes, +and He replied, "Let those not revealed remain concealed." +This is why the Huldrefolk are still hidden from our view. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +When building a house, take care never to build on top +of a Huldrefolk dwelling. Tap the cornerstone with a stick. The +sound can alert the builder to an invisible residence just below. +Another method is to sleep one night just outside the poten- +tial building site. It is said if sleep is disturbed another plot +should be found. If uncertain, a possession, such as a hammer +or saw, can be left overnight on the planned building site. The +next day, if the tool is missing, it is said the Huldrefolk have +given their sign. Without their permission, building a home +over theirs is futile — the house will be torn apart or burned +down. Some Huldrefolk +are good neighbors if treated with +respect. Others are malicious regardless of how well human +beings behave. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +6 2 +The Huldrefolk +are the owners of all wild game. To +them, hunting and fishing is not sport, it's a crime. Many brave +hunters and fishermen have obtained permission from the +Huldrefolk to hunt, although some areas remain strictly off +limits. +Huldrefolk are famous for their buried treasures. Look +for a blue light. Underneath the blue light lie vast riches. But +beware: Huldrefolk may also be down there. Furthermore, +treasure hunting has been said to lead to terrifying visions. +There are two ways to take possession of a Huldrefolk +animal without risk. The first is to throw a steel knife over the +invisible animal. As steel sails above it, the animal will mate- +rialize and can be claimed by the human thrower. A circle +drawn with ashes will also keep the Huldrefolk from being +able to enter a chosen hunting ground. This method is a bit +confining, because the person can never leave the circle again. +Most important to all Huldrefolk is peace and quiet, es- +pecially in the evening. When in the hills after sundown, +whisper, put dogs indoors, and tape down the bells on cats and +livestock so that they do not ring. If disturbed, the Huldrefolk +will take deadly revenge. +Above all, when observing the Huldrefolk, watch the +time. Stories are widespread of human travelers who have +been invited to join the Huldrefolk for a quick dinner or cele- +bration, only to resurface and find all their friends have grown +old. It should be remembered these are fairies. Babies must +never be left unattended when they are near. Human males +must be cautious because a Huldre can appear as a beautiful +maiden, but if she lures a fellow home, he is hers forever. Like +cdl fairies, she needs human DNA to better her fairy species. + +----- + +A B A T W A +South Africa +The abatwa is a Zulu spirit species, considerably smaller than +the common fairy, so small that they often hide under blades +of grass and sleep in anthills. They live in the mountains and +rocky hills, but they have no central village. They are nomadic +hunters who follow the game, devour their catch in its +entirety, and move on to the next kill. When the abatwa travel, +it is said that they ride upon one horse, sitting from the neck +to the tail, one behind another. If they do not find any game +on their hunt they will usually devour their communal horse. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The abatwa are easily offended and quickly enraged. +Their most common response is to murder by poison arrow. +But if it happens that one meets an abatwa while journeying +through the hills and mountainous regions of Africa, the typ- +ical encounter would go like this: The abatwa will ask, "From +where did you see me?" This is a trick question to which the +honest reply "I am seeing you here right now for the very first +time" will be fatal. The abatwa are wildly sensitive about their +size. The lifesaving answer is: "See that mountain way back +there? I first saw you when I was on that mountain." The +abatwa is usually placated by the stature this suggests and such +flattery earns a chance for escape. +Far more dangerous than encountering an abatwa is +stepping on one. When stepped on, the abatwa will stab the +hiker with the point of an invisible but deadly poison arrow, +which causes an immediate and baffling death that will con- +found the coroner. When in abatwa country, visitors must wear +shoes with hard, thick, impenetrable soles. + +----- + +Y U K I - O N N A +Japan +Yuki-Onna (Lady of the Snow) can appear as a beautiful — in +fact, irresistible — maiden wearing all white, her skin pale, +her breath like frost. She also manifests as a white vapor that +blows through the crack in the door. Other times she is seen +hovering over her victim, a floating misty essence. In all cases, +through her glacial lips she sucks the life breath gently but +inexorably from her victims' mouths. +L O R E +One bitterly cold night two men, a master and servant, +were traveling through a mountain forest when they came +upon a cabin. A snowstorm had begun so they stopped to rest. +Both men fell asleep, but the servant woke suddenly when +snow blew across his face. He opened his eyes and saw that +the cabin door was wide open. A woman in a white flowing +dress floated to the center of the room. He watched in terror +as the pale figure bent over his master and breathed a misty +stream of white smoke into his mouth. Then she turned to +him. +He tried to scream, but could not make a sound. Her +breath stung his face. The woman told him quietly that she +had planned to treat him as she did his master, but he was far +too young and too handsome. She threatened him with death +should he ever mention this incident to anyone. Then she van- +ished. The man called out to his master, but there was no +answer. His master was dead. +The next winter, when the man was returning home to +his village, he met a beautiful maiden named Yuki. She told +him shyly that she was on her way to become a servant girl in +the village. He took her into his house and soon they were +married. She bore him ten children, all unusually pale. Then +one night Yuki was sitting beside a lamp sewing. As the lamp- +light illuminated her beautiful white face, the man was some- +how reminded of that dreadful night so long ago. "Just now," +he said to his wife, "you reminded me of a beautiful, ghostly + +----- + +6 5 +/ +Y U K I - O N N A +woman I saw years ago who killed my master with her icy +breath . . . " +Yuki threw down her sewing and took on demonic size: +"It was I, Yuki-Onna, who killed your master!" she raged. +"You have broken your promise to keep it a secret. If it were +not for our ten sleeping children I would kill you now!" She +warned him never to hurt her children, and assured him that +since she would always know his every action, if harm came +to any of them he would die. With that, she turned herself into +a mist and floated up through the chimney. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +There is nothing to be done in any inevitably fatal +encounter with Yuki-Onna during a blizzard. However, when +a male traveler attracts a spirit, there are certain things he +must know. All supernatural wives come with a condition, +which can be any of the following: never speak of her origins, +never tell any other human being that she has supernatural +powers, never look at her when she is in a transformed state +(and always give her privacy and time to transform), or never +open the basket she brought with her or touch some item she +declares forbidden. Any violation of her condition will bring +about her disappearance and also may have fatal consequence +for the spouse. + +----- + +P A T U P A I R E H E +New Zealand +The Patupairehe are Maori fairies who live in remote moun- +tains and hilltops, places wrapped in dense fog. They look like +tall, redhaired, exceedingly pale humans, but they are rarely +sighted as they move only through the dark or the mist on +foggy days. Like many fairies, they consider themselves +guardians of the wilderness and all that lives within. +Often the Patupairehe take human lovers, whom they +visit late at night. The male Patupairehe are expert flute play- +ers, and use their musical skills to arouse human women who +happen to walk nearby. Those who fall under the spell of the +Patupairehe seldom if ever return to their old selves. Albino +children Eire believed to be offspring of such couples. +L O R E +Once a man's wife was carried off by a Patupairehe. The +man searched everywhere but could find only her footprints, +which led far away into the hills. He asked the village wise +man for help. The wise man performed secret ceremonies to +cause the kidnapped woman to remember her human hus- +band (for in the fairy world, humans never remember their +ordinary lives), and told the man to go rub his house all over +with red ochre, put some food on the fire, and wait. +Meanwhile, in the mountains, the wife was affected by the +wise man's magic, and she began to long for her human hus- +band so much that she wandered from the fairy hills and +headed for home. +The Patupairehe chief noticed she was missing and went +after her. He followed her footprints until he came to the vil- +lage. Aghast, he saw her hut covered with red ochre and +smelled home cooking. Naturally, these sights and odors were +Patupairehe repellents that set the fairy running back to his +foggy mountain home. The man and his wife lived happily +ever after. +The Patupairehe have been known to inadvertently help +humans. One day a man passed a spot on the beach where he + +----- + +6 7 +/ +P A T U P A I R E H E +saw the remains of fish that people had apparently been clean- +ing. Thinking it odd that anybody would abandon a catch, he +looked around for the fishermen. The beach was deserted. +When he looked closely at the footprints he saw they were +faint, as if they'd been made the night before. He wondered if +the fishermen were spirits who had been forced to leave +because of the approach of daylight. The man decided to +return to the spot that night to see if the mysterious fishermen +would return. +At midnight he hid and watched from nearby. There +they were, the Patupairehe, throwing their magic net to catch +fish. As they worked, the man unobtrusively joined them. He +was paler than most men, almost as pale as the fairies, so they +didn't notice him. He worked among them all night and +learned how to throw the spirits' net. Before dawn, the fairies +started to collect their catch and bring in the net. They worked +quickly, eager to finish while it was still dark. Each fairy ran +a string through the gills of the fish he claimed. The man kept +up with them, collecting fish for himself, but his string seemed +too short, and the fish would not stay on when tied. Seeing his +difficulty, the fairies helped him and soon taught him how to +string fish. +Just before dawn some Patupairehe realized that they +had been working with a human. At this discovery immediate +confusion and argument ensued, but the sun had begun to rise, +so they had to vanish. In their haste they left everything +behind. The man escaped safely in the morning sunlight and +he kept the fairy net. This was how the Maori learned to make +fishing nets and string fish and become great fishermen. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Not only are the Patupairehe heliophobic, they are afraid +of fire, ash, and the color red. They are repulsed by food that +has been cooked in fire. All these are effective deterrents. If +tricked, they can teach supernatural skills and be inspiring. + +----- + +T O M M Y - K N O C K E R S +North America +The Tommy-Knocker +is an American mining species that +seems to have originated in Staffordshire, in England, where +they were known as just plain Knockers. The Tommy-Knocker +stands about two feet high, the size of a three-year-old, and has +a disproportionately large head, long beard, and weathered, +wrinkled skin. Their arms are long and reach nearly to the +ground. They wear miniature mining outfits, caps and boots, +and carry mining gear such as pickaxes. They are usually +invisible to the human eye, so it is only by the sound of their +tapping, knocking, and working in various shafts nearby the +human workers that one knows they are present. +They can be helpful or malicious, but they are always +mischievous. This temperament can be hazardous in mine +shafts. The Tommy-Knockers are believed to have originated +as ghosts of men who died in the mine in the past. They work +like demons all night long. +L O R E +In northern England, home of the original Knockers, the +spirits often served to warn of disaster about to happen by +knocking mysteriously and alerting the miners to aberrant +sounds. Once in a while they could be helpful, as in the case of +"Blue Cap," a famous Knocker who appeared as a blue-flamed +light that flickered through the mine, landed on a tub of coal, +and mysteriously moved the heavy tub as if by the force of +many laborers. But when playful or vengeful they would steal +candles and hide tools and, at their worst, set the mine on fire. +Tommy-Knockers do not like to be seen by humans and +often react with extreme volatility and capriciousness when +they know they've been spotted. One story tells of a coal miner +whose load so outdistanced the others each morning that his +fellow workers wondered how. He never seemed tired or over- +worked and when asked how he managed to do such a hard +night's work, he simply shrugged. Some coworkers crept in +one night to see what was happening, and there was their + +----- + +6 9 +/ +T O M M Y - K N O C K E R S +friend sitting smoking quietly in a shaft. When they peered +over his shoulder they discovered a huge team of Tommy- +Knockers working for him. The Tommy-Knockers, according +to this report, wore tall red hats and used miniature mining +equipment. Soon as the wee demons realized they'd been +sighted, they turned on their mortal companion in a fury, per- +haps thinking he told his friends about them, and within +moments the entire mine erupted in flames. +Other Knockers, called Coblynau, haunt the mines and +quarries of Wales and point out ore by pounding, or "knock- +ing," on the walls. They are said to be half a yard tall, and +hideously ugly. They imitate the miners in dress, and carry +tiny work tools, picks, and lamps. They work constantly, but +never get anything accomplished. If not treated with great +respect, they are known to cause rock slides. Their German +cousins are the Kobolds, demon miners who take pleasure in +malevolent games and trickery, and the Wichtlein (Little +Wights), tiny men with long beards said to be death portents. +The Wichtlein announce death by knocking three times on the +wall. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +There's no getting rid of Tommy-Knockers +or their +European counterparts. However, it is clear that when they +choose to be helpful, one must respect their privacy and keep +their presence a secret to avoid fatal accidents. + +----- + +K I S H I +Angola +The Kishi is a two-faced male hill species. His forward coun- +tenance is human in features and quite attractive. This is the +face that tricks its female victim. The rear face is hidden by +long, thick hair. It has the features of a hyena. Its waiting +mouth holds long, sharp teeth, and a jaw so powerful it cannot +be pried off its meal by any means. +It is the human face of the Kishi that insinuates itself as +a potential boyfriend, and in addition the Kishi is a smooth +talker, a great raconteur who lures with ease. He often attends +village dances, invites his intended meal out to dinner, and +when the time is right turns his head around and devours her. +L O R E +Three sisters, after collecting water from the village +river, decided to explore the land beyond. The girls knew it +was dangerous to wander off beyond the boundaries of their +village, but they forgot the warnings, and little did they know +that the hills behind the river were inhabited by infamous +Kishis. +The sisters spotted a house in the distant hills and walked +there. While they looked around the outside of the house, the +Kishis watched from within and waited for their meal to enter. +Meanwhile the Kishis got dressed in their finest clothes, hid +their hyena faces under their combed thick hair, and wel- +comed the girls to their home. The sisters went inside and +dined with the Kishis, but the youngest sister did not eat. She +sensed that something was terribly wrong. +After the meal the Kishis played music for the sisters, and +when night fell, the girls were shown a room in which they +could sleep. When all was quiet in the house the youngest sis- +ter whispered, "I have seen their other faces. They will surely +eat us. We must go now'." So all the sisters climbed out the win- +dow and ran away. It was just in time, because when they +looked back they saw a terrible blaze. The Kishis had set the +house on fire, hoping to roast the girls while they slept. + +----- + +7 1 / +K I S H I +Later, when the Kishis looked through the ashes, they did +not find their human meat. They realized the sisters had +escaped and ran after them, hoping to catch them before they +reached their own village. Meanwhile the girls arrived at the +river but found it had risen during the night and was too deep +to cross. They quickly climbed a tree. The Kishis spotted them +and, enraged and snarling, roared that the sisters would never +escape. The Kishis now revealed their hideous hyena faces, and +as they pushed the tree trunk with their powerful bodies, the +sisters shivered in the branches. +As the tree began to sway back and forth, the girls knew +they would fall. The youngest sister spied an eagle flying in +the sky and called to it for help. She offered it chickens to eat +if it would help them. The eagle swooped down, picked up the +youngest sister, and brought her safely to the other side of the +river. The eagle returned for the other girls, but alas, one of +them was too heavy, so he had to drop her into the river below +and she was carried off. Before the eagle could reach the other, +the tree gave way and the last sister dropped into the arms of +waiting Kishis below. She was never seen again. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Note that the one sister who lived to tell the tale never +ate in the land of the demon. She was not seduced by his illu- +sory civilized form and saw the wild carnivore within. When +traveling in Angola, one must be as wise as the youngest +sister. + +----- + +G W Y L L I O N +Wales +The Gwyllion (from the Welsh gwyll, which denotes gloom +and darkness) are female spirits who live in unusually treach- +erous mountainous areas. They are haglike in appearance and +are identified by their distinctive, hair-raising laughter. One +notorious Gwyllion is described as an old woman wearing ash- +colored clothing, an oblong four-pointed hat, and an apron +over her shoulder, and carrying a pot in her hand. She cries +"Wow up!" as she passes her victims, a signal of distress. +Variations of this are "Wwb!" or "Ww-bwb!" +When travelers first lose their way at night, they often +come upon the Gwyllion, whom they generally mistake for +a kindly old woman who will lead them back on the right path. +But after following these malicious spirits for a while, they +hear that dreadful cackle, and then it is always much too late. +L O R E +Once a traveler in the mountains realized he was on an +unfamiliar path and feared he was getting lost. As night fell, he +spied a woman not far off and called loudly for help. He received +no answer, and assuming she was deaf ran toward her. But as he +did, she seemed ever farther away. At last, exhausted, he stum- +bled to the ground and, looking about, found himself in com- +pletely unknown territory. It was then he heard the old woman +cackling. Her laugh was awful, the telltale sign of a Gwyllion. +Shaking, he pulled out his knife and held it high over his head. +The steel blade flashed in the moonlight. It was the one sure +repellent and it worked. She instantly disappeared. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +In bad weather, the Gwyllion might enter a human abode +to get warm. During such a visit, the Gwyllion must not be +offended or great harm will later come to the family. Clean +water must be provided, and, as a courtesy, all metal knives must +be hidden (unless flashed as a last resort). When outdoors, trav- +eling in company is a good idea. It is usually only solitary trav- +elers who have Gwyllion (or other demonic) encounters. + +----- + +M A H I S H A - A S U R A +India +Mahisha-Asura +is one of the epic demons of Hinduism and +is found in the Markandeya +Purana (c. 300 B.C.E.-500 C.E.). +His basic form is of a buffalo, but he is a champion shape- +shifter who has been seen as lion, elephant, human, and, +amazingly, has become a million multiples of himself. This +instantaneous, illusory cloning once created a nearly invin- +cible army that set all the gods into hiding for a while. +Mahisha-Asura +was born of a mother buffalo (mahisha) and +father demon (asura). The water buffalo, known for its +extraordinary lust, stupidity, sloth, and mud-bathing indo- +lence, gave Mahisha his attributes, and his father, unusually +malevolent, contributed his disposition. The buffalo is also +seen as a symbol of Death. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +7 4 +L O R E +Every asura (demon) knows he must die eventually, for +although supernatural, he's not an eternal being. Aware of +his mortality, Mahisha meditated for over a thousand years +to gain the power to ask a boon of the god Brahma. When +he had earned this right, Mahisha asked for immortality. He +phrased his plea as a trick request: I want to live, he said, +until defeated by a woman. He assumed if Brahma granted +this request, he would be assured of immortality. His plea +was granted, but the seeds of destruction are always planted +by one's own action, and Mahisha had radically underesti- +mated the female gender. +Having won what he thought was immortality, Mahisha +decided to take over the universe. He gathered all demons, and +he went out on the battleground to win the heavens. He was +so formidable and his army of millions so determined, that the +god Indra went to enlist the support of the major three gods: +Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the protector; and Shiva, the +destroyer. Thus all the Hindu gods became engaged in this cos- +mic war. After an initial, mind-boggling skirmish, Mahisha +pulled his illusory cloning trick. Finally, with much roaring, +earth trembling, and cosmic dust flying, the gods all finally +made a getaway. They knew they could never defeat this rag- +ing buffalo demon and his armies. Mahisha ruled the heavens +and tyrannized the world while the displaced gods, in hiding, +plotted to overthrow his evil rule and win back the world for +the forces of Good. But how? They remembered his fatal flaw +and decided to send a woman. But where would they find such +a goddess? +Devi is the Great Goddess and in her wrathful form is +known as Durga. She is also called Nanda Devi, who is +believed to dwell near Nepal, on the peak with her name in +the Himalayas. Devi, the Great Goddess, was created from the +powerful communal emanations of the gods and from that +unnamed, unknowable Source of their own emanation. She +was a vision of inexpressible beauty and was described as the +Sublime Warrior Maid. She had eighteen arms; each held a +weapon. Devi wore all the rainbow's hues, was clothed in a red + +----- + +7 5 +/ +M A H I S H A - A S U R A +gown, and was seated on a lion. She embodied the energy of +the entire universe. +Rumor of this luminous new presence quickly spread to +the demon camp. Devi was so described as to waken Mahisha's +appetite. In his arrogance, he decided he'd marry her if she was +all they said. He sent a messenger to convey his wishes to Devi. +She said in reply: Tell him he will die. The radiant Goddess +explained that she was there to guarantee his destined end. +Mahisha was finally forced to confront her threats. He tried +killing her lion with his mace. He was nearly crushed. +Slow-witted and coarse, he wondered if perhaps she just +didn't like buffalos, and if another shape might tempt her into +a change of heart. He metamorphosed to human form. +Dressed up and well groomed, he tried another marriage pro- +posal. "Vanish!" she commanded, "Or die." +Mahisha, unable to fathom how a woman could reject +him, persisted until the frustrated Goddess whammed him +with her mace and discus. Then he resumed his buffalo shape +for a snorting, roaring, no-holds-barred fight. Mahisha-Asura, +using his illusion-making powers, transformed himself into +an elephant and the Great Goddess cut off his trunk; then he +shape-shifted to a lion and she slew him, but a demon rose +from his neck; then he became a human man whom she killed +with arrows. Meanwhile the millions of demons fought her +and she sliced them to pieces, but demons in pieces can fight +on with missing heads or limbs. The whole world was a rag- +ing battlefield. The blood flowed for nearly a century. Mahisha +threw trees, and finally he ripped up mountains and hurled +them at her like pebbles in his rage. +With her eighteen arms and weapons, Devi stood her +ground. She saw through each of the demon's illusory shapes +until finally she drank a bit of the elixir of the Divine life +force, jumped up into the air and landed on +Mahisha-Asura +just as he was transforming from human to buffalo, and +chopped off his head. She stood calmly on his body as he +turned back into a buffalo. And he died. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +7 6 +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Order was restored to the universe in this cosmic myth +by the Goddess who saw through all the illusory forms of the +brutal tyrant Mahisha-Asura, +one of the most powerful +mythic evil forces of Hinduism. Although this is a battle of the +gods, the model is set for the human being: to disarm and dis- +pell such brutality, it is necessary to see through it to the beast +beneath and to vanquish it, not for one's own sake but for the +sake of others. + +----- + +Y U N W I +D J U N S T I +North America +The Yunwi Djunsti, or "Little People," of the Cherokee is a +fairy species, about two feet tall with long dark hair that +leaches to the ground. They are said to wear white clothes, but +tend to be invisible to the naked eye. Other than their size, +supernatural status, and invisibility, they are very much like +the Cherokee themselves: they speak the same language, sing +similar songs, and even design their social structures in an +identical manner. +There are four varieties of Yunwi Djunsti. One kind lives +in rocky cliffs and hard-to-reach craggy mountainsides. They +make their homes in the rocks, sometimes with many cham- +bers and always with well-swept floors. The second variety +make their homes outdoors in rhododendron patches. The +third live in scrub brush. The fourth reside out in the open. +The four varieties differ in levels of malevolence. The Little +People in the open air and scrub brush are said to be unusu- +ally mean, while the other two varieties can sometimes be +helpful if treated nicely. +Ordinary humans rarely see the Yunwi Djunsti. It is con- +sidered bad luck to see them and is always a portent of death. +However, twins can see them and frequently speak with them. +Certain conjurors can even capture them for hard labor around +the house. Often, though, the species is so arbitrarily mischie- +vous, delighting in tripping people, making household items +drop and break, and wreaking general havoc, that even the +most powerful conjuror may be forced to put them back where +he found them. +Sometimes the Yunwi Djunsti get travelers lost in the +mountains, and they often lure children away from their fam- +ilies. As in most fairy abduction situations, time spent with the +Little People leaves the victim insane. One little boy was with +them for weeks and upon return he behaved like a wild crea- +ture. Time spent with the Yunwi Djunsti can often lead to +death. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, the Little People +pick on one person and make his livestock sickly, ruin his roof, + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +7 8 +and generally make his life a misery. Conjurors have to be +called in to help. +Sometimes the Little People bother travelers by throw- +ing invisible sticks and stones at them, or pushing them down +a mountain trail or off a cliff. One rock held caves so chock- +full of Yunwi Djunsti it became quite famous and people came +from far away to drum on the rock and listen to the creatures +inside dance and sing. But all fairies resent disturbance, and +one tourist kept it up too long, until finally a horde of Little +People came out and fell upon him. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +It is bad enough to see any Little People but far worse to +speak about it. Often it is after the telling that the victim dies. +It is usually fatal to enter their homes and harmful to disturb +their privacy. It must also be remembered that if a human +being finds a lost object in the mountains, it is always the prop- +erty of the Little People. Permission must be obtained to take +it. Because the Little People are invisible, it is easy to forget +that they are eavesdropping, but they hear every single word +said about them. + +----- + +D U E R G A R +Great Britain +The Duergar is a populous species of solitary fairy that leads +travelers astray by means of a flickering torch. He stands about +one foot tall, wears a lambskin coat, moleskin shoes, and, as a +hat, a piece of green moss stuck with a large feather. This is a +malicious creature who believes the hills are his alone, and +wants only to cause harm, mischief, or death to trespassing +human beings. +L O R E +Once on a dark evening, a young man attempted to cross +the hills. He had lost his way just before sunset, and by night- +fall was trapped in the middle of nowhere. He knew he was +many miles from where he was supposed to be, and had no +light to guide him. He decided to stop for the night to avoid +getting even more lost. As he was about to sit down, he saw a +flickering light in the distance. Thinking it might be the house +of a shepherd, he walked in that direction. +When he finally reached the light he saw a small hut, +with a roof of thick sod. He entered. Between two stones, there +was a small fire on the floor that he was most happy to see. +Near the fire was a pile of kindling and on the other side two +huge logs. The traveler put some small sticks on the fire and +lay down to rest. But soon as he had begun to doze off, the door +opened and a tiny man entered silently and stared darkly at +the intruder. The man stared back and knew he was looking +at one of the infamous Duergars, and that under no condition +should he offend him. Everybody knew that the Duergar had +a hair-trigger temper and could do great damage when +enraged. So the sensible young man kept still and did nothing +but stare back at the scowling creature, keeping his gaze as +neutral as possible. +The fire died down and the man grew cold but dared not +move. Finally he began shivering and had to put some twigs +on the fire. No sooner had he finished than the tiny Duergar +picked up one of the huge logs, four times his size, and with a + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +S O +meaningful glance at the young man broke it in two like a +toothpick. Clearly, this was a silent challenge to the man to +break the other log, but instead, he remained motionless for +the rest of the night. +When daylight came, the Duergar vanished, as most, +demons do. The hut and fire also disappeared. The traveler +now saw that he was perched on the edge of a steep precipice. +If he had leaned over to grab the "log" as the Duergar +intended him to do, he would have certainly fallen to his death +and not lived to see daylight. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Travelers are always in great danger when hiking alone +and the best Duergar +protection is to know his habits. +Suspended action while waiting for daylight is a most effec- +tive although difficult technique to master. + +----- + +Mountain +Fairies +are dainty, beautiful, and irresistible. +Popular tales abound of travelers to the mountain terrain who +come upon a bevy of maidens and are invited to stay. Fed on +hemp, and quite blissful, they remain with the fairies for what +feels like a short week. When they begin to grow bored with +vacation and ask to return home the fairies usually release +them readily. It is to their astonishment that these men find +upon their return that families and relatives and neighbors +have all long since become their ancestors. There is no more +place for them in this worldly, time-worn plane, so up they go +again to find their home with the spirits. +Mountain Fairies are not usually malevolent and are +included in this Guide for their radical relationship to Time +as we know it. Just as mermaids pull their human lovers under +without any real sensitivity to human need for oxygen, so does +the fairy pull her lovers into her near-eternal dimension with- +out any regard to their lifespan. As long as they stay with her, +they remain "alive." Some say these enchanted human beings +are actually dead but do not realize it. +China has numerous fairies in all its mountains, flitting +like butterflies. The mountains are a habitat where reality shifts +and worlds appear and vanish like clouds. Some of these fairies +are seen as shen, spirits of nature, and they embody sunshine, +clouds, rain, mist, and delicately imbue all these phenomena. +China has Five Sacred Mountains: Mount Tai, of the +East; Mount Hua, of the West; Mount Heng, of the North; +Mount Song, of the Center; and Mount Heng, of the South. It +also has Mount Kunlun, a Cosmic Mountain. China has three +contributing spiritual traditions that look at mountains in dif- +ferent ways. To the .Confucian, the mountain is an image of +the Emperor, the unmoving highest ruler; to the Buddhist, the +mountain is a habitat in which to gain enlightenment and +from which to view emptiness; to the Taoist it is an unworldly +refuge and a place of harmony, and in later Taoist sources it is +the ultimate site to attain the goal of Immortality. +In all China's mountains, Time is as different as the view. +M O U N T A I N +F A I R I E S +China + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +8 2 +Taoist wizards live there and practice until they can give up +mortal food altogether and eventually become the Immortals. +What they feed upon is fairy food, the "elixir of life," made of +cultivated crops of sesame, coriander seeds, peach tree gum +mixed with cinnabar, elixir of gold, and powdered ash of mul- +berry, along with hemp, and most important, the fruit of a Tree +of Life, which only bears fruit once every three thousand years. +L O R E +Wang Chih was a traveler in the mountains gathering +firewood when he came upon a few old men playing chess. He +put down his ax and joined them. They gave him a stone to +place in his mouth, and when he did, he lost all appetite and +thirst. And so he played for a while. After some games, one of +the other players said that perhaps it was time for Wang Chih +to return home. He turned to get his ax but it was only dust. +He left and returned to his village to find that many, many +centuries had passed. So he returned to the mountain and +practiced Taoism until he himself became an Immortal. +One of the Eight Immortals, named Zang Guo, had a +white mule that he could fold up in his wallet and then take +out and reactivate with a dab of spittle. It would transport him +thousands of miles a day. +Taoist wizards are able to conjure shen (spirits) and con- +trol them, use the medicinal herbs of the mountain for +longevity, rise above clouds, become invisible or shape-shift +into the form of a beast or insect, and, after seven hundred years +of life on earth, ride to heaven on a dragon's back and rule spir- +its. If they become one of the Immortals, they can fabricate ban- +quets from thin air. Magical wine is poured from an unending +source, and fairies from the moon can be conjured for a song and +dance and then turned back into a chopstick. They can visit the +moon itself before the night is through. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +To attain such powers takes a human lifetime of hard- +ship, ascetic practice, in the heights of the unworldly isolated +mountains. Despite the charm of the tales and the shen, such +dimensions are not for beginners. + +----- + +A K V A N +Ancient Persia +Akvan — "Evil Mind" — is an important Persian div with +unlimited powers and incredible strength. He has the typical +demonic wide mouth, fangs, and horns. He wears a traditional +short skirt, his not quite hidden tail flashing warning as to his +nature, and has curved, clawlike toenails on his wide flat feet. +Akvan can be found in the Persian epic poem, Shah- +Nameh (The Book of Kings), written by Firduasi for the +Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna in 1009. A div is an evil spirit +whose intent is to do harm to humans, spreading lies and +destruction for the sheer pleasure of it. But Akvan, one of its +very large, powerful species, has little intelligence and is mer- +cifully predictable — he will always do the exact opposite of +whatever is asked of him. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +8 4 +L O R E +Rustem, the hero of the Shah-Nameh, was barely recov- +ered from an important encounter with the much larger but +similar-looking species, Div Spid (White Demon), whom he +managed to quell in the mountains of Tabaristan. While +Rustem slept, exhausted from his latest battle, Akvan came +upon him in a surprise attack. Certain of his victory, Akvan +asked which kind of death the hero might prefer. Would he +rather be thrown from the mountaintop and be devoured by +beasts on the rocks below, or perhaps thrown into the sea and +be devoured by whales? Rustem, aware of Akvan's quirky con- +trarian nature, opted for the mountain toss. He was thus +thrown into the sea. He of course was a strong swimmer and +quite able to navigate his way out of this soft landing — he +swam safely to shore. After a remarkable career of dragon and +demon quelling, Rustem's life was prematurely ended by an +evil human king who lured him on horseback into a pit filled +with spears. As Rustem died he managed to kill the king with +his own bow and arrow. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +All demons have some area of weakness or fatal flaw and +it is important to know it. In the case of Div Akvan, his repu- +tation for always doing the opposite of what is requested is a +lifesaver. If he were more intelligent he might vary his rou- +tine, but his slowness allows the traveler to trick him every +time. + +----- + +Y A K S A S +Nepal +The Yaksas is a species of hirsute, wide-mouthed, fanged, and +horned demons whose kingdom is called Kamrup. The epic +story of Karunamaya, the Buddhist god of compassion and, in +Nepal, also the god of rain and grain, is related annually by +the Newars of Nepal at the chariot festival of Bungadyo. In the +tale, Karunamaya must be wrested from the land of Yaksas to +whom he has been born as the youngest of five hundred sons +known as Lokanatha. +L O R E +Once a king, a priest, and a farmer set out on a journey +to Kamrup, land of Yaksas, on a desperate mission to bring +Lokanatha, god of grains, back to their starving people. They +soon came upon a huge and unmovable "man" asleep and +blocking the mountain path. The king ordered him out of the +way and told him of their urgent quest. "How can you dare to +attempt to bring Lokanatha back without my permission?" +the giant shouted angrily as he changed himself into a huge +and threatening serpent. The priest realized that this spirit +was the naga Karkotak, and he humbly asked his forgiveness, +improvising that they had in fact come to ask his permission. +The enraged naga continued to glare down at the trio, and the +priest begged him not to be angry and praised him for being +so adroit at shape shifting. "Can you also become very small?" +the priest asked. Karkotak showed off by becoming the size of +a single hair, whereupon the priest captured him in a pot, cast +a spell, and subdued the spirit. Karkotak, helpless but +impressed, said that he now realized how far superior in clev- +erness was humankind. The naga then swore allegiance and +offered to aid the three travelers in any way he could. +Off went the quartet until they reached an impassable +river. Karkotak shape-shifted into a very long bridge and the +trio walked across his body safely to the far bank. After several +days the group found themselves at the borders of Kamrup. +There they camped and prepared whatever was necessary to + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +8 6 +make themselves acceptable to the Yaksas. The priest created +a thousand goats, a thousand sheep, and a thousand buffaloes +by throwing soybeans on the ground and transforming them +with special incantations. The animals were fabricated in +great quantity because the Yaksas were known to be meat +eaters with excessive appetites. +The king then asked Karkotak to go on ahead, make him- +self tiny, enter the body of the Yaksa king, make him ill, and +stay there until they arrived so they could cure him. Karkotak +did exactly as he was instructed and the demon king soon grew +very sick. Nothing could cure the pain in his stomach. When +the king, the priest, and the farmer arrived in Kamrup, they +announced that they were physicians from Nepal. The des- +perate Yaksas pleaded, "Please help our king, for he is dying!" +The trio huddled over the sick Yaksa, and on the fifth day after +the three began "treatment" with herbs, Karkotak left the +king's body, according to plan. +The Yaksas had an exuberant and festive celebration. +They ate all the animals the travelers had manufactured and +drank vast amounts of wine to wash them down. After the +feast, the grateful demon king asked what he could give them +in return for their cure. They asked for Prince Lokanatha, the +youngest son of the queen of the Yaksas. This request was met +with howls of outrage, and the queen was beside herself with +fury. Her eyes flamed, and it became immediately apparent +that it was far too dangerous to remain in the demons' king- +dom for another moment. +They escaped. But outside the borders, in hiding, they +made a new plan — they would capture the spirit of the +prince and take it home with them. Elaborate rituals were per- +formed, then Karkotak was sent back to the castle with a bit +of magical soot to smear upon the forehead of the child. +Immediately, the spirit of Prince Lokanatha was seized with +an urge to travel. The Yaksa doctor was called in, but the prince +was so possessed that his spirit left its body in the night and +flew in the form of a sacred bee to the hidden travelers. +The next morning, in the castle, the Yaksa queen discov- +ered Prince Lokanatha's dispirited, lifeless body. She woke all + +----- + +8 7 +/ +Y A K S A S +the demons and they flew after the king, priest, and farmer. +They retrieved the spirit of the prince, placed it back in his +Yaksa body, and then viciously attacked the travelers who +barely escaped with their lives, went back into hiding, and +wondered what to do next. +The king thought of waging war, but because of the +probable loss of lives on both sides, he decided war was not the +solution. The priest called upon the deities of Kathmandu who +intercede against Evil. The deities arrived and went with the +quartet to speak to the Yaksas. Finally, they were able to sub- +due the demons, and after many more transformations on the +road back, the fertile spirit of Lokanatha, also called +Karunamaya, the god of rain and grain, was at last brought to +Nepal, and the farmer planted rice to feed the people. Thus +was the great nurturing and compassionate spirit seized with- +out bloodshed from the land of the demons, where the brave +travelers ventured to find him. And since those days, rain and +rice and peace and happiness came to the Valley of Nepal. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +It should be noted that in the story of Bungadyo, the suc- +cessful wresting of the Buddhist god of compassion, who is +known by many names, from the midst of a demonic realm +was possible because it was done for unselfish purpose and car- +ried out with compassion. + +----- + +The White Monkey, a remarkable twin of the Tikoloshe of +South Africa (see him in Water), is a shen denizen of the +mountains of China. He is huge and malevolent, and like +many mountain demons, he lives in a cavern or cave. The +White Monkey's primary interest is stealing women. He has +the advantage of being taller than the South African species +and virtually unstoppable. +L O R E +One time a traveler and his attractive wife were passing +through unknown territory when the husband was warned +that a local shen had been actively kidnapping females. +Alarmed, the man hid his wife in an inner chamber of the +house they were staying in, and he carefully guarded her each +night; even so, the White Monkey managed to abduct her. The +distraught husband went searching for her everywhere and +traveled farther and farther into the mountains for weeks, to +no avail. He was about to give up when he suddenly came upon +what looked like a huge stone door. He knocked, and the door +was opened by a fairy, who told him upon inquiry that his wife +was held prisoner by the White Monkey who lived within. The +man was instructed to come back the next day to the cave's +entrance and to bring with him a very large supply of wine, +ten dogs, and some strong rope. +The man returned with all these items and gave them to +the fairy. Soon the White Monkey devoured the dogs, an obvi- +ous treat, and went on to drink all the wine, until he was in a +stupor. The fairy then bound the creature with rope and called +in the husband. He reported later that what he saw was an +enormous white monkey bound up on a vast bed. Enraged, he +killed the creature at once, and his harem of human females +were set free. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +It is said that firecrackers are effective in routing this +species and thus perhaps averting an incident like the one +recounted here. +T H E W H I T E +M O N K E Y +China + +----- + +F O R E S T + +----- + + + +----- + +Midway on our life's journey, I found myself +In dark woods, the right road lost. To tell +About these woods is hard — so tangled and +rough +And savage that thinking of it now, I feel +The old fear stirring: death is hardly more bitter. +DANTE, THE INFERNO, CANTO I +TRANS. ROBERT PINSKY +T +he Forest, just a step beyond the boundaries of civilization, +holds danger and mystery, wild animals that lurk in the +thickets and secret paths that lead to invisible hosts. Sylvan +spirits and myriad forms of fertile life breathe as trunks creak +and a constant rustle, perhaps only the wind, alerts the trav- +eler to the fact that he is never alone. +Hunters and cowherds on the edge of the woods since +antiquity have often encountered demonic guardian species +and forest fairies who play under toadstools and ferns. Pliny +described trees that speak. In Asia blood has been seen oozing +from felled trees, and in many cultures trees are considered +either deities or abodes of demons. Night turns the darkness of +the woods into the roof of the underworld, and as the demons +emerge, the air becomes thick with them. +The Forest, which teems with life so vital to humankind, +can never be cultivated. Cut it down and the consequences are +soon fatal. Wander in it and risk the danger of getting eter- +nally lost or devoured. The edge of the Forest is always the +boundary between the wild and the domesticated, the animal +and the human community. It holds its genius loci, who may +appear as demonic guardian species of wilderness and wild +creatures and attack trespassing hunters, mischievous fairies +who sometimes visit nearby villages, and the many huge man- +eating species that are an ever-present danger to the children +and domestic animals of the villages. +The Forest is the favorite site of fairy tales, of ancient + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +92 +rites associated with fecundity and with tree worship, of unex- +plained disappearances, of wild encounters and appetites, and +of transformations, seasonal and personal. It is the haunt for +libidinous ogres, dwarfs, and satyrs who constantly pursue +women. It is a raw territory of mostly male predators, flesh- +eaters, and cannibals. + +----- + +W H O ' S W H O IN T H E F O R E S T +PAN +Greece +WINDIGO +Canada +KURU-PIRA +Brazil +BORI +West Africa +WOOD-WIVES AND +SKOGGRA +Germany and +Sweden +RAKSHASAS +India +RAVANA +India +LESHII +Russia +ELOKO +Zaire +ONI +Japan +KUMBHAKARNA +India +KAYERI +South America +DODO +Ghana +SHEDIM +(Judaism) +KITSUNE +Japan +KHABANDA +India + +----- + + + +----- + +P A N +Greece +Pan ("all," "everything"), the son of Hermes and a nymph of +Arcadia, is one of the world's ancient spirits, a god of woods +and pastures, a guardian of flocks and of shepherds who gave +him offerings of milk, honey, and lamb. He is immediately +recognizable by his fawn-skin coat, his ruddy complexion, his +goat ears, horns, beard, legs, and hooves. He carries a curved +shepherd's staff, and plays his pipes. +Pan is closely linked with the satyrs, a rough, shaggy, +goatlike species with demonical natures associated with con- +tinuous orgies. Both Pan and the satyrs are associated +with the pagan god Dionysus and the bacchanalia. These +spirits of excess resemble the goatlike shedim and seirim +(demons shunned by the ancient Jews) and contribute to the + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +96 +later image of the Christians' horned, hirsute, goat-hoofed +Devil. Pan is also linked to the Italian Faunus, a mischievous +woodland spirit associated with fertility and worshiped in +ancient Rome; and to Priapus (whom Pan may have +fathered), a god of fertility from Asia Minor whose symbol +was the phallus. Altogether Pan, a powerful pagan spirit, is +profoundly connected to the fecundity of both the woods and +population. +L O R E +Pan, free and untamable, was filled with and driven by +wild insatiable lust. Though his advances were not infre- +quently rejected, and his nymphs metamorphosed to escape, +his myriad sexual exploits were sometimes successful. One +love affair with the nymph Pitys ended unhappily only when +she was turned into a pine tree. Unremorseful, he pursued +Echo, and as the nymph ran away from him made such +hideous noises that a "pan-ic" spread through the forest and +caused a group of frenzied shepherds to tear Echo apart, leav- +ing only her voice. +Pan's famous pipes, the Syrinx, are named for another +unfortunate nymph. Pan pursued the beautiful nymph Syrinx +through the woods and nearly overtook her when she stopped +at the water's edge and was transformed into a bundle of water +reeds. As the wind blew gently through the reeds, there came +an exquisite sad sound. Pan stood at the water's edge over- +whelmed by his loss and the beauty of the music. Sorrowfully +he gathered seven reeds and bound them together to create a +pipe he called Syrinx after his lost love. The seven pipes were +said to represent the seven spheres and produced sound that +expressed all the harmonies of the universe. Pan's music could +be heard all over the woodlands of Arcadia. +Plutarch wrote that in the reign of Tiberius, a sailor +heard a mysterious voice call three times: "The Great God Pan +is dead!" It was supposedly at that very moment that Christ +was born. +Pan is never seen in a final battle, and unlike other + +----- + +9 7 +/ +P A N +archaic pagan spirits of this Guide, he never was actually van- +quished, just demoted, as his countenance became the Devil's +own. Pan lives on, and until the last pine (Pitys) tree has been +cut down, his music will be heard in all forests. Its notes res- +onate in many tales that follow. + +----- + +W I N D I G O +Canada +The Algonkian Windigo (or Witiko) is a seasonal, subarctic +man-eating species. During the winter moons when food is +scarce, there is a fear of the creature. With cadaverous body +and a face out of an Edvard Munch portrait, highlighted with +horrid glaring eyes, the Windigo have been described as giants +with hearts of ice. Many who have been in close proximity to +them have experienced chills and the sense that their own +hearts were freezing over. +The Windigo use trees as their snowshoes and cover vast +distances in a single step. As they travel from victim to victim, +blizzards accompany them. Naked and gaunt, the entire +species stalks the forests of the north in search of human flesh, +lurking silently in the shadows of trees, tall as the old timbers +themselves. +A Windigo has a scream that paralyzes its intended meal +so that it cannot escape. Once it is upon its prey, a Windigo rips +out vital organs in seconds. When sated, packs of Windigo +have been seen playing catch with human skulls. It is a +remorseless beast that will devour its own family. In the land +of the Cree and Ojibwa, the Windigo are believed to have once +been normal human beings who have become possessed can- +nibals. +The Windigo can infect the human, and therein lies the +unique power suggested in the double meaning of its name. +The root word is Algonkian for both "evil spirit" and "canni- +bal," so Windigo describes both a demon and a way of acting +like one. Any person possessed by this cannibal spirit has lit- +erally become a Windigo and is probably incurable. Some +people choose this transformation, others happen upon it. The +latter cases are caused by being bitten, by dreaming of the +Windigo, or by being involuntarily transformed by a malevo- +lent sorcerer. +Voluntary Windigo are individuals who go into the for- +est, fast for several days, and offer their flesh freely to the +species. A Windigo may adopt such a person as its own child. + +----- + +9 9 +/ +W I N D I G O +The possessed human grows a heart of ice, becomes notably +hirsute, has a craving for raw human flesh, and behaves like +the demon itself, although he never attains the full height of +the supernatural being. +The earliest sightings of this species are reported by +Jesuit missionaries in the 1600s. The Hudson Bay Company +diaries of the 1700s mention the species quite often. +L O R E +Once, in the darkest depth of winter, a woman saw a +father and daughter return to her village alone — without +the rest of their family. She wondered what had happened to +the others and became suspicious. She therefore made the +entrance to her home slippery by pouring water on the thresh- +old until it froze into a high sheet of ice. Then she went to bed. +But instead of going to sleep she waited tensely with an ax in +hand for their attempt on her life. Just as she thought, the +daughter approached at midnight, and the old woman pre- +tended to snore as the Windigo-possessed girl came closer and +closer. Then, suddenly, just as the girl was about to spring for +her throat, the old woman raised her ax and killed the crea- +ture. The father, who had been waiting outside, crept in. By +then the old woman was able to escape and she hid to watch +what happened next. She witnessed the Windigo-possessed +father devour the corpse of his own daughter. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The only known way to avert Windigo possession is to +throw excrement at the creature. This confuses it enough for +a small window of escape. If that method doesn't work, the +next choice is to go immediately to a local shaman. If he can- +not help, the last resort is to kill the possessed person, cut the +body into pieces, and burn it to kill the spirit so that it does not +infect others. Some say a silver bullet can also be effective. + +----- + +K U R U - P I R A +Brazil +The Kuru-pira, a guardian species of the Desana people, also +known as the boraro because of his distinctive cry, has red eyes +that glow like burning embers, and jaguarlike fangs. His ears +stand erect. He is tall, of human shape with a hairy chest and +huge, pendulous genitals. He has no knee joints, and thus has +difficulty getting up if he falls. The Kuru-pira can be imme- +diately recognized by his oversize long feet, which always face +the wrong way. His heels are in front and his toes face the rear. +Kuru-pira feet are fashioned to deceive: they point in the +direction that the creature has just come from, leading victims +directly into his path as they try to avoid him. +L O R E +When a Kuru-pira attacks his victim, he emits his dis- +tinctive boraro growl. His roar is similar to that of a jaguar, +only slightly more prolonged and considerably louder. A +hunter once heard this chilling sound close by and leapt up a +tree to observe. He knew the Kuru-pira can kill his victim by +two methods: his urine is lethal, so he may urinate on his vic- +tim to kill instantly, or he may hold a person tightly until +crushed. The hunter looked down grimly as he saw that the +crushing method had been used on his friend, and he watched +in horror as the Kuru-pira made a small hole in the dead man's +skull and sucked out the blood and flesh, as one might suck out +a lobster claw. He watched as the Kuru-pira closed the hole, +blew up the emptied skin, and ordered the "man" to return +home. The hunter was shaking with fear, for he knew he was +next. They had taken too much game. He had warned his +friend that the Kuru-pira kept careful count of how much +game a hunter steals. When a hunter kills more than he can +eat or carry, he puts himself in a dangerous situation, with +little chance for survival. +"Boraaro!" sounded again, and the tree branch shook. +The hunter fell to the ground, and as he crashed he remem- +bered to do the only thing that would save his life: he placed + +----- + +1 0 1 +/ +K U R U - P I R A +his hands in the demon's footprints. The Kuru-pira's legs stiff- +ened and he froze, unable to pursue the hunter, who narrowly +escaped. The fate of the hunter's friend was different. A shell +of his former self, possessed by the spirit of the demon, he +returned with a tobacco offering the next day and henceforth +lived with the wild animals. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The Kuru-pira can sometimes be appeased with tobacco +offerings. Travelers in Brazil report that when they place their +own hand in the footprint of the demon, its legs will stiffen +and it will fall. As with many ogre types, the weakness is in +their knees. One other well-known method is to step in the +creature's track but face in the opposite direction. This will +cause the Kuru-pira to lose his way. When followed by a Kuru- +pira, run backward as quickly as possible, looking the demon +in the face the entire time. It is techniques like this that con- +fuse large, stupid demons worldwide. + +----- + +B O R I +West Africa +The Bori is a populous species of spirits who reside in various +habitats of the Hausa people in West Africa. The forest Bori is +often sighted in human form but with hoofed feet. However, +Bori tend to shape-shift. They can terrify people by walking +around headless or slither by like giant pythons, and appear +occasionally in homes as a husband or a sister, play-acting +apparently just for fun, until the real human walks in. Most +people report that a Bori will leave a footprint in ashes like a +rooster, which is the most foolproof way of discovering an +impostor table companion. If a Bori is sighted in a group of +average human beings, he will seem slightly weird and have +oddly unfocused, dreamy eyes. +The forest Bori is never vicious unless offended, and with +continual worship and sacrifice, it can be placated. However, +a careless act, such ELS spitting or throwing water on a hot fire +and causing a spark to fly into an invisible Bori, will aggravate +him. Using a Boris name in vain can make one the focus of +his malevolent attention. So terrible is the consequence of +such focus that one prayer specifically implores, "Allah ba su +ganin nisa" — "God, let their attention be attracted far away +from me!" +A Bori, paradoxically, wants to be wanted, and when +called will travel to his conjuror as quickly as the wind. The +more his help is requested, the more it will offer assistance +(at a price). There are certain instances when the help of a Bori +must be obtained — when building a new house or starting a +business, for instance, or attempting to heal certain diseases. +Bori who offer help must be thanked with specific sacrifices. +Each Bori has its special preferences for fowls, incense, song, +and colors. It is imperative to remember which Bori likes +what. +If a Bori becomes offended and can be neither placated +nor escaped, its victim will be killed not by a sudden violent +attack but by a slow sucking away of life force. In some cases +a victim who feels this wasting away can be helped by a spe- + +----- + +1 0 3 +/ +B O R I +cialist with a charm or prayer to avert the specific Bori +attacker. +Among the Hausa it is believed that every sickness or +misfortune is caused by a specific Bori, and that each individ- +ual spirit can be placated through regularly held dances. The +dances are performed by individuals who are believed to be +frequently possessed by one or smother Bori. The dances are +accompanied by music and drums, and a specific song is used +for each individual Bori who is invited to the dance. The +dancer then becomes a spokesperson for that specific Bori. +Over a hundred and fifty Bori guests are danced for at any one +of these rituals. This is reportedly a good place to sight them +firsthand. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Iron repels Bori, so powerfully that even saying the word +iron a few times will drive them off. Also it should be kept in +mind that a Bori is a slave to his own name. Once its name is +discovered, the repetition of it will make the Bori a virtual +slave to the namer. Incantations with insults can be used to +drive Bori away, but that is somewhat risky and praise is tra- +ditionally more effective in handling the sensitive Bori. + +----- + +The Wood-Wives, a fairy species, can be found in old forests +and dense groves. Petite and beautifully dressed, with long +claws, they are often accompanied by violent whirlwinds. So +intricately connected to the woods are these spirits that it is +said that if a branch is twisted until the bark comes off, one +Wood-Wife dies in the forest. +Hunters are the humans most at risk of attack by the +Wood-Wives. In heavily infested forests, to get home safely, +the hunters must first offer up part of their catch. But if pro- +pitiated, like many fairy species, they can be helpful. If, for +example, a Wood-Wife asks a mortal to fix her broken wheel- +barrow and the task is nicely done, the wood chips that she +leaves as payment may turn into gold. +Like many ancient nature spirits, Wood-Wives abhor +human hubbub: churches with their loud bells, and all +destructive machinery in the forest, threatens their very exis- +tence. Most idiosyncratically, Wood-Wives detest the use of +caraway seeds in baked bread. Since they are often lured from +the forest by the smells of baking, they may approach people +in their kitchens. It is in the cook's best interest to prepare an +extra loaf for their visit. But Wood-Wives refuse loaves that +have been pricked with a fork or punctured with a finger, and +never accept caraway seeds. One story tells of a Wood-Wife +who ran through the forest, screaming, "They baked me a car- +away bread, it will bring that house great trouble!" And it did. +The farmer and his wife soon lost their money and home, and +fell upon hard times. +The Swedish Skoggra is almost identical in appearance +to the Wood-Wife, but she is often sighted in prowl mode. +When she encounters a lumberjack or hunter, she will often +attempt to seduce them or, perhaps in a different mood, will +cause them to lose their way. +W O O D - W I V E S +A N D +S K O G G R A +Germany and Sweden + +----- + +1 O S +/ W O O D - W I V E S +A N D +S K O G G R A +L O R E +A Skoggra had so enchanted a hunter that he made his +way nightly into the dangerous woods for a tryst. But with +each passing day he returned home looking paler, more tor- +mented and haggard, until his friends decided something had +to be done. They pleaded with him not to succumb, and the +next night they held him back and struggled with him as the +forest spirit called and called. They sat on him and held him +down. +When he hadn't gone to her by the following night the +Skoggra came to get him; closer and closer she sidled, calling +to him as his friends held him tightly. He frothed at the mouth +and was so out of control that finally his best friend went out +with a gun and aimed at the spirit. A shot rang out and she fell +to the ground. Immediately all the other Skoggra manifested +from the darkness of leaves and branches. They sadly picked +her up and carried her back into the forest. The man who shot +her lost his eye, the very one with which he'd found her +through his target sight. The eye simply vanished. But he felt +that it was worth the loss to save the life of his friend. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Herbs such as red verbena and St. John's wort can be used +liberally to keep these forest spirits at a distance. Anything red, +being said to be the color of the devil, repels. Steel and iron +are often carried in the pocket to keep fairies away. Some say +their retreat at the sight of these metals represents their atti- +tude toward "progress" in general, and that as the centuries +pass and industrialization encroaches, the species moves far- +ther and farther into the small remaining pockets of wilder- +ness. + +----- + +R A K S H A S A S +India +The Rakshasas (Night Wanderers) is a species of asuras +(Hindu demons) who inhabit the forest of Lanka and appear +in every conceivable shape and form but tend to extremes in +height — they are either unusually tall or elfin. Many +Rakshasas have potbellies and animal heads — elephant, +horse, and snake heads being the most prevalent — with +fanglike, razor-sharp, protruding teeth. Some are beautiful. +According to other reports, their eyes flame and their tongues +hang down at great lengths and they have horns. Rakshasas +sometimes appear in human form, and they generally have +red hair, huge ears, wide mouths that go virtually from ear to +ear, and a single arm, eye, or leg — or perhaps three of each, +never the usual two. +Rakshasas have been known to devour horses and human + +----- + +1 0 7 +/ +R A K S H A S A S +beings, inhabit and reanimate corpses, and shape-shift into +birds — vultures and owls, particularly — and, less fre- +quently, dogs, deer, and even men (usually married men with +the intent of deceiving their wives) and beautiful seductive +women. They can enter a person by mouth while he is eating +or drinking and are especially dangerous during pregnancy. +One type of Rakshasa, known as Pisacas, dwells in the +town's water supply and cam make people waste away. This +type is frequently seen hanging about cemeteries because they +are corpse eaters. They have an exceedingly gaunt look, their +ribs stick far out, and their hair stands on end, as if they've had +a bad fright. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Fire is powerfully effective in Pisacas control. Rakshasas +generally maintain a state of invisibility but are known to be +found at places of worship, where they attempt to disrupt +prayer, as this practice greatly upsets them; thus prayer is use- +ful in driving them off. Some say that calling them "Uncle" +will stop them in their tracks. However, they are powerful, and +it was a female Rakshasa!s disruption of the prayers of a holy +man that resulted in the appearance of awesome Ravana, fea- +tured next. + +----- + +R A V A N A +India +Ravana, king of all Rakshasas, has ten heads, twenty arms, and +fiercely burning eyes. Ravana is an almost invulnerable cham- +pion shape shifter, able to take forms as diverse as a rock, a +corpse, and a puff of smoke. Ravana can break mountains in +two with his bare hands and can create storms at sea. He is +known best for his ongoing battle with Rama, the god incar- +nate hero of the Hindu epic, Ramayana. +L O R E +When Ravana was born, the universe filled with hideous +shrieking noises. His mother was the daughter of a demon +chief, and his father was a saint she had tempted in mid- +prayer. +Ravana gained power by asceticism and meditation for + +----- + +1 0 9 +/ +R A V A N A +thousands of years. When he'd earned enough to ask Brahma +for a boon, he asked for immortality, which was not granted. +After some negotiation, he was given protection from all ele- +ments, but he arrogantly scoffed at the idea of needing pro- +tection from human beings. And so Kavana became virtually +indestructible. For instance, each of his ten heads grow back +immediately if cut off. But he was not ultimately indestruc- +tible, because he had left a loophole. +Ravana was a tyrannical boaster and a womanizer, +impulsively quick to fury and always overconfident. He had a +huge harem and added to it frequently by seizing women by +the hair and flying them through the air to his kingdom of +Lanka. He was a demon who had everything, even a flying +chariot, but he craved more. He was deeply envious of Rama, +whose exploits were renowned. +Rama was a great hero, a god incarnate, living in exile in +a forest with his faithful wife, Sita. One day Rama encoun- +tered and insulted Ravana's grotesque sister. This was the last +straw. Ravana set a trap to get Sita alone. He waited until +Rama was out hunting, and, disguising himself as a beggar, +approached her hut. She was polite and charitable to him so +he then revealed himself as the ten-headed handsome demon +he believed he was. He invited her to go with him to Lanka +and, with great charm, promised her anything her heart +desired. When she refused his offer, he seized her by the hair +and dragged her to his flying chariot. Before Rama returned, +Sita was in Lanka. +Sita, the beloved, faithful, and utterly devoted wife of +Rama, imprisoned in Ravana's palace, steadfastly resisted the +demon. He tried every way to make himself attractive to her, +but she ignored him, and wept for Rama. Ravana +grew +increasingly bitter with each rejection. He finally threatened +to devour her whole if she would not succumb, and left her to +think it over. +Meanwhile, Rama searched everywhere for Sita. Finally +his devoted servant, Hanumat (son of the wind god), discov- +ered Sita's whereabouts, assumed the form of a cosmic mon- +key, and in one step crossed over the sea to Lanka. Then, + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +110 +shrinking to the size of a tiny monkey, Hanumat sneaked into +the walled garden to tell Sita that help was on the way. +Despite the numerous and fearsome Rakshasas who pop- +ulated the forest of Lanka (now Sri Lanka), Hanumat was not +afraid. He gathered his countless troops of flying monkeys to +build a bridge of stones across to the island. Rama crossed over +the bridge into enemy territory and there he waged awesome +battles against the forces of Kavana. Hanumat and the troops +destroyed the royal gardens, threw boulders, and set fire to the +kingdom. There was much shape shifting, illusion, gore, +smoke, and roaring until finally Kavana and Rama faced off. +As Rama's arrows struck Kavana!s ten heads they each popped +right back and the demon roared triumphantly. Finally, Rama, +using a supernatural arrow of the god Vishnu, struck the +demon in the heart, which was not indestructible. And that +was how Kavana met his prophesied end by the hands of a +mortal. +It wasn't over forever, of course. Kavana was only living +out one of three demon lives as punishment for a past-life deed +he had committed when he was a celestial gatekeeper and +refused entrance to the sons of Brahma because they were not +properly dressed. (See another incarnation of Kavana as +Hiranyanakashipu in Domicile.) + +----- + +L E S H I I +Russia +The Leshii (les is "forest" in Russian) is a guardian species that +is generally thought to be the genius loci of the forest — an +ancient spirit and a tricky shape shifter. The Leshii have been +seen as a tall man covered from head to foot with black hair, +worn uncombed and wild. He has also been seen with cloven- +hoofed feet, a tail, small horns (like the Devil), carrying a club +or whip, indicating his status as master of the forest and all +animals within it. He will occasionally take the shape of a +bear, a bird, or more commonly a wolf, but sometimes a friend +or even a mushroom. When the Leshii appears as an ordinary +peasant his shoes will be always worn on the wrong feet. And +his eyes glow. +The Leshii is endlessly mischievous. He removes sign- +posts. He calls out to travelers in familiar voices and lures +them into unknown parts of the forest until they are hope- +lessly lost. He has been known to appear as a creature tiny as +a blade of grass, or become a gigantic ancient tree. In the lat- +ter case, a run-in with a Leshii leg will seem at first like bump- +ing into a sturdy, hair-covered tree root. The spirit is volatile +and at that point may decide to help out or tickle his prey to +death. He may also be heard weeping when a favorite tree is +felled. +Russians who have reported sightings are people who +routinely use the forest for work or passage. Hunters, wood- +cutters, and cowherds often see the Leshii. They all leave him +a little something for protection, and frequently cowherds +make pacts with the species so as to avert harm to their herds. +L O R E +The Leshii often keeps grazing cows from wandering +too far into the forest and falling prey to a hungry wolf. +Sometimes the cowherds make "special arrangements" with +the Leshii to keep their cattle safe. They take off the cross +they wear around their necks and hand it to the forest spirit, +then they swear loyalty to the Leshii and give him their + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +112 +communion wafer instead of swallowing it. These pacts cause +the cowherd to be looked upon as a person with occult pow- +ers. Once a cowherd who lived on a remote farm innocently +showed kindness to a Leshii disguised as a passing traveler. +He allowed him to spend the night, gave him supper, and +refused payment for the lodging. The Leshii +offered a +"herdsman" as protection, telling the cowherd that his cows +would be safe from then on, all he needed to do was drive +them out from the gate in the morning and wait for their +return at night. He warned him never to go out to their graz- +ing ground. This went on for years until the cowherd's curios- +ity got the better of him. When he got to the edge of the +forest, he saw an extremely tall old woman acting as herds- +man, and when he said good morning to her, she nodded, +shrank to nothing, and then vanished before his eyes. +Other tales reveal that the Leshii does steal babies who +are left by themselves when their parents are out picking +mushrooms. Even small children who wander off may be +picked up by the Leshii and not returned — at least for a long +while. In one story, a baby stolen from the cradle was much +later returned as a favor. She had grown to be a beautiful +young woman and the parents were grateful. This was an +unusual case. Most reports are dire. The Leshii victim is often +a woman who goes to the forest alone or whose husband is +away. One such young woman was walking in the woods and +found a beautiful necklace. Without crossing herself, she +pocketed it, and later put it on. She heard a voice say, "You +have something of mine." But she did not heed the message. +Soon the Leshii himself appeared in the shape of a man and +said, "Since you did not return what you found, now take me +too." From that night on he appeared whenever her husband +was away, and soon she began to waste away until finally she +died. In other cases, when the woman is held captive in the +woods, she returns mute, wild, and covered with moss. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +When encountering the Leshii in the Russian woods, one +must immediately turn all clothing inside out. Put the left + +----- + +1 1 3 +/ +L E S H I I +shoe on the right foot and the right shoe on the left. This usu- +ally outsmarts the species. The sign of the cross is always effec- +tive. If he does not vanish, a fire will often work. The Leshii +fears fire. Drawing a magic circle around the campfire is also +said to be helpful. A porridge offering, such as kasha, is highly +recommended and blini can work at times to avert trouble. +The eccentric spirit also will leave laughing if a good joke +is told. +To conjure a Leshii, take several branches of young +birches and make a circle with their tips pointing to the cen- +ter. Enter. Face east. With one foot on the stump of a tree, say, +"Uncle Leshii, ascend. Do not come as wolf or as a fire, but +come in human form." The Leshii will appear for work — but +remember, its service is given only in exchange for your soul. + +----- + +E L O K O +Zaire +The Eloko is a people-eating dwarf of the Nkundo who lives +in hollow trees in the dense rain forest of central Zaire. The +Eloko is hairless but is covered with a coat of grass that grows +over his face and body; his clothing is made of leaves. Eloko +eyes are like fire. They have snouts, clawed fingers, and +although very small, their jaws can open wide enough to con- +sume an entire human being. Their remarkable power is in +their music. The Eloko bewitches its victims by ringing tiny +magical bells while walking — camouflaged — through the +forest. The bell is also associated with the god of death. The +Eloko may have originated as one of his retinue. +L O R E +Once a hunter brought his wife to his hut in the woods, +but had to leave her there to return briefly to his village. He +warned, "If you hear a bell, do not answer, whatever you do, +for if you listen to the bells, you will die." With that he left. +All day the wife sat alone and wary in the dense, dark for- +est, silent until just past twilight, when she heard the exquis- +ite sound of delicate bells. Their music grew slowly, coming +closer, filling her ears and the air all around with an irre- +sistible ringing, until at last she could no longer control her- +self, and called out: "I am here. Come here and get me!" +The Eloko immediately appeared, tiny and green with +leaves and grass. "You called to me," he said, "and I came for +you." The poor woman was delighted to see the leafy creature +who had bewitched her with his bells. She cooked a large meal +of fish and bananas and graciously offered it to him. The Eloko +said he could not eat the food because he ate only human flesh. +"Give me part of you to eat," he commanded. "You are a big +and delicious woman." +The enchanted woman agreed and gave the Eloko a piece +of her arm. He roasted her flesh over the fire and ate it quickly, +then he vanished. The woman, in terrible pain, covered her +wound with leaves. When her husband returned he found her + +----- + +115 / +E L O K O +lying on the ground and moaning and asked what had hap- +pened. She said only that she had a sore, but begged him not +to take her bandages off. +Again, when daylight came, the man had to leave his +wife in the forest alone. Again she heard the bells, and again +called out to the Eloko. He appeared instantly and she was +happy. She offered him fish, but he asked for one of her but- +tocks. Obediently the woman gave her flesh to him and he dis- +appeared. The woman's pain was intolerable and she cried out +in anguish. When her husband came home he warned her that +she would die if she remained there, but she told him to go +away. "You are a fool," he told her. Then the husband took his +weapons and pretended to set out, but he hid nearby. +Soon came the bewitching bells and the Eloko appeared +again, but this time the husband crept close to the hut and shot +an arrow at the Eloko just as the creature was about to take the +woman's liver. As the Eloko was struck by the arrow, it caused +him to slip and fall over the woman, and its knife killed her +instantly. The man threw a spear through the body of the +Eloko, and then cut off its head. He carried it into the village +to show everybody what had really happened in the forest to +his poor enchanted wife. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Although certain amulets and fetishes may avert the +spell of the Eloko, only professional hunters with magic pow- +ers can safely travel through the forest. The bells of the Eloko +are impossible to resist. This cautionary tale is a warning +never to leave a wife alone in the forest and for all ordinary +people to remain in the familiar, civilized village. + +----- + +ONI +Japan +The Oni is a splendid species, and probably the most popular +in Japan. His body is pink or blue, his face basically human but +grotesquely flat, with a mouth that runs ear to ear and a third +eye. He has three toes and three fingers on each hand. The +fingers and toes end in talons. He often walks, but he can fly +and he has horns. Oni range in size but maintain these fea- +tures. +Excessive in their behavior, all Oni drink and eat too +much, randomly abduct young women, and are revoltingly +uncouth. +These demons are always present when disaster strikes, +and are also associated with disease. They bear the souls of the +wicked to the underworld. On the last day of the year a special +ceremony called the Oni-yarahi is held to expel the Oni and +the misfortune that they represent from the coming year. + +----- + +117 +/ +O N I +L O R E +Once a sweet young bride was abducted by an Oni on her +way to her own wedding. He manifested as a dark cloud and +when the sky had cleared the bride had vanished. He brought +her to his mansion for a wife. The girl's mother bravely went +forth to find her daughter, and soon, with the help of a priest- +ess, she located the home of the hideous Oni. When the +mother was certain the Oni was out, she knocked on the +castle door. The girl was overjoyed to see her mother again and +embraced her, gave her dinner, then hid her in a massive stone +chest. The Oni soon arrived home and had a fit of temper +when he smelled a human on his premises. The quick- +thinking girl placated him with some improvised news: "I am +pregnant!" she announced. Elated, the Oni called for all his +dogs to be killed as a feast and for a lot of sake. He got roaring +drunk, and finally passed out. As he snored, the girl unlocked +the stone box and fled with her mother. The women took a +boat from the Oni's supplies and started to cross the river. +The Oni awakened to find his wife gone. He discovered +that the boat was missing, and in a monstrous fury strode to +the edge of the water. He saw the women disappearing into +the distant horizon. He did what any Oni would do under the +circumstances: he began to drink the river dry. The small boat +that was carrying the mother and daughter started traveling +back to the mouth of the Oni as if on the end of a long strand +of noodle. In desperation the two women prayed to the priest- +ess for help. They were answered by a quick piece of tactical +advice. They turned to face the nearing shore and together +they lifted their kimonos and exposed their privates. This +completely unexpected sight caused the Oni to laugh uproar- +iously until all the thousands of gallons of water spewed from +his mouth back into the river. He rolled around in a fit of hilar- +ity while the little boat sped off on the rising waters and car- +ried the women to safety. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +This Oni story demonstrates a childlike weakness in the +impulsive, larger-than-life demon varieties. Despite their + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +118 +great powers, they are so preoccupied with satisfying excessive +bodily needs that their intelligence is diminished. They +remain vulnerable to human trickery and ingenuity. Shocking +an Oni is a good way out of a bad situation. They can also be +given tasks, such as counting holes in a sieve, that keep them +distracted and occupied while the victim escapes. Throwing +dry peas about in four directions, done at the Oni-yarahi cer- +emony, chases the Oni away. + +----- + +K U M B H A K A R N A +India +Kumbhakarna, the gluttonous Rakshasa brother of Ravana, +standing 420,000 meters high, is the tallest known demon +in the world. His colossal stature alone would have made +him invincible, but fortunately for humankind +when +Kumbhakarna +opened his mouth to ask for a boon from +Brahma, he was tongue-tied midsentence by a goddess. All he +could manage to say was: "I w a n t . . . to sleep!" +All the gods breathed a sigh of relief and Brahma hap- +pily agreed to his request. He arranged for the mighty +Kumbhakarna to sleep for six months at a stretch and awaken +for only one day at a time. Whenever Kumbhakarna awakens, +he is naturally ravenous. Like a cosmic bear who has been +hibernating, the demon eats everybody and everything any- +where in his neighborhood (which covers a wide territory). He +can eat a city's supply of food in a gulp along with most of its +citizens. His drinking habits consume the produce of thou- +sands of vineyards. +L O R E +In the forest of Lanka, Ravana needed his brother's help +to fight Rama in his last epic battle, so he sent his army in +to awaken Kumbhakarna. They fed him herds of cattle and +rivers of wine before he would even stand up. Finally the +demon yawned loudly, stretched, stood, and was ready for +battle, but he was still hungry. He swallowed many troops +of Hanumat's army (they were all delicious flying monkeys) +before Rama was able even to wound him. So powerful +and brute a force was Kumbhakarna +that he was able to +go on fighting even after he'd been cut to shreds by Rama. +Only small, torn remnants of his limbs endured, but +the fierce body parts hailed damage upon the forces of +Good. Finally Rama sliced Kumbhakarna!s head off with his + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +120 +sacred arrow and that was the end of the vast and gluttonous +sleeper. +(At least it was for this lifetime. He and his brother +Ravana have one more cycle to go as demons for acting too +hastily as bouncers at the celestial gate before they are free. +See Hiranyanakashipu in Domicile.) + +----- + +K A Y E R I +South America +The Kayeri is a seasonal species of the Cuiva people, best +observed in the rainy months and generally dormant in sun- +shine. It wears a blue-green hat, sometimes yellow, and when +in the shape of a human male is quite tall and strong and has +two wives. Kayeri live under the ground in deep caves and rise +to the earth's surface through the holes made by ants. All +mushrooms in the forest are aspects of Kayeri, as Eire ficus ten- +drils, the agouti, and the unkuaju plant. +Kayeri usually can be found hanging about the base of +tall trees. They eat nothing but cows, which they chase at +night through the fields. When farmers complain of missing +cows, it is said that a Kayeri has taken them home to eat under +the earth with his two wives. +Whenever a Kayeri is killed, all the others become very +upset, and when the beating of sticks against trees is heard, +that means something has angered them. It is said that the +Kayeri's distinctive cry is: "Mu, mu, mu." +L O R E +Once there was a man who was about to set off on a hunt. +His two daughters begged to go with him until finally he con- +sented, and they set off together. As they walked into the for- +est, the girls laughed and made a lot of noise. The father +warned them to be quiet as there were a number of ant holes +on the path, which could mean there were Kayeri about. They +walked on and on in search of deer until the girls grew tired +and decided to return to camp. They bid their father good-bye, +and started back. "Beware of the Kayeri," he warned, for the +demon was known for his lust and particularly for abducting +very young women. +After a short time, the father's dog managed to catch a +deer, and he cut off the best parts and carried them home. +When he arrived, he asked his wife where the girls were. The +wife said, "They have not yet returned." The man, suspecting +the worst, ran back where he'd left them, and there he heard + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +122 +a cry in the distance. "That must be my daughters screaming!" +he realized, and headed quickly in the direction of the +screams. +Sure enough, the Kayeri was walking west with the girls +thrown over his shoulder. The girls scratched, bit, and poked +him to no avail. Then the girls saw their father, and he sig- +naled to them to cover the Kayeri's eyes. He then shot the +demon in the kidneys with an arrow tipped with bone. The +Kayeri dropped the girls, screamed "Mu, mu, mu!" and +jumped into the river and turned into a stone. All around the +father and his daughters came a terrible sound: a host of +Kayeri were beating trees with sticks. The human family ran +for their lives and made it safely to camp to report this cau- +tionary tale. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Beware the Kayeri in rainy season, as the father told his +daughters. Be alert wherever ant holes seem conspicuously +abundant, and as a weapon, carry a special arrow tipped with +bone. + +----- + +DODO +Ghana +The Dodo is a rapacious male species of the Hausa people that +hides in trees waiting to pounce on unsuspecting forest trav- +elers. He can take any shape, but is often sighted as a snake, or +an animal with a keen sense of smell, sometimes even a giant +covered with long hair. He is always ravenously hungry for +human flesh. Some believe the Dodo is the spirit of a dead man +who vengefully prowls the forest grabbing living mortals. +L O R E +Once there were two women who were at a stream fetch- +ing water. One woman was pregnant, and the other, out of +envy, threw dirt into her pot while her back was turned. The +spiteful woman left, and the pregnant woman found her jug +much too heavy to lift. Just then a Dodo came by and offered +help. She accepted gratefully. He told her that if her child were +a boy it would be his friend, but if it were a girl it would be his +wife. The woman, eager to get her jug home and desperate for +help, agreed to his conditions. +Later the woman gave birth to a girl, and her rival went +and told the Dodo. He waited. The girl grew up and a mar- +riage was arranged. The promise to the demon was forgotten. +But on the wedding day, the rival went to the Dodo and told +him what was going on. The Dodo set off for the wedding, and +when he arrived he announced he had come for his promised +wife. Ashamed, the poor mother had to explain the debt to her +husband. The husband asked, "Whose horse is this?" and, as +it belonged to the wife, he said, "Give it to the Dodo." The +Dodo took the horse and ate it whole, but he still demanded +the bride. +The husband then offered his wife's cattle and the Dodo +swallowed them whole. They gave the Dodo all their food, but +that was not enough. "Have the guests!" the husband cried. +And the demon did, but still he demanded the bride. The rav- +enous Dodo ate everyone, including the father. Alone, the vir- +tuous young bride trembled and cried out for help. A knife fell + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +124 +from above, and naturally the demon ate it, cutting himself in +half. All the guests, her father and mother, the cattle, and the +horse came out, as well as the bridegroom, and the girl was +happily married after all. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The only two things that can stop a Dodo are running +water, which it cannot cross, and a deus ex machina like the +one the bride produced. + +----- + +S H E D I M +(Judaism) +The Shedim is a hairy and horned wild species of Jewish +demons. They are said in the Talmud to eat and drink like +human beings and have basically human features, but with +lolling tongues and wide mouths. (Compare the mazzikin, +who are often invisible and always harmful, and the lilin, who +are winged; see Lilith in Domicile.) The Shedim are referred +to in the Bible as unclean spirits and were later relegated in +folklore to woods and various other uninhabited places. +L O R E +Once in a small village in Russia lived a hunchback who +could no longer stand living with his mean, hunchbacked twin +brother and so set out on his own. He found himself in the for- +est alone, and since he was tired and it was very late, he lay +down to sleep. At about midnight a loud commotion nearby +woke him up and he saw a large party of Shedim dancing and +making a great noise. +As soon as the Shedim saw him, they grabbed him and +pulled him into their wild dance. Scared, he did exactly as they +did, making the same sounds and attempting the same leaps +and wicked steps. They were delighted and invited him back. +But when they sensed his hesitation, they demanded a pledge. +He offered to leave various items of clothing or possessions, +but they would have none of it. "Give us your hump," they +said in unison. Then, with no more fuss, they took it and dis- +appeared. The man was so pleased to be humpless that he +proudly walked back to his village to show off his new +physique. His envious twin brother demanded to know how +he had gotten rid of his hump, so he recounted the tale. +The twin brother set out to do exactly the same thing. He +found the forest, lay down to rest, and waited for the dancing +Shedim to begin their festivities. Midnight came and so did +they. He joined them and skipped, leapt, and kicked and yelled +as had his twin. Again they were delighted. They said, you +kept your word, and they returned his pledge. When they had + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +126 +vanished the twin found himself with a hump on his back and +now another on his chest! +In Japan a nearly identical encounter was reported: Once +there lived a good old man who had a large wen on his cheek +that was quite disfiguring. He went off into the woods one day +to cut some firewood, but it began to rain, and he sought shel- +ter in a hollow tree until the storm passed. It rained for a long +time, and then it was nightfall when suddenly there arrived, +close by, an entire pack of Oni. +They were horned, fanged, and hairy, of various sizes and +shapes, and all grotesque with their usual three eyes and three +toes apiece. He was relieved that they didn't see him in his hid- +ing place. Soon they began a rowdy evening of dancing and +demonic noisemaking. They drank too much and feasted glut- +tonously and danced some more and were so absorbed in their +activities that the man was caught up in their high spirits. He +went out to join them and executed some amazing high kicks +and twirls. The demons were favorably impressed. "Come +back tomorrow night," they insisted, and to be sure, they +demanded he leave a pledge till then. They took his wen and +sent him home. +He was handsome again. Word of what had happened +immediately spread around town. Now, his next-door neigh- +bor, a mean and envious type, also had a wen, and of course he +decided to copy his wenless friend's adventure. So he did. And +the Oni showed up and he joined their dance. But he was as +untalented a dancer as he was mean and envious, so the +demons were disgusted with this boring, clumsy performance. +"Here," they said. "Take your pledge wen back and don't ever +return!" The nasty neighbor now had two wens, one on either +cheek. And the forest demons had vanished. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Usually spitting three times will drive away the Shedim, +and also making a gesture known as "to fig" (bending the +thumb and inserting it between index and second finger, +then making a closed fist) will powerfully repel and infuri- +ate the Shedim (but can provoke retaliatory gestures). Both + +----- + +1 2 7 +/ +S H E D I M +Shedim and Oni usually show merciful vulnerability to +human trickery. +Usually it is best not to play with Others, and joining a +fairy ring almost always means never going home again. +Eating food in the Other World also makes a return trip impos- +sible, yet in these stories the human travelers seem somehow +immune to the fate of dancing and drinking encounters. The +focus in these tales (well known in many varieties throughout +Europe) is on the nature of the human visitors. Motive mat- +ters. The goodhearted and guileless disarm the demons and +exit in much better shape than the malicious or miserly. + +----- + +K I T S U N E +Japan +The Kitsune are wild fox demons known to do terrible mis- +chief, to possess humans, and to take their shapes. In fact, the +Kitsune is rarely seen in its original shape, but often appears +as a bewitching young woman. It shape-shifts by a stroke of +its fire-shooting tail. It then puts on a human skull, turns +around, and bows to the Big Dipper. If its skull does not fall +off, it turns into a beautiful maiden, its most successful form. +It is a wanton animal and will in time deplete the energy of +its victim and go on to the next. The Kitsune came by way of +China, where it is called Huli jing (see Domicile) and is con- +sidered a lewd, canny supernatural creature capable of great +damage. Long ago some mischief makers went around cutting +off women's hair at night. This act was attributed to the + +----- + +1 2 9 +/ +K I T S U N E +Kitsune, and from then on foxes were believed to cut women's +hair when assuming their shape — perhaps as some sort of +pledge. They are also associated with shaving men's heads as +pranks. +L O R E +One gentleman of fifty came upon a group of captivating +females in a restaurant and joined them to drink sake. He left +with one, spent the night with her, and when he awoke the +next morning, she had vanished. He realized that the entire +group had been foxes and that he'd been targeted because of +his own lascivious nature. But it was too late. He wasted away +and died thirty days later. In other tales the dinner date drinks +too much wine and reverts to her fox shape, leaving her escort +shocked but safe. +So widespread is the mischief of the troublesome Kitsune +that there is an annual festival called Kitsune-okuri (fox- +expelling) that takes place in Totomi province on January +fourteenth. A mountain priest leads a procession of villagers, +who each carry straw foxes and straw dolls to the mountain +outside town and there bury the straw foxes. The ceremony is +believed to avert all Kitsune pranks (such as their well-known +habit of using human voices to lure wayfarers and casting +spells over people) for the coming year. +The Kitsune have engendered many expressions, and +perhaps the most well known is Kitsune-no-yomeiri +(fox's +wedding), which describes the aberrant phenomenon of rain +occurring during brilliant sunshine. It is said that any time +this sight occurs, a fox bride is going through the woods to the +house of her fox groom. +Another eerie sight is Kitsune-bi (fox fire). It is said to be +caused by a mysterious emanation, like a fireball that the fox +breathes through his mouth or creates with his magic tail, or +perhaps by a group of torch-bearing foxes leading a wedding +procession of foxes. The light appears at twilight and then sim- +ply vanishes. The most extraordinary of all demonic fox pow- +ers is Kitsune-tsuki (fox possession; see Psyche). + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +130 +Note: The Kitsune spirits are not related to the white +foxes who serve Inari (god of rice). The white foxes, in- +visible to mortals, are messengers for the god of rice and +appear as good servants of this god in all depictions of Inari +shrines. + +----- + +K A B H A N D A +India +Kabhanda is a Rakshasa of uncommon appearance in the +Hindu epic Ramayana. Due to a fight with the god Indra, he +was dealt such a terrible blow that his head was driven down +into his torso. In the same battle Indra took another swipe and +cut off his legs. So Kabhanda appears as an enormous, barrel- +shaped, hair-covered entity. He has eight arms, each one mile +in length, and he walks around on them in spider fashion. His +face is located mid-torso, where his wide, fanged, typical +Rakshasa mouth grimaces from his belly, and his one eye +stares menacingly from mid-chest. His body ends at his shoul- +ders and he has no neck. +L O R E +The hero Rama was en route to Lanka to rescue his wife, +Sita, from the palace of the demon Ravana. He was just about +ready to leave the forest when he ran into Kabhanda. The +enormous barrel-shaped creature slithered toward him like a +huge spider and blocked his path, rearing up and peering men- +acingly out from his belly at the hero. Unafraid, Rama +attacked him and gravely wounded him. Kabhanda +then +weakly pleaded with Rama for a favor: he begged Rama to +burn him alive. Rama granted his request. Instantly, from the +ashes, Kabhanda rose to his next life as a good spirit. He gra- +ciously returned the favor Rama had done for him by releas- +ing him from a life as a demon. They left the woods together +and went to Lanka. In his new form and life, he aided the hero +Rama in his final battle with the terrifying Ravana. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +This transformation is unusual in its immediacy, but it +expresses the potential for good inherent in many supernat- +ural demonic spirits and is typical of many Hindu demons who +can serve out a lifetime as asuras warring with the gods and +then in another become gods warring with demons. + +----- + + + +----- + +D E S E R T + +----- + + + +----- + +One often meets men in the African deserts who +belong to quite a peculiar human species and who +suddenly disappear from sight. +PLINY, NATURAL +HISTORY, +VII, 2 +T +he Desert is vast, inhospitable territory — traditionally +referred to as wasteland or wilderness — with no fixed +signposts, and frequent mirages that make for difficult travel- +ing. Dunes eerily shift, sculpting a transient landscape where +past and present can be buried in a sudden sandstorm. It is a +habitat of extremes where space and time as we know it are +erased; map and compass are often useless; and the human +traveler feels awe, intense dread, and amazement. +Desert spirits are as plentiful as grains of sand and have +lived through the millennia without any regard for +humankind. They imbue each rock and plant of this archaic +strata. Many were the first beings, here long before people, or +Good and Evil, and they continue in a nondual universe of +their own. In Aboriginal lore, Dreamtime beings traveled here +and their energies remain, creating a map of sacred places for +those people who came after. In Native American lore the +ancestral spirits also formed the geography of sites where cer- +emonies are still performed. Ancient nature deities were +buried here by later peoples who occupied the landscape, and +powerful demons, devouring spirits, and tormentors were +banished in antiquity to desert wilderness. +The mysterious nature of the Desert, with its unpre- +dictability, challenge, and power, is reflected in or perhaps +embodied by its demonic population of exotic djinn, whose +intriguing tales entertain nomadic peoples. Entire invisible, +prefabricated spirit cities can suddenly appear and just as +suddenly vanish. Other demons manifest as natural phe- +nomena such as sandstorms. Many call out in familiar voices +and lure the traveler from the caravan, then provide a ghoul- +ish ending. +For visionaries who have deliberately walked through +the desert wilderness, it is the site of their most power- + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +1 3 6 +ful encounters. It is here Jesus was tempted by Satan, and +St. Anthony assailed by demonic hordes for twenty years. +For all travelers to this most ancient place, the journey +requires formidable strength, preparation, and spiritual +power. + +----- + +WHO'S WHO IN THE DESERT +SUREM +Sonoran Desert +SET +Sahara Desert +AZAZEL +Judean Wilderness +IBLIS +Arabian Desert +DJINN +Arabian Desert +SHAITAN +Arabian Desert +GHOUL +Arabian Desert +DEVALPA +Arabian Desert +MIMI +Arnhem Land, Australia +ST. ANTHONY'S +DEMONS +Sahara Desert +PALIS +Arabian Desert +MAMU +Great Sandy Desert, Australia +AHRIMAN +Iranian Desert +NAMARRGON +Arnhem Land, Australia +HO'OK +Sonoran Desert +SATAN +Negev + +----- + + + +----- + +S U R E M +Sonoran Desert +The Surem, about three feet in height, are considered to be the +precursors of the Yaqui people. The Surem were nomads who +did not know sickness or death and who could communicate +with animals and plants, with which they lived peacefully in +the wilds. The little people moved about and carried a lake +with them, rolled up like a carpet, and whenever they needed +water or fish, they would unroll the lake and fish in it. The +time during which they lived this way was called the yoania +an ancient, nondual, unitary world when all being was psy- +chically interconnected, an enchanted time before the Spanish +came, a time that preceded Christianity. +The Surem can still be found today living in a concealed +parallel universe that remains in the yoania, an "uncivilized" +world that exists in wilderness, in wastelands, and in the +sacred tale of the Talking Tree, which is still told at certain +festivals. +L O R E +The Surem were a peaceful people living in ancient times +when one day a Tree (some say a stick) began trembling and +vibrating and made strange undecipherable noises. The vil- +lagers went to seek the help of a young sea hamut (wise +woman), to act as a kind of oracle, for she understood the +unknown language of the Tree and was able to hear its mes- +sage. Some say it was God who spoke through the Tree, but +"God" was unknown to the Surem. The young wise woman +told the people what the voice prophesied, that soon there +would come an entirely new way of life. It would be brought +by people who called themselves padres and they would teach +the Surem about "good" and "evil," about something called +baptism, about marriage, and also about cultivation of seeds, +and with these ideas would also come death to all people and +to animals and plants. The villagers listened carefully to the +message, and then half of them chose to stay and continue +into the future, and half chose to leave before the future came. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +140 +The two groups held a feast and a dance of farewell as they +parted. To this day the place exists: the place of the last dance. +Those who stayed became taller and eventually became +Yaquis who married, cultivated the earth, lived, and died. The +others went underground to form a world of their own. They +remained Surem who live to this day in the yoania. Some say +they walked into the sea and live under it; others say their +world is under the earth. Some became so small they appeared +as ants. Some people say they all are seen as ants to this day. +The Surem took all their powers with them under the earth, +and in far-off desert places and caves. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Seekers can travel to the distant Surem places to receive +these powers, but not without dangerous consequences for +those who find them. The Surem are still manifest in many +ways even for those who do not travel to contact them. They +are associated with seataka, an inborn power of intuitive intel- +ligence that can be used for good or evil. It contains within it +the gift of precognitive power, clairvoyance, "second sight," +and is seen in people who have a profound connection to the +natural world. The gift of healing is also considered to be +inherited directly from the Surem. + +----- + +S E T +Sahara Desert +Set, called Typhon by the Greeks, is one of the most ancient +and powerful Egyptian deities. He has a tough, camel-like pro- +file, a reddish complexion, squared-off upright ears, and ram- +rod straight posture. +Set represented the negative aspect of the sun, and over +the millennia came to stand for all forces of moral and physi- +cal darkness. Ra, the sun god, represented by Osiris, the father, +and Horus (his son and symbol of the rising sun), often appears +with Set, expressing the double nature of the deity. In ancient +Egypt Set grew to be known primarily as the destructive force +of the southern sun, whose deadly rays create unbearable heat +and drought that turn earth into uninhabitable stony waste- +land. +Set was also considered the thief of the rays of the + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +142 +beneficial sun, so the setting sun was under his control, as was +the part of the year from the summer solstice to the winter sol- +stice when the rays of the sun are weakest and crops cannot +grow. He was also the agent of earthquakes, storms, and other +natural disasters that upset the natural order of things. Set was +also a god of war. +All Egyptian gods and demons have body-double animals. +Set's representatives were the crocodile, hippopotamus, pig, tor- +toise, serpent, antelope, and turtle. He was also associated with +the ass. Some of these animals were notably sacred, with shrines +in ancient Egypt, and the powers attributed to them were a mix +of good and evil. The amphibians and reptiles were regarded +with fear and suspicion because of their ability to live on land +and in water, and all animals that roamed Set's realm, the desert, +were regarded with ambivalence. To drive Set away, certain +offerings of these animals were made on special holidays and +always under the full moon. These rituals were essential in +ancient Egyptian religion. +L O R E +Set was always envious of his glorious brother, Osiris, the +mythic founding king of Egypt who gave its people laws and +religion. After creating this civilization, Osiris went off to +influence other nations, leaving his faithful wife Isis to rule in +his absence. When Osiris returned, much later, his brother Set +was waiting for him. In an radical act of sibling rivalry, +Set tricked Osiris into lying down in a wooden chest, which Set +and his seventy-two helpers slammed shut and threw into the +Nile. The river carried the chest (with Osiris in it) to the sea. +Poor Isis roamed the entire world looking for her husband. Set +claimed ignorance and refused to help. +Isis finally found the chest. She carefully hid the chest in +a tree. The tree, however, was cut down, and made into a pil- +lar of the house of a king. Again Isis tracked it down and asked +for it back, but Set was a step ahead of her and got to it first. +In the dark of night, Set removed the chest from the pillar and +took the body of his brother out of the chest. He cut up Osiris's +body and scattered his parts throughout Egypt. + +----- + +1 4 3 +/ +S E T +Ever faithful, Isis patiently traveled all over, picking up +the pieces, trying to put her husband together again. +Eventually Isis located the phallus of Osiris and, with the help +of magic incantations, managed to become pregnant with her +husband's child. She gave birth to Horus, who was fated to +avenge his father's murder. +Set attempted to thwart Horus's growing up — at one +point a scorpion bit the child and killed him, but Isis, with +more magic, was able to revive her son. With the protection of +other gods, Horus was to grow to manhood and challenge Set. +In The Book of the Dead, the fight between Horus and Set is +the classical fight of Light and Good versus Dark and Evil. +Horus triumphed over Set, but just when he was about to do +in his father's murderer, Isis intervened. She felt mercy for her +brother-in-law. And so the influence of Set is still felt and +Horus's battle continues to be waged on earth. + +----- + +A Z A Z E L . +Judean Wilderness +Azazel was king of the seirim, an ancient species of goat- +like spirits. Although some say "Azazel" was simply the +name of a place near Jerusalem, others say that it referred +to an archdemon who dwelled in the desert. In ancient +Jewish custom, on the Day of Atonement, two goats were +brought to the tabernacle. One goat was sacrificed for +Yahweh, the other was laden with the sins of the people and +taken to the wilderness for Azazel. +He is spoken of in +Leviticus 16:8: +And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one +for the Lord, and the other for Azazel. And Aaron +shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot +fell and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat +on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be pre- +sented alive before the Lord, to make atonement +with him and to let him go to Azazel in the +desert. +As this passage shows, Azazel was as important in ancient +Judaism as Satan came to be later in Christianity. Azazel rep- +resented the powerful evil supernatural adversary to the Lord. +Azazel appears in the Apocryphal Book of Enoch as an angel +fallen from heaven because he lusted after mortal women. On +earth he then established himself as a corrupt archdemon +teaching unrighteousness. In the Book of Enoch he is charged +with revealing eternal secrets to humankind. God responds to +this charge by sending angels to bind Azazel and imprison +him in the desert in a place called Dudael. He is to remain +there until the Final Judgment. +Eventually, Azazel's notoriety seemed to fade away, and +his place was ultimately usurped by Satan (the Adversary, in + +----- + +1 4 5 +/ +A Z A Z E L +the Book of Job), whom the New Testament takes up as its +most important fallen angel. +In Islamic lore, Azazel is also mentioned as a fallen angel +who lusted after mortal maidens. His name becomes inter- +changeable with Iblis, and then Iblis becomes the archdemon +of Islam. + +----- + +I B L I S +Arabian Desert +Iblis, the spirit of doubt, is a fallen angel of Islam, a powerful +subversive spirit, and the chief of all djinn, with an army of +marid, a vicious and powerful class of djinn. He is closely +related to Azazel. +L O R E +According to one account, Iblis was a powerful angel who +refused to bow before Adam at Allah's command. When asked +why, Iblis replied, "I am better than he; Thou created me out +of fire, and him Thou created out of clay." Iblis was, as the +Q'uran describes him, "puffed up with pride" and believed +himself to be far superior to a mere human being. For this dis- +obedience he was cast out of heaven. "Get thee down out of +it," said Allah. Iblis, the fallen angel, pleaded for clemency and +begged not to be cast into the dark pit, but to be given respite +until the Day of Judgment. +Iblis was given respite, and then he said he would sit in +ambush for humankind, and tempt this usurper Adam and all +his sons, and see if they truly remained loyal and good. He was +sent forth "despised and banished" and told he would even- +tually go to hell with all who followed him, condemned to +haunt ruins and eat unblessed food until Judgment Day. He +became the King of the Shaitans (Satans). +In another version, before the creation of humankind, +Allah sent down his angels to destroy the djinn (who had been +created from the intense heat of the desert winds and lived as +a race of beings for twenty-five thousand years but had begun +to flaunt Allah's laws). The angels managed to kill or disperse +most of the djinn and to capture Iblis. They brought Iblis up +to heaven, where they educated him in their ways, and Iblis +quickly gained stature there. Meanwhile, the surviving djinn +united to form a new nation. Iblis, despite his angelic status, +was still hungry for power and flew down to the nation of the +djinn and became their king. They called him "Azazel," Lord +of the Djinn. + +----- + +D J I N N +Arabian Desert +Djinn, an ancient, Islamic, invisible, illusion-casting species +who live for centuries, can manifest in any form and travel +anywhere instantly. Like the Greek daimon, they are spirits of +an intermediate nature between humans and angels. It is said +in the Q'uran that they are an ancient species who were cre- +ated before humankind from smokeless fire. The Djinn have +no bodies of their own but are masters of illusory disguise. +However, because the Djinn are made of fire, when they man- +ifest in human form they have flaming eyes, which are set ver- +tically in the head, not horizontally as human eyes are. Aside +from human form, certain Djinn also appear in the shape of +black dogs or snakes or toads or black cats. They are consid- +ered the cause of violent sandstorms, whirlwinds, and shoot- +ing stars. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +148 +Although Djinn inhabit ruins, wells, kitchen fireplaces, +and public baths, their favorite abode is the desert. Some +believe Djinn live just under the sand in organized towns and +only rise to the surface to harass humans. Some have heard +music from Djinn +"villages" — campsites like +human +nomadic abodes — which suddenly appear and then vanish in +the blink of an eye. When journeying through the Arabian +desert it is necessary to call out to the Djinn and ask their per- +mission to pass by. Each place has its own resident spirit, its +ancestral genius loci, and one addresses it respectfully. If +answered by a sudden whirling pillar of sand, it is wise to turn +back at once. +L O R E +One day King Suleyman (or King Solomon), who had +great powers and a formidable magic ring with jewels given +him by the angels, used his art to gather the multitudes of +Djinn around him, for he wanted to see what they looked like. +He conjured them to come into his presence, and as they +poured forth in vast numbers, the earth trembled. When they +became visible to him he reported that he saw legions of aber- +rant creatures, some two-headed, some fire-breathing, and +then many thousands in the shapes of fantastical hybrid ani- +mals with the head of a cat and body of a dog and hooves, or +with heads on backward. With his magic ring held high, he +watched as they bowed to him, for he could subdue all but +Iblis. King Suleyman used his magic for the powers of good, +and he soon had a legion of Djinn building for him, diving for +pearls, collecting jewels, and mining minerals. No human +could craft metal like the Djinn, and their fabulous rings play +a part in many tales. +It is said that for each human born, a Djinni (singular) is +also born. He is a kind of supernatural twin who tempts the +human being from birth to do the wrong thing. He is always +present, as are the angels the human has to guard him. The +Djinni can change form. If a black cat were to enter the house +at night, he might actually be the twin Djinni of a member of +the household, and if he is hurt by his human twin, the human + +----- + +1 4 9 +/ +D J I N N +will inflict harm upon his own self as well. The result of such +an event is insanity. Along this line it is said that if a human +unknowingly eats Djinn excrement, his intelligence shoots up +immediately. Thus the proverbial expression, "He has eaten +Djinn dung [goh-e-djen}\" of a very bright child. +All Djinn are closely intertwined or involved in human +affairs. Like fairies, Djinn steal human babies and substitute +their own. They also indulge in petty demonic acts like push- +ing people down stairs, making them yawn uncontrollably, +spilling their milk, and giving them nightmares, but these are +minor annoyances compared to the serious maladies that +Djinn are known to cause, such sis epidemics, convulsions, +insanity, and death. +In the Q'uran, chapter 72 is named for the Djinn, and +there it is said: "And some of us are the righteous, and some of +us are otherwise. We are sects differing." It says in this chap- +ter that some djinn have surrendered and they are not harm- +ful, and some have deviated, and the latter will go to hell. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Since all Djinn are invisible and plentiful as sand, they +are considered to be always present and listening — reputedly +they know every language — so care must be taken when dis- +cussing them. One must never inadvertently injure them by +throwing water on a fire — they often rest in ashes. A stone +thrown in the desert may injure some invisible Djinn off- +spring and force retaliation. Any black cat, black dog, or snake +might be a Djinn, and therefore these animals must be treated +with respect. Never sweep at night, for obvious reasons. +Fortunately there are many documented ways of keep- +ing the malevolent Djinn away. The first method is to recite +the protective bismillah "in the name of Allah." To eat with- +out reciting the bismillah is virtually an invitation for Djinn +to lurk in the food, where they may be ingested along with the +meal. The prayer is effective at other times when it's known +Djinn are near, such as when turning off a lamp at night or +stamping out a campfire. +Djinn loathe salt. When used in food, salt will keep them + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +150 +away, as will salt sprinkled on the floor, carried in pockets, in +shoes, tucked under the pillow, or thrown up in the air at night +while out walking. Since Djinn are attracted to human blood, +salt is a necessary ingredient at such events as circumcision, +the slaughtering of animals, or childbirth. +Djinn also abhor loud sounds. They are afraid of pins, +needles, silver, iron, and steel. Successful exploitations of this +fear include wearing a metal ring, keeping a knife under the +bed, stringing a nail around the neck, or adding a coin to the +bathwater. Djinn are repelled by strong odors; in particular +the smell of tar drives them off at once. +If Djinn should get inside a human, a cure must be found +to drive them out or the person will become insane. Many of +the disarming techniques above can be used to expel the crea- +tures. Tar, for example, can be used on the body, in addition to +the inhalation of smoke or incense along with specific incan- +tations. Salt is usually put under the pillow of anybody who is +ill. Most often, the recitation of sacred words is employed, as +are charms written by people skilled in such things. Often the +charms are written in the Djinn!s native language, far more +ancient than our own. One interesting cure involves prepar- +ing a meal (salt-free) for the Djinn. The ill person, in order to +stimulate the Djinn's appetite, eats a morsel while the Djinn +watch hungrily from within, then exit the human body to +enjoy the rest of the meal. The meal should be placed far away +from the patient for best results. + +----- + +S H A I T A N +Arabian Desert +The Shaitan (Satan) is a type of djinni created of fire by Allah. +While djinn behavior can be moderate or mischievous and +members of the species have even converted and become good, +the Shaitan is invariably evil. Iblis is the king of the Shaitan, +and, like Iblis, the entire function of the Shaitan is to lead +humankind into sin by temptation. They manage this by cre- +ating illusions in the minds of humankind — enthralling +visions of pleasures to be had by committing various sins -— +and they are endlessly imaginative. +The Shaitan eat dirt and excrement and have a notable +aversion to water. If one forgets to wash after supper and goes +to bed with unclean hands, they may be licked to bloody +stumps by morning. Forgetting morning ablutions results in +unclean tempting thoughts sent by the Shaitans throughout +the day. Many of the species look exactly like human beings, +although they can shape-shift into animals or inhabit corpses. +Some possess people. Some tempt people to do evil. Some take +the shape of seductive women to lure travelers. +L O R E +It is said that each man has his own guardian angel and +his Shaitan. In that most favorable aspect, the Shaitan is like +the Greek daimon and is said to inspire all great poets. The +Shaitan is inspiration itself and is always connected to poetry +and to art. One traveler en route through the desert was sud- +denly seized by two invisible spirits and transported to their +leader. The Shaitan leader turned out to be the composer of a +famous poet's work. +A huge population of Shaitans was accidentally released +by fishermen in Morocco from bottles that had the seal of +Solomon on them, which accounts for a sudden increase in +their numbers. +Once there was a very poor old fisherman who cast his +net early one morning and pulled up a strange vessel with +a seal on its lead cover. Hoping the vessel might contain + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +152 +something precious, he pried open the lid. A dark smoke +arose, slowly at first, and eventually covered all the sky, then +formed itself into a massive presence who glared at the old +fisherman. "Prepare to die," the spirit said. "I will kill you, +and one favor only will I grant you, which is that you choose +the method of your death." The fisherman, frozen with fear, +asked how the spirit could treat him so, as he had been his +liberator. The genie (or djinni), who was a Shaitan, answered +that he had been sealed in the bottle by King Solomon, whose +rule he refused as he had refused the will of heaven, and +while in confinement he had first sworn to aid any human +who delivered him by giving him riches, making him a +monarch, and granting him three wishes of any sort. But +after three hundred years had passed, he angrily arrived at +his current resolution, to give the person only a choice of how +he wanted to die. +The fisherman, having recovered his wits, and desper- +ate to save not himself but his family from ruin, spoke qui- +etly to the towering demon: "Do you swear that you were in +this vessel, for I cannot believe that such a grand figure as +yours ever did fit in such a container. In fact, I cannot even +believe your oath but only my eyes, so I could only believe +you if you are able to reenter this vessel." The challenged +demonic creature dissolved again into smoke and collected +himself slowly within the vessel until he was entirely con- +tained. The fisherman clamped the lid shut upon him and +cast him into the sea, resolving to warn all other fisherman +by his tale to beware of opening any vessel and thus releas- +ing a wicked spirit. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Most important is the species' aversion to fresh water, +which will stop them from all activity. The bone of a hare also +works against them. A white cock will keep the Shaitan away. +It is also said that the door can be shut against the Shaitan at +night, for they cannot open a shut door. They cannot open +water bottles or oil containers that are shut tightly or take the +covers off jars, so keeping food enclosed in a sealed vessel will + +----- + +1 5 3 +/ +S H A I T A N +keep the demons out. In the case of the fisherman, it was pres- +ence of mind that saved the day, and the classic trick of dimin- +ishing demons by containing them. This also works in the case +of Madame White (see Water), and the Naga Karkotak in the +case of Yaksas (see Mountain). + +----- + +G H O U L +Arabian Desert +Ghoul ("destroyer") is the most malicious species (along with +the frits and marids who make up the wicked army of Iblis). +He is often sighted with matted shaggy hair that hangs over +his eyes, and he shape-shifts endlessly, but in all forms main- +tains hooves as feet. The Ghouls commonly transform to ox, +camel, or horse and often appear in human form. They light +fires at night to deceive travelers and they call out "Good +evening!" as if they were human. A Ghoul specialty is singing +like a siren, so sweetly the traveler will be lured to their camp, +and then, once gotten alone, the Ghoul will show its claws, rip +apart its prey, and devour it whole. However, he can be gener- +ous if treated well. If a wayfarer cuts his hair and grooms him +so he can see well, he'll go out of his way to help that person. +The Si'lats, female Ghouls, are hideous, and they operate in +the same carnivorous ways, but again have a generous side: if +a human nurses at the breast of a Si'lat she will treat him as +one of her own. +L O R E +The Ghoul frequents the Valley of the Angel of Death, +which is in the salt desert on the road from Teheran to Qum. +One messenger was sent out but came back without having +delivered the message because he saw two Ghouls on the hori- +zon, and when they evaporated at daybreak, he was certain +what they were and knew he should not proceed. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +It is said that if one loosens the belt of one's trousers, the +Ghoul will stay away. A Ghoul can be killed in one blow. But, +beware: a second blow will bring it back to life. + +----- + +D E V A L P A +Arabian Desert +The Devalpa usually appears as an innocent, decrepit old man +who stands weary and sighing at the edge of the road. As +people pass by, he pleads to be taken on their shoulders. If any- +body is good enough to pick him up, he will shape-shift imme- +diately: yards of snakelike legs erupt from his scrawny +abdomen and wrap around the bearer. His rescuer in a death +grip, the Devalpa imperiously commands, "Work for me!" If +the good Samaritan chooses to live, he will do so for the rest of +his life as a slave to the Devalpa. +L O R E +The Devalpa!s most prominent role is in the famous story +of Sinbad the sailor. Shipwrecked, Sinbad ran across a pathetic +old man whom he assumed was a fellow castaway. The old +man weakly signaled Sinbad to carry him across a brook. +Sinbad charitably hoisted him up on his shoulders, and then, +midstream, felt the scrawny legs grow powerful around his +neck. He glanced at the legs tightening around him and saw +that they were covered with rough black skin. Horrified, he +tried to shake the old man off, but the terrible legs squeezed +him into unconsciousness. +When Sinbad awakened, he found the "old man" still +crouched on his shoulders. The Devalpa commanded him to +walk. Sinbad was now in the position of being the old man's +camel and trudged on for weeks while his rider picked fruit +from the trees above as they passed. This relationship grew +more and more unbearably burdensome each day. +Eventually Sinbad came across some grapes, which he +fermented into a potent wine, whose effects allowed him to +forget his desperate situation and lent him a drunken levity. +The Devalpa, noticing the effect of the wine on Sinbad, com- +manded him to pour some of this beverage for him. The cap- +tor gulped down the drink and soon began to relax his grip +on Sinbad's neck. As he drank more, the tentacle limbs +slipped off slowly, and soon the creature lay drunk on the + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +156 +ground. Sinbad picked up a heavy rock and dashed his brains +out. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Wine is the downfall of many demons. Their excessive +nature always causes them to imbibe too much and fall into +an unconscious stupor. This permits the hero to bind them, kill +them, or escape. (See Asmodeus in Domicile, Oni in Forest, +and the White Monkey in Mountain.) + +----- + +MIMI +Arnhem Land, Australia +The Mimi are an ancient family of Aboriginal fairylike spir- +its who have concealed themselves within rocks in the +Arnhem Land plateau of Australia for over ten thousand years. +The Mimi are described as having such extraordinarily thin +and elongated bodies that they cannot venture out on windy +days because the wind would cause them to break in half. +Hunting is reserved for still days. The tall, fragile beings wear +bunches of leaves to cover their genitals. +Never seen by modern travelers, they were glimpsed by +Aboriginal medicine men long ago when people could still see +spirits. They are assumed to still inhabit the rocks, upon which +they have left images of themselves and their activities. All +Mimi have keen hearing and can detect when a human way- +farer is nearby. When the Mimi hear someone coming they +run to the rocks, blow on them, and the rocks open up like +magic doors to allow the Mimi to enter and hide. Certain +noises that one hears in this area are the concealed Mimi mov- +ing around inside their homes. Some Mimi are friendly to +humans, many are antagonistic, and none are dependable. +The Mimi are said to be fond of dancing and singing, and +some say they taught the Aboriginal ancestors how to write +songs and to dance. They also are said to have taught the art +of cave painting, in which their self-portraits are rendered on +the stone walls, along with drawings of other ancestral spirits. +Mimi keep wallabies, pythons, and certain types of kangaroos +as pets as a human might keep dogs. They hunt and eat wild +kangaroos. If anyone injures a tame animal, it may be a Mimi +pet and serious consequences will ensue. Injuring a tame kan- +garoo or wallaby may lead to madness or death. +The Mimi, on calm and breezeless days, are skillful +hunters, and very adept at hunting kangaroo. It was in fact the +Mimi who taught the Aboriginal ancestors how to hunt and +prepare kangaroo meat. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ 158 +L O R E +Long ago, when the Mimi were not as utterly invisible +as they are now, special people could see them, and one man +was even invited to visit the camp of the Mimi. Food and +women were offered to him, but he knew that if he accepted, +he might turn into a Mimi spirit himself. He waited until the +Mimi were asleep, then he escaped and ran back to his human +camp. He could hear the angry Mimi call out to him. He told +everybody of his encounter. He apparently learned magical +things from the Mimi, because he became one of the first pow- +erful Aboriginal healers. +One can mistake a Mimi for a similar-looking, unusually +thin species of ancient evil spirits called Nadubi, which inhabit +the same space and have existed from the same time period. +They have magical spinelike barbs that stick out from their +knees, elbows, wrists, and head, and will use them against +Aboriginal travelers, especially those traveling alone. They +stalk the desert at night, Eire always ravenous, eat meat raw, +and steal honey. To be shot by the invisible barb of a Nadubi +is almost always fatal. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Humankind has learned many creative and healing arts +from the Mimi. However, as with all fairy species, certain pro- +hibitions prevail and no dining is permitted. Encounters with +these powerful species must be left to professionals. + +----- + +S T . A N T H O N Y ' S +D E M O N S +Sahara Desert +St Anthony's Demons are some of the most illustrious and +illustrated of the many desert species. They appear in every +imaginable hostile animal shape. +L O R E +St. Anthony of the Desert was born into a prosperous +Egyptian Christian family early in the fourth century C.E. +When he was about eighteen years old, his parents died, leav- +ing him in charge of a young sister, a luxurious home, and +acres of arable land. Six months later, while walking past a +church and reflecting on how little value the Apostles placed +on material things in their commitment to Christ, he heard a +voice from the door: "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +160 +possess and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in +heaven." (1 Cor. 15:42). +Anthony immediately went home, gave all his posses- +sions to the poor, his sister to the care of nuns, and from that +day on devoted himself to spiritual practice. He began his +training by studying under solitary ascetics who lived outside +his village. He worked for enough money to buy bread, always +giving the excess to the poor. He was inspired by the ascetics' +devout commitment to prayer, their compassion, and their +practice of fasting and sleeping on bare ground. +It was about this time that Anthony received his first visit +from the Devil. Seeing Anthony so young and determined, the +Devil tempted him with visions of his own past: a loving sis- +ter, delicious meals, all the comforts of home and wealth. But +Anthony only prayed harder. The Devil harassed him day and +night, put foul thoughts into his mind, and one night even +shape-shifted into a young women who made sexual advances. +In the days that followed, Anthony stayed up all night, +vigilantly on guard. On days that he didn't fast, he ate only +once per day, after sunset, and only salted bread and water. He +slept on the bare ground, and did not wash or anoint his body +with oil. Anthony chose that his flesh would suffer so that his +soul would grow strong. He tried to live each day as a possible +last day. In this way he battled temptation for the salvation of +his soul. +In a step to escape temptation, Anthony moved to the +ancient tombs outside the village. He selected a tomb and had +a friend lock him inside. One night the Devil came with many +demons and whipped Anthony until he fell to the ground. He +knew it was the demons who beat him so harshly, for no +human was capable of inflicting such pain. Luckily, the next +morning his friend returned to the tomb to bring bread. +Seeing Anthony lying wounded, he picked him up and carried +him to the village. There Anthony was watched by the vil- +lagers, but that night, while all slept around him, he woke and +asked his friend to carry him back to the tomb. Despite his +weakened state, he was carried back, and locked inside again. +That night the demons returned in the form of lions, + +----- + +1 6 1 +/ S T . +A N T H O N Y ' S +D E M O N S +wolves, scorpions, bulls, bears, and leopards. Each powerful +animal beat him senseless. Wounded in body, but still strong +in mind, Anthony called them cowards who needed numbers +for their strength. He challenged them to beat him, saying the +Lord would protect him. The demons were forced out by a +beam of light that miraculously shone down into the tomb. +Anthony was cured of all his pain. +It was soon after, on his way into the desert, that Anthony +saw a silver dish on a lonely road. He knew it was a demon in +disguise. As soon as he said this aloud, the "dish" vanished. As +he continued onward, "gold" was thrown down in his path, +but he simply stepped over it and never looked back. As he +wandered deeper into the desert, he came upon an abandoned +fortress. It was here that he took up residence, locking himself +inside. +Anthony remained alone inside the desert fort, seeing no +other people, for twenty years. Whenever his acquaintances +stopped by, they remained outside but could hear the voices of +many demons harassing Anthony behind the tall walls. The +voices told Anthony to leave the desert, that it was their +domain, and no place for weak ascetics. The friends called to +him in alarm, but he told them not to fear, for demons were +powerless to hurt those who did not fear them. +The demons groaned, whispered, screamed, and mut- +tered for many years, during which time Anthony gained fol- +lowers as word spread of his struggle. They set up tents all +around his demon-infested abode and wouldn't leave. Twenty +years after Anthony locked himself into solitude, they tore his +door down, and Anthony came forward. He showed no physi- +cal decline. He seemed in perfect form, his soul immaculate, +years of wisdom on his face. +Anthony was not angry that his followers broke down his +door, and from that day he became their teacher. He became +St. Anthony: a healer, a performer of miracles, though he +claimed no knowledge of any medical practices. Anthony is +believed to have died in 356 C.E., leaving many followers in +the desert. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +162 +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Noise and friendly laughter are traditional demonic +repellents. The isolation of saints and scholars seems to invite +demonic encounters, which are utilized by these extraordi- +nary voyagers for the purpose of transcendence. + +----- + +P A L I S +Arabian Desert +The Palis is a potentially deadly foot-licker species that attacks +its victims at night when they're sleeping in the desert. He +licks the soles of their feet until their blood is gone. There is +no known description of the species' appearance. +L O R E +One night, when the caravan stopped at a lonely place +and all were about to retire, a wise wayfarer advised his mates +to beware the Palis, for he was sure the demon was lurking +nearby. They asked him what this creature did, and as they lin- +gered around the campfire he told them its awful habit: "This +demon is a footlicker, and he will lick the soles of your feet +until all your blood is gone. Before you wake up, you'll be +drained. This has been the fate of many." The travelers heeded +the precautions he advised and each made sure to lie down +with the soles of his feet touching the soles of a fellow trav- +eler's feet. +When the Palis arrived, smacking his lips in anticipa- +tion, he noticed no soles at all. He walked in circles again and +again, around large forms with a head at either end. He was +utterly baffled. He continued walking around and around +searching for the soles of feet, which was how he always began +his meal. He muttered, "I have traveled to over a thousand val- +leys, but never before have I seen humans with two heads!" +Finally, the demon was exhausted by his circumambulation, +and the sun began to rise. The pale light signaled his hasty +departure. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Like many of these single-minded species, the Palis +hasn't an ounce of intelligence and can be easily tricked. +Although the sole-to-sole method is the best known for this +species, salt should also be kept close by as a repellent. + +----- + +M A M U +Great Sandy Desert, Australia +The Mamu (sometimes called Gugur) are malevolent man- +eating demons of the Aboriginal people who roam the desert. +The Mamu have been around since ancient times. They are +adept shape-shifters and have been sighted as "friends," fel- +low travelers, small birds, and even inanimate objects. They +are described as very tall, with huge pointed heads and bloody +fanged teeth. The males carry large clubs with which they +strike their victims. +L O R E +A hunter who happened to be out alone had caught an +animal and was carrying it over his shoulder back to his rest- +ing place. He looked down on the ground and saw a stone blade +in the sand. He picked it up and trudged on. Later, after he +built a fire and laid his food out to cook, he began to sharpen +his spear with the stone. But this stone suddenly changed into +a Mamu and cut his throat. The Mamu dined on the man, +mixing him with the game that had been roasting. +In another tale, a Mamu went about disguised as a young +man. He used to sit on top of a sandhill and wait for solitary +human travelers. Once an old man came by. The "young man" +asked the old man to tell him stories of the Dreamtime, and +offered him some kangaroo meat. The older man ate some of +the meat and then lay down to sleep. That was the end of him. +The next day the same "young man" went to another hill, sat +down, and waited until another traveler came by. But this trav- +eler happened to be a wise man and he recognized the Mamu +in disguise. He was asked for stories and offered meat, but +when the man took the meat he saw a mouth of teeth in it, so +he only pretended to eat the meat, and he lay down to rest. +Later, when the Mamu wasn't looking, he threw the "kanga- +roo meat" into the flames, for he knew the meat was actually +the Mamu's wife in disguise, and when anyone swallowed the +meat she would bite at their heart and laugh, saying, "I'm not +meat!" Then her husband Mamu would devour them. That + +----- + +1 6 5 +/ +m a m +u +was the fate of the first traveler, but this wise man outsmarted +the Mamu. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Dogs can sense when Mamu are nearby and will bark +loudly. A circle of fire, many companions, and dogs barking +will keep this desert demon away. Children must be taught +never to leave the circle of fire after dark, for obvious reasons. + +----- + +A H R I M A N +Iranian Desert +Ahriman, spirit of destruction, head of the evil empire and all +the daevas ("demons" in Persian lore), was a primordial spirit +who arose as the independent counterforce of Ahura-Mazda, +who in the religion of ancient Persia was the eternal God, the +Wise Lord and Spirit of Good. The realm of Ahriman is the +desolate wasteland of the desert, although he is also seen +sometimes in hell. +L O R E +Unlike Satan or Iblis, Ahriman has never been one of a +host of angels. He has never been beholden to the wishes or +command of God or of Allah. He was originally an equally +powerful force to the god of Goodness. Although his reign is +not eternal, and in the end he will perish like all villains in + +----- + +167 / +A H R I M A N +narratives and the good will ultimately prevail, he is here for +a long time. During his stay, he will seduce mortals into wor- +shiping him whenever he can. +According to Zoroastrianism, Ahura-Mazda created the +universe as well as the twin spirits Spenta Mainyu (the spirit +of Light, Truth, and Life) and Angra Mainyu (the spirit of +Darkness, Deceit, and Death). The battleground of the war of +these two created spirits is our terrestrial world. Over time, +Ahura-Mazda and the spirit of goodness Spenta Mainyu +merged to become the eternal God who is all good and light, +order and truth — that which opposes Ahriman. +It is +Ahriman, the force of Evil, who is responsible for all things +antithetical to Good. The battle between these two has been +predetermined to rage for a specific amount of time. The time +is divided into eras, each of which lasts thousands of years. +After the fourth age of these eras, there will be three saviors +who will destroy the forces of Evil. Eventually Ahura Mazda +will triumph and the new world will be restored to his rule. +But this will be later. The world we inhabit now is divided +between Good and all the powers of darkness: demons, disease, +death, and miseries. +In another version of the origin of Ahriman, he was one +of a set of twins. The other was Ohrmazd (a contraction of +Ahura Mazda). They were born to Zurvan, a preexisting +Creator who pledged that his firstborn would rule. Ahriman +ripped open the womb to be first in line. Zurvan, bound by his +promise, tempered the length of time that Ahriman could rule +the world. After a prescribed time, Ohrmazd's turn will come +and all will then be transformed under a reign of goodness and +light. But during his rule, Ahriman, the demon of demons, +created harmful animals, biting creatures, disease, unhappi- +ness, poison, death, drought, famine, and several notable +demons called Evil Mind, Tyranny, Enmity, Violence, Wrath, +and Falsehood. He created a particularly repugnant female +demon named Az, and one dragon. +In one tale, Ahriman, +ruler of the desert, had a son +named Zohak and wanted to train him to be as evil as pos- +sible. He suggested to Zohak that he kill his own father and + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +168 +when the boy did, Ahriman (who of course had not really been +killed) installed himself in disguise as a chef in the palace. +There he prepared the flesh of animals to further corrupt the +boy. His son so enjoyed the dishes that he wished to reward the +chef. Ahriman, +disguised as cook, asked only that he be +allowed to kiss the young man's shoulders. His wish was +granted, after which he immediately vanished. Snakes began +to sprout from the spots he kissed, and when Zohak chopped +them off, they grew back. Ahriman then entered disguised as +a physician to help the lad. He told Zohak that he had to feed +the snakes with human brains daily. Zohak did as he was told, +and so became the pride of his archdemon father, Ahriman. +He ruled for a thousand terrible years until he was finally +destroyed. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +When dealing with demonic forces of this order, and +with the attributes of evil so clearly defined, the traveler is +asked to choose. + +----- + +N A M A R R G O N +Australia +Namarrgon, or Mamaragan (Lightning Man) is an ancient, +volatile, and belligerent Aboriginal spirit who lives in Arnhem +Land. +L O R E +In the dry season Namarrgon stays in a water hole that +is to be avoided. Should anybody throw a stone, or drink from +that water hole, or even so much as riffle the surface, he would +rise up and destroy them with a flash of lightning. He would +cause flooding and drown whole villages. During the monsoon +season he travels in the air and roars in the clouds overhead. +It is his arms and his legs that are the flashes of lightning, and +as he strikes the ground, destruction is instantaneous. Some +say he throws stone axes down to create the flashes of light. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ 170 +Namarrgon terrified the Mimi spirits and the Aboriginal +people with his displays of power, which can be seen through- +out the sky, which cause so much damage, destroy camps, and +kill so many people. He has fathered many children who have +all taken on the shape of a spectacular insect, flaming orange +and blue, that mates in the early rainy season. Sorcerers were +sometimes able to enlist the help of Namarrgon +in their +magic. + +----- + +H O ' O K +Sonoran Desert +Ho'ok is a legendary demon of the Tohono O'odham (The +Desert People). She was human in appearance, all but for her +hands and feet, which are animal claws. The Ho 'ok was a fierce +man-eater who carried off small children and babies, which +she killed and ate. She lived in a cave in the land of the Tohono +O'odham, whose center is the Baboquivari Mountain, where +their Creator and Elder Brother I'itoi lives, and whose vast +range is millions of acres of desert extending down into Sonora +from what is now called Tucson. +L O R E +Once a beautiful young woman sat by a pond and was +quietly weaving when she saw a red kickball pass by. It was the +kickball of the youngest of two brothers who were competing +in a race to see which one would win her in marriage. The girl +quickly hid the ball beneath her skirts, while the young men +raced over to see who won. They asked her if she'd seen a kick- +ball, but she said she had not. After they left, the girl went +home and told her family what had happened. They prepared +a sleeping mat for the bridal pair to be, for the tradition was +that the bridegroom would sleep for four nights at the home +of the bride and then take her to his house, but she waited to +no avail — the bridegroom did not appear. After four nights +the time was up. Meanwhile, the special ball, which was made +by the sun of red dust, had disappeared into the womb of the +young woman. +Time passed and a child was born, but it was a strange +child and it had the hands and feet of an animal. As it grew, it +became fiercer and it attacked and hurt the other children. +Finally the mother had to take the child, Ho 'ok, away from the +community. She led the child out to the desert and told her to +go in search of her father. She pointed to the heat waves ris- +ing up in the distance and said that Ho 'ok should travel in that +direction to find her father. Ho'ok traveled south, following the +mirage all the way to Mexico, but then she saw the heat waves + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +172 +again, rising up in the north. She began to travel in that direc- +tion. +Ho 'ok walked on and on but could never reach the heat +waves. As she walked, the sun began to disappear behind a +mountain. Ho'ok came across a cave and thought that perhaps +her father lived there, although he was not at home. She +searched again the next day, and again slept in the cave that +night, and finally made the cave her home. From there she set +out every night to find babies and children to eat. +The people went to the home of I'itoi, in a cave on the +west side of Baboquivari Mountain, to ask his help. I'itoi +appeared as a tiny old man but was extremely powerful. He +told the people to hold a dance and he invited Ho'ok to the cer- +emony. He prepared a special tobacco with a sleeping drug of +certain flowers and he gave it to her to smoke. After four days +and four nights of this smoking and dancing Ho'ok finally fell +into a sound slumber. Then I'itoi carried her to her own cave +and sealed it with a door. The people had already placed fire- +wood within the cave and now I'itoi set it on fire. Ho 'ok awoke +and slammed herself against the walls of the sealed cave until +the mountain cracked open. I'itoi jumped upon the crack and +sealed it shut with his foot. Ho'ok perished within. +This was not the end of the story, however, for from the +smoke of the fire a menacing hawk was born that I'itoi once +again had to quell, and even later, from the bones of Ho'ok +were born other creations. The footprint on the cave of Ho'ok +is still visible today. Near Pozo Verde in Mexico are grounds +where the villagers believe the final ceremony was held. It is +used today as a shrine. + +----- + +S A T A N +Negev +Satan, a fallen angel, is also known as Lucifer, Sammael, +Asmodeus, Mephistopheles, the Devil, the Adversary. "What +is thy name? And he said my name is Legion, for we are many" +(Mark 5:9). +Before his famous temptation of Jesus in the desert, this +archdemon had only slowly evolved into the powerful, inde- +pendent entity called Satan. He first appeared (in the Book of +Numbers) when God sent "a satan" on His behalf as a mes- +senger to let Balaam know what he had done wrong. "The +satan" then appeared in a starring role in the Book of Job, but +he was not yet a single personality. "The satan" means adver- +sary, obstructor, or accuser, but is not a proper name. He was +simply present in a large divine assembly of angels and +became the catalyst for the story of Job by suggesting that Job + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +174 +was good and pious only because he was rewarded for this with +a nice life. What if, suggested the satan, he were to be tor- +mented and miserable; would he still be loyal? He gained +God's approval to put Job under adverse circumstances to see +whether man's true nature was good. Under the worst trials +Job remained true. In this harrowing tale, the satan never +acted as an independent agent, but was subject to the will +of God. +Much later, in rabbinical writings, Satan's origins began +to be linked to Eve and the apple incident. Also it was here that +the satan was mentioned as a powerful wicked angel known +as Sammael, "chief of the satans." Objecting to God's creation +of man, Sammael led a plot against humankind and traveled +to earth, using the serpent to start the Fall by tempting Eve. +For this, he and his follower angels were cast out of heaven, +just as Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden. +During the apocalyptic era Satan was interchangeable +with Azazel of the desert. By then Satan had developed twelve +wings (the other angels had six) and a distinctive profile: he +exists only to wreak destruction in the mortal world and to +bring humankind to an end, and he wars with God to become +the subject of worship. +Satan does not "possess" people as the "unclean spirits" +do, and is not "cast out" as these demons are throughout the +Gospels. He is seen more as metaphorically "entering the +heart" of a person who turns to evil and thus to Satan, not +because he is sick and possessed, but because he allows him- +self to be tempted. The human being, then, is an instrument +of the Devil and does his bidding for the Kingdom of +Darkness. Satan is the personification of Evil. +At the time of his encounter with Jesus in the desert, +Satan has become the Devil (diabolos — Slanderer), under +whose direction all malevolent spirits work. As chief of +demons, and god of our terrestrial world, he rules the +Kingdom of Darkness and subsumes all evil powers. He can +influence mankind on a daily basis and can cause illness via +his army of demons. By now he alone is responsible for tempt- +ing people to evil action, for the envy of Cain and his fratri- + +----- + +1 7 5 +/ SHAITAN +eide, and for the deception of Eve. He can transform himself +into infinite shapes, can even appear as an angel of light and +brilliance, for he's the great Deceiver. +L O R E +After Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, he +fasted for forty days and forty nights, and he was hungry and +Satan arrived to tempt him. "If you are the Son of God, tell +these stones to turn into loaves." Jesus replied that man does +not live by bread alone. Next, Satan took Jesus to Mount Seir, +a height from which he could glimpse in an instant all the +kingdoms of the world in all their splendor. "I will give you +all this power and glory," he said. "Worship me, and it shall +all be yours." Jesus declined the offer and said that Scripture +said, worship God alone. "Be off Satan," Jesus said, and in one +version of the story his decline of worldly power was enough +to quell Satan. +According to Luke, the story continues: Satan then took +Jesus to a parapet of the Temple in Jerusalem and challenged +him to hurl himself down as a test to see if he was really +guarded by angels. For the third time Jesus declined, saying, +"It has been said: You must not put the Lord your God to the +test" (Luke 4:12). +It was then Satan left him, "and angels appeared and +looked after him" (Matthew 4:11). + +----- + + + +----- + +D O M I C I L E + +----- + + + +----- + +P +erhaps because the Domicile was, and in many cultures +still is, the site of childbirth, marriage, and death — the +most important events in the human journey, are surrounded +with ceremony and spirits good and evil — or perhaps +because the foundation of each new home rests on ancient +spirits' own subterranean abodes, or perhaps for reasons +known only to the mysterious spirits, demons and fairies are +always closer than the neighbors. The home is crowded with +spirits. Each must be approached with caution, amulet, talis- +man, or sometimes a professional exorcist. +At times the various Domicile species set up house in +uninhabited ruins, or dwell outside the main house of farms, +in outhouses or barns. Many enjoy the entrance of a dwelling; +they lurk at the threshold to harm or help residents, and they +often pounce on visitors, especially those who do not observe +prescribed entry rules. The bedroom houses succubi and +incubi (female and male demons who come via dreams or +arrive disguised as spouses for sexual play with humans) who +are very active at night and cannot be stopped by closed shut- +ters or doors. Supernatural wives are often revealed (too late) +in this room by sudden aberrant or violent behavior. Marriage +itself can be threatened by subversive species who engender +animosity between couples. And then, each night, any sleep- +ing human, after a hard day, might be the victim of a Mare +attack. Children, especially before christening, are most vul- +nerable to attack in the nursery, a popular habitat for certain +fairies and some malevolent demons. +There are also the genius loci to consider, for they have +always lived here and must be fed nicely and propitiated or +they can make life unlivable. Then there are the species under +the dwelling, who might be anybody's ancestors and need pla- +cating. (Until a few centuries ago in Germany it was common +practice to bury a live child in a sealed room beneath a home- +to-be as a sacrifice to those dangerous spirits who might be dis- +placed. This ensured their goodwill.) +Disease demons, before antibiotics, were considered +agents of fever, headache, and fatal illness. They were also the +personifications of plagues. Prophylactic species can be found + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +180 +perched on window ledges facing out. Their apotropaic images +ward off disease species from flying attack. The kitchen, +because of potential food spoilage but also its cozy stove, seems +to attract hordes of demonic helpers and fairies. +The welcome mat may attract unwanted visitors; all in +all, it is the Domicile that universally holds the most varie- +gated population of demons, fairies, fallen angels, and subver- +sive spirits of any habitat. + +----- + +W H O ' S W H O IN T H E D O M I C I L E +CROUCHER +Babylonia +ASMODEUS +(Judaism) +CHANGING BEAR +MAIDEN +North America +(Navajo) +DOMOVOI +Russia +HIRANYAKASHIPU +India +LILITH +(Judaism) +CHANGELINGS +Great Britain +PAZUZU +Babylonia +ISITWALANGCENGCE +South Africa +LIDERC +Hungary +A L +Armenia +F o x FAIRY +China +M A R E +Norway +KITCHEN FAIRIES +China +FAIR LADY +Hungary +NISSE +Norway + +----- + + + +----- + +C R O U C H E R +Babylonia +An ancient descriptive lament about demons of the domicile +goes: +Doors do not stop them +Bolts do not stop them +They glide in at the doors like serpents +They enter by the windows like the wind +The Croucher, an entrance demon, is one of the invisible +rabisu ("the ones that lie in wait"), a species that makes its +presence so deeply felt that it instantly causes the hair of any +mortal to stand on end. This is how all rabisu are depicted, +by their effect, so hair-raising as to be indescribable. We can + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +184 +only claim to represent them by the words and images in all +amulets, talismans, and incantations used against them. +Ancient people of Babylonia believed that multitudes of +evil spirits filled all space of all habitats. They were an abun- +dant population, described categorically as utukku, ekimmu, +gallu, alu, and rabisu. The first two are departed spirits of the +dead who cannot find rest and do harm, especially around +graveyards; the third is a devil in the shape of a bull who wan- +ders around the streets at night; the fourth is another com- +munity specter in the shape of a black dog. One can avoid all +of these by staying home. But staying home will not prevent +a run-in with a lurking rabisu like the Croucher, an embodi- +ment of evil who lies invisibly in wait for its mortal victims at +the threshold of each house. When God says to Cain, "Sin +crouches at the door," He may be referring to an always pre- +sent evil force (or inclination) that waits there, ready to +pounce. +Other rabisu have also been seen perched atop roofs, +ready to pounce on newborn humans. In ancient Rome +people shot arrows at the roof to protect pregnant mothers +(especially vulnerable) from these invisible demons. In Syria +there is a roof demon called the bar egara, who leaps on men +when they leave home for work. Clearly it is at the threshold +where one must be especially alert for spirits. +The door itself holds tremendous powers — in Rome the +two-faced door god Janus watched both the entrance and exit, +and in China there are two door gods to protect each entrance. +In many cultures the front door is painted with special colors +or signs and is adorned with various depictions of ancestral +spirits, or carries an amulet to touch when passing through, +such as a mezuzah. An ancient Babylonian warning to evil +spirits was shrill as a present-day burglar alarm: +He who endeavors to injure the columns and the +capitols, may the column and the capitol stop his +way! +He who slides into the young oak and under the +roofing, + +----- + +1 8 5 +/ C R O U C H E R +He who attacks the sides of the door and the grates, +May the talisman make him weak like water! +May it make him tremble like leaves, may it grind +him like paint! May it leap over the timber, may +it cut his wings! +If that doesn't stop them, apotropaic statues might. Kings +placed statues of powerful demonic spirits at the entranceway +of their palaces, paying them homage in part to placate them +but also to enlist their help against other less powerful species. +To this day in many cultures one takes off shoes prior to cross- +ing over the threshold, and a groom still carries his new bride +across it to avoid unlucky consequences. +L O R E +One night in the town of Posen, a young man, apparently +a thief, forced his way into the locked cellar of a stone house +on the main street. The next morning he was found dead on +the threshold of the house. After this incident, the family who +lived in the house were attacked nightly by spirits who threw +their belongings about and did so much damage they were +forced to move out. The house stood abandoned for years, but +the activities extended to affect the entire community. Nobody +in town could do a thing to stop the nightly fracas, and so +finally the baal shem, famed rabbi of Zamosz, was sent for. He +forced the demons to reveal their names, and it turned out +they believed the cellar was their property because a previous +owner of the abode had relations with a demoness who bore +him many children. As heirs, they resented the human intrud- +ers. Furthermore, their population had so increased in num- +ber (as is the case with demons worldwide) that they were +spilling out into the town. The case was brought before a rab- +binical court. The demons had papers that substantiated their +ancestral relationship, but despite their prior claim, the case +was decided in favor of the humans. The demon heirs were +told to evacuate their home. The baal shem, by powerful exor- +cism, was able to send them to the wilderness. The case of the + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +186 +dead thief on the threshold was solved by the subterranean +family he had accidentally unsealed. +From a nineteenth-century Shanghai newspaper report: +In China, to prevent a bride's feet from touching the +threshold, a red cloth was placed over it, and she was lifted +from the sedan chair to her bedroom by attendants. Upon this +particular occasion, when the sedan chair arrived to take the +new bride to her future house, her friends looked into the +sedan and were shocked to find a huge snake in the chair. They +warned the bride not to get in, but she ignored them. When +she got in the sedan chair, she saw on the seat not a snake but +a strange knife. She tucked it into her trousseau box. After the +ceremony, when the new couple was alone, she told the groom +what had transpired. He asked to see the knife, and so she took +it from the box and handed it to him. As soon as he picked it +up his head fell off. She screamed and aroused the household. +They accused her of murder. When the magistrate was called, +he asked to see the weapon, and as soon as she showed it to +him, his head fell off. She remained unharmed. It was the talk +of the town. They called her the "demon bride." +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Shutting the door works against some demons but +imprisons others. They should always have a way out. In +Jewish lore it is suggested that a small hole in the door will +allow them egress. A mezuzah properly attached to the door- +post can help. In some cases crossing oneself helps, and main- +taining special alertness at the entranceway to any house, and +staying in good company, the kind that produces human +laughter and friendly noise, may chase them off. + +----- + +A S M O D E U S +(Judaism) +Asmodeus (Ashmedai in Hebrew, meaning "evil spirit") is the +undisputed king of the demons of Hebrew lore. He has three +heads that face different directions. One is the head of a bull, +the second the head of a ram, and the third the head of an ogre. +He has the legs and feet of a cock and he rides a fire-breath- +ing lion. All of these animals are associated with lust, which is +his specialty. His other power areas are wrath and revenge. He +wreaks havoc in households and produces enmity between +man and wife. His favorite place is the bedroom. +Asmodeus is said to be the son of Naamah and it has been +said that he is husband of Lilith, the queen of the demons. By +name he is clearly connected to an ancient Persian demon of +wrath, Aeshma. The cock feet of Asmodeus (and later, the +Devil) can be traced back to a Babylonian belief in the cock as + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +188 +an important divinity of night to whom sacrifices were made +and indicates the powerful stature of this demon. In Christian +lore Asmodeus retains his hybrid shape and powers and is also +known as Sammael, one of the fallen angels, and at times +becomes interchangeable with Satan. Asmodeus represents +one of the Seven Deadly Sins — Lust (see Psyche). +L O R E +In the apocryphal Book of Tobit, Asmodeus fell for Sarah, +a young Persian virgin. He wanted her all for himself, and in +a short course of time he killed every one of poor Sarah's seven +bridegrooms on their wedding night before they lay with her. +She was suspected of sorcery and she prayed for Divine inter- +vention. At that very time, the pious, blind Tobit prayed for +help for his family and sent his son Tobias to Media on a mis- +sion to recover some silver he'd loaned long ago to Sarah's +father. God heard both prayers and sent the angel Raphael to +help. Tobias was escorted by the angel Raphael in disguise as +an old man named Azarias. While camping beside the river +Tigris, Tobias caught a large fish and Azarias taught Tobias to +save its heart, liver, and gall. The latter cured blindness, he +said, and the heart and liver could be used to cure a person +plagued by a demon or evil spirit. The angel then instructed +Tobias to propose marriage to Sarah despite her femme fatale +reputation, and to follow his instructions. Tobias did as Azarias +told him, and on his wedding night with Sarah, Tobias burned +the fish's organs as prescribed and the smell drove Asmodeus +away from the bridal chamber. It all worked out happily for +the couple. However, the demon's reputation for the destruc- +tion of marital bliss continued on for centuries. +Asmodeus +is also famously associated with +King +Solomon. In one story the king had grown arrogant and trans- +gressed the Ten Commandments by having a thousand wives, +so the Holy One sent Asmodeus, king of the demons, to sit on +his throne. Asmodeus was able to usurp the throne by stealing +and using Solomon's magic ring. Solomon roamed the streets +saying that he was the real king of Israel, and everybody +thought he was insane. Finally, Solomon's mother and one of + +----- + +I 8 9 +/ +A S M O D E U S +his wives discovered that Asmodeus was an impostor; the +demon left tracks in ashes with his telltale cock's feet. +Solomon was found and was returned to the throne, where he +ruled with even greater humility and brilliance. +In another version of the tale, it was King Solomon who +initiated the ordeal by engaging Asmodeus in a philosophical +discussion about the nature of reality and illusion, during +which Asmodeus tricked the king into giving him his magic +ring (inscribed with the name of the Almighty). Then +Asmodeus threw the ring into the sea, and immediately King +Solomon found himself in another life, wandering about as a +beggar. He worked for many years in hard labor, and after an +arduous time of trials, he became a cook in the kitchen of a +king. One evening he was preparing a fish that turned out to +hold in its belly the very ring that Asmodeus had thrown into +the water. He placed it on his finger and again became King +Solomon. He awakened in his own bed within the same +moment that he'd left but with new insights gained from a +"lifetime" away. From then on he became an even wiser and +humbler king and judge than he had been before. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +To discover demons, spread ashes around your bed +at night and in the morning you may see if any foot- +prints, like those of a cock, are there. +— The Talmud (Berakhot, 6a) +If Asmodeus is found in the bedroom, the heart and liver +of a special fish can be placed on an incense-burner and +roasted for the terrible aroma. The type of fish is known only +to angels, so the next best thing is any pungent-smelling herb, +such as garlic, or strong-smelling smoke from incense — or +burning tar, which is always an effective repellant (see Djinn +in Desert). + +----- + +C H A N G I N G B E A R +M A I D E N +North America (Navajo) +Changing Bear Maiden, the quintessential demonic female of +the Navajo, is first glimpsed as a model housekeeper. She is a +gentle, beautiful virgin, an orphan, who can be seen in the +kitchen preparing meals for her twelve good brothers. When +next seen, she is filled with wrath and the spirit of revenge and +has shape-shifted into a lethal she-bear. +L O R E +Changing Bear Maiden lived with her loving brothers, +twelve skilled hunters and excellent providers. The sibling +family lived in harmony until one day Changing Bear Maiden +became the object of the notorious trickster Coyote's desire. +After many tests, she agreed to marry him, much to the hor- +ror and resentment of her brothers. Her nature changed as she +fell under the control of the seductive, lusty Coyote. +One day the brothers were going off to hunt and tried to +leave Coyote behind. He begged them to bring him along on +the hunt, and at last they gave in. After a while they could no +longer tolerate his mischievous ways and sent him home with +some meat. They instructed him to go around the forbidden +canyon, and not to cut across it, but Coyote did not heed their +warnings and was killed before arriving home. The story of +his demise is recounted in many ways, but the brothers were +not responsible. +It was night when the brothers arrived home. Coyote had +not yet returned. Their sister asked where her husband was. +The brothers answered that they had warned him not to enter +the canyon, but that he probably had and may have been +harmed. "What have you done with him?" Changing +Bear +Maiden asked angrily, in a voice her brothers had never heard +before. She was certain that they had killed her husband and +was filled with rage. +Before they went to sleep that night, the brothers sent +the youngest to hide and watch their sister. He saw her rise up +and face the east, then, moving the way of the sun, she turned + +----- + +1 9 1 +/ C H A N G I N G +B E A R +M A I D E N +and faced the south, west, and north. Then Changing +Bear +Maiden pulled out her right eyetooth and replaced it with a +large tusk. She then did the same with her left eyetooth. He +then saw her remove her lower right and left canine teeth and +replace them with tusks made of bone. No sooner had she +begun to pull her teeth out than hair began to sprout from her +hands, and as she continued, the coarse shaggy hair spread +over her arms and legs and body. +The youngest returned to his brothers to report what he +had seen, and was sent back to the hiding place to view more. +His sister continued to move in the direction of the sun, paus- +ing to open her mouth at each direction. Her ears grew and +began to wag. Her nose changed into a long snout. Her nails +turned into large claws. The youngest brother watched until +dawn and then went back to report what he'd seen to his +brothers. +As he spoke, a she-bear suddenly rushed past the lodge +and followed the trail that Coyote had taken the day before. At +night she came back wounded, and they all watched from a +hiding place as their sister who had been a bear walked around +her fire removing arrowheads from her body. The next morn- +ing a "she-bear" rushed past the lodge, and again returned +bleeding and spent the night magically healing her wounds. +This continued for four days and four nights, until she had +killed all those responsible for Coyote's death. Meanwhile, the +brothers, fearing for their lives, fled. They left the youngest +brother at home. When they were gone, the Wind came to +help the youngest brother dig a hole under the center of the +hogan, and from this dug four tunnels, each branching off in +one of the four directions. +When morning came and Changing +Bear +Maiden +returned and found that her brothers had all departed, she +poured water on the ground to see which way they had trav- +eled. The water spread out to the east. She rushed off toward +the east, overtook the brothers who had gone in that direction, +and killed them. Again she poured water, and for the other +three directions, found her brothers and killed them. Finally +she poured water and it sank into the ground. Changing Bear + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +192 +Maiden +quickly dug downward, and there she found her +youngest brother hiding beneath her. She greeted him, and +told him to come up. She held out her finger for him to grab, +but the Wind warned him not to accept her help but to climb +out of the hole by himself. +The youngest brother climbed out of the hole and +walked toward the east while Changing Bear Maiden tried to +lure him into the deserted hut. But the Wind warned him not +to enter so he passed on. His sister then asked him to sit fac- +ing west so that she could comb his hair, but the Wind warned +him not to do it because it was late in the afternoon, and he +would not be able to see her shadow. He was advised to sit fac- +ing north. +When they both sat down, and as she touched his hair, he +could see her shadow transform as her snout grew longer, and +he could see the shadowy wagging of her ears. The Wind told +him to get up, and pointed out the plant in which Changing +Bear Maiden had hidden her vital organs. The boy ran to the +plant (despite many obstacles that sprung up from the ground) +and he could hear her lungs breathing in the plant before him, +and shot his arrow straight into the plant. The bear/woman +fell to the ground, with a stream of blood flowing in two direc- +tions. The Wind told the boy that the two streams of blood +could never meet, for if they did, his evil sister would be +revived. +The brave brother cut her breasts off, threw them into a +piñon tree that had never borne fruit, and they became pine +nuts; her tongue became cactus, and her vagina, the yucca +fruit. He cut off her head and it became a bear and walked off +into the woods, first promising only to attack to protect its +species. The Wind helped him revive his siblings. They all +built a new hut. Then the youngest brother went off to live at +a place called Big Point on the Edge, which is in the shape of +a Navajo hut, where he still is believed to reside today. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +It is the youngest brother who, with innocence, courage, +and unselfishness, acts as hero in this tale and finally trans- + +----- + +1 9 3 +/ C H A N G I N G +B E A R +M A I D E N +mutes the body parts of the destroyed demoness into useful +and nurturing animal and vegetable life. Often the sheer ani- +mal energy of the demon lives on after the quelling and must +be dealt with later. Sometimes the remains must be burned or +reburied and sometimes, as in this case, they seed and create +good things. + +----- + +DOMOVOI +Russia +The Domovoi {dam means "house"), like the genius loci of the +Greeks, is considered a guardian spirit, and is referred to as +"Grandfather" behind his back. Shy, and not given to public +appearances, the Domovoi is rarely seen but is heard nightly +in odd groans and creaks. When he does scurry out from +behind the stove and across the kitchen floor at night, he is +usually covered with fur, and has been mistaken for the fam- +ily cat or dog. This is his most frequent form, but once in a +while, when he has shape-shifted into the guise of master of +the house, he has been seen as a doppelganger. Reports of +sightings of the Domovoi as a very old man with a beard are +also frequent. +When the Domovoi is not in the kitchen, he'll wander +into the stable. He even grooms the horses in the middle of the +night in a sort of fairy-helper way. He is fond of horses and +cows and can converse with them fluently. +The Domovoi is usually a domesticated presence, vital to +the intrinsic health of any household. But, like all demonic +species, he is volatile, impulsive, and subversive by nature. +When a Domovoi is aggravated by homeowners, or thinks he +hasn't been paid proper respect — if, for example, there's salt +in his porridge offering, dishes left in the sink, or simply no +special treat left out for him — he can quickly erupt in a vio- +lent tantrum. He throws pots at the head of household. He +spreads manure all over the front door and stoop. He ties +horses to the stalls so they cannot get to their food and slowly +starve to death. The Domovoi can do all this and more in a fit +of excessive spirits, without any obvious provocation. +L O R E +Once the Domovoi, well known for braiding the manes +of horses, took to braiding a maiden's hair each night. She +never even owned a comb, but always looked quite lovely. He +told her never to unbraid her hair or to get married. But one + +----- + +195 / +DOMOVOI +day she decided to marry and to comb her long hair. On the +morning of her wedding the bride was found dead. +The Domovoi is a powerful house spirit, and at night his +cold hand upon one portends death. He also sometimes chokes +people fatally while they sleep. Despite this, his warm soft +touch at night always signals future good fortune. +The Domovoi is believed by some to have been a fallen +angel, hurled to earth from heaven by the Archangel Michael. +While other spirits landed in forest and water, the Domovoi +landed in the house. Two subspecies of the Domovoi are the +Bannik and the Ovinnik, both vicious and dangerous. The +Bannik is the spirit of the bathhouse and has been known to +peel the skin off visitors. The Ovinnik often burns down barns +and generally waits until the owner is within. The Domovoi is +always better behaved than his demonic close cousins, for the +ancient guardian role from which he came deeply influenced +his temperament and he is inherently protective. He simply +demands extreme loyalty. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The Domovoi is considered with the usual ambivalence +toward such powers. His goodwill and protection is sought, +however, so he is never averted or dispelled but can be dis- +armed by offerings of kasha, tobacco, and juniper. Since it is +almost impossible to get rid of the creature, it's best to learn +to live with him. If the family moves, it is best to formally +invite him along and bring some of his stove coals. To not do +so will make future life miserable. He will avenge himself on +the departed family as well as the new one. + +----- + +H I R A N Y A K A S H I P U +India +Hiranyakashipu is a powerful cosmic Hindu asura (demon) of +the threshold, which is the sole place, "not inside and not out- +side," where he is vulnerable. He is huge, horned, and has the +demonic appearance of a Rakshasa with large animal ears, +clawed feet, and a tail. +L O R E +Once there were two gatekeepers of the celestial world +who refused entrance to the two sons of Brahma, the Creator, +because of the way they were dressed. The sons happened to +be sages and worthy of enormous respect and were so infuri- +ated they cursed the gatekeepers to fall to earth and be born +in the mortal world as demons. The curse was later modified +to a finite period of three demon lifetimes (many millennia), +after which the two would again ascend to the celestial world. +The gatekeepers made their first demonic appearance on +earth as the brothers Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. +On +the day of their birth, the earth trembled and a comet +appeared on the horizon. As they grew they spread terror +everywhere. The first brother, Hiranyaksha, met his death in +a deluge of his own creation when he was killed and the world +was saved by the gods. +Hiranyakashipu +lived on, determined to avenge his +brother's murder at the hands of the gods. He took up eons of +austerities to earn the tapas (superhuman powers) necessary +for a battle. When he had finally accumulated enough power +to demand a boon from Brahma, he tried to word it cleverly: +"I seek the following boon: that I not meet my death at the +hands of gods or created beings, and through no weapon of any +kind, and not on earth or in the air, and not at day or night or +inside or outside my house!" And Brahma said: "Let it +be so!" +Thinking himself utterly invincible, Hiranyakashipu let +loose a reign of terror, tormenting both sages and ordinary +humans. He said that all must henceforth worship him alone. + +----- + +1 9 7 +/ +H 1 R A N Y A K A S H I P U +Meanwhile, back at his mansion, his wife had a baby. +Despite all paternal training, the boy refused to bow to evil or +follow in his father's footsteps. Hiranyakashipu attempted to +kill the saintly child three times, but each time was thwarted +by divine intervention. Sure that the child would grow up to +be good (unlike his other serpent son Hrada), Hiranyakashipu +made one more effort to do the boy in, and nearly succeeded. +As he sat just outside his house with a raised knife and the boy +on his lap, Vishnu could stand it no more. +Vishnu, in the terrible incarnation of Man-Lion, +appeared. Sitting cross-legged on a small pile of hay at the +doorway to the demon's mansion at twilight, the Man-Lion, +not on the earth nor in the sky, and at a time that was not day +nor night, neither inside nor outside, destroyed the hideous in- +betweener, +Hiranyakashipu. +Of +course, +this +was +only +one +lifetime, +and +Hiranyakashipu +had only two reincarnations to live out his +sentence before ascending to the celestial world again. + +----- + +L I L I T H +(Judaism) +Lilith is the most important Jewish femme fatale of the suc- +cubus species (female demons who engage in erotic activities +with male humans while they sleep) and the only spirit of her +gender referred to in the Bible. It is only a brief mention, fol- +lowing a description of a wasteland inhabited by jackals and +hyenas: "And Lilith shall repose there" (Isaiah 34:14). +Ancient tributaries to the powerful Lilith point to her +major roles, all associated with night, with seduction in the +form of a temptress-succubus, and by the Middle Ages, also +with the death of human infants. Her biblical mention may +have been intended to refer to ancient Babylonian demonesses +called lilitu (female night spirits) or to the Sumerian wind +demon Lil (wind). Also, the word "night" in Hebrew is lilah, +and the screech owl, lilit. + +----- + +1 9 9 +/ +L I L I T H +There was an Arabian demon (Um Es Sibyan) who acted +like Lilith with infants. She had the body of a chicken, the +chest of a camel, and a human face, and flew nightly calling +like a bird — warh-warh-warh. +The cry was a death portent +to any child who happened to hear it unless the parent +repeated the preventative tchlok-tchlok-tchlok continuously +until the demon had passed by. Another source of her com- +bined attributes was the Greek Lamia, whose children by Zeus +were killed by Hera and who for revenge became a child-killer +and joined the Empusae, the demon daughters of Hecate who +lay with sleeping men and sucked their vital forces until they +died. +Lilith can be sighted in the home, an ironic habitat for +her, given her fiercely antidomestic attitude. Lilith is seen flit- +ting through the Talmud, her long, lustrous black hair shin- +ing in the moonlight, her eyes aglow. There, she is mother of +all the shedim (demons) and, apparently, the wife of Adam +before Eve, based on the commentaries arising from the +phrase "Male and Female He created them" (Genesis 1:27). In +the eleventh century, Lilith appears in a popular book, The +Alphabet of Ben Sira (based on an apocryphal text called The +Wisdom of Ben Sira), as the first wife of Adam. +L O R E +In this tale, God created Lilith as a companion to Adam, +not after Adam or from his rib, but at the exact same moment +and from the same dust. God created her so that Adam would +not be alone. But Lilith, who insisted she was made from dust +just as her husband was, felt she was equal to him and would +not behave in a submissive or subservient manner. Their +stormy relationship culminated with Lilith +refusing the +missionary position and insisting on being on top. Adam +wouldn't hear of it and forced her to submit. Lilith flew away +that very night and was soon in a cave, cavorting with hordes +of demon lovers. It is said that these promiscuous couplings +produced a hundred demons a day, called the lilin. Some say +that Lilith's offspring singlehandedly account for all demons +alive. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +200 +Adam complained that he'd been abandoned. "Lord of +the Universe, the woman thou hast given me, has fled from +me." The Lord sent (before Eve was created from Adam's rib) +three angels named Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangeloff to tell +her to come back. Lilith was enraged. She replied that not only +would she never return to domestic life, but she would hence- +forth attempt to take the souls of human infants away. +However, she finally agreed that if confronted with an amulet +that bears the names of the three angels and the words "Out +Lilith," she would not do any harm. As Adam and Eve propa- +gated the human race, Lilith's fame spread, as did the recita- +tion of the charm against her. +Lilith became the antagonist of so many tales that she +appears under various names, like Agrat bat Mahalat, who +rules 180,000 malicious spirits, and who enjoys tempting +single Talmudic scholars with her luxuriant long shining +black hair; she slips under their sheets and provokes relent- +lessly erotic dreams and nocturnal emissions. In fact, perhaps +one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of Lilith is to practice +asceticism and scholarship in solitude for a while. +Lilith reportedly wound up marrying Asmodeus (the +demon of Wrath and Lust) around the thirteenth century; a +number of tales from the Middle Ages show them as a couple. +She also appears as the companion of an evil spirit named +Sammael, an alternative name for both Satan and Asmodeus; +they are seen in the dark as two black dogs roaming the empty +streets. +In one famous tale Lilith +was sent to tempt King +Solomon as he studied Torah. As soon as she manifested, the +Hebrew letters flew up mysteriously from the pages. This +immediately alerted the king to danger. When he looked up +from the Book he saw a strikingly beautiful dark-haired +woman in his room. Half tempted, but very suspicious, since +none of the doors to his room were open, he grabbed the +woman by the arm and dragged her over to a mirror. She had +no reflection. With her illusory appearance stripped away, she +vanished at once. The Hebrew letters returned to the Book. +King Solomon returned to his studies. + +----- + +2 O 1 / +L I L I T H +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +In an ancient Aramaic charm used against Lilith, a writ +of divorce is served on her, and she is commanded to go forth +stripped. The stripping of this demoness somehow erases her +power, as when one strips an officer of his stripes or strips +someone of their "dignity." Perhaps removing her illusory +garb shows her for what she is in the same way as King +Solomon did by dragging her to a mirror. Mirrors are excel- +lent household diagnostic tools because no demon has a reflec- +tion, but tricking a spirit into standing in front of a mirror is +difficult because they all know they have no bodies. For the +nursery, the amulet inscribed with the names of angels, Senoy, +Sansenoy, and Semangeloff has been used effectively for a long +time. + +----- + +C H A N G E L I N G S +Great Britain +Changelings are fairies, often described as pale, big-headed, +mentally retarded, or deformed human babies. In actuality +they are not human at all. In order for fairies to successfully +steal human babies (as they often do) and take them down to +the subterranean Fairyland, they must leave in the crib either +carved wooden substitutes or elderly, feeble, washed-up fairies +who pretend to be human infants. Especially at risk of being +stolen are those babies not yet named or baptized, and all those +left alone and unguarded. +As they grow older, Changelings are notorious for play- +ing pranks, such as stealing milk, or playing music that forces +people to dance against their will, and breaking valuable +household objects. It is difficult to tell if one's own baby is a +Changeling, but in Hungary, England, and parts of Africa, +children born with teeth are suspected. If it's been behaving +like a Changeling — breaking things, being quite naughty, or +speaking in a precocious manner — a parent can try to trick +it into disclosing its identity. +L O R E +A woman who suspected her child might be a Changeling +was so upset she didn't know what to do. She just knew that the +weird-looking thing in her house was not her own sweet babe. +She told her neighbor about her suspicions and the neighbor +gave her some advice. She sat the baby down in a chair in the +kitchen, and then she carefully boiled some water and then +threw in eggshells, discarding the eggs. The Changeling sud- +denly asked: "What are you brewing?" Of course, the spoken +words themselves were advanced enough to send a chill +through the mother. "I'm brewing eggshells!" she replied +calmly as she could. "Oh!" the Changeling exclaimed, "In the +fifteen hundred years that I have been alive, I have never seen +anyone brew eggshells before!" When the mother then turned +to destroy the now proven supernatural creature, she found +instead her own innocent babe asleep in its place. + +----- + +2 0 3 +/ +C H A N G E L I N G S +In some versions of this tale (told in France, Germany, +and Japan) the Changeling simply bursts into laughter at the +eggshell boil, instantly vanishing, leaving the human child in +its stead. Unfortunately, getting rid of the Changeling often +resulted in abusive practice. At times mothers were advised to +whip the Changeling until a fairy appeared who would say, +"Do not beat it, I've done your child no harm," and then +shamefacedly return the real baby and take her own back. +Many suspect children were put onto red hot shovels, or +beaten, all in an attempt to force the "fairy" to return the "real +child." +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +To guard a baby against fairies in the Scottish Highlands, +whisky mixed with earth was fed to the baby as its first food. +Metal was also used to ward off fairies, such as hanging iron +crosses, scissors, and knives around the crib, pins stuck in the +infant's clothing, or laying the father's trousers across the +cradle, or surrounding it with a circle of fire. Salt on the head +or sprinkled around the room was also believed effective. Some +placed the cradle in the center of the floor. In northern +Scotland a custom was to wave the Bible three times over the +child to represent the Holy Trinity. In addition, the sign of the +cross was drawn on the floor of the nursery. +In Ireland a charm was made from old horseshoe nails, +hen excrement, and salt that scared away the +Changeling +and brought the human baby back. Worldwide Christian +Changeling prevention is baptism. + +----- + +P A Z U Z U +Babylonia +Pazuzu is a hybrid creature, with the feet of an eagle, the paws +of a lion, the head of a dog, the tail of a scorpion, and four +wings. Half his head is skinless and the skull is exposed. He +has a deathlike grimace. Pazuzu, or rather the image of him, +would be found perched in the window of any ancient home, +facing outward. +The powerful demon is said to have embodied a dread +pestilence believed to have been carried by the southwest +wind, even the deadly wind itself that swept over the Arabian +desert, a scorchingly hot and withering wind — a killing +wind. The presence of such an apotropaic image as Pazuzu in +the window of a home is clearly meant to ward off others of +his own kind. Some idea of the incredible power of these +ancient demons can be heard in the following conjuration + +----- + +2 0 5 +/ +P A Z U Z U +against them, which the Guide recommends saying aloud for +full effect: +They are seven! They are seven! +In the depths of the Ocean, they are seven! +In the heights of the heavens, they are seven. +They come from the Ocean depths, from the hidden retreat +They are neither male nor female. +They have no spouse. They do not produce children. +They are strangers to benevolence, +They listen neither to prayers nor wishes. +Vermin come forth from the mountain, +enemies of the god Hea, +They are agents of vengeance of the gods, +raising up difficulties, obtaining power by violence. +The enemies! The enemies! +They are seven! They are seven. They are twice seven. +Spirit of the heavens, may they be conjured +Spirit of the earth, may they be conjured! +The demons are dreaded, utterly impervious to pity, +benevolence, and so alien as not to have any sympathetic con- +nection with human beings. The conjuration is not specifi- +cally addressed to one or another demon, because one never +knew which of the demonic spirits might be the agent of the +disaster. Pazuzu, grotesque as he is, was only one of a ter- +rible crowd of like spirits who bore disease to households in +ancient times. He was powerful enough to be employed to +avert others. +L O R E +Pazuzu +has come down to contemporary lore via +Hollywood, which brought him into the body of a child in The +Exorcist. He was not seen and had only a small speaking role, +but it was memorable. During an exorcism, the camera closed +in on the face of the child, and the baritone voiceover of +Pazuzu startlingly came from her mouth, answering the exor- +cist's request, "Tell us who you are." He replied, "Pazuzu." + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ 206 +This was actually quite odd, as prior to this role he was known +only for pestilence, never for possession. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The use of terrifying demonic images at the door and in +the window to avert species is used to this day in China, where +mirrors on the roof are used to deflect evil spirits who try to +perch there. The idea is that when demons approach and see +their own image, they will be so repulsed or terrified by it, +they'll fly elsewhere. In this tradition, spirits can see their own +reflections. In Jewish folk tradition a warding-off technique is +to write on the door of the house, "So-and-so is not at home." +In Nepal a technique is to get up very early in the morning, +knock on somebody's door, and when they say, "Who's there?" +reply, "Headache with fever," and quickly run away, thus +transferring illness to another household. Presumably they +can try the same transference the next morning. + +----- + +I S I T W A L A N G C E N G C E +South Africa +Isitwalangcengce +(Basket Bearer), a Zulu spirit, is much +larger than most domicile species. He resembles a hyena, but +has an extremely wide head, shaped rather like a basket. The +Basket Bearer lurks about near the house waiting for women +and children to return from the market with meat. Typically, +the Isitwalangcengce snatches the meat and hurls the child +into his basket-shaped head for a later meal. It is believed +that the Basket Bearer enjoys human brain. He arrives at this +delicacy much like a seagull: he throws his victims onto rocks +to break the skull open, and leaves the other body parts +behind. +L O R E +Once a man outwitted a Basket Bearer by gathering +small sticks from trees as he was being carried away in the +basket. Slowly, passing trees and quietly snapping off twigs +as he went by, the man piled wood in the basket until the +load seemed heavy enough to substitute for his own body so +the Basket Bearer would not notice his absence. Then he +reached up to a tree, held on to a limb, and slipped out of +the basket. Isitwalangcengce kept going, unaware that he was +carrying mere wood, assuming that the load was the man +himself. When the Basket Bearer arrived at the rocks and +dumped out his contents, he found no man, just a bundle of +wood. +The Basket Bearer was enraged, and rushed back to the +man's village to retrieve his meal. Unable to find the man, +he grabbed a young girl. However, the man who had escaped +had told the entire village how he had managed to out- +smart the demon as soon as he returned. The girl had lis- +tened carefully and she knew what to do. The demon fell for +the same trick, and presumably moved on to easier hunting +ground. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +208 +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +As the tale shows, for all their ferocity, many demonic +species can be easily outwitted by Homo sapiens, and often be +overcome entirely by tricks that wouldn't fool a human child. +If caught by an Isitwalangcengce, there is no known amulet to +protect any human. One must rely on wits alone while they +are still available. + +----- + +L I D E R C +Hungary +The Liderc appears in three striking variations: a flickering +light, a demonic household helper, or an incubus. In its ignis +fatuus form it is a Lidercfeny, which is often a death portent +seen shining mysteriously just over the roof of the household +that will be struck. The household helper Liderc, called a Mit- +mitke, appears as a featherless chicken. It may arrive on its own +or be hatched from an egg incubated under the armpit. It car- +ries out tasks for its master. Unfortunately, it carries out tasks +too quickly and efficiently and always wants more to do, until +eventually it incessantly begs its master for new chores. This +variety of Liderc, who can shape-shift to human form, soon +becomes a household pest. If not given tasks, it will eventually +destroy its owner. +The third variety of Liderc is the prevalent incubus +species that appears when a lover is absent for too long. This +opportunistic demon lover enters the house via the chimney +as a flame (connecting it with the flickering light type). He lit- +erally loves his victim to death, returning night after night +until, after excessive copulation (demonic energy and stamina +being traits of both the obsessive household Liderc and the +incubus), the human lover wastes away to nothing and dies. +This variety of Liderc can manifest as a fiery person, or +flame, or even a star, rather like the Bulgarian Zmej. It appears +in a shining sky carriage and makes stops to cohabit with mor- +tal women who afterward also often waste away. +L O R E +Once there was a young widow who wept constantly for +her departed husband, grieving her loss, until one night, a +Liderc arrived in the form of a star. When it began landing +directly above her house, and everybody in town saw the star +vanish every night, rumors began that she was with a Liderc. +Her father warned her that if this gossip was true her visitor +was an unclean spirit, and she would waste away. At first she +denied that she had a lover, but her father said she was + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +210 +looking paler and paler every day, and when she finally admit- +ted it, her father insisted that she at least look to see if one of +her visitor's legs resembled that of a goose. "If so," he said, +"hide the boot he wears on his other leg." She looked, as her +father told her, and lo and behold, her lover had the leg of a +goose. So she hid his boot. This so infuriated the Liderc he +turned into flame and never returned. The widow was sick for +a very long time afterward, but she finally recovered. +Another tale of the Liderc lover is about a young wife +whose husband has left for the army. She was miserable until +one night, without so much as a door opening, her "husband" +appeared to comfort her. These visitations continued for a +while, until one day the young wife confided in a neighbor +that her husband visited her regularly, appearing in uniform. +The neighbor told her it was impossible that this visitor was +her husband and that he might be an unclean spirit. The +neighbor was a wise woman and advised the wife to scatter +ashes at the door and examine her visitor's footprints the +morning after. That was how she discovered his one goose foot +just in time, for she too had begun to wither away. +D I S P E L L I N G & D I S A R M I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +To stop a Liderc lover from entering via the bedroom +door, one can tie a door handle with a cord used to hold up +trousers. This makes it impossible for him to enter. If he has +already arrived, hiding his boot and thus revealing his origins +will stop him from returning. The last strategy (to employ +when the mit-mitke shape-shifts to human form) is to follow +the Liderc to church, and expose him to the entire village by +looking at him in a significant and knowing way. This will +blow his cover and he'll vanish immediately to save face. The +household-helper Liderc cannot be gotten rid of, only kept +busy. But one can give it impossible tasks — like bringing +home sand or water in a sieve. The only other way is to stuff +the creature into a hole in a tree trunk. There are no means to +avert the portent Liderc. + +----- + +AL +Armenia +The Al is a species of terrifying half-human, half-animal crea- +ture with brass fingernails, long snakelike hair, a fiery single +eye, iron teeth, and the tusks of a wild boar. The Al carries iron +scissors. Whenever it wears a pointed hat covered with small +bells, it becomes completely invisible. A Is live in damp places +like the stable or sandy wet areas on the road or unclean +corners of the house. But their awful deeds are done in the +nursery. +Als (perhaps from the Babylonian alu, a family of evil +spirits shaped like a black dogs) began as disease-carrying +demons and evolved into a gruesome specialty. They attack +pregnant women, strangling them and their unborn children +and pulling out their livers. They also attack and steal new- +borns up to seven months of age, and are said to cause miscar- +riage as well. +L O R E +In the beginning God gave Adam an Al for a companion +but the Al, made of fire, was not compatible with Adam, made +of dust. Then God created Eve. This infuriated the envious Al, +who has been out to destroy women ever since. +In Christian legend, St. Peter encountered a grotesque +being with iron teeth and tusks sitting on the roadside in a +sandy wet place, and asked him to identify himself. The crea- +ture replied: "Call me Al." He went on to describe his activ- +ities. "I strangle the mother in childbirth and pull out her +liver. I steal the unborn infant and carry it to our demon- +king." +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +To keep the Als away, one must put many iron utensils, +pots, knives, and other objects all around one's body. When + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ 212 +pregnant, a woman must sleep with a piece of iron under her +pillow — a sword or knife will do. A pin may help. In some +lore sticking a pin in the blouse of an Al will make it a slave. +There are also special prayers that can be uttered during +childbirth to discourage an Al from attacking the liver or a +newborn. + +----- + +F O X +F A I R Y +China +The Fox Fairy (huli jing) is considered highly dangerous and +held in awe. It was believed to be the shen (spirit) of the dead +and has been seen rising from graves. The Fox Fairy often +shape-shifts into a tempting, wicked young woman, or an old +man or scholar. In fact, the female Fox Fairy has an affinity +for scholars (as they are reputedly unusually virtuous) and +will attempt to seduce them whenever possible. The Fox Fairy +is after the vital essence of its human lover during orgasm, and +will steal it away. Lovers eventually become consumptive and +waste away to nothing. The Fox Fairy moves on. +The Fox Fairy can also shape-shift into the semblance of +a person long dead, and as that person haunt houses and ter- +rify mortals. It has also been known to appear in the guise of +somebody who actually lives far away. It is seen as a clever + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +214 +trickster, a cunning survivor, and a deadly power. Most notably, +it can possess its human prey out of sheer malevolence. +Generations of madness in one family is thought to be the +result of having injured a Fox Fairy (in one of its transforma- +tions) long ago. +Invisible by daylight, the Fox Fairy can be seen at night +around the home in various forms. It is often sighted prowl- +ing the roof of the house, and is offered delicacies and incense. +The Fox Fairy is always treated with great respect, if not actu- +ally worshiped outright. It can transport people through the +air and empower its worshipers with the ability to enter +houses through walls and closed windows as it is able to do. +L O R E +One morning a young man was carrying a load of veg- +etables across a field with several companions. All of a sudden +he seemed struck by some force that froze him in midstep. He +dropped his baskets, and at once began to rave like a madman. +Soon the whole village was talking about the incident. The +young man claimed to be possessed by a Fox Fairy. When a +person is possessed by a huli jing he not only becomes a raving +maniac, he gains the power to heal. This young man was sud- +denly able to cure diseases. People came from all over, begging +to be cured. Word of his powers spread and people came from +afar. He grew so wealthy that he erected a beautiful shrine to +the Fox Fairy. +Once there was a wealthy man living in northern China. +He had a large, ever-growing pile of straw in his yard that was +left untouched by his servants, who only added more fresh +straw as it was believed to be the abode of the Fox Fairy. One +day the spirit, in the shape of an old man, came to the master +of the house and invited him into the straw pile for a drink. +The man at first refused, but when he finally consented and +went through the hole in the straw, he was astonished to find +that in the simple straw there were elaborate rooms, furnished +luxuriously. The two sat down to drink tea and wine, and later, +when the rich man left, he turned to say farewell only to find +that all the furnishings had vanished. + +----- + +215 +/ F O X +F A I R Y +The Fox Fairy, up to mischief, continued to visit his +neighbor in the old man guise and would leave suddenly for +"other engagements." Burning with curiosity, the rich man +asked him where he went each night and the demon answered +that at night he usually visited friends and asked if his neigh- +bor would like to join him. After declining at first, the rich +man decided to go. That night they flew through the air like +a gust of wind and arrived at an inn. There the "old man" led +his victim to the gallery above a large and crowded room, and +went himself to fetch food from the banquet table below to eat +in the quiet gallery. When the rich man spotted some fruit on +a table below, he asked for some. The Fox Fairy said, "I can- +not get them for I cannot go anywhere near that man who's +standing near the fruit, as he is a very good and upright man." +The rich man suddenly realized that he might not be an +upright man since he consorted with a Fox Fairy, and he +determined not to involve himself with such spirits any +longer. Just as that thought crossed his mind, he seemed to fall +from the gallery and crashed into the party beneath. The +guests at the banquet were astonished to see him, especially +because there was no gallery above, only a wooden rafter. At +first they thought him a malevolent spirit, but when he +explained how he had arrived, they all recognized it was Fox +Fairy mischief. They gave him money to return to his home, +which turned out to be more than a thousand li away. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Burning paper charms against the Fox Fairy, and then +putting the ashes into tea and drinking it, may help. It is most +important never to harm the creature. When in female form, +plying it with wine until it's drunk will make it revert to its +true shape, and once discovered it will vanish. If, in its fox +form, the tail can be somehow cut off (because the tail is the +source of its power), it will leave the premises and never +return. + +----- + +M A R E +Norway +The Norwegian Mare is a female shape shifter who visits her +sleeping victims (usually men) and torments them while they +sleep. The Mare can fit herself through a keyhole in a door, a +crack in a wall, or blow through an open window. She can be +beautiful or ugly, a dwarf or a giant. Most often, though, she +takes the form of an animal, most commonly a horse. When +she has gotten into her victim's bedroom, she mounts their +chest, causing pains, tightness, troubled breathing, and hor- +rible dreams. In Germany she is the Mahr, in Danish, Mare, +in America the nightmare is her descendent. +By day, the Mare appears as a normal human woman. +She is overcome by a late-night urge. At night, in prowl mode, +she roams around until she finds a victim. But after sunrise she +turns into somebody's mother, wife, or a shopkeeper and is +indistinguishable from real humans. If she cannot find a +human victim, sometimes a Mare will ride an animal instead. +Horses in their stalls wake up doused in their own sweat and +cows are shaky when being milked and will give sour milk. +L O R E +Once there was a farmer's son who was tormented +nightly by a Mare. One evening he asked a friend for help. +Together they closed all the holes in his room except one, +through which the Mare could slip in. As soon as the friend +saw anything out of the ordinary he was to plug up that hole +as well. He did this, and in the morning the farmer's son found +a beautiful girl in his bed. She did not know where she had +come from, nor did he, but he was enchanted. The two were +married and had many children. One day he showed her the +hole through which she had slipped into his room. She slipped +out of it and was never seen again. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +To protect oneself against the Mare, one should never +sleep with an open mouth. It is believed that if a Mare can + +----- + +2 1 7 +/ +M A R E +count a person's teeth, he will surely die. When leaving shoes +by the bedside, the toes should be pointed away from the bed, +lest they be used as a sort of trail to the sleeper. A horseshoe +over the bed is a helpful deterrent, as is anything made of iron +or steel near the bedside or under the pillow. Lighted candles +around the bed also keep the Mare away. Prayers often work, +as does reciting this ditty: +Mare, Mare, Mare hear! +Are you now inside of here? +Do you remember the blow on the nose +that Sigurd Sigmundarson gave you, my dear? +If you're inside then out you'll go, +bearing rocks and stones, +and everything within here! +To protect livestock from the Mare, metal hung around +the barn, or spruce and fir twigs, will keep the Mare away. A +metal bell around the animal's neck may avert the demon. + +----- + +K I T C H E N +F A I R I E S +China +Kitchen Fairies are a large, industrious, invisible population, +and since they cast no shadows they can be accounted for only +by the unusual amount of work they accomplish for their own- +ers. They obsessively sweep and dust, so it is very obvious +whose house is inhabited and whose is not. +Some people want Kitchen Fairies. They can be caught +at any crossroads by burying two different kinds of animals, +digging them up later, and putting their remains in an incense +burner. One won't see the Fairies, but the house will be +instantly cleaner. +Two problems exist. First, for their very hard work +Kitchen Fairies expect a year-end bonus: one human to eat. To +avert having to provide this fare, one simply explains to the +invisible group that they have broken pottery and owe the +owner, so they will have to wait a year for their meal. This +postponement works for years, because they are not bright. +The second, and far more serious, problem is getting rid +of them if one wants to do so. The only way to do it is to marry +them off in the following manner: Prepare packets of ash from +incense and silver, which embody the spirits themselves, and +place them randomly on the road. A person unfamiliar with +the custom will eventually pick up the silver and find himself +with a new presence in his home. +L O R E +Once a poor man saw a packet of silver lying on the road +and knew it was a Kitchen Fairy, but he couldn't resist the +money, so he grabbed it and went to the river (because like +many other demons these can't cross water). The Fairy had +leaped on his hat, so he threw the hat into the water and left +with the silver. He grew rich. Meanwhile the hat was found +by a passerby and hung to dry on a tree branch. The tree with- +ered. Much later the rich man went to sit near that very tree, +and when asked why the tree was so withered, he laughingly +told the old story of the Kitchen Fairy, the hat, and the silver. + +----- + +2 1 9 +/ +KITCHEN +F A I R I E S +Unfortunately the spirit was still there, invisible, and over- +heard the tale. Infuriated, it jumped on the man and ate his +soul. The man withered and died. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Because Kitchen Fairies are said to live in kitchen pots, it +is a custom to leave a small amount of water in each to dis- +courage them from setting up house. The silver packet road +dispersion is another last resort but, as in the tale, can lead to +trouble. + +----- + +F A I R +L A D Y +Hungary +The Fair Lady is one of the malevolent fairies so powerful as +to be seen in many shapes: a beautiful woman, sometimes +naked; a horse; a long-haired woman in a white dress looking +like a common housewife. She never travels far from home. +She is often seen under the eaves of the house — always a +dangerous place -— and other times she'll show up in the +stable. She weaves dangerous spells that can leave a person +struck dumb or worse. +The Fair Lady is said to have a "platter" of her own, +embodied by a common household object, like a spoon, a plate, +linens, or the bed. The object is secretly under her spell. The +expression "Stepping into the platter of the Fair Lady" means +to fall under the spell of the spirit. Sometimes water dripping + +----- + +2 2 1 / F A I R +L A D Y +from the eaves of a house forms a puddle that can become her +platter; if a person takes one step into the puddle he becomes +hers. The seat under the eaves is especially dangerous at noon. +The noon presence of the Fair Lady is a highly unusual char- +acteristic as most demons are only out at night (with the rare +exception of demons thought to cause sunstroke in places like +Polynesia). +Sighting the Fair Lady is a portent of grave trouble. She +dances in storms, kidnaps children, and has been seen danc- +ing men to their deaths. Her song is her lure. Fair +Ladies +have been spotted flying through the air in groups, singing +bewitching songs. If they are heard by a mortal man, he may +be inspired to reckless and fatal acts, for instance, plunging +into the lake to his death. +L O R E +Once there was a young man who one morning put on a +new pair of sandals that he had never seen before. He went out +walking and found himself singing a new tune. Before long, +there appeared three beautiful women beckoning him to join +them in a dance. Naturally, he was delighted to do as they +asked, and it wasn't until many hours later that a neighbor +passed by and saw him twirling around by himself in a field. +"For the love of God," shouted the neighbor, "what are +you doing!" +At the word "God," the young man fell down dumb- +struck. The neighbor ran over and looked at the poor young +man lying there. He saw that the new sandals were worn away +and the soles of his feet were already quite bloody. It wasn't +until much later that the lad recovered from the incident that +he'd brought on himself by donning enchanted sandals and +thus stepping into the platter of the Fair +Lady. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Eaves must be avoided. The place under the eaves has +been a notable hangout for malevolent spirits since ancient +times. Any household item that seems oddly attractive, new, + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +222 +or in the wrong place should be left untouched. Prayer, cross- +ing oneself, carrying a Bible, wearing mistletoe around the +neck, all are said to be effective repellents. Like other fairies, +the Fair Lady is also repelled by church bells, crowds, and +human laughter. + +----- + +N I S S E +Norway +The Nisse is a species of fairy so minute that he can hide any- +where, or vanish altogether. He has a gray or white beard, +simple gray clothing, and a pointed red hat. His body is cov- +ered in thick wooly hair. He has an exceptionally large lower +lip and no thumbs. He is considered rather ugly. +The Nisse, like many household fairies, can be a very +helpful friend or a destructive enemy. He is said to live in the +barn, and sleep in the stalls. The Nisse is powerfully strong and +seems to enjoy hard work. He is solitary and labors long and +finishes his tasks quickly. A Nisse needs to be fed only every +Thursday and on Christmas Eve. But they are nasty if crossed. +The Nisse, like many fairies, spends his free time on pranks. +He trips people, shoves them down the stairs, and releases ani- +mals from their pens at night. But if treated with the respect +he demands, he can be a good and loyal if occasionally impish +worker. He takes one-third of the crop as wages. +The Nisse will not tolerate mistreatment of the animals +in his charge, and humans who disregard the welfare of their +livestock often receive harsh thrashings. The Nisse is also +known for stealing hay and grain from other farms to feed the +animals in his care. During these nightly raids, if the fairy +happens to meet another of his species, a kind of "inter- +Nissene" warfare will break out. Grain has been seen flying +around the air wildly on such occasions, by itself. +L O R E +There was a Nisse who gave all his attention to his +favorite black horse. This horse grew fatter and sleeker than +the other horses and its coat was better groomed. The farmer +grew angry at the stable boy and accused him of neglecting all +the horses but one. "That's not me," said the boy. "That's the +Nisse!" +That evening, after the horses had been fed, the farmer +went down to the barn to see for himself. Indeed, the black +horse had been fed extra hay, so the farmer angrily took some + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +224 +of it and threw it to the side, whereupon he got a quick, pow- +erful blow to the head that knocked him to the ground. No vis- +ible being was around! After that, the horse was allowed to eat +all that he received, and the farmer never complained again. +Once a girl was on her way to feed the family Nisse, and +instead sat down to eat the good sweet porridge herself. When +at last she brought his offering, he noticed she'd replaced the +good food with plain porridge and sour milk, served up in a +pig's trough. The invisible Nisse grabbed the girl and began to +dance with her. He danced faster and faster throughout the +night until she was gasping for air. While dancing, he sang: "If +the Nisse's porridge you did steal, the Nisse will dance until +you reel!" The girl nearly died by morning. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The only sure way to get rid of a Nisse is to give him a +new set of clothes. He will leave immediately. Many people +have moved their homes or burned down their farms hoping +to escape from the family Nisse, only to find it perched in the +back of their wagons with all of their other possessions, mov- +ing with the human family to their next home. + +----- + +P S Y C H E + +----- + + + +----- + +"The mind is its own place, and in itself +Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n," +says Satan. He later realizes: +"Which way I flie is Hell; my self am Hell." +— JOHN MILTON, PARADISE LOST +T +he terrain of Psyche is understood differently by various +traditions to be Soul, Self, Mind, collective unconscious. +For the purposes of the Guide, it is the abode of those species +who actually inhabit the human being and use that living per- +son as an instrument of their will. The indwelling demons are +never experienced by an outsider as they are by their host or +hostess. Although these "hallucinations" or subjective reali- +ties remain concealed, what does give them away are the star- +tling outward manifestations of their presence as expressed by +their human puppets. They do not leave voluntarily, so it is +always necessary to get outside help when inhabited. Much of +the lore of the Psyche centers on methods and techniques of +transformation, exorcism, and healing. +Some humans seek the state of being possessed for rea- +sons of their own. There is the shaman, witch, or magician +who intentionally performs a rite or dons a mask or animal +hide to become an Other, and allow his corporeal self to be +taken over and imbued by a spirit. In this case the host is a vol- +unteer. However, an average housewife or student who is sim- +ply performing routine tasks when subsumed by a dybbuk or +a Fox Spirit is a victim. Since most people do not want to +become the abode of a demon, the majority of tales involve the +plight of the helpless host and the ways the unwanted tenants +were evicted. +An important Psyche species is the raging indwelling +animal — an ordinary human can move mentally one small +step to become his/her "animal" nature, as in the Werewolf +or Fox transformations. Other afflicted people were believed + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +228 +to be inhabited by "unclean spirits" long before modern +explanations for mental illness, hysteria, epilepsy, and schizo- +phrenia. Treatments to drive out the demons were usually +conducted with no concern for the host and addressed only the +spirit. The patient (if he survived) later had no recollection of +his or her possessed state. Then there are those indwelling +demons who cause notice when some proclivity of the human +they inhabit becomes grotesquely enlarged: when a person +lives only to eat or profit or lust, he may be infected with one +of the Seven Deadly Sins. +In all cases, "naming" the demon seems to reduce and +disempower it. Modern explanations of the phenomena +resulted in new names. The Id and the Shadow, included here +with their methods of depossession, are redefined demonic +species. The Buddhist Mara represents the demon both as an +interior obstacle and potential teacher. A transformative +approach to the Tibetan Buddhist Yama (Death) illustrates a +radically different approach to the field. This leads to the ulti- +mate Quantum Daimon as a species for the new millennium. +It is in Psyche that the reader may find some personal demons. +Everybody houses some. +T H I N G S TO K N O W A B O U T +P O S S E S S I O N +Before the eighteenth-century Age of Enlightenment in +the West, many individuals and groups were routinely con- +sidered to be affected by "demonical possession." This was +described as a mental state wherein the individual was not +responsible for his actions or words. The victim displayed hys- +terical symptoms and convulsive writhing that resembled +epilepsy, as if a violent struggle were raging within. The face +would appear contorted, the body out of control, and there +would be an accompanying radical change of vocal timbre: the +new and demonic voice was usually deep, gruff, and weird. +Often, it spoke languages unknown to its human host. +The onset of dramatic symptoms was sudden, although +there is a suggestion of preexisting states of melancholy in +cases of the afflicted. The definite signs were a new shrinking +away in horror from religious relics or icons; an ability to speak + +----- + +2 2 9 +/ +P S Y C H E +foreign languages; lewd behavior presumably unknown to the +host body; supernatural strength; cursing, blasphemous, and +lewd speech; animalistic movement; barking like a dog or fox +or bleating like a sheep; and afterward, if the exorcism was +successful, no memory whatsoever of the episode by the indi- +vidual. +To return the possessed to his or her natural state, offi- +cial rites of demonic exorcism were held by professionals. +Since the possession species is worldwide, they continue to be +seen frequently in various traditions, and many of the symp- +toms seem similar throughout the world. The cures or rites are +usually in the hands of professionals, but they vary greatly. In +India various mantras are uttered and incense is used, in China +certain written charms are pasted on the windows and other +incantations are burned. Even Josephus, the Jewish historian, +in the first century C.E., wrote about a "magic root" that was +commonly used among the various practices employed to +return the victim to his former self. +In most rites it was of primary importance to "name" the +indwelling spirit and then address it directly by name and ask +that it leave. In the Catholic Church an official method +includes specific wording: "I adjure thee evil spirit in the +name of the Lord." This appeal to the specific demonic spirit +to leave in the name of Jesus or of various saints was appar- +ently effective. However, when the demon was addressed in +this manner its immediate response was spectacular. All hell +would break loose. The inhabited person would writhe, vomit +(sometimes spitting out strange objects such as glass, nails, +animal hair, insects), and hurl himself/herself around the +room, all the while screaming abusively at the exorcist in a +gruff, unnatural, hideous voice. +Risks of exorcism were possible contagion — the +"unclean spirit" might move into the body of the priest. Also, +the inhabited would sometimes die before the demon was fin- +ished struggling. To make matters worse, it seemed that over +a few centuries in the West, entire convents or communities +were infested. There were epidemics of possession all over +Europe. Many of these involved witchcraft and the accusation + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +230 +and torture of so-called witches — all of which are outside the +Guide's concern. The Compendium Maleficarum, compiled in +1608 by Brother Francesco Maria Guazzo, lists fifty ways in +which one can tell if the possession is the real thing. Among +these notable symptoms are: if the possessed feel as if ants +were crawling under their skin; if the body is stirred by palpi- +tations in the afflicted area; if the voice heard inside the head +is saying things they don't understand; or if the priest's hand +upon their head feels like ice. +Many, but not all, of the indwelling demons who were +thought to cause these ravings and crises seem to have disap- +peared or perhaps shape-shifted and have been identified by +other names. In some cases the symptoms are now attributed +to various mental illnesses. The following lore is spun from the +cosmic battles played out in interior habitats. As with other +quellings, the focus is on the end of the story, and what is not +always revealed is how or why the demon entered the Psyche. + +----- + +W H O ' S W H O IN T H E PSYCHE +GERASENE DEMON +Ancient Palestine (Jordan) +WEREWOLF +Global +LOUP GAROU +North America +LEYAK +Bali +DYBBUK +(Judaism) +KITSUNE-TSUKI +Japan +MARA +(Buddhism) +YEZER H A - R A +(Judaism) +SEVEN DEADLY SINS +(Christian West) +MR. H Y D E +(Robert Louis Stevenson) +ID +(Freud) +SHADOW +(Jung) +YAMANTAKA +(Tibetan Buddhism) +QUANTUM DAIMON +(Guide) +See also: +WlNDlGO in Mountain +MARE in Domicile +Fox FAIRY in Domicile +MADAME W H I T E in W a t e r + +----- + + + +----- + +G E R A S E N E D E M O N +Ancient Palestine — Jordan +The Gerasene Demon possession is described in both Luke 8 +and Mark 5, and creates the model for the practice of "casting +out unclean spirits" in all later Western Christian cases. The +host of the possession was a Gerasene man who for some time +had not worn any clothing or lived in a house, and when +attacked by the possessing "devils" wandered about, living +mostly amid the tombs. In a possessed state, he was often +restrained by members of his community and bound by chains +and fetters, from which he always broke loose and escaped into +the wilderness. Every night he howled and gashed himself +with stones, and nobody was strong enough to control him, for +he seemed to have superhuman powers. +L O R E +When Jesus and his disciples arrived at the shore of the +Gerasenes, opposite Galilee, a strange wild man fell at Jesus' +feet and simultaneously the spirit within the man shouted +imploringly: "What do you want of me, Jesus! Do not torture +me!" Luke reports that Jesus had been asking the unclean +spirit to leave the man when this outburst occurred. And Mark +reports that Jesus had said: "Come out of the man, unclean +spirit." The indwelling creature was apparently terrified at +the sight of Jesus. Then Jesus addressed it: "What is your +name?" he asked firmly. +"Legion," replied the invisible devil(s) via the mouth of +the man. "For we are many." The voice then pleaded that the +unclean spirits be allowed to enter a herd of pigs nearby rather +than be sent to the "abyss." Jesus gave permission for them to +exit the man and enter the swine. What followed this com- +mand was an immediate dash of two thousand pigs across the +field. They charged in a pack off the neighboring cliff into the +water and drowned. The swineherds rein off and told every- +body what they had just witnessed. +Meanwhile the wild man was entirely cured. He was +recovered, dressed normally, and sitting calmly at Jesus' feet + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +234 +when the community arrived, shocked by the whole event. +The "powers" by which Jesus was able to effect this cure were +suspect. Some believed that such powers had been gained tra- +ditionally in the past by conjurers who had made a pact with +evil spirits like Satan and Beelzebub. (This issue is discussed +at length in surrounding chapters of the Gospels.) In this case, +because of the sensational events, the ambivalence toward +miracles, and the loss of herds of swine, the Gerasenes were +alarmed and asked Jesus to leave, and to take his disciples with +him. The cured man asked to go with them, but he was told +instead to go back to his home and tell the people what "the +Lord in his mercy has done for you." +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +Prayer is the effective technique utilized. The source of +dispelling power is attributed to the Holy Spirit, counter to the +"envious" accusations that Jesus' power to "cast out devils" is +connected to Satanic sources. In the Book of Mark, shortly +after the incident with the Gerasenes, there is a moment when +Jesus asks the unclean spirits to depart the body of an epilep- +tic boy. His disciples ask him why they were unable to cast it +out. Jesus replies: "This is the kind that can only be driven out +by prayer." +There is mortal danger to both the victim and the healer +as they stand together in the force field of unimaginable pow- +ers. Just as the Gerasene Demon was sent into the swine, cases +exist where the spirit takes up new lodging in the healer. +Therefore the exorcist, shaman, holy man, or healer must be +impervious (by means of supernatural aid or powers) to the +possession species. +As soon as the Gerasene Demon is addressed and forced +to reveal its name, it is reduced and bound. It is no longer an +anonymous ubiquitous unimaginable supernatural force. Like +the Djinn or spirit tricked into a bottle, "naming" is a con- +trolling act that encompasses and contains the force and puts +the creature tinder the command of the namer. + +----- + +W E R E W O L F +Global +The Werewolf is the most universal form of animal posses- +sion — although the wer(man)-tiger and other fierce prowl- +ing animal possession exists — and is a human transformed +into a wolf. One common belief is that the person who wants +to be a Werewolf must climb into a wolfskin. During the night +he hunts as a wolf, during the day he rests and hides his skin. +While wolves usually travel in packs, the Werewolf is a loner. +Unlike a normal wolf who avoids humans, the Werewolf will +attack any human he comes across. Pointed ears, hair on +palms, large claws, paws, eyebrows that are connected over +the bridge of the nose, or hair between the shoulder blades +are common Werewolf features. As one can see from the +depiction, they are not seen as entirely wolf. Robert Burton, +in The Anatomy of Melancholy, +describes the affliction as + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +236 +Lycanthropia, wolf-madness, when "men run howling about +graves and fields at night and will not be persuaded but that +they are wolves." He reports that they usually have hollow +eyes and dry, pale, and scabby legs. +The best time for the transformation is said to be during +the full moon. Wearing a wolfskin, drinking water from the +puddle of a wolf's footprint, or the ingestion of magic potions +are the principal means of becoming a Werewolf. Some +people transform themselves by choice, others are trans- +formed into Werewolves because of spells or hides that have +been placed on them. Sometimes the transformation happens +suddenly, or erratically, with no explanation, much to the dis- +may of the victim, who finds himself suddenly a Werewolf for +short periods at a time. Often those who do not wish to become +a Werewolf have time to warn others of their transformation +so as to avoid the inevitable. +L O R E +Sinfjotli and his uncle Sigmund came across a house set +deep in the Norwegian forest. Inside the house slept two +enchanted men. Wolfskins hung on the wall above them. The +sleeping men had been cursed so that only on every tenth day +could they come out of their wolfskin and resume human +form. Sigmund and Sinfjotli put the skins on and were +instantly transformed into Werewolves themselves; that is, +they became wolves in physical appearance and spirit, but +retained human minds. Together they agreed that they should +risk attacking no more than seven men. If they needed help +from each other, they agreed to howl, and each went their sep- +arate way looking for flesh. But Sinfjotli, despite the agree- +ment, took on eleven men alone, and though he defeated them +all, Sigmund was furious. In an instant he pounced on his +nephew and tore his windpipe open with one slash of his +claws. +He carried the young Werewolf to a hut and kept watch +over his hurt body. After seeing two weasels fight outside the +hut, and watching the victorious weasel place a leaf over the +cut windpipe of his victim, Sigmund decided to do the same. + +----- + +2 3 7 +I +W E R E W O L F +A raven brought him the medicinal leaf, and after Sigmund +placed it across the hurt windpipe, Sinfjotli was healed +instantly. The two returned to their lair and waited for the +time when they could take off their skins. As soon as the +moment arrived they tore off the wolfskins and burned them, +thus breaking the curse. +Not all Werewolves have the same control that these for- +tunate Norsemen had. An ancient Greek cult that worshiped +on Mount Lykaion in Arcadia had a yearly ceremony in which +one worshiper would be transformed into a Werewolf. In this +animal form he was made to roam about for nine years. If dur- +ing this time he could refrain from eating human flesh he +would be changed back into a man. If, however, as a Werewolf +he consumed human flesh, he could never return to his human +self. In Germany, the transformation was effected by wearing +a wolfskin and a belt with a magic buckle. When the buckle +broke, the enchantment ended. +A story from Sweden relates the plight of a man who +thought he might be a Werewolf. Without sharing his suspi- +cions about himself, he asked his wife — if she happened to +catch sight of a Werewolf— please not to stab it but to hit it +with a pitchfork. +That very night she did encounter a Werewolf, and she +obeyed her husband's request. The Werewolf snagged her +dress hem in his mouth as he fell. At breakfast the next morn- +ing, she happened to notice dress strands in her husband's +teeth, and said to him: "I think you are a werewolf." He +replied, "Thank you for telling me, for now I am freed!" +The naming cure has many different applications in the +case of the Werewolf with an equal variety of results. Often, in +European lore, after many years of wandering as a Werewolf, +one can be called by one's human name and suddenly remem- +ber one's human self, and thus change back into a former exis- +tence. At the other extreme, in Chinese folklore, is a case of a +housewife who went out nightly in wolf shape, and then lis- +tened to her family discuss the neighborhood Werewolf prob- +lem; she promptly left the household and was never seen +again. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +238 +In France, another housewife had less luck. One day a +man saw his friend, a hunter, pass by his chateau, and, waving +to him, called out to wish him a good chase. Later, the hunter +was attacked by a wolf and attempted to kill the animal but +was able only to swipe at it with his knife and sever a paw. He +escaped narrowly and, shaken, stopped by his friend's home to +tell him about the attack. When he opened his sack to show +his friend the huge paw, he was shocked to find instead a lady's +hand with a ring on one finger. The friend recognized the ring +as his own wife's and went to find her. She was hiding her hand +in a bloody kerchief when he came into her chamber, and she +was forced to confess. She was arrested and burned to death. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +A silver bullet is the only sure way to kill a Werewolf, and +after it is shot its head must be cut off and burned, the ashes +scattered in the wind. If a Werewolf is killed in his human +shape, he will revert to animal shape at death. But the task is +dangerous, for being bitten by a Werewolf will turn any +human into a Werewolf. The sign of the cross will avert attack +by a Werewolf, and holy water is also effective. A pitchfork can +be used to strike a vulnerable spot between the eyebrows and +allow time for escape, and special gray stones are said to keep +the species at a distance. Voluntary Werewolves are able to +become human again when a special formula is uttered. +However, if the human who knows the formula dies, the +Werewolf is doomed to remain one. + +----- + +L O U P G A R O U +North America +The Loup Garou is a bayou werewolf species that originated +in France (the name may have come from a shortened form of +"Loup, gardez-vous," which means "Wolf, watch out!"). It is a +person transformed, either by a spell cast by another or by +choice (which entails rubbing the body with a special kind of +grease), into a creature notable for its fiery red eyes, body hair, +large claws, long snout, and mean disposition. The Loup +Garou is seen frequently at special dances in bayou country, in +which cavorting in wolf style and acting wild is the common +practice. Each Loup Garou is said to own a bat the size of an +airplane that serve as its transportation. They fly them to other +people's homes and drop down the chimney into the bedroom. +There they bite the sleeping human victim, who wakes up the +next morning as one of them. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The Loup Garou is terrified of frogs and will run away if +a frog is hurled at it. Like many other demons, the Loup Garou +can be easily tricked by a simple household colander or sifter +hung outside the door. It will become so involved counting +holes, it will forget its original mission. It is said that if one can +manage to sprinkle the Loup Garou with salt, the demon will +catch on fire. It will then immediately discard its blazing ani- +mal hide like a snakeskin, and resume its human state. + +----- + +L E Y A K +Bali +The Leyak is a demonic species akin to one type of werewolf: +a human being who intentionally transforms himself or her- +self by occult arts. At night the Leyak can appear as an eerie +light or shape-shift to flying monkey or bird. He or she +destroys crops, kills people, and is considered the agent of all +aberrant, dire events. +While this malevolent spirit flies about like a bad dream, +appearing to ordinary people who are out for a midnight walk, +the physical body of the human being from which the demon +has originated, remains asleep in bed. One would never sus- +pect that the sleeping friend, neighbor, wife, or husband is a +Leyak. But once in a while during the nightly capers a Leyak +is destroyed, and then the sleeping human dies instantly with- +out any prior sign of sickness. It is this sudden death that tips +off the community to the real identity of the former Leyak. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +There are no known preventatives or ways that ordinary +people can protect themselves from this species. Professionals +with amulets must be called. + +----- + +D Y B B U K +Judaism +The Dybbuk is described as the spirit of a dead person who +enters and takes utter possession of a living person. Spirit pos- +session is quite common in Christianity — being noncorpo- +real, the species is always wandering and in search of a body, +ranging from swine to people. Gregory the Great wrote of a +nun who ate a lettuce leaf upon which a demon happened to +be invisibly perched. She had not made the sign of the cross +before dining, and after the salad was possessed. In Judaism, +the cases are less common and were attributed to impersonal +Shedim until the Dybbuk made its appearance in the six- +teenth century. Underlying the Dybbuk in Jewish tradition is +the idea of the gilgul, or transmigrating soul, which can be +found in thirteenth-century mystical Jewish ideas. The +Dybbuk, in exorcism, is always identified as the soul of a spe- +cific and recognizable person who has lived. +L O R E +The Mayseh Book (The Book of Tales), a collection of +folklore published in 1602, describes the first case: +A young man was possessed by the wandering spirit +(gilgul) of a dead man who drowned at sea. The +man's soul had passed into a cow; the cow had gone +wild and the owner sold it to a Jew; the Jew was +about to slaughter the cow just as the young man +passed by; the soul flew into the young man's body. +Once settled in its new home, it took over the young +man's will, mind, and body. The young man +became its puppet. Wise men came to help. They +asked, Who are you?, and the Dybbuk spoke. He +said he was drowned at sea and, since his body was +not recovered, his wife was not permitted to +remarry and eventually became a prostitute. These +events had made him miserable, but he also bore +the guilt of having committed adultery when he + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +242 +was alive. His confessions elicited confessions from +some of his listeners into whose hearts he could see, +thus acting as an agent to rectify their wrongs. He +was finally persuaded to depart. +After this, hundreds of tales of the Dybbuk housing itself +in ordinary women and men began springing up all over +Eastern Europe. The Dybbuk entries were not necessarily con- +nected to any earlier harm or relationship, just accidents wait- +ing to happen. At times the possession could be traced to some +slight breach of ritual or disregard of warnings about unclean +spirits. Going into the water (especially the mikvah, a ritual +bath) was fraught with danger. One could always come out as +somebody else. Several demonic women arose from the waters +in these stories. The voice, gesture, and behavior of the +•person-as-Dybbuk is always strange enough to alarm inti- +mates, family, and friends. Paradoxically, although all the +action takes place within the human host, his or her mind has +been erased in the takeover, so all Dybbuk tales are told, not +by subjects, but by witnesses to the phenomenon. +The Dybbuk, a wonderful Yiddish play by the folklorist +S. Anski, is a mystical love story in which the Dybbuk is not a +wandering spirit but a living scholar who literally dies for the +love of a young woman when her father gives her in marriage +to another man. On her wedding night, he enters her body, +causing her to behave as one possessed. A rabbi is called in and +soon ascertains that this has happened because her father +broke a vow to his dead friend: he had promised to give this +man's son, the scholar, his daughter in marriage. A trial takes +place and the father tries to make amends, and the Dybbuk +promises to leave his true love's body. But he enters her soul, +and she chooses to go to the Other World with him, her des- +tined bridegroom. +The Dybbuk is not all "evil," but like many demons has +an ambiguous reputation. In one Talmudic story we meet Ben +Temalion, a unique and intriguing possession species: +Once a certain rabbi named Rabbi Simeon ben Johai +went to Rome to plea for clemency for his people in the wake + +----- + +2 4 3 +/ +D Y B B U K +of a series of stern decrees against them. On the road, the rabbi +met a demon named Ben Temalion, a Dybbuk. He introduced +himself and asked the rabbi where he was going. "To Rome," +the rabbi said, and explained why. "I'll help you," said Ben +Temalion. He then told the rabbi his plan. The rabbi, with a +certain ambivalence about receiving help from an unclean +spirit, accepted for the greater good. +As the rabbi traveled toward Rome, news came that the +daughter of Caesar had been possessed by a demon and that +nobody had been able to exorcise the creature. The rabbi knew +that it was Ben Temalion who had taken up residence in the +princess, so he volunteered to attempt to cast out the spirit. He +called him by name and, addressing him directly, bid him +depart. Being identified and addressed, the spirit was forced to +obey. The princess was cured. Caesar tore up the decree. And +this time the demonic possession species voluntarily did a good +deed (although his motives have never been disclosed). +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +In each case, a Dybbuk must be expelled by a rabbi, who +always addresses the indweller directly and asks its identity. +After the rabbi asks several questions, he is usually able to cast +it out of the victim's body. A Dybbuk traditionally exits by the +toe or little finger of the inhabited person. Also a small hole +must be made in a window or other manner of egress estab- +lished so that the demon will leave the house. (This is always +a precaution, as one doesn't want to trap a demon any more +than an angry bee.) + +----- + +K I T S U N E - T S U K I +Japan +Kitsune-Tsuki (Fox-Possession), is easily diagnosed: when pos- +sessed by the wild Fox Spirit the patient may say "I am Inari +god of rice" and have severe cravings for rice with red beans +(fox favorites). At times the possessed seem depressed and rest- +less and find it impossible to sleep at night. They prefer eat- +ing alone and will not make eye contact. +As for special powers, cases have been recorded of illit +erate people who when possessed were able to write fluently +and draw pictures of the fox as messenger of Inari on their +communications. Unlike werewolf possession the victim +retains human shape night and day, and never fully meta- +morphoses to an animal. The creature is said to reside in the +stomach or on the left side. These possessions have been + +----- + +2 4 5 +/ +K I T S U N E - T S U K I +observed and noted as early as the twelfth century and con- +tinue to the present day. +Kitsune-Tsuki, the idea that the demonic spirits of terri- +ble wild foxes could possess a human being, originated with +the Fox Fairy in China. There, the Fox Fairy is greatly feared +and always propitiated. It is believed that cases of madness +caused by fox possession are retributions for former offenses +against the Fox Fairy by a member of the victim's family; how- +ever, the Chinese Fox Fairy has been known to possess a +human being for the sheer malevolent mischief of it. When +inhabited, the human can fly, go through walls, and has other +striking powers (see Domicile). +The Kitsune- Tsuki enters the body through the breast or +under the fingernails, and once inside lives independently. +The possessed human, often a woman, hears and understands +all that this "double" in her consciousness is saying or doing. +She and it often have violent arguments. The two speak in +markedly different voices. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +A priest is often called in, berates the Fox Spirit, and tells +it to get out. The fox negotiates its terms, arranges for rice and +other offerings, and if satisfied will finally agree to leave. +Cases continue to be reported in contemporary times. + +----- + +M A R A +(Buddhism) +Mara, the agent of Death, travels from Hinduism (as the +embodiment of Death itself and of the powers of Evil) to +become the principal Buddhist demon. He is the tempter, the +archenemy +of the Buddha, the obstacle to potential +Enlightenment, the personification of greed, hatred, and +delusion. He tries to lure all spiritual travelers onto the +path of worldly desires, which lead to rebirth and not to +liberation. +Mara functions to delay the "Coming of the Law." He +embodies ego pleasure, worldly pleasure, and sensual delight. +Mara is not so much evil (in the sense of sinful) in Buddhist +thought as he is the epitome of all that is at the root of +duhkha (suffering). It is with that understanding of Mara as +a mental state, an embodiment of dis-ease, that he appears +in Psyche. +From the Buddhist point of view, as long as humans live +in ignorance, craving, and fear, they stay stuck in the cycle of +life and death and rebirth and are caught in the realm of +Mara. When the Buddha threatens to overturn this rule and +is on the verge of bringing a new Way — a new understand- +ing — to the world, Mara becomes fiendishly furious. He has +everything of this world and every weapon known to the uni- +verse at his disposal; most important, he holds the entire wheel +of life and death in his clutches, and every living thing must +die, and every mortal fears Death. +L O R E +Siddhartha Gautama gave up his princely riches and +then spent years in the forest as an ascetic. Finally he gave up +asceticism, now determined to sit under the Tree of Wisdom +until he reached enlightenment. Mara approached on his ele- +phant, wild with anger, accompanied by his legions of demons. +He was such a terrifying sight that all the gods who stood by +the tree fled. +Before expending the hideous forces at his command, the + +----- + +2 4 7 +/ +M A R A +archdemon tried to interrupt Siddhartha's concentration by +insinuating himself as a messenger bearing false and terrible +news about Siddhartha's worldly family. The +Buddha +remained unsnared. Then an assault began, designed to bring +fear into the heart of any mortal. Mara sent whirlwinds, tem- +pests, floods, fire, and mud at the seated figure. But all the +weapons turned to flowers in midair and formed a canopy +above the Buddha. +Mara told him to get up because he had no right to be +there. He was usurping Mara!s seat on his earth. Siddhartha, +unmoved, reminded Mara that it was he, Siddhartha, who +sought knowledge and not the archdemon. Siddhartha's reply +was met with a hail of stone-throwing by a huge demon army. +Mara then sent his invincible javelin through the air. Flowers +again appeared. Mara again challenged the Buddha but then +the earth itself bore witness to the generosity and greatness of +the Buddha and all the demons fled. Even Mara's elephant +bowed down. +All his show of force had not worked, and now his army +was gone, his most impressive weapons used, so the tempter +tried his last, best trick. He sent out his daughters: Rati +(Desire), Raga (Pleasure), and Tanha (Restlessness). They +manifested themselves as dancing girls of extraordinary +beauty. But, as attractive as these dancing girls appeared to be, +Siddhartha (as reported in the Lotus Sutra) saw through all +the delights of their transient offerings. He saw them as +ancient hags, as sacks of pus, as skeletons on the ground in +front of his feet, as decay. Thus he remained without craving +and was unsnared by illusion. He was unmoved. +Since no fear entered the heart of Siddhartha Gautama +at the hideous storms and swords, and no craving entered at +the sight of the dancing girls, he had managed with his mind +to recognize the rocks and weapons as illusory things, thus dis- +empowering them and turning them into harmless flowers. +The daughters of the tempter bowed to his understanding. +The gods all came back when the archenemy was defeated +and his armies melted away, and Prince Siddhartha Gautama +became the Buddha. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +248 +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +All the demons of the Buddhist tradition are teachers, +employed to arrest attention with their grotesque and star- +tling appearance. They serve to awaken the individual to +reflect on all that which is ego-driven desire and fear of death. +Considered in this way, and seen for the illusory beings they +are, they are dispelled. These methods of viewing the +"demon" can become tools of indivual liberation if practiced +over a long period of time. + +----- + +Y E Z E R +H A - R A +(Judaism) +The Yezer Ha-Ra ("evil inclination") has a recurring role in +Jewish rabbinical writings as an embodiment of that within +the heart or imagination of humankind that functions as ha +Satan (the adversary) and tempts a man to do wrong. The +Yezer Ha-Ra is part of human nature and exists in each human +being as an always present potential adversary to Good. In +most lore the Yezer Ha-Ra seems to be a powerful impulse that +can erupt in the heart of a rabbi or scholar as easily as in the +heart of an ordinary person. The emphasis is on the struggle +within each inhabited psyche. +The Yezer Ha-Ra usually manifests as an (almost) irre- +sistible lustful urge. It is considered especially dangerous +when a man leaves the synagogue on Friday night and goes +home. En route he is accompanied by a good spirit and the +Yezer Ha-Ra. If he is distracted from his spiritual reflection, +he can fall victim to the latter. This is also true just after the +marriage ceremony; the groom is considered very vulnerable +due to the presence of spirits around the sacred rite and human +closeness to the spiritual realm. +L O R E +One night a rabbi was passing through the woods when +he happened upon a small cottage with a light on. As he +neared the dwelling, its occupant, a very attractive woman, +came to- the door wearing scant attire. She beckoned to him +graciously and bid him enter. When he did, she offered him +not a cup of tea, but herself. At this invitation he was nearly +overcome by the Yezer Ha-Ra, but resisted it with all his might +and managed to shout, "No!" Just as the magic word was +uttered, the woman vanished along with the cottage. The +rabbi found himself alone again in the dark woods. +In another well-known tale, we again find a rabbi. He +had been resisting the impulse to make love to a nubile +maiden who was in his charge, but he was unable to hold +out any longer and found himself climbing a ladder to her + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +250 +bedroom window. But as he climbed, he continued to struggle +fiercely with his own evil impulse. He addressed it loudly. He +passionately bid the demonic urge to leave him. Breathless, he +arrived at the top rung and there he finally witnessed the Yezer +Ha-Ra exit as an actual pillar of fire. He won. He was free of +the inclination to do evil, and he was able to descend the lad- +der with a clear conscience and no regret. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The Yezer Ha-Ra cannot be quelled by any external +action. It cannot be placated, propitiated, or tolerated. It must +be acknowledged, seen, and labeled for what it is. Then a +mighty wrestling match within the psyche of the host must +take place. If the subject wins, he will not become victim of +his own Yezer Ha-Ra. + +----- + +T H E S E V E N D E A D L Y +S I N S +(The Christian West) +The Seven Deadly Sins were grouped together by St. Gregory +the Great in the sixth century. The Seven later appear impor- +tantly in the Summa Theologica of the thirteenth century, +where they are defined and described by St. Thomas Aquinas +as "appetites." The Sins are agents of serious moral offenses, +transgressions of the divine law that lead to eternal damna- +tion. They are one of the most virulent and chronic of the +possession species that roost within the Psyche. They are seen +as tendencies, temptations, passions — all interconnected +strands of the fabric of the human condition, the stuff of exag- +gerated cravings that cause mortal suffering. +L O R E +Why seven? It is a powerful number. There are seven +days of the week, seven seas, and seven heavens, and seven is +a popular number in ancient magical incantations. The most +extreme use of seven may occur in the following Talmudic +prescription for a fever: +Take 7 prickles from 7 palm trees, 7 chips from 7 +beams, 7 nails from 7 bridges, 7 ashes from 7 ovens, +7 scoops of earth from 7 door sockets, 7 pieces of +pitch from 7 ships, 7 handfuls of cumin, and 7 hairs +from the beard of an old dog, and then tie them to +the neck-hole of the shirt with a white, twisted +thread. +Seven of the Babylonian Evil Spirits railed against in +incantations are specifically identified in this fragment: +Of these seven, the first is the South Wind, +The second is a dragon with mouth agape that none +can withstand. +The third is a grim leopard that carries off the +young + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +252 +The fourth is a terrible serpent +The fifth is a furious beast, after which no restraint +The sixth is a rampant [missing] against god and +king +The seventh is an evil windstorm. +These seven evil spirits are "workers of woe," "bear +gloom from city to city," cause "darkness over the brightest +day," and "wreak destruction" and can be said to define the +traits of the Sins, who are also usually seen riding animals or +as animals that represent their specialties. In their medieval +heyday, the Sins were impersonated by actors in morality +plays, standing against the Seven Virtues that neatly opposed +them to remind audiences to be ever vigilant. +The Seven Deadly Sins were seen as agents of actions that +always led to worse and worse sins. From Avarice, for a famil- +iar example, springs fraud, treachery, deceit, violence, perjury, +and hardness of heart. Each Sin has its own escalating conse- +quences. They also have an ordered sequence that is generally +agreed upon. Five of the Sins are spiritual in nature, and two, +Lust and Gluttony, carnal. All of the Seven Deadly Sins are +notable in their selfishness. They each isolate person from per- +son and act within to inflame personal ambitions, needs, grat- +ifications, to the neglect of family, community, or spiritual +development. Medieval scholars placed seven fallen angels as +promoters of the seven specific temptations. The efforts of +these fallen angels was tireless because their goal was to hin- +der humankind from goodness and keep it from the presence +of the Divine as they themselves had been when they fell from +heaven. Because the Sins are each so vividly depicted, and rec- +ognizable, these hypostatized passions that reside in the +Psyche follow in separate glory: + +----- + +1. PRIDE — LUCIFER +Pride is considered the root of all evil. It is for Pride that +Lucifer (Satan, Iblis) fell from the celestial to the subter- +ranean realm. The selfish sin is to be "vainglorious" and think +oneself better than others. Arrogance blocks the Divine as well +as other persons from the heart. Pride is invariably seen as a +lion. Its opposing virtue is Humility. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +254 +2. AVARICE — MAMMON +"By Mammon is meant the devil who is the Lord of +Money," wrote Thomas Aquinas. Avarice is a worldly sin, cre- +ating misers, thieves, and even murderers. The wolf is the ani- +mal usually depicted in medieval bestiaries, coming up from +hell carrying Mammon to inflame the human heart with +Greed. +Like the "hungry ghosts" of the Buddhist hell, the +greedy always crave more no matter how much they have. +Wretched and envious, Avarice escalates to a state of infinite +dissatisfaction, and the sin's obsession with worldly goods pro- +motes neglect of spiritual wealth. The opposing virtue is +Sufficiency. + +----- + +3. LUST — ASMODEUS +Lust is carried up from hell by the goat, an animal long +considered lascivious, or the ass, who played the same role in +ancient Rome. This "sin of the flesh" is said to lead to +"uncleanliness" and away from its opposing virtue, Chastity. +(See Asmodeus in Domicile.) + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +256 +4. ENVY — LEVIATHAN +That the "twisting serpent" from the primordial deep, +Leviathan, is Envy incarnate seems appropriate. Dante saw +the spirit of evil as a huge serpent, who so entangled himself +with his victim that they became utterly intertwined and no +longer distinguishable, one from the other. +Envy is a "sin of the Devil," for "Thou shalt not covet" +is one of the Ten Commandments. The sin usually is repre- +sented by a dog, and often depicted as a heart being eaten away, +as in, "Eat your heart out." Overconcern with the possessions +of others is seen escalating to hinder sympathetic human rela- +tionships. When one is consumed by Envy, the opposing +virtue, Charity, is completely erased. + +----- + +2 5 7 +/ T H E +S E V E N +D E A D L Y +S I N S +5. GLUTTONY — BEELZEBUB +Beelzebub, seen as Gluttony, started out as a Canaanite +deity whose name in Hebrew (Baal Zebub) meant Lord of the +Flies and who later came to be equated with Satan. In the +Gospels, Beelzebub is called Prince of the Demons. As a sin, +he rules over all excessive eating and drinking. +The endless maw of the glutton is never satiated, and he +or she is never satisfied. The glutton lives to eat, a state that +soon escalates to forgetting gratitude. The pursuit goes on and +leads to a specific damnation: the glutton in hell will dine on +toads and be forced to drink putrid water. The opposing virtue +is Sobriety. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +258 +6. ANGER — SATAN +Anger is another sin of the Devil and one of immense +importance and fiery power. It is usually embodied by a sharp- +toothed animal such as a leopard with bared fangs, or a wild +boar, raging, attacking, ready to commit bloodshed. The con- +sequence of this inflaming indwelling passion is to feel +vengeance in one's heart. This sin escalates to rage, obliterat- +ing all but negativity within, and results in murder and war. +Often seen in icons, Anger is a creature stabbing himself in the +heart with a knife. The opposing virtue is Patience. + +----- + +7. SLOTH — BELPHEGOR +Belphegor is depicted as Sloth incarnate. This sin is con- +sidered one of the flesh. Usually it is represented by scenes of +falling asleep on the job, especially if the job is done by a +monk. When in a state of Sloth, negligence and apathy soon +set in. The donkey, a slow-moving, lazy creature, is Sloth's rep- +resentative animal. +Thomas Aquinas wrote that all sins that are due to igno- +rance are due to Sloth. One needs to be awake and alert to even +begin to set out on and maintain a spiritual practice, thus the +opposing virtue is Diligence. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +2 6 0 +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The seven penitential psalms were sometimes illustrated +by the Sins in medieval manuscripts to remind the reader +which psalm was effective against which sin, and the recita- +tion of these psalms was considered a way of obtaining for- +giveness. The opposing virtue to each sin is mentioned +separately as an antidote, and the practice of Patience, +Humility, and Diligence were intended to subdue Anger, +Pride, and Sloth. + +----- + +M R . H Y D E +(Robert Louis Stevenson) +Mr. Hyde, an unusual, subjectively observed doctor-possession +species created in a laboratory, occupies half then slowly takes +over all of Dr. Jekyll's mind and body. The case is written up +by Mr. Hyde's rather stuffy landlord, the respectable, intro- +spective, and somewhat cold Dr. Henry Jekyll, and serves to +illustrate some classic possession fieldmarks. +L O R E +The doctor observes in his case notes that for years he +"concealed" his pleasures and held his head high. It was his +"exacting nature" that "severed in me those provinces of good +and ill which divide and compound man's dual nature." Henry +came to wonder whether it was the curse of humankind that +the "polar twins should be continuously struggling. How then, +were they dissociated?" Jekyll then experimented in his labo- +ratory with a potion that transformed him to Hyde, his polar +twin, and allowed Hyde to operate autonomously so that he, +Jekyll, could observe him from the rational side of the great +divide in his psyche. +When he first tried the potion he felt "something inde- +scribably new .. . and incredibly sweet. I felt younger, lighter, +happier in body; within I was conscious of a heady reckless- +ness . . . at the first breath of this new life to be more wicked, +tenfold more wicked." He also became notably shorter in +stature. In the mirror he discovered an ugly countenance, +clearly evil, but somehow he was not repulsed by the image +but instead felt what he described ominously as "a leap of wel- +come." +As long as he could control the gleeful pleasure outings +with his demonic other self, the doctor maintained his clini- +cal coolness and reflected on his evil twin with a certain fris- +son delicieux couched in philosophical musing. He was always +able to return to his laboratory and body and take notes. But +soon things escalated and grew all out of hand. Hyde hit a +woman, ran over a child, and finally murdered a gentleman. + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +262 +The following morning Henry Jekyll awakened expect- +ing to find himself in his normal respectable day body, but +when he glanced at his hand, which was normally a doctor's +hand, "white and comely," the hand he saw "in the yellow +light of a mid-London morning, lying half shut on the bed- +clothes, was lean, corded, knuckly, of a dusky pallor and +thickly shaded with a swart growth of hair. It was the hand of +Edward Hyde." +Finding his physical and spiritual self devoured by the +evil demon within and no longer able to transform himself by +powders, he wrote his last notes and "died" wondering if this +apelike, smallish, hairy, bestial, demonic creature would hang +from the scaffold. He, Dr. Jekyll, would never know. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +No human can live with a divided nature, either by +repressing the demonic creative passionate side that Henry +Jekyll describes as his "certain impatient gaiety of disposi- +tion" or by allowing it to dissociate by potion or by mental +breakdown. Reconciliation to the whole of human nature, +poised between animal and angel, might have saved Dr. Jekyll +from his Shadow. (See Shadow in Psyche.) + +----- + +ID +(Freud) +The Id, a post-Enlightenment demon, is a powerful species of +seething want. The Id, coined by Sigmund Freud, is the core +portion of his tripartite model of the human psyche: id, ego, +and superego. In the ancient model of celestial, terrestrial, and +subterranean realms of the spirits, the demonic always resides +in the very depths of its habitat — under mountain, sea, and +domicile. Here, we find the Psyche abode of Id, in the unlit, +utter darkness of the unconscious. Above it, and in part born +from it, is the ego, the partially conscious realm, which we rec- +ognize as our own identity; above the ego, also in part uncon- +scious, is the super ego, with its severe moral whip, lashing at +the ego from on high with guilt. +L O R E +Freud's famous description of the +interdependent +arrangement goes like this: The ego is like a rider who is +attempting to rein in the greater strength of the powerful +horse (the Id) while using the strength of the horse itself (in +part) to do it. The rider cannot be separated from his horse, +yet is impelled to lead the horse to where it wants to go. So +must the ego "translate the will of the Id into action as if that +action were its own." +Above the horse and rider flies the attached superego, +often demanding an abrupt turn or halt. The ego, sandwiched +between, aware of the outside reality, and the only part of the +trio to actually respond to experience, has to satisfy both +unconscious forces. +The Id then is unseen, hidden, indwelling, shapeless, and +contains all passions and instinctual energy. It is that which is +there pulsating at birth and houses all innate needs and bod- +ily demands. It is from the Id that the ego takes its shape and +parts of its "horse power" or energy. But the Id doesn't know +what it wants. It simply wants. And it has two primary power +drives: libido and aggression. +The Id screams from the basement of mind up to the ego, + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +264 +which attempts to rein it in with rational thought, to hold it +steady and gratify its demands with one eye on the outside +world. The Id knows nothing of the Out There; no light has +formed an idea of a "neighbor" or a "parent" or anything +external to its incessant bodily demands. It bleats and yells and +surges through dreams and whispers to the consciousness of +ego via images and obsessive behavior and slips of the tongue +and constant internal demands. This is how it makes its pres- +ence known. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +When the demonic Id gets out of control, and the ego +cannot bear being in the middle of a raging sandwich, the +human will feel overwhelmed. When this happens, the +human must seek outside help. The professional leads him +slowly to uncover, and discover, all the forces that surge +through his unconscious mind by pulling them into the light +of consciousness, exposing them to rational discourse, and +naming them. By psychoanalytical methods of pulling the +"demons" from darkness to light, and calling them by name, +their power is reduced, contained, and possibly dispelled. + +----- + +S H A D O W +(Jung) +A personal Shadow rests in the depths of the unconscious of +every person, ready and waiting to spring. According to Carl +Jung's model, the Shadow expresses a person's darker dimen- +sion, the inner demon, the part of that personality one hides +from the eyes of the world (and even from oneself). The +Shadow includes all those aspects of a person's nature that he +believes unacceptable. The Shadow lies at the threshold of +the unexpressed self, at the border between the known and +the unknown. +The unconscious Shadow is repressed and hidden away +like an unopened trunk somewhere in a corner of a dark and +forgotten room. But unlike a closed trunk, it can open by itself. +If it does, it may take a form that will make its human host +feel that he's fallen prey to a possession species of invisible +demon. It leaps out in this form, and projects itself onto +another person: maybe a spouse or neighbor whom the host +sees as exhibiting the demonic qualities of his/her own +Shadow. +The stronger the control "Persona" — the mask worn +for society — exerts over the individual, the more his true self +hides repressed within his Shadow, and the less he wants to +encounter its existence. Most commonly the Shadow remains +out of sight of the ego, but not entirely buried. It will spring +forth in projections and also in dreams. +In dreams people run down endless hallways, look into +twisted mirrors, fight against oppressors (who are often only +divided selves or "polar twins" fighting a battle). Often the +Psyche will present to dreamers archetypal images of shadow- +vampires, devils, goblins, and hybrid animal-human crea- +tures. This is the Psyche's way of saying that each individual +Shadow partakes of an essence of what humankind has col- +lectively experienced as evil or demonic or destructive +throughout history. The dramatic characters in dreams who +appear as archetypal images like the Devil often points to the +magnitude of a problem as felt by the dreamer. It can feel so + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +266 +impossible, for example, to deal with certain issues that they +are imaged as demonic powers — far beyond human control. +In daily life, the Shadow manufactures projections onto +others. Traits such as vindictiveness, jealousy, rudeness, com- +petitiveness, that are seen in others are often mirror reflections +of negative feelings so repressed in oneself that they are hid- +den from sight. To catch a glimpse of this "power shadow" +would be too painful, it would "kill" the viewer, so he +represses it, and places his devil "out there," just as Dorian +Gray projected his shadow onto his famous, crumbling +portrait. +L O R E +Long ago, in ancient China, a man lost his ax. He +searched everywhere for it but could not find it. When visit- +ing his neighbor, he happened to glance at his neighbor's son, +and realized the child looked extremely suspicious. He +observed him very carefully, noting the expression on his +face, the way he slouched stealthily about, and it was clear +to him this guilty-looking boy had in fact stolen his ax. When +he went home, with this certainty, he happened to pick up a +stone in his garden and there discovered the missing ax, lying +precisely where he now remembered leaving it. He looked +again at his neighbor's son, and saw that the child had a won- +derfully innocent smile, a sweet face, and a childlike walk, +and he could not imagine how he had ever suspected the boy +of thievery. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +If the Shadow is admitted into the light of consciousness +and faced squarely by the individual, it can be utilized to effect +change. In the Jungian model, it is part of the function of +depth analysis that the patient listens for the Shadow. It is +when the deeply planted voice or voices are heard that trans- +formation begins. Uncovering the Shadow is like a gardener +upturning deeply rooted weeds — it is an essential part of +spiritual growth. When the Shadow +is recognized and + +----- + +2 6 7 +/ +S H A D O W +respected as a natural part of each Psyche and no longer +repressed or projected, the human being can be whole and +integrated. +Like all demons, the Shadow is always changing its guise, +so recognizing it is a lifelong process. + +----- + +Y A M A N T A K A +(Tibetan Buddhism) +Yamantaka is usually dark blue, has eight buffalo heads, +thirty-four arms, and sixteen legs. He holds a terrible weapon +in each of his thirty-four hands. He wears a necklace of sev- +ered human heads. He is a Terrifier. However, Yamantaka is +used by Tibetan Buddhist practitioners as a teacher and an aid +on the spiritual path to enlightenment. This tutelary, wrath- +ful deity, the "Terminator of Death," is actually a form of +Manjushri, the Boddhisattva of Wisdom, conqueror of the +Lord of Death, who appears as the ninth head — nearly hid- +den on first sighting. +Manjushri, the legendary boddhisattva, traveled to +Yama, the Lord of Death, and took on his form. Thus, he +became Yamantaka, the Terminator of Yama, Lord of Death, +in order to overcome Death itself. This complex figure repre- + +----- + +2 6 9 +/ +Y A M A N T A K A +sents a radically different approach to the demonic field and +must be understood for what he represents in Tibetan +Buddhism. +Tibetan Buddhist texts do not include the Seven Deadly +Sins, but they do identify the Five Poisons (or addictions): +Lust, Hate, Blindness, Pride, and Envy. And it is these "poi- +sons," they believe, that keep human beings in a state of suf- +fering. It is these transmuted poisons that now, as Five +Wisdoms, fill the skull cups worn as a crown by Yamantaka +(seen just under the head of Manjushri). His necklace of sev- +ered human heads represent quelled egos, and the three huge +red eyes that glare from his fierce buffalo head challenge the +practitioner to gaze upon him and what he represents with +clear vision. In one hand he holds the important vajra cleaver +that is used to cut through ignorance and ego attachment. +Each of his thirty-four weapons is poised to attack one's inner +demons and destroy all one's own passions, hatreds, and neg- +ative emotions (the Five Poisons). +Behind the complex, esoteric practice of Tibetan +Buddhism lies a history of shamanic lore, magic, and Tantric +art that holds demons in mountains, forests, and water, but in +fact the entire landscape lies in the realm of Psyche. It is here, +finally, that the "dragons" must be conquered. On an internal +battlefield, by visualizing deities of fierce mien and sharp +teeth and sword, one harnesses their powers to combat nega- +tive emotions and transcend them. Here we find Yamantaka, +who lends insight to a way of slaying internal dragons of lust, +anger, and greed, and emptying the "self" to permit the +entrance of Buddha-consciousness. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +When the Tibetan Buddhist adept attempts to defeat the +poisonous demoness of Envy, he does not do so by reciting the +opposing virtue, Charity. He enlists the fierce Yamantaka. He +imagines himself as a form of Yama the Lord of Death and, +completing a ritual learned over many years of arduous prac- +tice, calls forth the deity. He has emptied himself and is now +only a vessel — a container for the energy of Yamantaka — + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +270 +and as Yamantaka he subjugates the powers and conquers the +poison of Envy. Suddenly, he sees how deluded a passion Envy +really is by gazing from the point of view of death itself. Then, +when he is finally able to see Yama — death itself — as illu- +sory, he reaches the opening to Wisdom. +Tibetan Buddhist techniques are intended for use only +by those with esoteric knowledge and many dozens of years of +daily spiritual practice. They are as extremely dangerous as +they are powerful. The approach to this fascinating field is +briefly outlined in this Guide because in its model and +alchemy, it illuminates a radically different way of viewing +and utilizing the demonic population of the Psyche. + +----- + +Q U A N T U M +D A I M O N +(Guide) +The Quantum Daimon is an unidentified flying species +inspired by the subatomic universe that is neither angel nor +demon but simply potential — an energy flowing everywhere +that can become a positive force. Robert Burton in his +Anatomy of Melancholy of 1621 attributed to Melancholy, the +sickness of heart, "black anxiety" and sorrow, fearfulness and +suspicion, that state of the human psyche from which proceed +visions of demons: +The Devil he is a spirit and hath means and oppor- +tunity to mingle himself with our spirits, and some- +times more slyly, sometimes more abruptly and +openly, to suggest devilish thoughts into our hearts. +He insults and domineers in melancholy, distem- +pered phantasies especially. He is a prince of the air +and can transform himself into several shapes, +delude our senses for a time; but his power is deter- +mined, he may terrify us but not hurt. +Isaac Bashevis Singer, a twentieth-century writer, be- +lieved in the reality of demons and also believed that they +were a creation of God for mysterious reasons we could never +know. Singer thought, however, that before a demon could +enter and take possession of a human being, there had to first +be a giving up of will, a lack of hope. +L O R E +Once a maiden of dazzling beauty named Pandora was +created out of clay and water by the god Hephaestus on orders +of Zeus. All the gods gave her gifts, put flowers in her hair, +adorned her with jewels, and breathed life into her. Zeus then +gave her a large vase containing destructive powers along with +a warning never to open it, endowed her with curiosity, and +sent her to humankind as a punishment. Pandora arrived on +earth and once there was seized with curiosity; unable to resist + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +272 +opening the forbidden vase, she unsealed the lid. From the +container flew hordes of miseries — the dark spirits of greed, +despair, envy, wrath —blotting out all light with a multitude +of wings. Pandora slammed the container shut while it still +held a creature called Hope. +D I S A R M I N G & D I S P E L L I N G +T E C H N I Q U E S +The Guide attempts a fin-de-siècle Pandora experiment +to recapture the daimon, that quantum energy imbuing all +nature, bringing with it inspiration, uncanny moments of sud- +den awareness, and acting as intermediary of the Divine and +the terrestrial realm. In the experiment we translate the +ancient animistic worldview into the point of view of modern +physics. Let's call it the Quantum Daimon. Imagine it as trans- +parent. The box it rests in is invisible. +Like the brilliant physicist Erwin Schrödinger's Cat +(used in his virtual cat-in-the-box experiment to demonstrate +the nature of the subatomic world), the Quantum Daimon is +neither alive or dead, it is neither particle or wave, it is neither +fortune or misfortune, neither good nor evil. It is not one thing +or another — until we open the box. +It is how the observer opens the box and with what mind- +set that not only informs but determines the nature of the +spirit about to fly. The millennial Psyche species and the +viewer participant together may send positive (or negative) +energies out into the universe. The Guide hopes that if any +reader sights the Quantum Daimon, it will be for him or for +her a new and shining spirit. + +----- + +A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S +Sunne lai sunko mala +Bhanne lai fulko mala; +Yo katha baikuntha jala +Bhanne belama turunta aula. +For him who listens +a garland of gold, +A wreath of flowers +for her who tells; +This tale now to heavens will go +But at once fly back +when it's time to tell again. +In the spirit of this Nepalese verse, which is invoked +before telling a tale, our first thanks go to the storytellers and +to all the wonderful scholars of myth, folklore, and spiritual +traditions whose names and treasury of works are listed as an +invitation for further study by the reader. We are indebted to +you and thank you for all we've learned from you. We wish +next to thank the following friends and scholars who provided +invaluable contributions to the making of this book. Thanks +first to Glenn Young, whose belief in this project led to this +publication; to our editor Sean McDonald for blazing a clear +path through the jungle with his rigorous mind and brilliant +"pencillings," and to Richard Seaver, for his help and edito- +rial input; to Carol Hill and Jim Carse for their careful read- +ings, excellent advice, and inexhaustible support. With +gratitude for their original artwork we thank Cathy Hull and +Toby Welles, and for help with photography, David Gillison. +Many thanks to our learned friends: to Dr. N. R. Srinivasan for +extraordinary generosity in sending us original renderings of +Hindu stories; to Tej R. Kansakar for sending us myths and + +----- + +A +F I E L D +G U I D E +T O +D E M O N S +/ +274 +advice from Kathmandu and to Kesar Lall, who translated the +Nepalese verse and other material; and to John Wolseley, who +sent us tales from Australia. Many thanks for leads, loans, +and patient answers to questions to Bob Carneiro, Roger +Abrahams, Gita Rajan, Gene Murphy, Harvey Goldberg, Celia +Candlin, and James Griffith. Our thanks also to Priscilla +Rodgers for reading and advice on Jungian material, and to +Jerry Wiener for reading and advice on Freudian concepts. +Thanks to Joshua Mack for lending his technical assistance to +us Luddites, and to Ana DeBoo for the great fairy hunt; par- +ticular thanks to The New York Society Library and to +A.R.A.S. at the C. G. Jung Center for their generosity; to our +community of friends; and to Peter Mack and our family for +all their help and loving support. + +----- + +B I B L I O G R A P H Y +Abrahams, Roger D. African Folktales. New York: Pantheon Books, 1983. +Algarin, Joanne P. Japanese Folk Literature: +A Core Collection +and +Reference +Guide. New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1982. +Ananikian, Mardiros. Mythology of All Races, Vol. 1. New York: Cooper Square +Publishers, 1964. +Andersen, Johannes C. Myths and Legends of the Polynesians. London: George G. +Harrap, 1928. +Bamberger, Bernard J. Fallen Angels. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Soci- +ety, 1952. +Barrett, Charles. The Bunyip +and Other Mythical +Monsters and Legends. +Mel- +bourne, Australia: Reed Harris, 1946. +Bernbaum, Edwin. The Way to Shambhala. New York: Doubleday, 1980. +. Sacred Mountains of the World. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1992. +Berndt, Ronald M., and Catherine H. Berman. The Speaking Land: Myth and +Story in Aboriginal Australia. Victoria, Australia: Penguin Books, 1988. +Bierhorst, John. The Mythology of North America. New York: Quill/ William +Morrow, 1985. +. The Mythology of South America. New York: Quill/ William Morrow, +1988. +Birrell, Anne. Chinese Mythology. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, +1993. +Boas, Franz. Kwakiutl Culture as Reflected in Mythology. New York: American +Folklore Society, 1935. +Briggs, K. M. The Fairies in Tradition and Literature. London: Routledge and +Kegan Paul, 1967. +. Abbey Lubbers, Banshees and Bogarts. Hammondsworth: Kestral Books, +1979. +. The Personnel of Fairyland. Oxford: The Alden Press, 1969. +. The Vanishing People: Fairy Lore and Legends. N e w York: Pantheon +Books, 1978. +. A Dictionary +of British Folktales in the English Language. +Bloomington: +Indiana University Press, 1970. +Bringsvaerd, Tor Age. Phantoms +and Fairies from Norwegian +Folklore, trans. Pat +Shaw Iversen. Oslo: Johan Grundt Tanum Forlag, 1970. +Budge, Sir E. A. Wallis. Gods of the Egyptians. 2 vols. New York: Dover Publica- +tions, 1969. +Burton, Robert. The Anatomy of Melancholy. London: J. M. Dent; New York: +E. P. Dutton, 1932. +Callaway, Rev. Canon. Nursery +Tales, Traditions +and Histories of the Zulus, in +Their Own Words. Westport, Conn.: Negro University Press, 1970. + +----- + +B I B L I O G R A P H Y +/ +2 7 6 +Campbell, Joseph. The Masks of God: Oriental Mythology. 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Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization. +Princeton, +N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1946. + +----- + +I L L U S T R A T I O N C R E D I T S +"Basic Demon," after "Satan," from The History of the Devil and the Idea of +Evil, by Dr. Paul Carus, Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. +Courtesy of The New York Society Library. +"Common Fairy," after "Ariel," adapted by Cathy Hull from Henry Tames +Townsend's painting circa 1845, New York Public Library Picture Collection. +"Asura," original image by Toby Welles from Indian miniature painting "Gods +and Demons Churning the Milk Ocean," anonymous, circa eighteenth cen- +tury, Victoria and Albert Museum, London. +"Tiamat," Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological +Creatures, by Richard Huber, +Dover Publications, New York, 1981. +"Mermaid," courtesy of The Warburg Institute, London. +"Merman," after the river god Achelous, Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological +Creatures, by Richard Huber, Dover Publications, New York, 1981. +"Rusalka," ("Mermaid" after woodcut 1550), Treasury of Fantastic and Mytho- +logical Creatures, by Richard Huber, Dover Publications, New York, 1981. +"Kelpie" ("Seahorse" after a Roman amphora, fourth century B.C.E.), Treasury of +Fantastic and Mythological Creatures, by Richard Huber, Dover Publications, +New York, 1981. +"Nixie," after "Meiusina," Puce Church, Gironde, from Curious Myths of the +Middle Ages, by S. Baring-Gould, M.A., Rivingtons, Oxford, England, 1876. +Courtesy of New York University Library. +"Merrow," Music: A Pictorial Archive of PPbodcuts and Drawings, +selected by Jim +Harter, Dover Publications, New York, 1980. +"Humwawa," after sculpture of "Mask of Humbaba," circa seventh century B.C.E., +British Museum, London. Courtesy of A.R.A.S., C. G. Jung Center, New York. +"Tengu," Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological +Creatures, by Richard Huber, +Dover Publications, New York, 1981. +"Mahisha-Asura," Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological +Creatures, by Richard +Huber, Dover Publications, New York, 1981. +"Akvan," Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological +Creatures, by Richard Huber, +Dover Publications, New York, 1981. +"Pan," courtesy of The Warburg Institute, London. +"Rakshasa (female)," original image by Toby Welles from Indian miniature +painting, private collection. +"Ravana," The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration, by J. G. Heck, reprint of +original publication by R. Garrigue, New York, 1851. Courtesy Cathy Hull. +"Oni," original image by Toby Welles after "an Old Japanese Painting," +Demonology and Devil-Lore, volume 11, by Moncure Daniel Conway, Henry +Holt & Company, New York, 1879. Courtesy of The New York Society Library. +"Kitsune," New York Public Library Picture Collection. + +----- + +I L L U S T R A T I O N +C R E D I T S / +2 8 2 +"Set," after Brugsch, from The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil, by Dr. +Paul Carus, Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. Courtesy of The +New York Society Library +"Djinn," from Turkish manuscript included in Iconography, Didron, volume 2, +from The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil, by Dr. Paul Carus, Open +Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. Courtesy of The New York Society +Library. +"St. Anthony Assaulted by Devils," after Schoengauer's engraving 1420—1499, +The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil, by Dr. Paul Carus, Open Court +Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. Courtesy of The New York Society +Library. +"Ahriman " (after Didron, Iconography), +The History of the Devil and the Idea of +Evil, by Dr. Paul Carus, Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. +Courtesy of The New York Society Library. +"Namarrgon," Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological +Creatures, +by Richard +Huber, Dover Publications, New York, 1981. +"Satan," after "Devil," The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil, by Dr. Paul +Carus, Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. Courtesy of The New +York Society Library. +"Croucher," after "Evil Demons" (from Chaldean stele in British Museum after +Lenormant), The History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil, by Dr. Paul Carus, +Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. Courtesy of The New York +Society Library. +"Asmodeus," Picture +Book of Devils +Demons +and +Witchcraft, +by Ernst and +Johanna Lehrner, Dover Publications, New York, 1971. +"Lilith Tempting Eve" (from medieval missal), illustration from Moncure +Daniel Conway, Demonology and Devil-Lore, volume 11, Henry Holt & Com- +pany, New York, 1879. Courtesy of The New York Society Library. +"Pazuzu," from "Demon of the Southwest Wind" (after Lenormant, statue in +Louvre), The History +of the Devil and the Idea of Evil, by Dr. Paul Carus, +Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. Courtesy of The New York +Society Library. +"Fox Fairy," Fox spirit original image Toby Welles after "Japanese Demon," +Moncure Daniel Conway, Demonology and Devil-Lore, volume 11, Henry +Holt & Company, New York, 1879. Courtesy of The New York Society Library. +"Fair Ladies," The Book of Knowledge, volume 14, The Grolier Society, New +York, 1911. +"Werewolf eating his family," courtesy of The Warburg Institute, London. +"Kitsune-Tsuki," original image by Cathy Hull based on image from A.R.A.S., +The C. G. Jung Center, New York. +"Pride," Picture Book of Devils Demons and Witchcraft, +by Ernst and Johanna +Lehrner, Dover Publications, New York, 1971. +"Avarice," Picture Book of Devils Demons and Witchcraft, by Ernst and Johanna +Lehrner, Dover Publications, New York, 1971. +"Lust," represented by "Asmodeus," Picture Book of Devils Demons and Witch- +craft, by Ernst and Johanna Lehrner, Dover Publications, New York, 1971. +"Envy," represented by "Leviathan," Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological +Creatures, by Richard Huber, Dover Publications, New York, 1981. + +----- + +2 8 3 +/ I L L U S T R A T I O N +C R E D I T S +"Gluttony," represented by "Beelzebub," Picture +Book of Devils Demons +and +Witchcraft, by Ernst and Johanna Lehrner, Dover Publications, New York, +1971. +"Anger," represented by "Satan," The History of the Devil and the Idea of +Evil, +by Dr. Paul Carus, Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900. Courtesy +of The New York Society Library. +"Sloth," represented by "Belphegor," Picture Book of Devils Demons and Witch- +craft, by Ernst and Johanna Lehrner, Dover Publications, New York, 1971. +"Yamantaka," original image by Cathy Hull after statue of Yamantaka Vajarab- +hairava Ekavira. + +----- + + + +----- + +I N D E X +Abatwa, xxiv, 63 +aberrant events, xii, xvi +Aboriginal spirits, 169 +Aborigine, 24, 39, 155, 157-58, 164, +170 +Adam, 61, 146,174, 199-200,211 +Aeshma, 187 +Africa, 202 +Age of Enlightenment, 228 +Agrat bat Mahalat, 200 +Ahriman, 166—68 +Ahura-Mazda, 166, 167 +Akvan ("Evil Mind"), 83-84 +Al, 211-12 +Algonkian, 98 +Allah, 146, 151, 166 +alp (elf), 52 +Alphabet of Ben Sira, The, 199 +alu, 184 +amphibians, 17, 19, 24, 29, 32, 35, 37, +43 +amulets, 115, 179, 184, 200, 201, 208, +240 +Anatomy of Melancholy, +The (Burton), +235-36, 271 +ancestral spirits, 135,157,179, 185-86 +ancient deities, xix, xxiii, 3,135 +Ancient Palestine-Jordan +Gerasene Demon, 233—34 +Ancient Persia +Akvan, 83-84 +ancient spirits, xxxiv, 95,111, 144, 147, +179 +Andersen, Hans Christian, 14 +angel(s), xxxii-xxxiii, 174,200,201 +see also fallen angels +Anger, 258, 260, 269 +Angola +Kishi, 70-71 +Angra Mainyu, 167 +animals, sacred, 142 +animistic worldview, xiii, 272 +Anski, S., 242 +Anthony of the Desert, St., 136,159-61 +apotropaic images, 180,185, 204 +Apsu, 7—8 +Aquinas, St. Thomas, 251, 254,259 +Arabian desert, 204 +Devalpa, 155—56 +Djinn, 147-50 +Ghoul, 154 +Iblis, 146 +Palis, 163 +Shaitan, 151—53 +Arcadia, 95, 96 +Archangel Michael, 42, 195 +archdemon(s), 144, 145, 173 +archetypal images, 265 +Armenia +Al, 211-12 +arts, 48,151,157, 158 +asceticism, 108,160, 200, 246 +Asmodeus +{Ashmedai), +187-89, 200, +255 +see also Satan +asuras, xxxiv-xxxv, 73, 74, 106, 131, +196 +Australia +Bunyip, 39—41 +Mimi, 157-58 +Namarrgon, 169-70 +Wahwee, 24-25 +Avarice, 252, 254 +Az, 167 +Azarias, 188 +Azazel, 144—45,174 +baal shem, 185 +babies, 62, 171, 172, 198, 199,203,211 +stealing, 112,149,202 + +----- + +I N D E X +/ +2 8 6 +Baboquivari Mountain, 171, 172 +Babylonia, 3, 187 +Croucher, 183-86 +Pazuzu, 204—6 +Babylonian Epic of Creation, 7—9 +Babylonian Evil Spirits, 184—85, +251-52 +Balaam, 173 +Bali +Leyak, 240 +Bannik, 195 +baptism, 203 +baregara, +184 +Basic Demon, xxi—xxii +bedroom, xxviii, 179, 187, 189 +Beelzebub, 234, 257 +bells, XX, 114-15,217, 222 +Belphegor, 259 +Ben Temalion, 242—43 +Bible, 125, 198, 203, 222 +Bismillah, +149 +Blindness (poison), 269 +body-double animals, 142 +Book of Enoch, 144 +Book of Job, 145, 173-74 +Book of Numbers, 173 +Book of the Dead, The, 143 +Book of Tobit, 188 +Bori, 102—3 +Brahma, 74, 109, 110, 119, 196 +Brazil +Kuru-Pira, +100-1 +Buddha, 246, 247 +Buddhism, xxxvi, 81 +Mara, 246-48 +Buddhist monks, 59 +Bungadyo, 85,87 +Bunyip, +39-41 +Burton, Robert, 235-36, 271 +Cain, 174-75, 184 +Canada +mndigo, 98-99 +candles, 16,217 +cannibal spirit, 98 +cannibals, 92 +carving, art of, 48 +Catholic Church, 229 +cave painting, 157 +Cedar Mountain forest, 55, 56, 57 +celestial world, gatekeeper of, 120, +196 +Changelings, 33,202—3 +Changing +Bear Maiden, +190—93 +Charity, 256,269 +charms, 150, 201,203, 215, 229 +Chastity, 255 +Cherokee, 77 +child-killers, 199 +children, 33, 59, 91,165, 179, 207 +Albino, 66 +killed and eaten, 171,172 +luring away, 77 +stolen, 29, 112 +unborn, 211 +China, xxxvi, 58-59, 128, 184, 186, +206,229, 237, 266 +Fox Fairy, 213-15, 245 +Kitchen Fairies, 218-19 +Madame +White, 26-28 +Mountain +Fairies, 81—82 +mountains worshiped in, 51 +White Monkey, 88 +Christian West (the) +Seven Deadly Sins, 251-60 +Christianity, xxxi, 96,144,188,241 +Church (the), 52 +church bells, xx, 222 +clairvoyance, 140 +Coblynau, 69 +cock's feet, 187-88, 189 +collective unconscious, xix, 227 +"Coming of the Law," 246 +compassion, xv, xxxvi, xxxvii, 87 +Compendium +Maleficarum +(Guazzo), +230 +Confucianism, xxxvi, 81 +conjuration(s), 113,204—5 +conjurors, 77, 78, 102, 234 +corpse eaters, 107 +Cosmic Mountain, 81 +cowherds, 91,111-12 +Coyote, 190-91 +creation stories/myths, xxxvi, 8 +Cree, 98 +crossing oneself, 186, 222 + +----- + +2 8 7 +/ +I N D E X +Croucher, 183-86 +Cuiva, 121 +cures +for possession, 229 +daevas, 166 +daimon(s), 147, 151,272 +types of, xxi—xxxii +dances/dancing, 33, 45, 70, 103, 128, +140, 157, 172 +danger, xvi, 51, 80, 91 +Dante, 256 +darkness, forces of, 141, 167 +Day of Atonement, 144 +dead (the), 59, 184,241 +Death, 73, 149, 167, 246,248,268, 270 +god of, 114 +Death, agent of, 246 +death and burial of demons, 44 +death portents, 69, 77, 195,209 +demiurge, xxxii +demon functions/roles, xii, xiv, xxxi— +xxxii +demonic field, different approach to, +269 +Demonic species +Tiamat gave birth to, 7 +demonic spirits +encounters with, xxii +in mountains, 51 +potential for good inherent in, 131 +demonic visions, psyche in, 271 +demons, xi—xvii, xix, xxiv, 167 +attributes lacking in, xv +diminishing by containing, 153 +encounters with, xxvii +exit for, 186, 243 +ho,w to identify, xxi—xxii +king of, 187 +origin of, xxxi—xxxvii +in Psyche, 269, 270 +reality of, 271 +Desana, 100 +Desert, xii, xix, xxviii, 133—75 +desert spirits, 135—36, 137 +Desire, xiv, xv, 247 +Deuteronomy, xxxiv +Devalpa, 155—56 +Devi (Great Goddess, aka Durga; +Nanda Devi), 74-75 +Devil (the), xxiv, 42, 52, 96, 97, 160, +187, 258,271 +see also Satan +devils, xxiv, xxix +Diligence, 259,260 +Dionysus, 95 +disasters, 116, 142 +disease, xvi, 116, 167,205,211 +disease demons/spirits, xxviii, xxxi, +179, 180 +div, 83 +Div Spid (White Demon), 84 +Divine (the), 51 +Djinn, +xv, xvi, 135, 146, 147-50, 151, +234 +Dodo, xv—xvi, 123—24 +dogs, 165 +Domicile, xix, xxviii, 177—224 +Domicile species, 179-80, 181 +Domovoi, 194—95 +door(s), 184-85,186, 206, 210 +dreams, 265—66 +drought, 37, 39 +drownings, 42, 47-48 +dualism, xxxi +Duergar, 79-80 +duhkha (suffering), 246 +Dybbuk, xxviii, 241—43 +Dybbuk, +The (Anski), 242 +Echo, 96 +ego, 246, 248, 263,264, 265,269 +ekimmu, +184 +elder sibling/spirit, demon as, xxxiv +Eliade, Mircea, xiii +Eloko, 114-15 +emotions, negative, 269 +Empusae, 199 +enchantment, xxii, 20, 114—15 +energy, 271, 272 +England, 68, 202 +Enkidu, 56 +Enlil (storm god), 55, 56 +entrance demons, 179,183-86, 196-97 +Envy, 256,272 +Envy (poison), 269,270 + +----- + +i n d e x +/ +2 8 8 +Eve, 174, 175, 199,200,211 +Evil, xxix, 167,168, 184, 246 +pride root of, 255 +Satan personification of, 174 +evil spirits, 251-52 +excess, spirits of, 95—96 +excessive nature/behavior, 116, 118, +156,257 +exorcism/exorcists, xxviii, 28, 179, +185,205-6, 227,229, 241, 243 +risks of, 229-30, 234 +Exorcist, The (film), 205 +Fair Lady, 220-22 +fairies, xi—xii, xiv, xix, xxvii—xxviii, +105 +Changeling, +202 +in Domicile, 180 +forest, 91 +guarding babies against, 203 +household, 223 +Huldrefolk, +61, 62 +identifying, xxiii—xxv +malevolent, 52, 220 +Mountain +Fairies, 81—82 +Nisse, 223 +in nursery, 179 +Patupairehe, +66 +solitary, 79-80 +JVood-JVives, 104 +Yunwi Djunsti, 77—78 +fairy features, 26 +fairy food, 82 +fairy ring(s), 128 +fairy tales, 91 +Fairyland, xxiii, xxiv, 202 +fallen angels, xiv, xxiv, 42, 145, 146, +173,188, 195 +in Domicile, 180 +and temptations, 252 +fatal flaw, 48, 74, 84 +Fate, xxxi +Faunus, 96 +fecundity, 92,96 +feet (demons), xxii, 100 +femmes fatales, 10, 32, 198 +fetishes, 115 +Firduasi, 83 +fire, 107,113, 165,203 +firecrackers, xx, 88 +first beings, 135 +fishermen, 42, 46, 62, 67 +Five Poisons, 269 +Five Sacred Mountains of China, 51, +81 +Five Wisdoms, 269 +flesh-eaters, 92,123,218 +Fomorians, 46 +foot-licker species, 163 +Forest, xv, xix, xxviii, 89—131,269 +Forest demons, 91-92,93 +Fox Fairy (huli jing), 213-15, 245 +Fox Possession, 244—45 +Fox Spirit, 244, 245 +Fox transformation, 227 +foxes, 129, 130 +France, 203, 238, 239 +fresh water, 37-38,152 +Freud, Sigmund, 263—64 +Fuath (Foo-a) family, 37, 38 +gallu, 184 +Garuda, 59 +genius loci, xi—xii, xxiii, 91, 194 +Desert, 148 +Domicile, 179 +forest, 111 +Gerasene Demon, 233—34 +Germany, 69, 179,203, 216, 237 +Wood-Wives and Skoggra, 104—5 +Ghana +Dodo, 123-24 +Ghoul ("destroyer"), 154 +Gilgamesh, 56—57 +Gilgamesh Epic, The, 55 +gilgul, 241 +global +Mermaid, +10-14 +Merman, +15—16 +Gluttony, 252, 257 +God, 139, 166, 167,174,184, 199,211 +demons created by, 271 +gods, xxxii, 52, 74, 114, 131, 141, 142, +. 184 + +----- + +2 8 9 +/ I N D E X +Good (the), 167, 249 +Goodness, xvi—xvii +god of, 166 +Gospels, 234,257 +Great Britain +Changelings, 202—3 +Duergar, 79-80 +Great Sandy Desert, Australia, 164—65 +Greece, xxxi, xxxii, 10, 257 +Pan, 95-97 +greed, xiii, 254, 269,272 +Gregory the Great, St., 241, 251 +guardian angel, 151 +guardian demons/species, 22, 23, 55, +100, 111 +in Forest, 91 +guardian spirits, xii, xxxi, 95, 100, 194, +195 +Guazzo, Francesco Maria, 230 +gui, xxix, xxxvi +Gwyllion, +72 +ha Satan (the adversary), 249 +Hagigah, xxxiii +Hanumat, 109-10 +harp, 46 +Hate (poison), 269 +Hausa, 102, 103, 123 +Havel, Vaclav, xii +healing powers/skills, 18, 140, 158, +188,214,227 +Hecate, 199 +heliophobia, xxii, 67 +helper demons/fairies, 66—67, 102, +104,180,209,210 +Hephaestus, 271 +Hera, 199 +heTbs, 105, 189 +Hermes, 95 +hero (human), xv, xvi +hero cult, daimons of, xxxi +Hesiod, xxxi +Hinduism, xxxv, 73, 76, 131, 246 +Hiranyaksha, 196 +Hiranyakashipu, 196—97 +holidays, 28 +Holy Spirit, 234 +Homer, xxxi +Ho'ok, 171-72 +Hope, 271,272 +Horace, xxxi +Horus, 141,143 +household fairies, 223 +Hudson Bay Company, 99 +Huldrefolk, +61-62 +Huli jing, +128,213,214 +human community +demons mingling with, 32, 35,149 +human lovers/mates, 33, 35, 46, 66 +human nature, 249,262 +human beings +divided nature, 261, 262 +human form, 29-30, 75, 102, 106, 121, +128, 147, 151, 154, 164, 194, 209, +210,216, 244 +Humility, xiii, 253, 260 +Hungary, 202 +Fair Lady, +220-22 +Liderc, 209-10 +hunters, 61, 91,100, 104, 111 +with magic powers, 115 +hunters (demon), 63 +hunting and fishing, 62, 157 +Huwawa, 55—57 +Iblis, 145, 146, 151, 154,253 +Id, xxviii, 228,263-64 +frits, +154 +I'itoi, 171,172 +illusions, 151 +illusory beings/things, 147, 247, 248 +illusory cloning, 73, 74, 75, 76 +images, demonic, 206 +apotropaic, 180,185, 204 +Imagination, xxxvii +immortality, 74, 109 +Immortals, 82 +impulsivity, 11 +Inari (god), 130 +incantations, 28,103, 184, 229, 251-52 +incense, 28,150, 189,229 +incubi, xxviii, 179, 209 +India, xxxiv—xxxv, 3,229 +Hiranyakashipu, 196—97 +Kabhanda, +131 +Kumbhakarna, 119-20 + +----- + +I N D E X / 2 9 0 +India (cont'd) +Mashisha-Asura, 73—76 +Rakshasas, 106—7 +Ravana, 108-10 +Indra (god), 74, 131 +indwelling animal, 227—28 +indwelling demons/spirits, 227, 228, +243 +naming, 229, 230 +inner demon(s), 265, 269 +insanity, 149, 150 +inspiration, 151, 272 +intelligence +intuitive, 140 +lack of, 83, 84, 118, 163 +intermediary species, xxxi—xxxii, 51, +147,272 +Iranian Desert +Ahriman, 166—68 +Ireland, 203 +Merrow, 45—46 +Irish Melodies (Moore), 46 +iron, 103,105, 150,211-12,217 +Ishtar, 56 +Isis, 142-43 +Isitwalangcengce (Basket Bearer), +207-8 +Islam, 145, 146 +Janus, 184 +Japan, 3, 203 +Kappa, 17-18 +Kitsune, 128-30 +Kitsune- Tsuki, 244—45 +Oni, 116-18 +Tengu, 58—60 +Yuki-Onna, 64—65 +Jesus, 136, 173, 174, 175, 233-34 +Job, 173-74 +Josephus, 229 +Judaism, xxxiii—xxxiv, 3, 144, 186 +Asmodeus, 187-89 +Dybbuk, 241-43 +Lilith, 198-201 +Shedim, 125-27 +Yezer Ha-Ra, 249-50 +Judean Wilderness +Azazel, 144—45 +Jung, Carl, 265-67 +Kabhanda, +131 +Kamrup, 85—86 +Kappa, xv, 17—18 +Karkotak, 85-86 +Karunamaya, 85,87 +Kathmandu, 87 +Kayeri, 121-22 +Kelpie (Each-uisg), 29-31, 32, 39 +King of the Shaitans (Satans), 146 +Kingu, 8 +Kishi, 70-71 +Kitchen, xxviii, 180, 194 +Kitchen Fairies, 218-19 +Kitsune, 128-30 +Kitsune-bi (fox fire), 129 +Kitsune-no-yomeiri (fox's wedding), +129 +Kitsune-okuri (festival), 129 +Kitsune-Tsuki (Fox Possession), xxviii, +129,244-45 +Knockers, 68—69 +Kobolds, 69 +Kumbhakarna, 119—20 +Kuru-Pira +(boraro), 100—1 +Lamia, 199 +Lanka, 106, 109, 110, 119,131 +laughter, human, xx, 162, 186, 222 +Leshii, xvi, 111-13 +Leviathan, 256 +Leviticus, xxxiv, 144 +Leyak, 240 +libido, 263 +Liderc, 209-10 +Lidercfeny, +209 +lightning, 51, 169 +Lil, 198 +lilin, 125, 199 +Lilith, xvi, 61, 187, 198-201 +lilitu, 198 +"Little Mermaid, The" (Andersen), +14 + +----- + +2 9 1 / +I N D E X +Lokanatha, 85, 86-87 +Lotus Sutra, 247 +Loup Garou, 239 +lore +demonic, xiii—xiv, xv, xvi, xxxvi +fairy, xxiv +love, xxxvi, xxxvii, 25 +lack of capacity for, xv +lovers +demonic, 209-10, 213 +fairy, 81 +Lucifer, 253 +Lust, xv, 187, 188,252, 255, 269 +demon of, 200 +resisting, 249—50 +Lust (poison), 269 +Lycanthropia, 236 +Madame +White, 26-28, 153 +madness, 214, 245 +magic circle(s), 20—21, 113 +magician, 227 +Mahisha-Asura, xxxv, 73—76 +malevolence, 77, 88, 102, 214, 220, 240, +245 +Mammon, 254 +Mamu (Gugur), +164-65 +man-eaters, 98, 164, 171 +see also flesh-eaters +Man-Lion, 197 +Manjushri, the Boddhisattva of Wis- +dom, 268, 269 +Maori, 48, 66, 67 +Mara, 228, 246-48 +Marduk (solar god), 8-9 +Mare, 216-17 +Mare attack(s), 179 +Mark, 233, 234 +Marid, +146, 154 +Markandeya +Purana, 73 +marriage, 37, 44, 62, 64-65, 179 +MaysehBook, +The {The Book of Tales), +241-42 +mazzikm, xxxiii, 125 +Mbulu, 43-44 +Melancholy, 271 +mental illness, 228, 230 +Mermaid, 10-14, 16, 32 +Merman, +12, 15-16 +Merrow (Moruadh; Moruach), +45—46 +Mesopotamia +Huwawa, 55—57 +Tiamat, 7—9 +metal, 16, 72,105,150, 203, 217 +see also iron; steel +mezuzah, 186 +mikvah, 242 +Milton, John, xxxiii +Mimi, 157-58, 170 +Mind, 227 +mining, 51, 68-69 +mirrors, 201,206 +mischief, 68, 77, 111, 128-29, 215 +Mr. Hyde, 261-62 +Mitmitke, +209, 210 +motivation, xvi, 128 +Mount Ararat, 51 +Mount Fuji, 51 +Mount Heng, 81 +Mount Hua, 81 +Mount Kail as, 51 +Mount Kunlun, 81 +Mount Meru, 51 +Mount Olympus, 51 +Mount Sinai, 51 +Mount Song, 81 +Mount Tai, 81 +Mountain, xii, xxvii—xxviii, xix, +49-88, 269 +Mountain demons, 51—52, 53 +Mountain +Fairies, 81-82 +mountain priests (Yamabushi), 59 +Munuane, 22-23 +murder by poison arrow, 63 +music, 45, 46, 66, 70,114, 148 +of Pan, 96,97 +Naamah, 187 +Nadubi, 158 +Naga Karkotak, 153 +Namarrgon +(or Mamaragan, +Light- +ning Man), 169-70 +naming, 27, 34,102,103, 228, 229,234, +237-38, 243, 264 + +----- + +I N D E X +/ +2 9 2 +Natal, 35 +Native American lore, 135 +nature, xxvii, 41, 57 +Navajo, 190-93 +Negev +Satan, 173-75 +Nepal, 206 +Yaksas, 85-87 +Nereids, 11 +New Testament, 145 +New Zealand +Patupairehe, 66—67 +Ponaturi, 47-48 +Newars, 85 +nightmare, +2 1 6 +Nisse, 223-24 +fc, +32-34 +Nkundo, 11 + +noise, 150, 162, 186 +33, 34 +North America +Loup Garou, 239 +Tommy-Knockers, 68-69 +Yunwi Djunsti, 77-78 +North America (Navajo) +Changing Bear Maiden, +190-93 +Norway +Huldrefolk, +61-62 +Mare, 216—17 +Nisse, 223-24 +Nuckelavee, 37—38 +nursery, xxviii, 179,201, 203,211 +Odysseus, 11 +Odyssey (Homer), xxxi +offending demons, 102 +offerings, 16, 18, 20, 42, 60, 95, 101, +113, 143,195,214,245 +ogres, 92,101 +Ohrmazd, 167 +Ojibwa, 98 +"On the Morning of Christ's Nativity" +(Milton), xxxiii +Oni, xv, 116-18, 127 +Oni-yarahi (ceremony), 116,118 +Osiris, 141,142-43 +Other(s), 128,227 +Other World, xvi, xxvii, 51, 128 +Ovinnik, 195 +Palis, 163 +Pan, 95-97 +Pandora, 271-72 +Paracelsus, 51 +parallel universe(s), 139 +passions, xiv-xv, 251,252,263, 269 +Patience, 258, 260 +Patupairehe, 66—67 +Pazuzu, 204—6 +Persia, 166 +"Persona," 265 +personal demons, 228 +pestilence, 204,206 +Peter, St., 211 +Pisacas, 207 +Pitys (nymph), 96, 97 +placating, 16, 102, 103 +Plato, xxxi +Pliny, 91 +Plutarch, 96 +Ponaturi, xvi, 47—48 +portents, xii, xvi, 221 +of death, 69, 77,195,209 +Portugal, 11 +possession, xxxvi, 98-99,101, 128,151, +174,206, 214,227, 228,233,241 +animal, 235-38,244-45 +fox, 129 +lack of hope in, 271 +by spirit of dead person, 241—42 +things to know about, 228-30 +possession species, 229, 242-43, 251, +261-62,265 +potential, 271 +practical jokes, 59 +pranks, 129,202, 223 +prayer(s), 107, 149,212, 217, 222, 234 +precognitive power, 140 +Priapus, 96 +Pride, 253,260 +Pride (poison), 269 +primordial spirits, 166 +projection(s), 265,266,267 +prophylactic species, 179—80 + +----- + +2 9 3 +/ +I N D E X +propitiation, 30, 42, 60 +protection, 18, 111, 195 +protector/portal function, xii, xiv +psalms, penitential, 260 +Psyche, xix, xxv, xxvii, xxviii, 225—72 +struggle within, 249, 250 +tripartite model of, 263 +Psyche species, 227-28,231 +psychoanalysis, xxviii, 264,266 +Qing Ming Festival, 26-27,28 +Quantum Daimon, +228, 271-72 +Q'uran, 146, 147,149 +Ra (sun god), 141 +rabisu, 183—84 +Raga (Pleasure), 247 +rage, 258 +Rakshasas (Night Wanderers), xxxv, +106-7,108, 110, 119, 131 +Rama, 108,109-10, 131 +Ramayana, xxix, 108, 131 +Raphael, 188 +Rati (Desire), 247 +Ravana, xxxv, 107 108-10, 119-20, +131 +reason, lack of capacity for, xv +red (color), 105 +religious systems, xxviii, xxxii—xxxvi +repression, 265,266, 267 +respect, 18, 61, 69,194,214, 223 +retaliation, xiii, 41,42, 126 +rites for possession, 229 +Roman Empire, 52 +Rome, xxxii, 96, 184 +roof demons, 184, 214 +running water, 124 +Rusalka, +19-21 +Rusal'naia +festival, 20 +Russia +Domovoi, 194—95 +Leshii, 111-13 +Rusalka, +19-21 +Vodyanoi, 42 +Rustem, 84 +sacrifice(s), xx, 33, 51, 56,102,144,188 +of children, 179 +human, 42 +Sahara Desert +St. Anthony's Demons, 159—62 +Set, 141-45 +sailors, 11, 14,46 +Si Anthony's Demons, 159—62 +salt, 149-50,163, 203,239 +Sammael, 188,200 +see also Satan +sandstorms, xiii, xxviii, 135, 147 +Sansenoy, 200,201 +Satan (Lucifer, Sammael, Asmodeus, +Mephistopheles, Devil, Adver- +sary), 136, 144-45, 173-75, 188, +200,234,253, 257 +and Anger, 258 +satyrs, 92, 95 +Scotland, 203 +Kelpie, 29-31 +Nuckelavee, 37-38 +sea fairies, 45,47 +Sea Fairy, xxiv +sea-fairy-type Mermaid, 11, 12—13 +seataka, 140 +"second sight," 140 +seduction, 198, 213 +seirim, xxxiii, xxxiv, 95, 144 +Self, 227 +emptying, 269—70 +selfishness, 252, 253 +Semangeloff, 200, 201 +Senoy, 200,201 +Set, 141—43 +Seven Deadly +Sins, xxviii, 188, 228, +251-60,269 +Seven Virtues, 252 +Shadow, xxviii, 228,265-67 +Shah-Nameh +(The +Book +of +Kings) +(Firduasi), 83, 84 +Shaitan (Satan), 151—53 +shaman(s), 99,227,234 +Shamash (sun god), 56 +shape-shifting, xxii, xxiii, xxviii, xxxiv, +75,82, 85 +Shedim, xvi, xxxiii, xxxiv, 95, 125—27, +199,241 + +----- + +I N D E X +/ +2 9 4 +Shen, xxix, xxxvi, 81, 82, 88,213 +shipwrecks, 11,12,35 +Shiva, 74 +shocking, 117, 118 +shutting demons out, 152—53, 186 +sickness, 103 +see also disease +Siddhartha Gautama, 246-47 +sign of the cross, 16, 20, 42, 113, 203, +238 +Sikuani, 22,23 +Si'lats, 154 +silver bullet, 99,238 +silver packet road dispersion, 218, +219 +Simeon ben Johai, 242—43 +Sinbad the sailor, 155—56 +Singer, Isaac Bashevis, 271 +singing, 12, 13, 154, 157, 221 +Sirens, 10-11 +Sita, 109-10, 131 +Skoggra, 104-5 +Skylla ("Bitch"), 10 +Sloth, 259,260 +Sobriety, 257 +Solomon, King, 148, 152, 188-89, 200, +201 +Solomon, seal of, 151 +Sonoran Desert, 171-72 +Surem, 139-40 +Soul(s), xxiv, 19,116,227 +in exchange for work, 113 +kept by Merman, 15, 16 +transmigrating, 241 +South Africa, 88 +Abatwa, 63 +Isitwalangcengce, 207—8 +Mbulu, 43-44 +Tikoloshe, 35—36 +South America +Kayeri, 121-22 +Munuane, 22-23 +special occasions, demons at, xxxvi— +xxxvii +special powers, 244^45 +Spenta Mainyu, 167 +spirit cities, 135 +spirit realms +celestial, terrestrial, subterranean, +263 +spirits, xxvii +double-sided, xvi +in the home, 179 +see also subversive spirits +spiritual +(the), +xxxii-xxxiii, +136, +266-67,268, 270 +spitting, 34, 126 +steel, 34,62, 70,105,150,217 +Stevenson, Robert Louis, 261—62 +still water, 30 +storms, xvi, 11, 12, 51, 142 +stories/storytelling, xiii, xix +subatomic universe, 271, 272 +subversive spirits, xix—xx, xxiv—xxv, +xxxvi, 146, 180 +succubi, xxviii, 179, 198 +Sufficiency, 254 +Suleyman (Solomon), King +see Solomon, King +Sumeria, 55, 56 +Summa Theologica (Aquinas), 251 +sunlight, 48, 141-42 +superego, 263 +supernatural powers, xxxi, 59, 67 +supernatural spirits +in development of Mermaid, 10-11 +Supernatural Subversive Spirits, xxiv +Surem, 139-40 +suspended action, 80 +Sweden, 237 +Wood-Wives and Skoggra, 104^-5 +Symposium (Plato), xxxi +syncretism, age of, xxxii +Syria, 184 +Syrinx, 96 +talismans, 179,184 +Talking Tree, tale of, 139 +Talmud, 125, 199,251 +Tanha (Restlessness), 247 +Taoism, xxxvi, 26-28, 51, 81, 82 +tapas (superhuman powers), 196 +tar, 150, 189 +teachers, demons as, 248,268 + +----- + +2 9 5 +/ I N D E X +temptation, 151, 160, 173, 174, 175, +251 +seven specific, 252 +Ten Commandments, 188, 256 +Tengu, 58—60 +"Terminator of Death," 268 +terrestrial world +battleground for forces of Good and +Evil, 167 +Teutonic +Nixie, 32-34 +Thackeray, William Makepeace, 14 +Tiamat, 7—9 +Tibetan Buddhism, xxxvi, 268—70 +T'ien-kou, 58-59 +Tikoloshe, 35-36, 88 +Time, 20, 62,81,82 +"to fig" (gesture), 126 +Tohono O'odham (The Desert People), +171 +Tommy-Knockers, 68—69 +transformation(s), xxviii, 92, 131, 227 +Shadow in, 266—67 +voluntary, 98 +Werewolf, 236, 237, 239, 240 +traveler(s), xii, 65, 78, 128, 168 +Aboriginal, 158 +deceiving, 154 +in desert, 135, 136 +in Forest, 91 +and Kappa, 18 +led astray, 79-80 +lost, 59, 72, 77, 111 +luring, 111, 151,246 +mountains, 81 +qualities needed by, xvi, 18 +Scottish Isles, 38 +treasure, xvi, 51, 57, 62 +trees, 91,92 +trickery, human +demon vulnerability to, xv, 84, 118, +127, 163, 202,207, 208,239 +trickery, malevolent, 60, 69 +tricksters, 214 +twins, 77 +supernatural, 148—49 +Typhon, 141 +Um Es Sibyan, 199 +"unclean spirits," 228, 242, 243 +casting out, 233—34 +unconscious (the), xii, 263, 264,265 +Undine, 12-13, 14 +Uruk, 56 +utukku, 184 +Valley of the Angel of Death, 154 +vanishing, xxiii +Vanity Fair (Thackeray), 14 +vengefulness, xxiv, 16, 45 +victims, 11, 17, 24, 30, 39, 64, 78, 100, +102-3 +virtues, 252, 260 +Vishnu, xxxiv—xxxv, 43, 110, 197 +Vodyanoi, 42 +volcanos, xvi, 51, 55 +Wahwee, 24-25 +Wales, 69 +Gwyllion, 72 +Wang Chih, 82 +want, 263 +wasting away, 102-3, 107, 112, 129, +209,213 +water, xix, xxvii, 1—48 +going into, 242 +sacred nature of, xii +see also, fresh water; still water +weakness(es), childlike, 117-18 +see also fatal flaw +Werewolf xxviii, 227, 235-38, 239, 240 +West Africa +Bori, 102-3 +whirlwinds, 104, 147 +White Monkey, 36, 88 +Wichtlein (Little Wights), 69 +wilderness, xiii, 52,105,135,139 +desert, 135-36 +guardians of, 66 +Windigo (Witiko), 98-99 +wine, 156, 215 +Wisdom of Ben Sira, The, 199 +witch, 227 +witchcraft, 229-30 +wives, supernatural, 65,179 + +----- + +I N D E X +/ +2 9 6 +women, 112,207 +abducted, 66, 88, 116,117, 121-22 +desired by demons, 15, 70—71 +pregnant, 211—12 +taken by demons, 29-30, 35 +Wood-Wives, xv, 104—5 +woodcutters, 111 +work (demons), 30,68-69, 77,148, 223 +in exchange for human soul, 113 +Kitchen Fairies, 218 +see also helper demons/fairies +wrath, 187, 272 +Wrath (demon of), 200 +Xhosa, 35 +Yaksas, 85-87, 153 +Yama, Lord of Death, 228, 268, 269, +270 +Yamantaka, 268—70 +Yaqui, 139, 140 +Yeats, W. B., xxiv +Yezer +Ha-Ra +("evil +inclination") +249-50 +yin/yang symbol, xxxvi +yoania, 139,140 +Yuki-Onna (Lady of the Snow), 64—65 +Yunwi Djunsti ("Little People"), +77-78 +Zaire +Eloko, 114-15 +Zang Guo, 82 +Zmej, 109 +Zohak, 167-68 +Zoroastrianism, 167 +Zulu, 43, 63, 207 +Zurvan, 167 + +----- + diff --git a/md/Dark Mirrors_ Azazel and Satanael in Early Jewish Demonology.md b/md/Dark Mirrors_ Azazel and Satanael in Early Jewish Demonology.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d26b1f8 --- /dev/null +++ b/md/Dark Mirrors_ Azazel and Satanael in Early Jewish Demonology.md @@ -0,0 +1,12731 @@ +# Dark Mirrors_ Azazel and Satanael in Early Jewish Demonology + +> Source: `Dark Mirrors_ Azazel and Satanael in Early Jewish Demonology.pdf` + +--- + +Published by State University of New York Press, Albany + + +© 201 1 State University of New York + + +All rights reserved + + +Printed in the Uni ted States of America + + +No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever +without written permiss ion. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system +or transmitted in any form or by any means induding electronic, electrostatic, + +magnetic. tape, mechan ical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior +permission in writ ing of the publisher. + + +For infonnation, contact State Un iversity of New York Press, A lbany, NY +www.sunypress.edu + + +Production _by_ Kelli _\'!./._ LeRoux +Marketing by Anne !vi. Valentine + + +Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data + + + +O rlov, Andrei A. + + + +D(lrk mirrors : Azazd and Sat:anael in e(l~ ly jewish demonology/ Andrei A. O rlov. + + + +p. em. +Includes bibliogr.lphical references and indt>x. +ISBN 978-1-4384-3951-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) +I. Jewish demonology. 2. Azazel (Jewish mytho logy) 3. Devi l. 4. Apocalypse +of Abraham-Criticism, interpretation, etc. 5. Slavonic book of EnochC riticism, interpretation, etc. 6. Apocryphal books (Old Testament)Translations into Slavic-H istory and critkism. I. Tide. + + + +BM645.D45075 2011 +2963' 16-dc22 + + + +2011007661 + + + +10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I + + +**Contents** + + +Preface + + +Abbreviations + + +Introduction +Lighdess Shadows: Symmetry of Good and Evi l in +Early Jewish Demonology + + +Part 1: Azazel + + +"The Likeness of Heaven": _Kavod_ of A zazel in the +_Apocalypse_ _of_ _Abraham_ + + +Esch atO logical Yom Kippur in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham:_ +The Scapegoat Ritual + + +The Garment of Azazel in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ + + +Part II: Satanael + + + +ix + + +xi + + +11 + + +27 + + +47 + + + +The Watchers of Satanael: The Fallen Angels Traditions + +in _2 (Slavonic)_ Enoch 85 + + +Satan and dle Visionary: Apocalyptic Roles of the Adversary + +in the Temptation Narrative of the Gospel of Matthew 107 + + +T he Flooded Arbore w ms: The Garden Traditions in the +Slavonic Version of _3_ Baruch and the Book _of_ Giams 113 + + +v ii + + +viii + + +Notes + + +Bibliography + + +Index + + + +Contents + + + +127 + + +179 + + +197 + + +**Preface** + + +Along with unpublished studies d1is book contains several essays previously + +published in journals and collections inaccessible to many interested readers. +The essays were originally published as follows: + + + +"The Flooded Arboretums: The Garden Traditions in the Slavonic Version + +of _3_ _Baruch_ and in the _Book_ _of_ Giants," _Catholic_ _Biblical Q11arterly_ 65 +(2003): 184-201. +"The Esch atological Yom Kippur in the _Apocalypse of Abraham:_ TI1e Scapegoat + +Ritual," _Symbola_ _Caelestis: Le_ _symbolisme liturgique_ _et paraliturgique dans_ +_le_ _monde_ chretien (Scrinium V; eds. And rei Orlov and Basil Lourie; +Piscataway: Gorgias Press, 2009), 79- 11 1. +"The Watchers of Satanail: The Fallen Angels Traditions in 2 _(Slavonic)_ + +_Enoch,"_ in A. Orlov, _Divine Manifestations_ in _the Slavonic_ _Pseudepigmpha_ +(Orientalia Judaica Christiana, 2; Piscataway: Gorgias Press, 2009), +237- 68. +"'TI1e Likeness of Heaven': _Kavod_ of Azazel in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,"_ + +_\Vith_ _Letters_ _of_ Light: _Studies_ in _the_ _Dead_ _Sea_ _Scrolls,_ _Early_ _] ewish_ +_Apocalypticism,_ _Magic_ _and_ M)•sticism (Eksrasis: Religious Experience +from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, 2; eds. Daphna Arbel and Andrei +Orlov; Berlin/New York: De Gruyter, 2010), 232- 53. + + +I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Catholic Biblical +Association of America, Gorgias Press and Walter de Gruyter Publishers +for permission tO reproduce the essays. + +The fo rmat and d1e style of d1e original publications have been changed +to comply wid1 the standards of the collection. Some alterations also have +been made clue to printing errors or obvious errors of fact. Some footnotes +have been omitted as they appeared in more than one essay. + +I would like ro express my appreciation to Phillip Anderas, Deirdre +Dempsey, Basil Lourie, Oleg Makariev, Amy Ricluer, Kristine Ruffatto, and + + +ix + + +X Prefa ce + + + +Nikolai Seleznyov who read various parts of the manuscript and offered +numerous helpful suggestions. +_I_ am grateful to Art Resource, N.Y., for permission to use an iUustration +from a fifteenth-century antiphonary from M useo dell'Opera del Duomo + + + +(Florence, Iraly) as the cover image. + + + +Sincere thanks are also due to Nancy Ellegare, Kelli Williams-LeRoux, +and the editorial team of SUNY Press for their help, patience and +professionalism duri ng preparation of the book for publication. + + +AAWG + + +AB +ABAW + + +AGAJU + + +AI +An Bib +ANRW +AOASH +ArBib +AsSeign +AT ANT + + +AThR + +ATJ +AUSS + +BBET +BBR +BETL +Bib +_B]S_ +BN + +BR + + + +**Abbreviations** + + +Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften zu +Gottingen +Anchor Bible +Abhandlungen der Bayrischen Akademie der +Wissenschaften + +Arbeiten zur Geschich te des antiken Judentums und des + +Urchristenrums +Acta lranica + +Analecta biblica +Aufstieg und Niedergang der Romischen Welt +Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae +Aramaic Bible +Assemblees du Seigneur + +Abhandlungen zut Theologie des Alten und Ne uen +Testamems +Anglican Theological Review +Ashland Theological Journal +Andrews University Seminary Studies + +Beirrage zur biblischen Exegese und Theologie +Bulletin for Biblical Research +Bibliotheca ephemerid-um theologicarum lovaniensium +Biblica +Brown Judaic Studies +Biblische Notizen +Biblical Resea rch + + +xi + + +xii + + +BSac + +BSJS + +BSOAS + +BTB + +BVC + +BWANT + +BZ +CBQ + +CBQMS + +Comm + +ConBNT + + +CQR + +CRlNT +csco +CTQ + +DJD + +DSD + +DT + +EB + + +EJL + +Ekstasis + + +Erjb + +ETS + +EvQ + +EvT + +ExpTim + +FAT + +GCS + + +HM + +HR + + + +Abbreviations + + +Bibliotheca sacra + +Brill's Series in jewish S tudies + +Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies + +Biblical Theology Bulletin + +Bible et vie chretienne + +Beitrlige zur Wissenschaft vom A lten und Neuen Testament + +Biblische Zeitschrift + +Catholic Biblical Quarterly + +Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series + +Communio + +Coniectanea neotestamemica or Coniectanea biblica: New +Teswment Series +Church Quarterly Review + +Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum + +Corpus Scriptorum Chrisrianorum Orienrali um + +Concordia Theological Quarterly + +Discoveries in the J udaean Desert + +Dead Sea Discoveries + +Deutsche Theologie + +Eichstlitter Beitrage. Schriftenreihe der Katholischen +Universitlit Eichstatt + +Early Judaism and its Literature + +Ekstasis: Religious Experience from Antiquity to the Middle +Ages + +Era nos J ahrbuch + +E1furrer Theologische Studien + +Evangelical Quarterly + +Evangelische Theologie + +Expository T1mes + +Forschungen zum Aleen Testament + +Griechischen christl ichen Schriftsteller der ersren +J ahrhunderte + +Hallische Monographien + +History of Religion + + +HSM +HSS +HTR +HUCA +HUCM +IEJ +lmm +lnt +)AAR +JAOS +JATS + +JBL +)CPS +JECS +JHI +JJS +JJTP + +.JQR + +.JR +JRS +JRT +JSHRZ + +JSJ + + +JSJSS + + +JSNT +JSNTSup + + +JSQ +JSP +JSPSS + + +JSSSS + + + +Abbreviations xiii + + +Harvard Semitic Monographs +Harvard Semitic Studies +Harvard Theological Review +Hebrew Union College Annual +Monographs of dle Hebrew Union College +Is rae I Exploration Jo urnal +Immanuel +Interpretation +Journal of the American Academy of Religion +Journal of the American Oriental Society +Journal of the Adventist Theological Society +Journal of Biblical Literature +Jewish and Christian Perspecti ves Series +Journal of Early Christian Studies +Journal of the History of Ideas +Journal of Jewish Studies +Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy +Jewish Quarterly Review +Journal of Religion +Journal of Roman Studies +Journal of Reformed Theology +)udische Schriften aus hellenistisch-romischer Zeit +Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic + +and Roman Period +Journal for me Study of Judaism in dle Persian, Hellenistic + +and Roman Period: Supplement Series +Journal for the Study of the New Testament +Journal for me Study of me New Testament: Supplement +Series +Jewish Studies Quarterly +Journal for me Study of me Pseudepigrapha +Journal for me Study of me Pseudepigrapha: Supplement +Series +Journal of Semitic Studies Supplement Series + + +xiv + + +JTS +JU +JZWL + +LCL +LumVie +NHS +NovTSup +NT +NTAbh +NTOA +NTS +NSBT +OBS +OTF + +PTS +PVTG +QD + +RB +RechBib +RelSoc +ResQ +RevQ +RevScRel + +RHPR +RSR +SBLDS +SBLSCS + + +SBLSP +SBT +ScEccl +SHR + +SJ +SJLA + + + +Abbreviations + + +Journal of Theological Studies +Judemum und Umwelt + +)Udische Zeitschrift fur Wissenschaft und Leben +Loeb Classical Library +Lumiere et vie +Nag Hammadi Studies +Supplements to Novum Testamentum +Novum Testamentum +Neutestamentliche Abhandlungen +Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus +New Testament Studies +New Studies in Biblical Theology +Osteneichische Biblische Studien +Oriental Translation **Fund** +Parristische Texte und Srudien +Pseudepigrapha Yeteris Testamenti Graece +Quaestiones disputatae +Revue biblique +Recherches bibliques + +Re ligion and Society +Restora tion Quarterly +Revue de Qumran +Revue des sciences religieuses +Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses +Recherches de science religieuse +Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series +Society of Biblical Literature Septuagint and Cognate +Studies +Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers +Studies in Biblical Theology +Sciences ecclesiastiques +Studies in the History of Religions (supplement to Numen) +Studia judaica +Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity + + +XV + + + +SJT +SNTSMS +so +SP + +SSEJC +ST + +_ST D]_ +StuciNeot +SVTP +TBN +TCS + +TED +TLZ +TQ + +_TSA]_ +TTPS + +TV +TZ + +UBL +vc +VT +WMANT + + +WUNT +WZKM + +YJS +ZAW +ZDPV + +ZM +ZNW + + +ZST + + + +Abbreviations + + +Studies in Jungian Thought +Society of New Testament Studies Monograph Series +Symbolae Osloensis +Studia Parristica +Studies in Scripture in Early j udaism and Christianity +Studia theologica +Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah +Studia neotestamentica +Studia in Veteris Testamenti Pseudepigrapha +Themes in Biblical Narrative + +Text-Critical Studies + +Translations of Early Documents +Theologische Lite raturzeitung +Theologische Quartalschrifr +Texte und Studien zum antiken Judentum + +Texts and Translations. Pseuclepigrapha Series +Texte unci Untersuchungen +Theologische Zeitschri.ft + + + +Ugaritisch-Biblische Literatur +Vigiliae christianae +Vetus Testamentum +Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten unci Neuen +Testament +Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament +Wiener Zeitschrift fur die Kunde des Morgenlandes + +Yale Judaica Series +Zeitschrift fur die alttestamen tliche Wissenschaft + +Zeitschrift des cleutschen Palastina-Vereins +Zr6dla i monografie + +Zeitschrift fUr die neucestamendiche Wissenschaft unci die + +Kunde der alteren Kirche +Zeitschrift fUr systematische Theologie + + +INTRODUCTION + + +Lightless Shadows + +Symmetry of Good and Evil +in Early Jewish Demonology + + +In recent years there has been a renewed interest in the study of the +symmetrical patterns found in earl y Jewish apocalyptic literature.' In this + +literantre protological and eschatological times seem to be understood as +periods that mirror each other. One instance of this symmetry of procology +and eschatology can be found in the early Jewish pseudepigraphon known to +us as the Book _of Jubilees._ Scholars have previously noted that in the Book +_of Jubilees_ _Endzeit_ appears to be mirroring _Urzeit._ One of the researchers + +remarks that + + +_Jubilees_ affirms a rigorous tempo ral symmetry. All human history + +from creation to new creation is foreordained by God and + +inscribed in the heavenly tablets, which, in turn, are revealed +through angelic mediation co Moses on Mt. Sinai, just as they +were revealed co Enoch before him. In this presemation, histOrical +patterns are adduced to confi rm divine providence over earthly +events. A striking example of this is found in the correspondence +between _Endzeit_ and _Urzeit._ In _jubilees,_ as in other apocalyptic +literature, God intends the wo rld ultimately to conform tO his +original intention for the creation. But _]ubi.lees_ goes even further +by implying a nearl y complete recapitulation, that is that the +_Endzeit_ or resto ration would almost exactly mirror the Urzeit or +patriarchal period. [2 ] + + +Another example of the te mporal symmetry of apocalyptic protology +and eschatology is found in an early Jewish apocalyptic text known to us as +_2 (Sia.vonic)_ _Enoch._ There the disintegration of the pri mordial aeon of light +in the beginning of creation is symmetrically juxtaposed with the aeon's +eschatological restoration at the end of time. According to the Slavonic + + +2 Dark Mirrors + + +apocalypse, after me final judgmenr, when the spatial and temporal order +will collapse, all the righteous of me world will be incorporated into a single +luminous aeon. The description of this final aeon reveals some striking similarities with the features of the primordial aeon of light portrayed earlier as +the foundation of the created order. [3 ] The eschatological restoration affects +not only me peculiar order of me promlogical evenrs ma t become reinstated +at me end of time but also the destiny of some primeval heroes who are +predestined to assume new eschatological functions. One such character is the +seventh anted il uvian patriarch Enoch, a central witness of the prorological +corruption of the earth by the deeds of me Watchers who is also depicted in + +me Slavonic apocalypse as me first fruit of the escharological aeon of light. +The presence of the important primordial witness at me pivotal apex of the + +_Endzeil_ does not appear ro be coincidental. In d•is temporal "symmetrical" +perspective it is often understood that the protological figures, prominent +in the _Urzeit,_ including Adam, Abel, Sed1, Enoch, Noah, Ab raham, Jacob, +Joseph, Moses, and od1er primordial patriarchs and prophets, will become +eschatological witnesses by ass uming various roles at the end of the time. +Jewish apocalyptic writings therefore often offer a plethora of eschatological characters posing as conceptual "reincarnations" of familiar protological +exemplars who explicitly and implicitly display me particular features of their +primordial counterparts. Ch ristian apocalyptic materials are also cognizant +of this typological symmetry of protological and escha tological heroes. Thus, +early Christian writers often attempt to envision Jesus as the new Adam or + +me new Moses-me one who returns humankind to its original prelapsarian +condition or brings a new covenan t. [4 ] + +The striking symmetry discernable in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic +writings reveals many complex and often perplexing dimensions. Thus, me +symmetrical perspective found in pseudepigraphical texts appears to shape + +not only the "horizontal," temporal, dyn amics but also me "vertical," spatial, +dimension of dle apocalyptic worldview with its peculiar imagery of the +heavenly and earth ly realms. Refl ecting on this spatial symmetry in d•e Book +_of ]ttbi./ees_ and other early Jewish apocalyptic writings, James Scott observes + +mat mey affirm "not only a temporal symmetry between _Urzeit_ and Endzeit, +but also, secondly, a special symmetry between heaven and earth."; These +distinctive correspondences between th e earthly and heavenly rea li ties are + +well known. In the apocalyptic texts such correlations are especially evident +in the peculiar parallelism between heavenly and earthly cultic settings that +are often depicted as mirroring each othe r. In this worldview, me earmy +sanctuaries, their sacerdotal content, and even dl eir cultic se rvants, are +envisioned as the entities tha t are predestined to be faithful imitators of + +their celestial counterparts. In this peculiar perspective even the etiology +of these sacerdotal rituals and settings is intimately connected with the + + +Introd uction 3 + + +stories of their origination after the patterns of the heavenly cultic proto +types.6 Further, the authenticity and effectiveness of the earthly sacerdotal +establishments are then portrayed as being constan tly tested on their faithful +correspondence tO the ultimate heavenly patterns according to which they + +were initially formed. As Scott rightly observes, "(T)he goal of history . .. is +th at the cultus will be 'on eartil as in heaven.'"; + +Indeed, in apocalyptic accounts visionaries are often depicted as either +beholding or traveling to the heavenly versions of terrestrial sancruaries, +especially in times wh en the earthly shrines become physically destroyed or + +poll uted and thus no longer able to fulfi ll th eir cultic responsibilities. [8 ] Yet +the symmetrical correspondences between the heavenly and eartilly realms +do not seem ro be reduced solely to the cultic dimension but appear to + +affect the whole fabric of the apocalyp tic enterprise, including the heart of +its personal eschatology- the transformation of a _seer._ In this respect another +crucial element that reaffirms the ex:istence of the spatial symmetry is tile +concept of the heavenly counterpart of the apocalyptic visionary. The origin +of this idea in Jewish lore can be traced to some pseudepigraphical writings +of the late Second Temple period, including tile Book _of Jubilees_ where the +angel of the presence [9 ] is envisioned as the heavenly counterpart of Moses. [10 ] + +Scholars have previously noted that Enochic materials are also cognizant +of this tradition about the heavenly twin of the seer. Thus, the idea about +the heavenly counterpart of the visionary appears tO be present in one of +tile later booklets of _1 (_ _Ethiopic)_ Enoch-the _Booi<_ _of d1e_ _Similitudes._ It has +been previously observed that the _Similitudes_ seem to entertain the idea of +the heaven ly double of a visionary when it identifies Enoch with the Son +of Man. [11 ] Students of Enochic traditions have long been puzzled by the + +idea th at the Son of Man, who in the previous chapters of the _Similiwdes_ is +distinguished from Enoch, becomes suddenly identified wim tile patriarch in + +_1 Enoch_ 71. James VanclerKam suggests that this puzzle can be explained by +the Jewish notion, attested in severa l ancient Jewish texts, tha t a creature +of flesh and blood could have a heaven ly double or counterpart. [12 ] As an +example, VanderKam points ro Jacob traditions [13 ] in which me patriarch 's +"features are engraved on high." [14 ] It is sign ificant that in both Enochic and +Jacobite traditions the theme of the heaven ly counterpart is often conflatecl +with the imagery of the ange.ls of the presence-the feature that also reaffirms + +me spatial symmetry between the heavenly and earmly realms. + + +Al though me main thrust of the spatial symmetry found in apocalyptic +literature is often expressed through me formula "on earth as in heaven," +the aforementioned spatial correspondence appears to influence not only tile + + +4 Dark Mirrors + + +human, eanhly abode-the realm believed to be sustained by irs fa ithful + +mirroring of the celestial realities-but also the demonic quarters of the +underworld that also strive to imitate for their own, nefarious purposes the +features of the heavenly world. + +Jewish and Christian apocalyptic writings provide a plethora of illustrations for this often strange and perplexing parallelism of heavenly and +infernal dimensions in which demonic creatures try to reflect and mirror +not only d1e features of angelic characters but even d1e attributes of the +deity himself. + +One of the important examples of th is paradoxa! correspondence +between divine and demonic ligures can be found in the _Apocalypse_ _of_ +_Abraham,_ where the antagonist of the story, the fallen angel Azazel, is +portrayed as a possessor of his own "glory" or _kavod,_ the atuibme that is + +reserved almost exclusively for d1e depiction of the deity in apocalyptic +accounts. The demon's possession of such an unusual theophan ic feature is +not an isolated incident but part of the broader ideological tendency of the +Slavonic apocalypse, which unveils the paradoxa! symmeny of the good and +evil realms.•; Most striking example of this sy mmetry is found in chapter + +23, where Abraham receives a vision of the protological scene portraying +the demon's corruption of me protoplasts. In this disclosure the hero of me +faith beholds Azazel si tuated in the midst of Adam and Eve under d1e Tree +of Life. Scholars have previously suggested that A zazel may atte mpt here tO + +mimic the divine presence often represented in sacerdotal settings as the +intertwined cherubic couple in the Holy of Holies by offering his ow n, now +corrupted and demonic version of the sacred union. [16 ] + +As has been nmed above, the symmetry of _Urzeit_ and _Endzeit_ and the +symmetrical correspondences of realms deeply affect the profiles of various +characters of the stories, revealing the paradoxa! mirroring of protological +and escha tological heroes as well as a remarkable parallelism between +earthly and celestial counterparts. It has also been shown that even negative +characters of the apocalyp tic srories are part of this mirroring dynamic. T hus, + +in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic materials prorological opponents, si milar + +to primordial patriarchs and prophets, often appear at the end of time in +their new eschatological capacity. As our study has already demonstrated, +the antagonists are also affected by the spatial dynamics of the apocalyptic +story as mey try tO mimic me attributes of celestial beings. + +Yet the persuasive nature of the temporal and spatial symmetry found +in the pseudepigraphical narratives also seems to be responsible for another +type of symmetrical correlation d1at often manifests itself in the paradoxa[ +mirroring of the roles and attributes of the protagonists and antagonists of +apocalyptic stories. T his type of correspondence can be seen as a sort of + +inverse sy mmetry, where the antagonist or protagonist of the story literally + + +Introduction 5 + + +takes the place of his oppone nt by acquiring the peculiar attributes and +conditions of his counterpart. + +It is well known that in Jew ish apocalyptic writings some exalted +heroes, including protological patriarchs and prophets, are often depicted +as traveling to the upper realms where they are granted knowledge of +heavenly phenomena and a vision of the divine Ch ariot-dle pivotal + +visionary encounter laden with profound transformational opportunities that +often leads to the metamorphosis of a seer into an angelic or even divine + +being. It is intriguing that in some apocalyptic accounts, this symbolism +of transformation is applied not only _w_ the "heroes" of the apocalyptic +stories but also their eschatological opponents who also undergo their own +paradoxa! metamorphoses.H + +Moreover, in the course of these transforma tions, the peculiar attributes +and offices of the protagonists or antagonists become mysteriously imitated +in the newly acquired offices and roles of their respective opponents. Thus, +for example, in the _Book_ _of_ _the_ _Watchers,_ the fallen angels, the fo rmer +participants in the heavenly liturgy, are depicted as abandoning their place +in heavenly worship and descending to ea rd1 ro assume the marital roles +of humans, while th eir righteous h uman counterpart, the patriarch Enoch, + +ascends to heaven to become a sacerdotal servant in the heavenly Temple. +The exchange between the hero and his negative counterpart(s) is clearly +discernable here, as both parties are depicted as mirroring each other in + +their mutual exchange of offices, roles, attributes, and even wardrobes. +The last feature of the transformation is particularly noteworthy since d•e + +theme of transferring the garment of the demoted angelic antagonist to an +exalted human protagonist plays a very important role in jewish apocalyptic +literature. T hus, for example, in Enochic literature the seventh antediluvian +patriarch receives glorious angelic attire [18 ] while the fallen angels are donning +the human ontological "garments." [19 ] + +In the Adamic lore one can also find this inverse symmetrical +correspondence when one learns that the first humans received their unique +status, manifested in d1e luminous garments, as a result of the demotion of +an exalted angelic being who fell out of divine favor. In these traditions +the protoplast takes the place, glory, and garments of the demoted angelic +antagonist. One of the early examples of this tradition can be found in the +_Primary_ Adam Boob, where the removal of Satan [10 ] from his special glorious +place is placed in conceptual juxtaposition with the creation and exaltation +of Adam. [21 ] Moreover, the demotion of the antagonist is accompanied not +only by vacation of the exalted place, which is required for the apotheosis +of a new hero, but also, and more importandy, by purification or catharsis. + +In this sacerdotal perspective the demoted ligures are often envisioned as +cosmic scapegoats who take upon themselves the "soiled garments" of their + + +6 Dark Mirrors + + +human opponents by carrying their sins into the remote abode of their +exile. Scholars often see in such cathartic routines a reflection of one of the +fundamental cultic dynamics manifested in the Yom Kippur ordinance where + +the en trance of the human celebrant intO the divine abode, represented by +the Holy of Holies, is juxtaposed with the removal of human sins into the +wilderness by means of dle scapegoat. +This apocalyptic reinterpretation of the Yom Kippur imagery appears + +to play an important role in the symmetrical conceptual framework of the +_Apocal)•pse_ _of Alrraham_ where the angel Yahoel informs Abraham that he +will receive dle angelic garment of Azazel whi le the demon will take upon +himself the "garment" of the patriarch's sins. In this inverse sy mmetrical +framework, both parties are depicted as simultaneously exchanging each other's +attributes since the transference of the celestial garmen t tO the patriarch +coincides widl the angel's testimony dl at Abraham's sins are transferred to +Azazet.2 [2 ] As has already been noted, a similar development is discemable in +the demonological settings of the Adamic tradition where the protoplast's +exaltation in the ange lic community mirrors Satan's demotion from celestial +citizenship. [23 ] + + +Our short excursus into symmetrical correspondences between the antagonists +and protagonists of apocalyptic stories h as shown that these symmetrical +correlations often revolve around two enigmatic figures who exercised +formative influence on early Jewish demonology-the demoted angelic beings +known tO us as Azazel and Satan.zt + +While in later Jewish and Christian materials the srories of both +paradigmatic antagonists are often conflated and even confused, their +respective origins can be traced to two distinctive and often competing +my thologies of evil-Adamic and Enochic, one of which was tied to the +mishap of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the o ther to the fall +of angels in the antediluvian periodH + +Thus, Adamic tradition traces the source of evil to Satan's transgression +and the fall of Adam and Eve in Eden, a trend that explains the reason +for Satan's demo tion by his refusal to obey God's command to venerate the +protoplast. In contrast, the ea rl y Enochic tradition bases its understanding +of the origin of evil on the story of the fallen Watchers led by Azazel. + +It is also intriguing that while in the beginning of their conceptual +journeys Azazel and Satan are posited as representatives of two distinctive +and often rival trends tied to the distinctive etiologies of corruption, in +later Jewish and C hristian demonological lore both antagonists are able to +ente r each other's respective stories in new conceptual capacities. In these + + +Introd uction 7 + + +later traditions Satanael is often depicted as the leader of the fallen angels +while his conceptual rival A.zazel is portrayed as a seducer of A.dam and Eve. +The current collection of essays examines the symmetrical patterns +of early Jewish demonology that are often manifested in the an tagonists' + +imitation of the attributes of various heavenly beings, including principal +angels and even the deity himself. The study will pay special attention to +the sacerdotal dimension of these demonological developments and show that +the peculiar transformations of the adversaries often have a cultic significance +as they become unfolded in the midst of the priestly and liturgical settings +of the Jewish tradition, including the Yom Kippur ceremony. +The second aspect of the study will include investigation of the mutual +conceptual interactions between the Azazel and Satanael traditions in course +of which the distinctive features or attributes of one antagonist become + +transferred to the character of d1e rival mythology of evil. +The discussion treats the aforementioned issues in six essays, three +of which are devoted to the figure of A.zazel and three others to the figure +of Satanael, also known in the Slavonic pseudepigrapha under the name +Saranail. This structure of the volume: provides an equal amount of attention + +to both demonological trends. +The first essay of the collection, entitled "'The Likeness of Heaven': +_Kavod_ of A.zazel in the _Apocalypse of_ Abralwn," explores one of Azazel's most +enigmatic practices, his attempt ro imitate the divine manifestation situated +between two cherubim in the Holy of Holies. TI1e study underlines the cultic +aspect of this demonic transformation. Ald1ough the study mainl y focuses on +the motifs found in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ an early Jewish apocalyptic +text preserved in Slavonic, it trea ts the Azazel tradition in its histOrical and +interpretive complexity through a broad variety of Jewish materials. + +The second essay, "Eschatological Yom Kippur in d1e _Apocalypse_ _of_ +_Abraham:_ The Scapegoat Ritual," continues to examine the sacerdotal +dimension of the Azazel figure, namely his role as a celestial scapegoat. +Already in the Bible the infamous scapegoat bearing the name Azazel is +envisioned as an important sacerdotal servant on whom d1e heavy load +of Israel's sins is bestowed during d1.e annual Yom Kippur ceremony. TI1e +_Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ however, portrays Azazel not merely as a sacrificial +animal but as a fallen angelic being who takes upon himself the burden of +Abraham's sins, which allows the hero of the faith ro enter the celestial + +Holy of Holies. TI1e study suggests that the _Apocalypse of Abraham_ portrays +an eschatological reenactment of the Yom Kippm ritua l. + +The third essay of the collection, entitled "The Garment of Azazel in +the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,"_ probes further the cultic dimension of Jewish +demonology by concentrating on the tradition of Azazel's angelic garmem, + +which in the _Apocalypse_ _of_ _Abraham_ is transferred to the patriarch. It + + +8 Da rk Mirrors + + + +appears that th is endowment of Abrah am with the celestial garment before +his entrance into the celestial Holy of Holies betrays distinctive sacerdotal +connections as it appears to be related to the tradit io ns about the attire + +the high priest wore upon his entrance in tO the Holy of Holies. T his +essay also deals extensively with a pa:rallel tradition about Satan's angelic +garment found in the _Primary_ _Adam_ _Books_ where Saran's garment of glory + +is also transferred to a human recipient. Analys is of this paralleled tradition +provides an important conceptual bridge to the second part of the volume, +which includes three essays dealing with the Satanael tradition. T he essays +of the second part of the volume are organized to show the development +of the Satanael lore in its histo rical perspective. T hus, one of these essays +deals with 2 _Enoch,_ a text written before 70 CE, ano ther essay discusses + +the Satan tradition in the Gospel of Matthew written around 70 CE, and +the final essay examines _3 Baruch_ wrine n in the second/third century CE. +The fourth essay of the volume (the fi rst in the second section), entitled +"The Watchers of Satanael: The Falle n Angels Traditions in 2 (Slavonic) + +Enoch," deals with the intriguing development inside the Satanael tradition in +which this demonic character acquires several pecul iar roles of his conceptual +rival Azazel, being now depicted as rhe leader of the fallen Watchers. This +development shows the remarkable flu idity of the two mythologies of evil +in which the features of one antagonist are often emulated by the main +character of the rival trend. + +The fifth essay, "Satan and the Visionary: Apocalyptic Roles of the +Adversary in the Temptation Narrative of the Gospel of Matthew," de als +with Satan's unusual roles and actions duri ng his temptation of Jesus in the +wilderness. The study shows that while tempting Jesus Satan assumes several +pecul ia r roles of the transporting and interpreting angel (a psychopomp +and an _angelus_ incerpres), the offices we ll known from Jewish apocalyptic +stories. Moreover, Satan's reques t for veneration invokes so me features of + +the theophanic accounrs where such services are delivered exclusive ly either + + + +tO the deity or his anthropomorphic icon, the protoplast. + + + +The sixth essay, "The Flooded A rboretums: The Garden Traditions in +d1e Slavonic Ve rsion of _3 Baruch_ and the _Book of Giants"_ again deals with +the interaction between the two mythologies of evil in whicl1 some features +of the fallen Watchers' demonological template are transferred to Satanae l. + +O ne can see that both parts of the volume are interconnected th rough +the thorough exploration of the dialogue between the Satanael and Azazel +traditions, the conceptual development th at played a crucial fo rmative role +in shaping early Jewish demonology. + + +Part I + + +Azazel + + +**"The** **Likeness** **of Heaven"** + +_Kavod_ of **Azazel** **in** **the** +_Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ + + +Now observe a deep and holy mystery of faith, the symbolism of the male +principle and the female principle of the universe ... there is the line +where the male ~nd female principles join, forming together the rider on +the serpent, and symbolized by A zaze l. + + +_-Zohar_ 1.152b- 153a + + +Introduction + + +Chapter 14 of the _Apocalypse of Abraham,_ a Jewish pseudepigraphon wri tten + +in the first centuries CE, unveils an enigma tic tradition about the unusual +power given tO the main an tagonist of the srory, the fallen angel Azazel. +In the text, Abraham's celestial guide, the angel Yahoel, warns his human +apprentice, the hero of the fa ith, that God endowed his chief eschatological +opponent Azazel with a special will and with "heaviness" against those who +answer him. The reference to the mysterious "heaviness" (Slav. T»roTa) given + +tO the demon has puzzled students of the Slavonic apocalypse for a long +time. Ryszard Rubinkiewicz has previously suggested that the Slavonic term +for "heaviness" (T~ron) in this passage from _Apoc._ _Ab._ 14:13 possibly serves +as a technical term for rendering the Hebrew word _Kavod._ _[1 ]_ Rubinkiewicz +has further proposed that the original text most likely had **11:::l:::l,** which has +the sense of "gravity" but also "glory," and had the fo llowing rendering: "the +Eternal One ... to him [Azazel] he gave the glory and power." According + +to Rubinkiewicz, th is ambiguity lays at the basis of the Slavonic translation +of the verse _.z_ + +It is quite possible that, given the formative influences the Book of +Ezekiel exercises on the _Apocalypse_ _of_ _Abraham,_ _[3 ]_ the authors of the text + + +**11** + + +12 Da rk Mirrors + + +might indeed have known the _Kavod_ technical terminology, wh ich plays +such an important role in the great prophetic book. Yet the transference +of this peculiar theopb.anic imagery to an ambiguous character in the story + +is qui te puzzling since the _Kavod_ symbolism represents a very distinctive +attribute reserved in the Jewish biblical and pseudepigraphic traditions +almost exclusively for celestial and translated agen ts to signal their divine +status. Could this strange tradition about the glory of Azazel suggest that + +the authors of the Slavonic apocalypse sough t to envision the fallen angel +as a kind of negative counterpart of the deity who enjoys his own "exalted" +attributes that mimic and emulate divine attributes! + +A closer look at the pseudepigraphon reveals that such a dualistically +symmetrical symbolism is not only confined to the description of the fallen +angel and his unusual attributes. It also represents one of the main ideological +tendencies of the Slavonic apocalypse. Several scholars have previously noted +d1is peculiarity of the theological universe of the Slavonic apocalypse, which +reveals the paradoxa! symmetry of the good and evil realms: the domains +which, in the Abrahamic pseudepigraphon, seem depicted as emulating and +mirroring each other. + +It h as been previously argued t hat the striking prevalence of such +dualistic symmetrical patterns pennea ring the fabric of the _Apocalypse_ _of_ +AbraiUiln can be seen as one of the most controversial and puzzling fea tures +of the text. [4 ] It should be noted that the dualistic curren ts are present mostly +in the second, apocalyptic portion of the text where the hero of the faith +receives an enigmatic revelation from the deity about the unusual powers +given to Azazel. + +Reflecti ng on these concepwal developments, Michael Stone draws +attention ro the traditions found in chapters 20, 22, and 29, where the + +reference to Azazel's rule, wh ich he exercises jointly with God over the +world, coincides "with the idea that God granted h im authori ty over the +wicked."; Stone suggests that "these ideas are clearl y dualistic in nature." [6 ] + +john Collins explores anothe r cluster of peculiar depictions repeatedly +found in the second part of the _Apocalypse,_ in wh ich humankind is divided +into two parts, half on the right and half on the left, representing respectively +the chosen people and the Gentiles. These portions of humanity are labeled +in the text as the lot of God and the lot of Azazel. Collins argues that "the +symmetrical division suggests a dualistic view of the world." [1 ] He fu rd1er +observes th at "the nature and extent of this dualism constitute the most +controversial problem in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham."_ _[8 ]_ + +Ryszard Rubinkiewicz, while denying the presence of "absolute" +or "onrological" [9 ] dualism in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ admits that the +pseudepigraphon exhibits some dualistic tendencies in its ethical, spatial, +and temporal dimensions. [10 ] + + +"The Likeness of Heaven" 13 + + +Yet, in contrast to Rubinkiewicz's opinion, George Box sees in these +spatial and temporal dimensions the main signs of the "radical dualism" of + +the apocalypse. He maimains that ''che radical dualism of the Book comes + +Out not only in the sharp division of mankind in tO two hosts, which srands + +for Jewry and heathendom respectively, but also in the clea rl y defined +contradistinction of two ages, the present Age of ungodliness and the future +Age of righteousness."'' + +Another distinguished stude nt of d1e S lavonic text, Marc Philonenko, +in his analysis of the sy mmetrical nature of the positions of Yahoel and +Azazel, I! notes the peculiarity of the interaction between these two spirits, +one good and one malevolent. He observes that their battle does not occur +directly, but rather through the medium of a human be ing, Abraham. +A braham is thus envisioned in the pseudepigrapho n as a place where + +the battle between two spiritual forces unfolds. [13 ] Philonenko sees in d1 is +anthropological internalization a peculiar mold of the dualism that is also +present in the Qumran materials, including the _lrutruction on the_ _Two_ _Spirits_ +(lQS 3:13-4:26) where the Prince of Lights and the Angel of Darkness are +fighting in d1e heart of ma n . 1 ~ + +The aforementioned scholarly suggestions about the dualistic tendencies +of the apocalypse, which seems to envision a symmetrical correspondence + +between the divine and demonic realms, the worlds of God and of Azazel, +are intriguing and deserve further investiga tion. The current study will +attempt to explore some dualistic symmetrical patterns fo und in the Slavonic +pseudepigraphon, concentrating mainly on the peculiar theophanic imagery +surrounding the figure of the main antagonist of the text, the demon Azazel. + + +The Inheritance of Azazel + + +The traditions about the two eschatological lots or portions of humanity +found in the second part of the text have captivated the imag ination of +scholars for a long time. In these fascinating descriptions, students of the +Abrahamic pseudepigraphon have often tried to discern possible connections + +with the dualistic developments found in some Qumran materials, where +the imagery of the two escharological lots played a significant role. Indeed, +in tl1e Dead Sea Scrolls one can fi nd a broad appropriation of the imagery +of the two portions of humanity, which are often depicted there in striking +opposition to each other in the final decisive battle. It has been frequently +noted that the peculiar symbolism of the eschatological parties often takes +the form of dualistic sy mmetrical counterparts, as these groups are repeatedly +described in the Dead Sea Scrolls through metaphoric depictions involving +the dichotomies of darkness and light, good and evil, election and rejection. + + +14 Dark Mirrors + + +This dualistic "mirroring" is also often underscored by the symbolic pro files +of the main leaders of the eschatological "lots," whose peculiar sobriquets +often negatively or positively reflect, or even polemically deconstruct, the +names of their respective escharological rivals: Melchizedek and Melchiresa<, +the Prince of Ligh ts and the Angel of Darkness. + +The peculiar imagery of the eschatological portions of humanity is also +manifested in the _Apocalypse of Abraham._ Graphic depictions of the two lots +are widely dispersed in the second, apocalyptic, part of the pseudepigraphon. +Scholars have previously noted that the peculiar conceptual elaborations +th at surround these portrayals of the portions appear to be reminiscent +not only of the eschatological reinterpretations and terminology found in +the Qumran materialsY but also of the peculiar imagery of sacrificial lots +prominent in the Yom Kippur ritual, [16 ] the ordinance described in detail in +some biblical and rabbinic accoums.li Thus, it has been previously observed + +dlat the word _lot_ (Slav. 'laCTb) found in the Slavonic text appears to be +connected to the Hebrew ?1U, a term prominent in some cultic descriptions +found in biblical and rabbinic accounts, [18 ] as well as in the eschatological +developments attested in the Qumran materials. [19 ] + +Similar _w_ the Qumran materials where d1e lots are linked to the +fallen angelic figures or translated heroes (such as Belial or Melchizedek), + +in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ the portions of humanity are now tied to the +main characters of the srory- the fallen angel AzazeF [0 ] and the translated +patriarch Abraham. [21 ] + +It is also notewordly that in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ similar to +the Qumran materials, [21 ] the positive lor is designated sometimes as the lot +of the deity-"my [God's] lor": + + + +And the Eternal Mighty One said to me, "Abraham, Abraham!" +And I said, "Here am l!" And h e said, "Look from on high at +the stars which are beneath you and count them for me and tell +me their number!" And I said, "Would I be able? For I am [bm) +a man." And he said ro me, "As the number of the stars and + +their host, so shall I make you r seed into a company of nations, +se t apart for me in my lot with Azazel."Zl + + + +While the similarities of the _Apocalypse of Abraham_ wi th the Qumran +materials were often noted and highlighted in previous scholarly studies, +the differences in the descriptions of the eschatological lots and their +respective leaders have often been neglected. Yet it is quite possible tha t +the dualistic imagery of the eschatological portions might receive an even +more radical form in the Slavonic apocalypse than in dle Dead Sea Scrolls. +Indeed, it seems that the Slavonic pseudepigraphon attempts to transfer to +the antagonist and to his lot some of the no tions and attributes that in + + +"The Likeness of Heaven" 15 + + +the Qumran materials remain reserved solely for the domain of the positive +portion of humanity. One such notion includes the concept of "inheritance," +the term that plays an important role both in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in +the Slavonic apocalypse. + +Thus, the passage found in chapter 14 of the pseudepigraphon unve ils +the fo llowing enigmatic tradition about the very special "inheri tance" given + +to the fallen angel AzazelY + + + +Since _your_ inherirance (AOCTOl!HHe TBoe) are those who are with + +you, with men born with the Hars and clouds. And their portion +is _you_ (ux1,>KC •tacn. ecu Th.l). [25 ] + + + +The striking feature of this account is tha t in _Apoc._ _Ab._ 14:6 d1e +concept of the eschatological "toe' or "portion" (Slav. •racn,)1 [6 ] of Azazel +appears to be used inrercl1angeably with the notion of "inheritance" (Slav. + + + +AOCTOIDIHC). + +This terminological connection is intriguing since d1e two notions, +"inheri tance" and "lot," are also used interchangeably in the Qumran passages + +that deal with the "lot" imagery. Thus, for example, 11Q 13 speaks about +"inheritance" referring tO the portion of Melchizedek that will be victO rious +in the eschatological ordeal: + + +. .. and from the inheritance of Melchizedek, fo [r ... ] ... and +they are the inhelita[nce of Melchize]dek, who will make them +return. And the d(ay of aton)ement is the e(nd of] the tenm (ju) +bilee in which awnement shall be made for all the sons of [light +and) fo r the men [of] me lot of Mel[chi]zedek. [11 ] + + +In lQS 3:13-4:26, in the fragment also known as the Instruction _on_ +_the Ttvo_ _Spirits_ the imagery of inheritance is tied to the concept of the lot +of the righteous: + + +[T ]hey walk in wisdom or in fo lly. In agreement with man's +_inheritance_ in the truth, he shall be righteous and so abhor + +injustice; and according to his share in the lot of injustice, he +shall act wickedly in it, and so abhor the trum. [28 ] + + +In 1 QS 11:7- 8 and CD 13: 11- 12 this concept of inheritance is once +again connected with participation in the lot of light, also labeled in l QS +as "the lot of the ho ly ones": [19 ] + + +To those whom God h as selected he has given them as everlasting +possession; and he has given them an inheritance in the lot of +the holy ones. (lQS 11: 7-8).3° + + +16 Dark Mirrors + + +And everyone who joins his congregation, he should examine, +concerning his actions, his intelligence, his strength, his courage +and his wealth; and they shall inscribe him in his place according + +to his inheritance in the lot of light. (CD-A 13: 11- 12). [31 ] + + +In these last two texts the concept of "inheritance" appears ro be +understood as the act of participation in the eschatological lot rendered +through the formulae "inheritance in the lot" (Heb. **?iU::::i** 1n?m) .JZ The +same idea seems tO be at work in the aforementioned passage from _Apoc. Ab._ + +14:6 where "inheritance" is understood as participation in d1e lot of Azazel. + +Yet despite the similari ties, one striking difference between these texts +is discernable: while in the Qumran materials the "inheritance" appears +to be connected with the divine lot, in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ it is +unambiguously tied tO the lot of Azazel. + +This transference of the notion of "inheritance"-the concept that +plays such an importa nt role in the Qumran ideology-under the umbrella +of the lot of Azazel in the A _poe._ _Ab.,_ is striking. It brings the dualistic +ideology of the Jewish pseudepigraphon to an entirely new conceptual level +in comparison with the dualistic developments found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. + +This new conceptual advancement appears also to have a strong +influence on the profile of the main antagonist of the text, the fallen angel +Azazel who, in comparison with the eschatOlogical opponents of the Dead +Sea Scrolls, now becomes not just one of the characters in the gallery of + +many eschatological opponents but the adversary _par_ excellence. In this +respect Lester Grabbe suggests that the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ seems to be +referring to d1e "basic arch-demon complex under d1e name of Azazel." JJ In +his opinion, in the Slavonic apocalypse "Azazel is no longer just a leader +among the fallen angels but the leader of the demons. Figures originally +separate have now fallen together while the various names have become +only different aliases of the one devil." [3] f + +Such mythological consolidation affecting the profile of the main +escharological opponent advances the dualistic thrust of the Slavonic +apocalypse and helps to secure Azazel's confrontational stand not only toward +Yahoel and Abral1am but, more importantly, toward the deity. + + +The Theophany of Azazel + + +The second, apocalyptic, section of the Slavonic pseudepigraphon begins +with a series of cryptic portrayals unve iling the Striking appearance and +the spectacular offices of Abraham's celestial guide, the angel Yahoel. Yet +in comparison with these disclosures about the great celestial being, the +figure of another important character in the story, the main adversary of + + +"The Likeness of Heaven" 17 + + +the text, the fallen angel Azazel, is shrouded in a cluster of even more +ambiguous and enigmatic descriptions. For unknown reasons, possibly +viewing the arch-demon's figure as providing one of the conceptual clues +ro understanding the mystery of the theo logical universe of the text, the +authors of the pseudepigraphon appea r very reluctant tO unveil and clarify +the exact status of their mysterious an tihero, instead offering to their readers +the rich tapestry of arcane traditions embroidered with the most recondite +imagery that can be found in the apocalypse. + +Yet despite the aura of co ncealment th at envelops the cryp tic profi le +of the arch-demon, the cosmic significance of th is perplexing character +peeps th rough various details of th e story. T hus, the very fi rs t lines of +chapter 13, which introduce Azazel to the audience, appear to him at him + +as a figure with a very special autho rity. His bold descent on the sacrifices +of the hero of the faith does not appear coincidental; the autho rs of the +Slavonic apocalypse may want to signal to their readers that Azazel is not +merely an abandoned, demoted creature, but rather an object of worship, +veneration, and sacrificial devotion, who possibly possesses an exalted +status and place tha t negatively replicate and mimic the authority and + +position of the de ity. +Many previous studies have shown conceptual links between Azazel +and Abraham,l; as well as parallels between Azazel and Yahoel. [36 ] Yet despite +the significance of these co mparative studies, which have been able tO clarify +conceptual symmetry between positive and negative protagonists of the stOry, +scholars have often neglected anothe r portentous parallelism fou nd in dle + +text-that is, the correspondence in the roles and attributes between the deity +and the demon. T he initial sign of this baffl ing dualistic symmetry appears +already tO be hinted at in the depictions of dle esch atOlogical lots, where the +portion of Azazel is exp licitly compared with the lot of the Almighty. Yet this +juxtaposition between the fallen angel and the Divinity can be considered +as rather schema tic. In this correspondence between the two portions of +humanity, one belonging tO God and the other to the demon, one might see +a merely metaphorical distinction th at does not inte nd tO fully match the +status and the attributes of the deity with the condition of Azazel; rather, it +simply hin ts at the demon's temporary role in the esch atological opposition. +A closer analysis of the text, however, reveals that the co mparisons between +God and Azazel have much broader co nceptual ramifica tions dl at appear tO + +transcend a purely metaphorical leve l, as the depictions of both characters +unveil striking theophanic similarities. An important feature in th is respect +is the peculiar imagery of the epiph anies of both characters unfolding in +the special circumstances of the ir fiery realms. + +It is intriguing that in the tex t, where the theophanic manifestations +of the deity are repeatedly portrayed as appearing in the midst of flames, +the presence of Azazel is also conveyed through similar imagery. + + +18 Dark Mirrors + + + +It has been previously noted that the imagery of fire plays an important +conceptual role in the Slavonic apocalypse. [37 ] It is often envisioned there as + +the substance predestined to examine the authen ticity of things and to test +their eternal status. _Apoc._ _Ab._ 7:2 relates that "the fire mocks with its flames +the things that perish easily." [38 ] Both a nimate and inanimate characters of +d1e story, including the infamous idols and their blasphemous makers, are +depicted in the text as undergoing fiery probes-the ominous tests that often + +lead them into their final catasrrophic demise. Thus, by means of fire, the +young hero of d1e faid1 "tests" d1e wooden stature of his fad1er, the idol +Bar-Eshad1, which the flames turn into a pile of ashes. Further, the craftsmen +of the idolatrous ligures themselves are not exempted from the fiery probes' +scruti ny. The first haggadic section of the text concludes with the blazing +ordeal during which the workshop of Terah is obliterated by fire sent by +God. Later, in the second, apocalyptic, section of the work, the patriarch +Abraham himself undergoes multiple fiery tests during his progress into the + +upper heaven. All these remarkable instances of the fiery annihilations of +certain characters of the story, and miraculous survivals of others, do not +appear coincidental. Scholars have previously noted that in the _Apocalypse of_ +_Abraham,_ as in several other apocalyptic texts, including Daniel _3_ or Ezekiel +28, fire serves as the ul timate test for distinguishing inauthentic and idolatrous +represen tations of the Divinity from its true COLmterparts. In accordance with +this belief, which often envisions the endu rance of the "true" things in the +flames, the very presence of the deity is repeatedly portrayed in the text as +situated in the stream of fire. Thus, already in chapter 8, which marks a +transition to the apocalyptic section of the work and narrates the patriarch's +response to the divine call in the courtyard of Terah's house, the divine +presence is depicted as "the voice of the Mighty One" coming down in a +stream of fire. [39 ] This self-disclosure of God in the midst of the theophanic +furnace becomes men a standard description adopted by the aumor(s) of + + + +the apocalypse to convey manifestations of the deity.f [0 ] + + + +In view of these peculiar theophanic tenets of the pseudepigraphon, +it is intriguing tha t some eschatOlogical manifestations of Azazel, similar to +d1e epiphanies of d1e deity, are depicted with fiery imagery. +Although in chapter 13 the patriarch sees Azazel in the fo rm of an +unclean bird, the apocalypse makes clear that this appearance does not + +reflect the true appearance of the demon, whose proper domain is designated +several times in the text as situated in the subterranean realm. [41 ] What is +striking is that in the antagonist's authentic abode, in the bell y of the earth, + +the domicile of the great demon is fashioned with the same peculiar visual +markers as the abode of the deity- that is, as being situated in the midst +of the theophanic furnace. +Thus, in Yahoel's speech found in chapter 14, which reveals the +true place of the chief antagonist, the arch-demon's abode is designated + + +"The Likeness of Heaven" 19 + + +as the furnace of the earthH Moreover, Azazel himself is portrayed as the +"burning coal" or the "firebrand" of th is infernal kilnY T his depiction of +Azazel glowing in the furnace of his own domain is intriguing. It evokes + +the peculiar memory of the fiery nature of the divine abode, which, in the +_Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ is portrayed as the upper furnace. The fiery natu re +of the heavenly plane is underlined multiple times in the text. It is notable +that the seer's progress into the domain of the deity is portrayed as h is +movement into the fie ry realm. Thus, in _Apoc. Ab._ 15 :3, the transition of +the hero and his guiding angel through the border of the heavenly realm +is portrayed as an entrance into fire: "[A]nd he carried me up to the edge +of the fie ry flame. And we ascended like great winds to the h eaven which +was fi xed on the expanses." [44 ] + +Then, in chapter 17, the readers again encounter this terrifying presence +of the celestial fu rnace as the flames envelop the visionary and his celestial +guide on their progress to the abode of the deity: + + +And while he was still speaking, behold, a fire was co ming toward +us round about, and a sound wa.s in the fi re like a sound of many +waters, like a sound of the sea in its uproar. _(Apoc. Ab._ 17:1 ). [45 ] + + +In 18:1, upon his en trance in to the celestial Holy of Ho lies, the +visionary again passes another fie ry threshold: "[W]hile I was still reciting +the song, the edge of the fire which was on the expanse rose up on high." [16 ] + +The fiery apotheosis reaches its pinnacle in chapter 18 where the +patriarch sees the deity's heavenly throne roo m. T he re, in the utmost +concealed d1eophanic locale, d1e seer beholds the very seat of the deity +fashioned from the substance of fi re: "And as the fi re rose up, soaring higher, + +l saw under the fire a throne [made] of fire and the many-eyed Wheels" +(Ajmc. _A_ _b._ 18:3).47 T his fiery nexus of the divine presence paradoxically +parallels the fiery nature of the antagonist's subterranean abode. +This striking imagery brings us back tO the Azazel tradition found in +_Apoc. Ab._ 14:5 where, according to some scholars, the demonic presence +is fashioned as the fi re of Hell. [48 ] This identification of Azazel's essence +through the imagery of the subterranean flames is intriguing in view of the +afo rementioned conceptual curre nts in which fire serves as a distinctive +theoph anic medium, expressing the very presence of the deity. Similar co +the deity who is depicted as d1e fire of heaven en throned on the seat of +flames, the demon is portrayed as the fire of the unde rwodd. +In th is respect it is also notewo rthy that, similar to the divine Voice, +the main theophanic expression of the deity in the book, which is depicted +as coming in a stream of fire, Azazel's aural expression is also conveyed +through si milar fi ery symbolism. Th us, _Apoc._ _Ab._ 31:5 speaks about "d1e +fire of Azazel's tongue" (Slav. oroHI, 513biKa A3a311JIOBa): + + +20 Dark Mirrors + + +And those who _follo-wed_ _after_ _the_ _idol.s_ and after their murders +will rot in the womb of the Evil One-the belly of AzaJel, and +_they_ _will_ _be_ _burned by the fire_ _of Azazel's tongue_ (naJIHMI:I orHeM'b +ll3h1Ka A3aJHJiona).49 + + +It is also interesting that, like the fire of God that destroys the idols +and idolaters alike in its flames, [50 ] the fire issuing from Azazel has power to +destroy those who "follow after the idt)ls." Though it is not entirely clear in + +this context if the fi re of Azazel is d1e fire of God, since in _Apoc._ Ab. 31:3, +the deity says that he has destined those who "mocked" him "to be food for +the fire of hell, and ceaseless soaring in the air of the underground clepths." [51 ] + + +The _Kavod_ of Azozel + + +Our previous exploration of the features of the text's infamous antagonist +showed that the authors of the apocalypse appear to envision Azazel as the +one who possesses d1eophanic attributes that mimic the attributes of d1e deity. +The impressive cluster of enigmatic traditions about the amibutes and +offices of the fallen angel that closely resemble their divine counterparts + +reaches its new paradoxa[ shape in chapter 23, where the hero of the faith +receives a vision of the prorological scene portraying the demon's corruption +of the proroplasts. + +Before examining this puzzling scene, something must be said about +the pecldiar arrangement of the patriarch's vision, during which the exalted +hero of the faith literally gazes into the abyss from the heights of his most +exalted position near the Throne of the deity. This enigmatic setting seems + +_w_ provide further support for rhe dualistic framework of the text with its +repeated parallelism of the lower and upper realms. + +In the beginning of this mys terious vision, the deity orders the seer ro +look beneath his fee t and "contemplate d1e creation." The apocalypse then +portrays Abraham looking beneath the expanse at his feet and beholding +what the text calls the "likeness of heaven." [52 ] This reference to the "likeness +of heaven" (Slav. no}.lo6ne ne6a) [53 ] has baffled the imagination of many +scholarsH because of the authors' decision to situate under the category of + +the "resemblance of heaven" the vision of the corrupted domain belonging +_w_ Azazel: + + +And I looked benead1 the expanse at my feet and I saw _the_ +_likeness_ _of heaven_ (noAo6ne He6a) and what was therein. And [I +saw) there the earth and its fruit:s, and its moving ones, and its +spiritual ones, and its host of men and their spiritual im pieties, +and their justifications, and + + +"The Likeness of Heaven" + + +the abyss and its torment, and its lower depths, and the perdition +which is in it. And I saw there the sea and its isla nd, and +its animals and its fishes, and Leviathan and his domain, and +his lair, and his dens, and the world which lies upon him, and +his motions and the destruction of the wo rld because of h im. +_(Apoc. Ab._ 21:2-4). [55 ] + + + +21 + + + +In this mysterious vision, which the patriarch receives from the highest +heaven gazing down in ro the abyss, the reader enco unters another dazzling +illustration of the dualistic vision of the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham._ + +Yet the most puzzling disclosure in the cluster of these myste ri ous +expositions about the "likeness of heaven" follows farther along in chapter + +23, where the visionary beholds Azazel's appearance under the paradisal Tree. +_Apoc._ _Ab._ 23:4- 11 unveils the following enigmatic tradition that draws +on peculiar prorological imagery: + + +And I looked at the picture, and my eyes ran to the side of +the garden of Eden. And I saw the re a man very great in +height and terrible in breadth, incomparable in aspect, entwined +(c1,nneTu.taC51) with a woman who was also equal to the man in +aspect and size. And they were standing under a tree of Eden, +and the fruit of the tree was like the appearance of a bunch +of grapes of the vine. And behind the tree was standing, as it +we re, a serpent in form, but having hands and feet like a man, +and wings on its shoulders: six on the right side and six on the + +left. And he was holding in his hands the grapes of the tree and +feeding the two whom I saw en twined with each other. And I +said, "Who are these two enttuined (c'hnneTu.taC51) with each +other, or who is this between them, or wh at is the frui t wh ich + +they are eating, Mighty Eternal One?" And he said, "This is the +reason of men, th is is Adam, and this is their desire on earth, +this is Eve. And he who is in between them is the Impiety of +the ir pursui ts for destruction, A zazel himself." [56 ] + + + +In this vision, which the patriarch receives while standing at the place +of God's theophany near the divine Th rone, Abraham beholds Azazel's + +protological manifestation in the lower realm where the demon's presence +is placed in the midst of the protoplasts. The depiction is also interesti ng +in th at it renders the abode of Azazel through the primordial imagery of +the Tree situated in the Garden of Eden. +There are no doubts that the text offers to its audience the portrayal +of the infamous Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil- the arboreal +symbol of the protological corruption of the fi rst hu ma n couple. The peculiar + + +22 Da rk Mirrors + + + +features of the scene, and the reference to the "grapes of vine" as the fruit +of the Tree, bring to memory the cluster of familiar motifs associated in the +Jewish lore with the legendary paradisal plant. While some features of the +scene look familiar, others are no r. One novel detail baffling the reader's + +imagination is the portrayal of Azazel. between the intertwined protoplasts +under the Tree. +This intriguing tradition has long puzzled students of the Slavonic +apocalypse. A lthough the image ry of the intertwined protoplasts is known +from Jewish and Christian lore about the se rpentine Eve,;; the depiction +found in the _Apocalypse of Abraham_ appears to unve il some novel, perplexing +symbolism. Some scholars have noted an erotic dimension in this portrayal +suggesting that the demon and the intertwined protoplasts form here some + +SOrt of a _menage a trois._ _;_ _[8 ]_ What might be the theological significance of this +ominous intercourse involving the demonic spirit and the human couple? + +Is it possible dlat, in th is scene depicting an enigmatic union of the +arch-demon and the protoplasts, one might have not merely a scandalous + +illustra tion of the protological corruption of the first humans, but also the +disclosure of one of the most mysterious and controversial epiphanies of Azazel? +If it is indeed possible, then here, as in some biblical and pseudepigraph ic +accounts, the erotic imagery and the symbolism of the conjugal union migh t + +be laden with theophanic significance. + +Moreover, if the epiphanic angle is indeed present in the prorological +scene, d1e arboreal imagery also appears to contribute to dlis theological +dimension. In this respect, the peculiar deta ils of Azazel's position between + +the protoplasts _under_ _tile_ _Tree_ might be invoking the memory of a peculiar +theophanic trend related to another prominent plant of the Garden of Eden, +the Tree of Life. + +In Jewish lore the Tree of Life often has a theophanic significance +described as the very special arboreal abode of the deity. In these traditions +God is depicted as resting on the cherub beneath the Tree of Life. These +tradi tions are found in a number of apocalyptic and mystical accounts. +T hus, for example, d1e Greek version; [9 ] of the _Life_ _of Adam and_ _Eve_ 22:3-4 +connects the theophany of the deity with the Tree of Life: + + +As God entered [the Garden,] the plants of Adam's portion +flowered but all mine were bereft of flowers. And the throne of +God was fixed where the Tree of Life was. [60 ] + + +A similar tradition is also found in 2 En. 8:3-4 where the Tree of Life again +is described as the abode of God: + + +And in the midst (of them was) the tree of life, at that place +where the Lord takes a res t when he goes into paradise. And + + +"The Likeness of Heaven" + + +that tree is indescribable for pleasantness and fine fragrance, and +more beautiful than any (other) created thing that exists. And +from every direction it has an appearance which is gold-looking +and crimson, and with the form of fi re. And it covers the whole +of Paradise. (2 En. 8:3-4, the longer recension) [6] [1 ] + + + +23 + + + +The tradition of the Divinity dwelling on the cherub under the Tree of +Life was not forgotten in later Jewish. mysticism where God's very presence, +h is _Shekhinah,_ is portrayed as resting on a cherub beneath the Tree of Life. +_3_ En. 5: l unveils the fo llowing tradition: + + +R. Ishmael said: Metatron, Prince of the Divine Presence, said + +to me: From the day that the Holy One, blessed be he, banished +the first man from the garden of Eden, the Shekhinah resided +on a cherub beneath the tree of life [61 ] + + +A striking feature of this account is that here, as in the classic +Ezekelian accounts, the cherubic creatu re represents the "angelic furniture" +th at functions as the seat of the deity. + +It is also intriguing that in the later Jewish mysticism it is not only +the Tree of Life but also the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, +that receives similar epiphan ic reinterpretation, being envisioned as the +symmetrical theophanic locale with its own cherubic servants. + +Thus, for example, the _Book_ _of Zollar_ l.237a unveils the following +enigmatic tradition about the symmetry of the upper and lower cherubim +explicitly associating the former with the Tree of Sin and Corruption: + + +Adam was punished for his sin, and brought death upon himself +and all the world, and caused that tree in regard to which he +sinned to be driven out along with him and his descendants for +ever. It says further that God "placed the cherubim on the east +of the garden of Eden"; these ·were the lower cherubim, for as +there are cherubim above, so there are cherubim below, and _he_ +_spread_ _this_ _tree_ _over_ _them._ _[63 ]_ + + +This passage is striking since it bri ngs tO memory the Tree of +Knowledge found in the Slavonic apocalypse, wh ich provided the shadow +for the protological couple holding in their midst the presence of Azazel. +lt is noteworthy that in the passage from the _Zohar_ the Tree of Knowledge +is now unambiguously associated with the angelic servants, designated as +the "lower cherubim." + +Keeping in mind this cryp tic tradition about the cherubic servants, +it is now time to return to the protological scene found in the Slavonic + + +24 Dark Mirrors + + + +apocalypse. TI1e subtle allusions to the cherubic imagery might also be present +in Azazel's epiphany in _Apoc._ _Ab._ 23 :4-ll, where he is depicted under the +Tree of Knowledge in the midst of the protoplasts. What is intriguing in the +description of Azazel here is that the presence of the evil spirit is manifested + + + +in the connubial union of the intertwined couple. + + + +It should be noted that the imagery of the intertwined primordial +couple holding the presence of the sp iri tual agent is qui te unique in the +Adamic lore. Yet it invokes the memory of another important theophanic +tradition of the divine presence, where God's presence is portrayed through +the imagery of the intertwined cherubic pair in the Holy of Holies. + +The treatise _Yoma_ of the Babylonian Talmud con tains two passages that +offer striking, if not scandalous, descriptions of the intertwisted cherubim in +the Holy of Holies. Thus, _b._ _Yoma_ 54a reads: + + + +R. Katrina said: Whenever Israel came up to the Festival, the +curtain would be removed for them and the Cherubim were +shown to them, whose bodies were intertwisted with one another, + +and they would be thus addressed: Look! You are beloved before +God as the love between man and woman. [61 ] + + + +This obscure passage relates an erotic union of the cherubic angelic +servants holding the presence of the deity. One might see here later rabbinic +innovations, which are far distant, or maybe even completely divorced, from +d1e early biblical tradition of d1e cherubim in the Holy of Holies. Still, +scholars have previously noted that early biblical accounts already hint at + +the ambiguous "proximity" of the famous chembic pair. Rachel Elior notes +that in some biblical materials "descriptions of them usually imply a posture +characterized by reciprocity or contact: 'they faced each other,' [6] ; or also 'their +wings touched each omer' [66 ] or were even joined [67 ] togemer." [68 ] While the early +traditions about the cherubim found "both in the Bible and elsewhere, imply +varying degrees of proximity and contact- later tradition was more explicit, +clearly indicating the identity of the cherubim as a mythical symbolization +of reproduction [69 ] and fe rtili ty, expressed in the form of intertwined male +and female."i [0 ] + + + +In _b._ _Yoma_ 54b the tradition of the intertwisted cherubim is repeated + + + +again: + + + +Resh Lakish said: When me heathens entered me Temple and saw +the Cherubim whose bodies were intertwisted wim one another, +they carried them om and said: These Israelites, whose blessing +is a blessing, and whose curse is a curse, occupy themselves with +such th ings! And immediately they despised them, as it is said: + + +"The Likeness of Heaven" + + +All th at honored her, despised her, because they have seen her +nakedness. [11 ] + + + +25 + + + +Rachel Elior argues rhat the description of rhe intertwined cherubim +found in rhe Talmud suggests "a cultic, mys tical representation of myths of +_hieros gamos_ _,_ the sacred union or heavenly matrimony." [12 ] It is also apparent +that this veiled imagery of the cherubic union has theophanic significance +as it expresses in itself rhe manifestation of the divine presence-the feature +especially evident in _b._ _Yoma_ 54a with its motifs of the removal of the +curtain and the revelation of the cherubim on Yom Kippur. It is therefore +clear rhat the tradition of the intertwined cherubim is envisioned here as + + + +a rheophanic symbol. + + + +In view of these developments, it is quite possible tha t this theophanic +dimension of the conjugal union might be also negatively evoked in rhe +depiction of the intertwined protoplasts in chapter 23 of d1.e _Apocalypse_ +_of Abraham._ Could it be possible that the erotic ordeal of the protological +couple holding in their midst rhe presence of Azazel somehow serves as a + +negative counterparr of the cherubic couple holding the divine presence in +the Holy of Holies? Can Adam and Eve be understood here as the ''lower +che rubim" overshadowed by rhe Tree of Knowledge, the Adamic tradition +explicitly articulated in _Zolwr_ 1.237, and maybe already hin ted at in the +_Apocalypse_ _of Abraham?_ +Wh at is also fascinating in the ve iled description in chapter 23 is that +the mysterious shape of Azazel situated under the Tree appears in itself to +point to the unity of the cherubic couple, as his form combines some attributes +of rhe two cherubim joined rogethern The passage says that the demon has +twelve wings-six on rhe right side of his body and six on rhe left side: [74 ] + + + +And behind the tree was standing, as it were, a serpent in. form, +but having hands and feet like a man, and wings on its shoulders: +six on rhe right side and six on the leftY + + +It is noteworthy that earlier in d1.e text, when Abraham sees the "Living +Creatures of the Cherubim" in the heavenly Throne Room, he reports that +each of rhem has six wings: + + +And under the throne (I saw) four singing fiery Liv ing +Creatures . . . and each one had six wings: from their shoulders, + and from their loins. _(Apoc._ A.b. 18:3-6) [76 ] + + +These baffling attributes of the demon are intriguing and, in view of +the aforementioned theophanic traditions, it is possible th at Azazel here + + +26 Dark Mirrors + + +attempts to mimic the divine presence represented by the cherubic couple + +in the Holy of Holies by oflering his own demonic version of the sacred +matrimony_;; Here the Adversary, who according to the Slavonic apocalypse +appears to have his own _Kavod,_ [18 ] given tO him by God, possibly intends + +co fashion h is own presence in a dualistic symmetrical correlation with the +divine theophany d·tac takes place between two intertwined angelic creatures. + + +Conclusion + + +In conclusion of our study of the dualistic tendencies found in the _Apocalypse_ +_of Abraham,_ we should say that the exact nature and possible sources of these +conceptual developments remain shrouded in mystery. A number of studies +have previously sough t co explicate the dualistic tenets found in the Slavonic + +translations of several pseudepigraph ical works, including the _Apocalypse_ _of_ +_Abraham_ and _2 Enoch,_ through their alleged connections with the Bogomil +movement, a dualistic sect that flourished in the Balkans in the late middle +ages. These studies argued that the _Apocalypse_ _of Abmham_ might contain + +Bogomil dualistic interpolations. [79 ] Recent scholarsh ip, however, is increasingly +skeptical of such radical proposals and generally finds li ttle or no connection + +between the aforemen tioned pseudepigrapha and the Bogomil movement. [80 ] + +Our research helps further question the validity of the "Bogomil +hypothesis," noting the conceptual complexity of the dualistic tenets in +dle Slavonic apocalypse and their reliance on auth entic Jewish traditions. +The consistency and paramount significance of these developments for the +overall conceptual framework of the pseudepigraphon suggests that they do +not represent seconda1y additions and interpolations, bur rather embody the +main theological tendency of rhe Slavonic pseudepigraphon. This peculiar +ideological trend shows remarkable similarities to the Palestinian dualism +reflected in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the dualistic cunents manifested in +the later Jewish mystical literature. [81 ] + +In view of these prominent developments, it is quite possible that +dle _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ in itself can represent an important conceptual +bridge between the earl y Palesti nian dualistic currents found in the Qumran +documents and their later rabbinic counterparts. Addi tional investigation +of the dualistic profile of the text's chief an tagonist will further clarify the + +true extent and nature of these significant theological advancemen ts in the +Slavonic apocalypse. + + +**Eschatological Yom Kippur** **in** **the** + +_**Apocalypse**_ _**of Abraham**_ + +**The** Scapegoat **Ritual** + + +[A)ncl as the priest casts lots below so the Priest casts lots above; and just as +below one is left for the Holy One and one is thrust out to the wilderness, +so above one remains with the Holy One, blessed be He, and one goes + +forth into the supernal wilderness. + + +_-_ _Zohar_ lll.63a + + +Introduction + + + +In the second part of the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ its hero-the patriarch +Abraham-encounters an angelic being appointed by God to be his celestial +guide. This creature, named in the apocalypse as the angel Yahoel, baffles + +the seer's imagination with his enigmatic appearance. The text describes +him as a composite pteromorphic being with a body shining like sapphire [1 ] + +and a face resembling chrysolite. [2 ] The wardrobe of the angel also appears +wondrous. Dressed in purple garments, he wears a turban reminiscent of "dle +bow in the clouds." [3 ] Ab raham also sees a golden staff in the righ t hand of + + + +his celesti al companion. + + + +Scholars have previously noted the sacerdotal significance of the angel's +attire. [4 ] Thus, Martha Himmelfarb argues th at Yahoel's "wardrobe has strong +priestly associations. The linen band around his head reca lls Aaron's headdress; +of fine linen (Exod 28:39)." [6 ] Other details of the angel's appearance also +reveal his connections with the pries tl y office. Himmelfarb reminds us that +the purple of Yahoel's robe betrays connections to one of the colors of the +high priestly garments of Exodus 28 [7 ] The angel's golden staff also seems + +to have a sacerdotal meaning, invoking the memory of Aaron's rod which + + + +27 + + +28 Dark Mirrors + + + +miraculously sp routed in the wilderness after Korah's rebe llion "to indicate +the choice of Aaron and his descendants as priests (Num 17: 16-26)." [8 ] + +Himmelfarb also brings attention to the rainbow-like appearance of +Yahoel's turban, which, in her opinion, "brings together the two central +color schemes employed elsewhere in che description of God as high priest, + + + +whiteness and the multicolored glow." [9 ] + + + +Indeed, the tradition about "the rainbow in the cloud" associated +with the headgear of the highest ranking sacerdotal servant is known from +several texts, including the description of the high priest Simon in the +Wisdom of Jesus ben Sira 50:7. [10 ] Lacer rabbinic traditions [11 ] describe the +high priest's front-plate (f'!:t), which he wore on his foreheadn Made of +gold and inscribed with the divine Name, the plate shone like a rainbow.'3 + +The priestly affi liations of Abraham's celestial guide are not coincidental. +He appears in the crucial juncture of lhe story at wh ich the young hero of +tile faith has just left his father's destroyed sanctuary, which had been polluted +by idolatrous worship, and is now called by God "to set a pure sacrifice" + +before the deity. In mis respect Yahoel appears to be envisioned in the text +not merely as an _angelus_ interp1·es whose role is tO guide a visionary on his +heavenly journey, but as a priesdy figure initiating an apprentice into celestial +sacerdotal praxis. Scholars have previously reflected on the peculiar cul tic + +routine that surrOLmds the relationship between Abraham and his celestial +guide as he explains tO the seer how tO prepare the sacrifices, deliver praise + +tO the deity, and enter the heavenly Throne room. Indeed, the intensity +of these sacerdotal instructions and preparations hin ts at the importance +of priestly praxis for the overall conceptual framework of the text. It also +appears that in the _Apocalypse of Abraham,_ as in many other Jewish accounts, + +including I Enoch 14 and the _Teswme11t_ _of Levi_ 8, the entra nce of a seer +into the celestial realm reveals the cultic dimension and is envisioned as +a visitation of the heavenly Temple. Thus, scholars have previously noted +that the authors of the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ seem to view heaven as a +temple. [14 ] This emphasis on the links of priestly praxis with the heavenly +sanctuary [15 ] does not appear coincident al in such a text as the _Apocalypse_ _of_ +_Abraham,_ which was written in a very special period of Jewish history. It was +a time when, faced wi th a wide array of challenges revolving around the loss +of the terrestrial sanctuary, the authors of the Jewish apocalyp tic writings + +were seeking various theological alternmives for preserving and perpetuating +traditional priestly practices. The _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ is drawing on one +such option connected with the idea of the celestial sanctuary represented + +by the divine Chariot when it offers the story of the young hero of the +faith who travels from the destroyed terrestrial shrine polluted by idols tO +the heavenly Temple. + + +Eschatological Yom Kippur 29 + + + +Indeed, priestly concerns permeate not only the second apocalyptic +section of the text, which deals with the patriarch's transition into the +heavenly realm, but the fabric of the entire pseudepigraphonl [6 ] It has also +been previously noted that besides Yahoel, whom the tex t envisions as +the heavenly high priest _par_ _excellence,_ the _Apocalypse_ _of_ Abraham offers +an extensive roster of other priestly characters, including "fallen" priests +culpable tor perverting true worship and polluting heaven ly and terrestrial +shrines. Thus, Daniel Harlow observes that besides the two "positive" priestly +servants represented by the high priest Yahoel and h is priestly apprentice +Abraham, the _Apocal.ypse of Abraham_ also offers a gallery of negative priestly +figures, including the "idolatrous priests" Terah and Nahor [17 ] as well as the +"fallen priest" Azazel. ' [8 ] Harlow's observation is sound and one can safely + +assume that all the major characters of the Slavonic apocalypse have +priestly affiliations. +All these details demonstrate the importance of priestly praxis in the +conceptual framework of the Slavonic apocalypse, a work written at a time +overshadowed by the challenging quest for priestly and liturgical options + + + +that could compensate for the loss of the terrestrial sanctuary. + + + +Wh ile identifying the priestly settings of the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ +does not pose sign ificant difficulties, understanding the relationship between +these sacerdotal rituals and initiations and a particular cultic setting or +festival is more challenging. To what kind of Jewish festival might the order +of Abraham's sac rifices and initiations be related? Several possibilities have +been entertained. Ryszard Rubinkiewicz suggests dlat the priestly initiations of +Abraham could be connected with the feast of _Sluwuot_ or Pentecost, which +commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. [19 ] To support this +hypothesis, Rubinkiewicz appeals to certain "Mosaic" details of Abraham's +priestly initiation, including references to the seer's forty-day fast and the +naming of the place of the patriarch's sacrifices as Horeb. +Whi le these hints of a _Shavuot_ setring are valid, given the aforementioned +complexity of the sacerdotal universe of the Slavonic apocalypse, it is possible + +that the priestly traditions found in the text are not limited to only one +particular setting or festival but possibly reflect connections with several events +of the liturgical yea r. Thus, some orl1er symbolic features of the Slavonic + +apocalypse, including the figure of the main antagonist of the story, Azazel, +as well as pervasive usage of the terminology of two lots, suggest that the +imagery of the distinctive rites taking place on the Day of Atonement might +play a significant role in the authors' theological woddview. + +This chapter examines the peculiar priestly traditions found in the +_Apocalypse of Abraham_ that might reflect a Yom Kippur liturgical setting. The +study will also try tO show that some portions of the second, apocalyptic part + + +30 Dark Mirrors + + +of the pseudepigraphon can be seen as a reenactment of the Yom Kippur +ritual, one of the most enigmatic cultic ceremonies of the Jewish tradition. + + +Mosaic Background of Abraham's Priestly Initiations + +a nd the Day of Atonement + + + +C hapters 9-12 describe the beginning t)f Abraham's priestly initiation, during + +which Yahoel teaches the young hero of the faith how tO prepare sacrifices +in order to enter the presence of the deity. Scholars ha ve previously observed +that some details of this initiation recall the story of another remarkable +visionary of the Jewish tradition-the son of Amram, the seer who was +privileged ro receive a very special revelation on Mount Sinai. + +As was already mentioned, the liturgical setting of Abraham's priestly +initiation might be related to the Festival of Weeks-Sha~mot or Pentecost. [20 ] + +This feast celebrates Moses's reception of revelation at Mount Sinai and is +also known in Jewish tradition as the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah. + +Indeed, as many scholars have already noted, some motifs found in +the _Apocal.ypse_ _of Abraham_ appear to reflect the peculiar deta ils surrounding +the reception of the Torah on S inai by the great Israelite prophet. One of +the distinctive hints here for establishing the connection with the Mosaic +traditions is the theme of Abraham's forty-day fast. + +This motif is fi rst introduced in _Apoc._ _Ab._ 9:7, where God orders +Abraham to hold a strict fast for forty days.Z [1 ] It is noteworthy that, as in +the Mosaic traditions, so in the Slavonic apocalypse this fast coincides with +the promise of a divine revelation on a high mountain: + + +But for forty days abstain from every food which issues from fire, +and from the drinking of wine, and from ano inting [yourse lf] +with oil. And then yo u shall set out for me the sacrifice which +I have commanded you, in the place which I shall show you +on a high mounrain.2 [2 ] + + +The theme of the forty-day fast on the mountain receives an even more +distinctly "Mosaic" shape in chapter 12, where it coincides with anod1er +cluster of Mosaic traditions, including the reference to Horeb (a name for +Sinai in some biblical passages) and information about the nourishment of +a seer through the vision of a celestial being: + + +And we went, the two of us alone rogether, forty days and nights. +And I ate no bread and drank no wate r, because [my] food was tO +see the angel who was with me, and his speech with me was my +drink. And we came to the glorious God's mountains-Hereb Y + + +Eschatological Yom Kippur 31 + + +Scholars often see in th is passage an allusion to Exodus 34:28, [24 ] wh ich repom + +th at Moses was with God fony clays and forty nights on Mount Sinai without +eating bread or drinking water. [25 ] The reference _w_ alternative nourish ment +through the vision of a celesti al being again evokes the cluster of interpretive +traditions associated in Second Temple [26 ] and rabbinic literature [27 ] with the +figure of Moses. +Although the biblical accounts of Moses's and Elijah's theophanic +experiences often "mirror" each other by sharing similar imagery, [28 ] David + +Halperin argues that in the _Apocal)•pse_ _of Abraham_ Mosaic traditions have +greater formative value than traditions about Elijah. He notes that + + +when the angel tells Abraham that he will see God "come suaight +towards us" (chapter 16), this reminds us that God "passes by" +both Moses and Elijah (Exod 33:22; 34:6; I Kgs 19:1 1- 12). But +it is only Moses who is told in this connection dlat "you cannot +see my face" and "my face shall not be seen" (33:20, 23), just +as the angel goes on to tell Abraham that God "Himself thou +shalt not see." Moses, not Elijah, "bowed down upon the earth +and prostrated himself" when God passed (34:8)-which explains +Abraham's frustrated urge to do the sa me thing (chapter 17). [29 ] + + +Previous studies have convincingly demonstrated the imporrance of +Mosaic typology for the authors of the _Apocalypse of Abraham,_ who decided +to transfer several im portant Mosaic motifs into Abraham's story. Yet, despite +scholars' thorough attention to the Mosaic background of the swry, one vital +detail appears to have escaped their notice: Moses's forty-day fast occurred +immediately after h is fight with idolatry and his destruction of the Golden +Calf, when he returned to Sinai again to receive a second set of tablets + +from the deity. +It is intriguing that in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ as in the Exodus +account, the fo rty-day fast follows the hero's battle wi th idolatry. One can +see a certain parallelism between the stories of the two visionaries. Like +Moses who burns the Golden Calf (Exod 32) and then fasts (Exod 34), +Abraham too is desc ribed earlier in the text as burning the idol of his father, +a figurine bearing the name Bar-Eshath. [30 ] It is important that in both cases +the transition tO the initiatOry purifying fast occurs immediately after the +accounts dealing with idolatry and the demotion of idols. +The tradition of the hero's fast that occurs after his fight with an +idolatrous statue betrays distinctly priestly concerns and appears important +for discerning the sacerdotal background of Abraham's srory and its possible +connections widl Day of Atonement traditions. Yet the main question remains +open: How can a Yom Kippur setting be reconciled with the Mosaic details +of Abraham's initiation, given that these details point unambiguously to the + + +32 Da rk Mirrors + + +cluster of motif~ associated with the _Shavuot_ festival which celebrates Moses's +reception of the Tablets of the Law? +It is intriguing that later rabbinic writers identify the day on which +Moses received the tablets of the law for a second rime with ano ther +Jewish festival, the Day of AtOnement. T hus _b._ _Baba_ _Barra_ 12la records + +dle following tradition: + + +One well understands why the Day of Atonement [should be +such a festive occasion for it is) a day of pardon and fo rgiveness. + +[And it is also) a day on which the second Tables were given. [31 ] + + +An almost identical tradition is found in _b._ _Taanit_ JOb: + + +R. S imeon b. Gamaliel said: There never were in Israel greater +days of joy than the fifteenth of Ab and the Day of Atonement. +I can understand the Day of Atonement, because it is a day of +forgiveness and pardon and on it the second Tables of the Law +we re given. [32 ] + + +It appears that this cluster of traditions about the "day of pardon and +forgiveness" draws on biblical traditions similar to the one found in Exodus + +32:30, where, after the idolatry of the Golden Calf, Moses te lls the people +th at he will go to the Lord asking for atOnement of their sin. + +Several midrashic passages make even more explicit this connection +between the repentance of the Israelites after the idolatry of the Golden Calf +in Exodus 33 and the establishment of Yom Kippur. ln these materials the +Israelites' repentance serves as the formative starting point for observance +of the Day of Atonement. Thus, _Eliyyahu_ _Rabbah_ I 7 reads: + + +Wh.en Israel were in the wilderness, they befouled themselves +with their misdeeds, but then they bestirred themselves and +repented in privacy, as is said, Whenever Moses went our ro the +Tent, all dle people would rise and stand, each at dle entrance +of his tent, and gaze after Moses **.** And when Moses entered the +tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance +of the Tent .... When all the people saw dle pillar of cloud + +poised at the entrance of the Tent, all the people would rise +and bow low, each at the entrance of his tent (Exod 33:8, _9,_ + +10), thus intimating tha t they repented, each one in the privacy +of h is tent. Therefore His compassion flooded up and He gave +to them, tO their children, and to their children's children ro + + +Eschatological Yom Kippur + + +the end of all generations the Day of Atonement as a means of +securing His pardon Y + + + +33 + + + +It is notewo rthy that this passage from _Eliyyahu_ _Rabbah_ invokes the memory +of the familiar events found in Exodus 33 that occurred immediately after the +Golden Calf episode. [34 ] The midrash ic evidence indicates that the rabbinic + +tradition attemp ts repeatedly to place the institution of Yom Kippur's aton ing +rites into the framework of the tradi tions surrounding Moses's reception of +the seco nd set of the Tablets of the Law. +A passage found in Piri12 + + + +This identification of the positive lot wi d1 the lot of God is also present in + + + +the Qumran materials. [13 ] + + + +While the parallels between rhe imagery of the lots found in the +_Apocalypse of Abraham_ and in Qumran. materials have often attracted scholars' +attention, they have often failed to discern the pronounced similarities with +the rabbinic developments. Yet the intriguing details in the descriptions of +the lots in the Slavonic apocalypse seem _w_ point to close connections with +later rabbinic reinterpretations of Yom Kippur imagery found in the Mishnah +and the Talmud. A captivating parallel here involves the spatial arrangement +of the lots on the left and right sides, fo und both in the Slavonic apocalypse + + + +and in rabbinic materials. + + + +A passage found in _Apoc._ _Ab._ 22 portrays two portions of humanity +arranged according to the two lots and situated on the left and righ t sides: + + + +And he said to me, "These who are on the left side are a + +multitude of tribes who we re before and who are destined tO be +after you: some for judgment and justice, and others for revenge +and perdition at the end of the age. Those on the righ t side of + +the picture are the people set apart for me of the people [that +are] with Azazel. These are the ones I have destined to be born +of you and ro be called my people." [14 ] + + +In _Apoc. Ab._ 27:1- 2 and 29:11, this division of the two lots arranged on +the left and right is repeated again: + + +And I looked and saw, and behold, the picture swayed, and a +heathen people went out from its left side and they captured + +those who were on the right side: the men, women, and children. +And some they slaughtered and others they held with them. +(Apoc. _Ab._ 27:1- 2) + + +42 Da rk Mirrors + + +And th at you saw going out from d1e left side of the picture and + +those worsh iping him, this [means mat] many of rlle heathen +will hope in him. _(Apoc_ _. Ab._ 29:11) + + + +It should be noted d1at while in the Qumran materials rlle spatial arrangement +of the lots on the left and right sides does nor play any important theological + +role, such a distinction receives its paramount ClJtic significance in the +rabbinic descriptions of rlle Yom Kippur custom of the selection of rlle goats. n + +In rllis respect it is intriguing tha t the spatial arrangement of the lots +on d1e left and the right sides in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ is reminiscent +of the descriptions found in rlle mishnaic treatise _Yoma_ _,_ where the ritual +selection of two goats-one for YHWH and the oilier for Azazel-also +operates wirll rlle symbolism of the left and right sides. + +Thus in m. _Yoma_ 4 :1 the following tradition is found: + + +He shook the casket and took up the two lots. On one was +written "For d1e Lord," and on the oilier was written "For Azazel." +The prefect was on his right and d1e chief of his farller's house +on his left. If the lot bearing the Name came up in his right + +hand the Prefect would say to him, "My lord High Priest, raise +thy righ t hand"; and if it came up in his left hand the chief of + +the fa ther's house would say tO him, "My lord High Priest, raise +thy left hand." He put them on d1e two he-goats and said "A +sin-offering ro the Lord." [16 ] + + + +Al though rlle passage from Mishnah does not openly identify rlle right side + +wid1 rlle divine lot, as does the Slavonic apocalypse, d1e Babylonian Talmud +makes this connection explicit. Thus _b._ _Yoma_ 39a reads: + + + +Our Rabbis taught: T hroughout the forty years that Simeon the + +Righteous ministered, d1e lot ["For the Lord"] would always co me +up in the righ t hand; from th at rime on, it would co me up now +in the righ t hand, now in the left. And [during the same time) +the crimson-colored strap would become white. From that time +on it would at times become white, at others not.l [7 ] + + + +This imagery of the selection of the goats in rabbinic materials, in +which the scapegoat is placed on the left and the goat fat the Lord on the +righ t, recalls the spatial arrangement of the lots in rlle Slavonic apocalypse +where the divine lot is similarly situated on the right side and rlle lot of +A z.azel on the left side. [18 ] + + +Eschatologic al Yom Kippur + + +Reenactment of the Yom Kippur Festival in the +Apocalypse of Abra ham : The Scapegoat Ritual + + +The High Priest and Azazel + + + +43 + + + +As in rhe Enochic tradition where the profiles of both protagonists [19 ] and +antagonists [80 ] often reveal their cultic affi liations, in the Slavonic apocalypse +too both Azazel and Abraham are envisioned as priestly figures. As has +already been mentioned, this sacerdotal vision permeates rhe fabric of the +entire pseudepigraphon, in which all main characters are endowed with cultic + +roles. The most spectacular cultic attributes are, of course, given to Yahoel, +who is presented in rhe text as the heavenly high priest and the celestial +choirmaster. The repeated instructions about sacri ficial ri tes and proper +liturgical procedures that he conveys to h is human apprentice, Ab raham, +reveal Yahoel as the most distinguished sacerdotal figure of the story. It is +possible that, in his role as instructor and revealer of cultic mysteries, Yahoel +discloses his teachings to the patriarch not only in speech but also th rough +direct participation in priestly praxis. One such instance may be seen in +chapters 13 and 14 of rhe Slavonic apocalypse, where Yahoel appears tO + +perform one of the central ordinances of the Yom Kippur aton ing ceremony, +in which impurity is transferred onto Azazel and the scapegoat is dispatched +into the wilderness. + +Thus, in _Apoc. Ab._ 13:7- 14, the following arcane encounter between +rhe high priest Yahoel and the scape·goat Azazel can be found: + + +"Reproach is on you, Azazel! Since Abraham's portion is in +heaven, and yours is on earth, since you have chosen it and +desired it tO be the dwelling place of your impurity. T herefore +the Eternal Lord, the Mighty One, has made you a dweller on +earth. And because of you [there is) the wholly-evil spirit of + +the lie, and because of you [there are) wrath and trials on the +generations of impious men. Since the Eternal Mighty God did + +not send the righ teous, in their bodies, to be in your hand, in +order to affirm through them the righteous life and dle destruction +of impiety .... Hear, adviser! Be shamed by me, since you have +been appointed to tempt not _w_ all the righteous! Depart from + +this man! You can not deceive **him,** because he is rhe enemy of +you and of dlose who fo llow you and who love wh at you desire. +For behold, rhe garment which in heaven was formerl y yours has +been set aside for him, and the corruption which was on him +has gone over tO you." [81 ] + + +44 Dark Mirrors + + +In view of the cultic affi liations of Yahoel, it is possible th at his +address to the scapegoat has a ritual significance, since it appears to be + +reminiscent of some of the actions of the high priest on Yom Kippur. TI1.e +first thing that draws attention is that Yahoel's speech contains a command +of departure: "Depart from this man!" Crispin Fletcher-Louis has noted a +possible connection between this command found in _Apoc._ _Ab._ 13:12 and +the dispatching formula given to the scapegoat in m. _Yoma_ 6:4: "Take our +sins and go forth ." [8] 2 + +Scholars have also pointed out that some technical terminology found +in chapter 13 appears to be connected with Yom Kippur terminology. Daniel +Stokl draws attention to the expression about "sending" thi ngs to Azazel +in _Apoc._ _Ab._ 13:10, [83 ] which Alexander Kulik traces to the Greek term +&.n:o01:£A./,oo or Hebrew n '/(0. [84 ] Stokl proposes that this terminology "might +allude tO the sending out of the scapegoat." [85 ] + +The phrase "dwelling place of your im purity" is also noteworthy since +it alludes to the "purgation" function of the scapegoat ceremony, the rite +that centered on removing the impurity heaped on the sacrificial animal ro +the "dwelling" place of the demon in the wi lderness. + +The putting of reproach and shame on Azazel in _Apoc._ _Ab._ 13:7 and +13:11 may also relate to the ritual curses bestowed upon the scapegoat. +Another imponan t detail of Yahoel's speech is the angel's mention +that the co rruption of the fo refather of the Israelite nation is transferred +now ro Azaze L + +Reflecting on th is utterance of rhe great angel, Robert Helm sees its +connection to the Yom Kippur settings by proposing that "the transference +of Abraham's co rruption to Azazel may be a veiled reference to the scapegoa t + +rite." [86 ] Similarly, Lester Grabbe also argues that d1.e phrasing in the statement +th at "Abraham 's corruption h as 'gone over ro' Azazel suggest[s] an act of +atonement." [81 ] + +It is also possible tha t the high priest Yahoel is performing here the +so-called "transference function"- the crucial part of the scapegoat ritualwhen the h igh priest conveys d1.e sins of Israel onto the head of the goat +d1rough confession and the laying-on of hands. [88 ] + + +Abraham and the Scapegoat + + +It is quite clear that in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ Yahoel functions as a +senior priest explaining and demonstrating rituals to a junior sacerdotal +servant-Abraham. [89 ] This parallelism between the instructions of the master +and the actions of the appremice is manifested already in the beginning of +the apocalyptic section of the text, where the patriarch fa ithfully follows + + +Eschatological Yom Kippur 45 + + +the orders of his angelic guide about the preparation of the sacrifices. + + +In this stunning passage, the visionary acquires a glorious robe- an event +tied to a whole array of subtle allusions to the actions and attributes of the +high priest. The ves tment's glo rious na ture invokes the memory of the first +humans' garments, and a series of other prorological markers reinforce this +connection. One such hint may be th.e olive branch, wh ich possibly refers +CI)'Ptically both to a menorah and to rhe Tree of Life, and thus provides an + +important conceptual bridge that helps to unify the narrative's protological +and sacerdotal dimensions. + +In 2 En. 22, the visionary's reception of the glorious garment again +appears alongside a cluster of cultic and protological motifs. 2 En. 22:9 +depicts Enoch's anival into the deity's abode. This entrance into the divine +presence necessitates an adjustment in Enoch's wardrobe. Then the archangel +Michael extracts Enoch from his clothes and anoints him with delightful +oil. This oil is "greater than the greatest light and its ointment is like sweet +dew, and the fragrance [like] myrrh; and it is like rays of the glittering +sun." [56 ] This anointing transforms the patriarch, whose garments of skin are + + +The Garme nt of Azazel 63 + + +replaced by the luminous garment of an immortal angelic being, one of the +glorious ones. As in the _Testament of Levi,_ the unity of the story's sacerdotal + +and protological dimensions is secured through. the pivotal arboreal symbol: +thus, it appears that that the oil used in Enoch's anointing comes from the +Tree of Life, which in _2_ En. 8:3-4 is depicted with a sim ilar symbolism: + + +[T]he tree [of life] is indescribable for pleasantness and tine +fragrance, and more beautiful than any (od1er) created ming that +exists. And from every direction it has an appearance which is +gold-looking and crimson, and wid1 the form of tire Y + + +The shoner recension refers to a second olive tree, near the first, which +is "flowing with oil continually." [58 ] Here, as in the _Teswment_ _of_ Levi, the +adepc's initiation and re-dressing coincides wid1 h is anointing, which tries +to unify several theological dimensions, sacerdotal as we ll as protological. In +this respect, Enoch's investiture with celestial garments and anointing with +shining oil represents not only his priestly ini tiation, but the restOration of +fallen humanity. + +The _Primary_ _Adam_ _Bool and from their loins _(Apoc._ _Ab._ 1 8:3-6).~ + + +The Garment of Azazel 71 + + +Another intriguing detail of th e accoum fo und in the Primary _Adam_ +_Books_ is that, dudng the first and second temptations of the protoplasts, +Satan's ange lic shape is described as lum inous in nature. The first temptation + +underlines the fact that the Deceiver came "with radiance." Eve's second +temptation refers again tO Satan's splendid attire; this detail may hint at the +fact that the assumption of angelic form is understood as wearing a garment, +and this attire might parallel the fi rst hu mans' luminous vestments. This +understanding of luminous angelic form as "garment" is especially evident +in the Georgian version of the second temptation, which openly refers tO +the Adversary's angelic form as his clothes or h is "garment": + + +When the twelve days of his weeping were completed, the devil + +trembled and changed his shape and his clothes by his artful +deceit. He went close to Eve, on the Tigris river, and stood + +beside the bank. He was weeping and had his fa lse tears dripping +(trickli ng) down on his garment and from his garment down to + +the ground. T hen he told Eve, "Come our of that water (where +you are) and srop your tribulations, fo r God has hearkened to +you r penitence and to Adam your husband." [81 ] + + +Satan's Theriomorphic Garment + + +The scene of the first temptation and seduction of the protOplast without +doubt represents one of the most intense conceptual crossroads manifesting +the transformational capacities of the antagonist. Hence, it is little surprise +that, similarly to Satan's first dissembling in angelic garments-which took +place for d1e first t ime during d1e seduction of d1e proroplasts- the transition +to an animal garment is also found here. + +Primary _Adam Books_ 44 has Satan abandoning his angelic manifestation +and entering the animal form of a serpenf [5 ] in order to deceive the protoplasts. +Yet Satan's new idemity is not entirely unambiguous, since pseudepigraphic +and rabbinic accounts often provide various interpretations of the serpent's +gender. Some of these sources seem to unde rstand the serpent as an +androgynous creature, whose ski n God later used to create the "garments" +of both Adam and Eve. The tradition of clothing the first humans in the +"attire" of d1e serpent is especially intriguing in light of Satan's acquisition +of the same garments in the _Primary_ _Adam_ _BooiQ~ Stone observes that in the Primm'Y _Adam_ + +_Books,_ + + +Satan says to the serpent, according to the Greek, "be my vessel +and I will speak through your mouth words to deceive them." The +word "vessel" seems to imply the idea of possession . ... Satan +is identical for all practical purposes with the serpent; Satan +enters or possesses the serpent and speaks through its mouth; + +the serpent is Satan's instrument or toot.9 [1 ] + + +Scone discerns a similar development in the _Pirke_ _de_ _Rabbi_ Eliezer 13, where +Samael "rides" the serpent as a camel. [98 ] He notes that the chapter 13 opens +with + + +the theme of angelic jealousy of Adam and Adam's superiori ty + +tO the angels in h is ability tO name d1e animals. The fall of the +archangel Samael is described, toged1er with h is host. He found + +the serpent, and "its likeness was like a sort of camel and he +mounted it and rode it." This relationship is likened to that of +a horse and a rider (cf. Exod 15:1, 21). [99 ] + + + +_Zolutr_ 1.35b, attesting a sim ilar tradition, also understands Samael/Satan as + +the "rider" of the serpent: + + + +R. Isaac said: "Th is is the evil tempter." R. Judah said that it +means literally a serpent. TI1ey consulted R. Simeon, and he +said to them: "Both are correct. It was Samael, and he appeared +on a serpent, for the ideal form of the serpent is the Satan. + +We have learnt d1at at that moment Samael came down from +heaven riding on this serpent, and all creatures saw his fo rm +and fled before h im.'' [1][00 ] + + + +The same mystical compendium depicts Azazel as a rider on d1e serpent: + + +Now observe a deep and holy mystery of faith, the symbolism +of the male principle and the female principle of the universe. + +In the former are comprised all holinesses and objects of faith, +and all life, all freedom, all goodness, all ill uminations emerge +from thence; all blessings, all benevolent dews, all graces and + + +The Garment of Azazel + + + +77 + + + +kindnesses-all d1ese are generated from that side, which is called +the South. Contrariwise, from the side of the Norrh there issue +a variety of grades, extending downwards, to the world below. +This is the region of the dross of gold, which comes from the side +of impurity and loathsomeness and which forms a link between +the upper and ned1er regions; and d1ere is the line where the +male and female principles join, forming together the rider on + +the serpent, and symbolized by Azazel _(Zohar_ l.l52b-153a). [1][01 ] + + +TI1is description strikingly recalls the portrayal of Azazel's corruption of the +protoplasts in _Apoc._ _Ab._ 23:4-11, which situates the arch-demon beneath + +the Tree of Knowledge in the midst of the intertwined protological couple. +T hus, it seems chat Saran's transition from celestial to "serpen t-like" form is +nor a novelty pioneered by the authors of the Adamic booklets, bur rather +an improvisation on a theme with ancient roots in Enochic tradition. + + +Azazel's The riomorphism: From Sacrificial +Animal to Fallen Angel + + + +The story of Satan's transformation from animal into angel (and vice ve rsa) + +in the _Primary_ _Adam_ _Books_ leads us naturally to certain developments in +one of the earl iest Enochic booklets, viz., the _Book_ _of the_ _Wlatchers,_ wh ich + +may constitute the initial conceptual background co the Adamic antagonist's +peculiar transformation. Nor did the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ escape these +seminal influences. It has been noted that the sacerdotal context of the +Yom Kippur festival seems to affect the chief antagonist's complex profile +in the Slavonic apocalypse. In this text, all usions co Yom Kippur seem co +have been reshaped deeply by the Enochic apocalyptic reinterpretation of + +the scapegoat ritual; its antagonist, the scapegoat Azazel, is envisioned not +as a sacrificial animal but as a demoted heavenly being. ln the _Book_ _of the_ +_Watchers,_ the scapegoat rite receives an angelological reinterpretation; it +merges the peculiar dynamic of the sacrificial ritual with the swry of its +main antagonist, the fallen angel Asael. + +_1_ En. 10:4-7 brings us to the very heart of this conceptual developmen t: + + +And further the Lord said _w_ Raphael: "Bind Azazel by his hands +and his feet, and throw him into the darkness. And sp li t open +the desert which is in Duclael, and throw him there. And throw +on him jagged and sharp stones, and cover him with darkness; +and let him stay there for ever, and cover his face, that he may +nor see light, and that on the great day of judgment he may + + +78 Dark Mirrors + + +be hurled into the fi re. And rescore the earth wh ich the angels +have ruined, and announce the restoration of the earth, for 1 +shall restore the earch." [102 ] + + +Scholars have previously pointed to the fact th at several details in the +account of Asael's punishment are reminiscent of dle scapegoat ritua l. Lester +Grabbe's research outlines the specific parallels between the Asael narrative + +in _1_ _Enoch_ and the wording of Leviticus 16, which include: + + +I. me similarity of dle names Asael and Azazel; + + +2. me punishment in the desert; + + +3. me placing of sin on Asael/Azazel; + + +4. the resultant healing of the land. [10][3 ] + + +It is important to note that Asael's transfo rma tion into an animal +is not li mi ted solely to the _Book_ _of the_ _Wmchen._ The same imagery also +occupies an im portant place in the Animal _Apocalypse,_ wh ich depicts the +fall of the Watchers as the mutation of stars into animals.'()! In mis Enoch ic +booklet, the theriomorphism of the former angels is juxtaposed with the +angelomorphism of Noah [1][05 ] and Moses, [106 ] whose bodies undergo an inverse + +refashioning that transforms them from "animals" into "humans." In the +peculiar symbolic code of th is apocal·yptic work, this imagery signals the +fact that Noah and Moses have thus acquired angelic bodies. + + +The Garment of Darkness + + +In me aforementioned passage about the binding of Asael dur ing the +sacrificial ritual in the desert (in I _En_ 10) we find an intriguing tradition +about clothing the demon wim darkness: + + +And dHow on him jagged and sharp stones, and cover him with +darkness; and let him stay there for ever, and cover his face, that +he may not see light, and that on me great day of judgment he + +may be hurled into the fire. [101 ] + + +The antagonist's covering with darkness is a pertinent motif for our +investigation, as it may represent a conceptual correlative to the hero's +clothing with light. Asael's covering wim darkness appear to be a sort of +counterpart to dle garment of light which Enoch receives in heaven. This +ominous attire deprives its wearer of receiving the divine light-the source +of life for all God's creatures. + + +The Garment of Azazel 79 + + +T hat it is the face of the de mon which is thus clothed with darkness +may recall a series of transformational moti fs involving, respectively, God's +Panim and the _panim_ of the visionary. This termino logy is quite well +known in Jewish apocalyptic literature. lt does not merely designate the + +protagonist's or deity's visage _per_ _se,_ but symbolizes their complete covering +with luminous attire. + + +The Impure Bird + + +TI1e Enochic demonological template factors significantly in the _Apocalypse_ +_of Abraham,_ which envisions Azazel, like the Enochic antagon ist, as a fallen +angelic being. Indeed, the Azazel narrative of this later apocalypse reflects +several peculiar details from the Enochic myth of the fallen angels as described + +in the _Book_ _of che_ _Wacchers._ _[11]_ _l8_ Thus, Rysza rd Rubinkiewicz has argued that + + + +the au thor of the _Apocalypse_ _of_ _Abraham_ follows the tradition +of _I_ En. 1-36. The chief of the fallen angels is Azazel, who + +rules the stars and most men. It is not difficu lt to find here the +tradition of Gen 6:1-4 developed according to the tradition of +_l_ _Enoch._ Azazel is the head of the angels who plotted against +the Lo rd and who impregnated the daughters of men. These +angels are compared ro the stars. Azazel revealed the secrets +of heaven and is banished to the desert. Abraham, as Enoch, +receives the power to drive away Satan. A ll these connections +show that the author of the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ drew upon + +the tradition of _1 Enoch._ _[11]_ _1.1_ + + + +ln the Slavonic apocalypse, as in the Enochic and Qu mran materials, Azazel +is clearly no longer a sacrificial animal, but an angelic being. Already in his +firs t appearance at _Apoc._ _Ab._ 13:3-4, [1][10 ] the text depicts Azazel as an unclean +or impure bird (Slav. nnma He'lJrCTall). ln the pteromorphic angelological +code of the _Apocalypse of Abraham,_ wh ich portrays Yahoel with the body of a +griffin, Azazel's bird-like appearance signals his possession of an angelic form . +This angelic shape appears to be compromised and "soiled," which renders +it impure. It is not entirely clear, in this context, if the term "impure bird" +signifies the antagonist's compromised angelic status absolutely, or rather + +the impropriety of his wearing the angelic garment in the cu rrent moment. + +In th is respect, the reference to the "impurity" of Azazel's angelic form +recalls the aforementioned tradition in the _Life of_ Adam _and_ _Eve,_ where the +antagonist wears an angelic garment inappropriately. T he situations in which +the antagonists appear in questionable angelic attire are very similar; fo r in +both cases they atte mpt ro deceive the stories' protagonists. Like Satan, who +attempts to deceive and corrupt the primordial couple, Azazel too attempts + + +80 Dark Mirrors + + +to deceive the hero of the faith and persuade him not to enter heaven. + + +Conclusion + + +It is now time to return to the motif of the special celestial garment found +in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abralutm,_ and the significance of this theme for the +sacerdotal framework of the Slavonic pseudepigraphon. It is no accident that + +the promise of a mysterious garment to Abraham occurs in the very chapters +of the apocalypse that represent the text's sacerdotal nexus- the conceptual +crux that intends to bring its readers into the heart of the apocalyptic Yom +Kippur ritual. ln _Apoc._ _Ab._ 13 and 14, Abraham's celestial guide, Yahoel, +appears to petform one of the central ordinances of the atoning ceremony, +by means of which impurity is transferred to Azazel and dispatched into +the wilderness. Consider, for example, Yahoel's arcane address to Azazel at +_Apoc. Ab._ 13:7-14: + + +Reproach is on you, Azazel! Since Abraham's portion is in heaven, +and yours is on earth, since you have chosen it and desired it +to be the dwelling place of your impurity. Therefore the Eternal +Lord, the Mighty One, has made you a dweller on earth. And +because of you [there is] the wholly-evil spirit of the lie, and +because of you [there are] wrath and trials on the generations +of impious men. Since the Eternal Mighty God did not _send_ +the tighteous, in their bodies, to be in your hand, in order to +affirm through them the righteous life and the destruction of +impiety .. .. Hear, adviser! Be shamed by me, since you have +been appointed to tempt not to all the righteous! Depart from + +this man! You cannot deceive him, because he is the enemy of +you and of those who follow you and who love what you desire. + +For behold, the garment which in heaven was forme rly yours has +been set aside for him, and the corruption which was on h im +has gone over to you.' [11 ] + + +This address- which the celestial cultic servant of the highest rank +delivers to the demoted angel who bears the name of the scapegoat-is +ritually significant, because it appears to reflect some of the actions of the +high priest on Yom Kippur. [112 ] For this reason, the phrase "dwelling place of +your impurity" is especially intriguing. It alludes to the purgative function +of the scapegoat ceremony, which centered on the removal of the impurity +bestowed on the sacrificial animal to the "dwelling" place of the demon +in the desert. The corruption of Abraham, the forefather of the Israelite + + +The Garment of Azazel 81 + + +nation, is now transferred to Azaze l. [113 ] And Yahoel appears to perform the +so-called "transference function" when the celebrant passes Israel's sins onto + +the scapegoat's head. This, it seems, may also explain why Yahoel's speech +contains a command of departure _(Apoc._ _Ab._ 13:12: "Depart from this + +man!") rather like the dispatch-formula given to the scapegoat in m. _Yoma_ +6:4: "Take our sins and go forth." [1][14 ] + +In this climatic point of the apocalyptic Yom Kippur ceremony, +Abraham's infamous opponent, stripped of h is lofty celestial clothes, takes on +a new, now sacrificial role in the principal purifying ordinance of the Jewish +tradition by ass uming the office of the cosmic scapegoat who is predestined to +carry the celebrant's impurity into the netherworld. This mysterious burden +of the ambiguous sacrificial agent, dispatching its ominous "gift" not co the +divine but tO the demonic realm has puzzled generations of interpreters +who often wondered if d1is oblation was a sacrificial portion tO the Od1er +Side. Thus, in the _Book of Zohar_ and some later Jewish mystical writings d1e +scapegoat was often understood as "the principal offering that is des tined +in its entirety for 'the Other Side."' [11] ' ln light of these later traditions it +is not entirely impossible tha t in the dualistic framework of the Slavonic +apocalypse where the antagonist's abode imitates the realm of the deity one +can have such peculiar understanding of the scapegoat's functions. But this +is a subject of another lengthy investigation. + + +Part II + + +Satanael + + +**The** **Watchers of Satanael** + +The Fallen Angels Traditions + +in _2 (Slavonic) Enoch_ + + +[T]hey became servanrs of Satan and led astrtly those who dwell upon the +dry ground. + + +_-_ _1_ En. 54:6 + + +These are rhe Watchers _(Grigori),_ who turned as ide from th<' Lord, 200 + +myriads, together with their prince Satanail. + + +-2 En 18:3 + + +Introduction + + +The first part of _2_ Enoch, a jewish pseu.depigraphon written in the fi rst century +CE, deals with the heavenly ascent of the sevend1 antediluvian hero carried +by his angelic psychopomps to the abode of the deity. Slowly progressing + +through the heavens while receiving deta iled explanations of their content +from his angelic interpreters, in one of d1em, the patriarch encounters the +group of d1e fallen angels whom the authors of the apocalypse designate as + +the Grigori (Watchers).' The deta iled report of the group's transgression given +in chapter 18 of the text, which menrions the ange lic descent on Mount +Hermon, leading to subsequent corruption of humanity and procreation of the +race of the Giants, invokes the memory of the peculiar features well known +from d1e classic descriptions of the fall of d1e infamous celestial rebels given in + +the _Bool<_ _of the_ \'(!archers. Th is early Enochic booklet unveils the misdeeds of +the two hu ndred Watchers led by their leaders Shemihazah and Asael. What +is striking, however, in d1e description given in the Slavonic apocalypse is +that in con trast to the classic Enoch ic account, the leadership over the fallen +Watchers is ascribed not tO Shemiha2ah or Asael, but instead tO SatanaeJ.l + + +85 + + +86 Dark Mirrors + + +This reference to the figure of the neg _I_ ~&t~ev a.i}t ) the visionary reality, fulfilling thus the traditional +functions of the interpreting angels in Jewish apocalyptic and mystical + +accounts. Scholars previously noted the terminological similarities between +the temptation narrative and Deuteronomy 34: l-4, [8 ] where God serves as an +_angelus_ _interpres_ cludng Moses's vision on Mount Nebo showing (~oetl;ev) + +the prophet the promised land and giving him an explanation of it.• + + +Enochic Descent Traditions + + +It is also interesting that in one of the temptations Satan makes Jesus "stand +up" on the pinnacle of the Temple. According ro the _Pesiqta Rabbaci,_ when d1e +Messiah reveals hi mself he will come and stand on the roof of the Temple. [10 ] + +The installation of Jesus by Satan on the highest point of rhe Sanctuary +is intriguing and appears to be reminiscent of the installations of some +visionaries in Jewish apocalyp tic accounts. In these accounts the ange lic guides +often help seers get installed in the ranks of the _sar_ _happanim,_ the celestial +office that is characterized by the function of standing before the heavenly +Temple represented by the divine _Panim._ One such peculiar installation is +described in _2 Enoch_ where Uriel (Yrevoil) makes d1e seventh antediluvian +patriarch stand in the celestial Temple represented by the liturgical settings +of the Divine Face. I previously explored this apocalyptic idiom of standing +tracing its roots to the Mosaic biblical accounts where God makes Moses +stand up on the mountain before his Face. [11 ] + +It has already been mentioned that the au thors of the temptation +account seem ro exhibit familiarity wid1 the ascent traditions. It is not +completely impossible that in Satan's suggestion to Jesus throw himself down +we might have a sort of allusion also to the descent traditions similar to the +ones reflected in the Enochic writings, where the ministering angels, called + +the Watchers, decided to abandon their ministerial duties in the heavenly +Temple and descend to earth. In the biblical version of this srory reflected + +in Genesis 6, this protological myth of the angelic descent is conveyed +through the imagery of the sons of God. [12 ] Can Satan's address to Jesus as +the Son of God be a reflection of some terminological affinities with the +Septuagint rendering of Genesis 6? Another terminological parallel that +can be considered is the connection between the Watchers' status as d1e + + +110 Dark Mirrors + + +standing angels in the Heavenly Temple and Jesus' standing on d1e summit +of the Temple. + + +The Venera tion Motif + + +The third part of the temptation story in Matthew takes place on the + +mountain. Several scholars previously noted that d1e mountain here might +be an allusion ro d1e place of the divine presence and dominion. Here, +however, strangely enough, it becomes d1e exalted place from wh ich Satan +asks Jesus to venerate him. + +In the Enochic and Mosaic tradi tions d1e high mountain often serves +as one of the technical designations of the _Kavod._ Thus, fo r example, _1_ Enoch +25:3 identifies d1e high mountain as a location of the Throne of GodY In +d1e _Exagoge._ of Ezekiel the Tragedian, Moses is identified with the _Kavod_ +on the mountain. [14 ] + +If Matthew indeed has in mind the mountain of d1e _Kavod,_ in Satan's +ability ro show Jesus all the kingdoms of the wo rld and their splendor we + +might have a possible reference to the celestial curtain _Pargod_ (, 1Ji:l), +the sacred veil of the divine Face, which in _3_ _Enoch_ 45 is described as an +en tity d1at literally "shows" all generations and all kingdoms simultaneously +in the same dme. [15 ] In _3 Enoch_ 45:1- 4 one can lind the fo llowing tradition +about the _Pargod:_ + + + +R. Ishmael said: Metatron said to me: Come and I will show +you the curtain of the Omnipresent One which is sp read before +the Holy One, blessed be he, and on which are printed all the +generations of the world and their deeds, whether done or to + +be done, till the last generation .. . the kings of Judah and +their generations, their deeds and their acts; the kings of Israel +and their gene rations, their deeds and their acts; the kings of +the gentiles and their generations, their deeds and their acts. [16 ] + + + +Saran's suggestion to Jesus that he prostrate himself before his tempter +seems also connected with some apocalyptic and mystical traditions. Scholars +previously noted that the derails of the depiction of the last temptation of +Jesus seem to allude to some details found in the account of Adam's elevation +and his veneration by angels found in various versions of the _Life_ _of Adam_ +_and_ _Eve._ The _Primary_ _Adam_ _Books_ depict God's creation of Adam in his +image. The archangel Michael brough t the first human and had him bow +down before God's face. God then commanded all the angels to bow down + + +Satan and the Visionary **111** + + + +to Adam. All the angels agreed to venerate the protoplast except Satan +(and his angels); d1e latter refused to bow down before Adam because the +first human was younger d1an Satan was. + +It is significant that in the Gospel of Matthew the tempter asks Jesus +to prostrate himself (literally "falling down") (nwrov) before Satan. Matthew +seems more close to the Adamic tradition than Luke since in Luke necrrov +. +IS l11lSSll1g. + +Satan's request for veneration can be part of the authors' Adam +Christology: Satan, who lost his celestial status by refusing to venerate the +First Adam, is now attempting to reverse the situation by asking the Last + + + +Adam to bow down. [17 ] + + + +lt is also important to note that while in early Adamic accounts +God encourages veneration of the protoplast, in the later rabbinic stories +he opposes this veneration. [18 ] Alan Segal demonstrated that these later +rabbinic stories of opposition to the angelic veneration of Adam were part +of the "two powers in heaven" controversy. It is possible that the details +of the temptation narrative found in Matthew and Luke might anticipate + +these later rabbinic developments. These details might represent one of the +early specimens of the "two powers in heaven" debate. In this respect it +is noteworthy that in Matthew and Luke, Jesus categorically opposes any +possibility of veneration of anyone except God. + + + +Negative Transformation + + +Although scholars previously noticed that Satan's request for veneration +alludes to the story of the angelic veneration of the protoplast, they often + +missed the visionary and transformational aspects of this account. Even +in Adam's aforementioned veneration, the motif of the veneration of the +protoplast is implicitly linked to the tradition of veneration of the divine +glory, since Adam serves there as sort of representation or replica of the +divine anthropomorphic extent. The _Kavod_ imagery thus appears to be present +already in the _P1imary_ _Adam_ _Books_ where God asks angels to venerate not +simply Adam, but the image of God. The veneration by the angelic hosts +suggests that Adam is identified there with Kavod- the traditional object +of angelic veneration in apocalyptic accounts. + +Satan's request for veneration seems also connected with the traditions +of vision and transformation. What is important here is that Satan requests +veneration for himself while standing on the mountain, the location that was + +interpreted by scholars as a reference to the place of the divine presence. +The motif of Satan on the mountain appears to constitute here a sort of + + +112 Dark Mirrors + + +the counterpart of the divine habitation. Could it be that Satan positions +himself here as a sort of the second power or, more precisely, as the negative +counterpart of _Kavod?_ +In Jewish apocalyptic writing the motif of the prostration before +the divine _Kavod_ often represents one of the preparatory stages for the +transformation of a seer into a celestial being, or even his identification with +the divine extent. [19 ] In the course of this initiation a visionary often acquires +the nature of the object of his veneration, including the luminosity that +underlines his identification with the radiant manifestation of the divine form. +In the context of these traditions it is possible that in the temptation +narrative one can find a similar transformational motif. One can encounter +here an example of negative transformational mysticism: by forcing Jesus +to bow down, the tempter wants the seer to become identified with Satan's +form, in exact opposition to the visionaries of Jewish apocalyptic writings +who through their prostration before the divine Face become identified with +the divine _Kavod._ + + +##### **The Flooded Arboretums** + +The Garden Traditions in the Slavonic Version +of _3 Baruch_ and the _Book of Giants_ + + +Listen, Baruch. In the first place, the tree was the vine, but secondly, the +tree (is) sinful desire which Satanael spread over Eve and Adam, and +because of this God has cursed the vine because Satanael had planted it. + + +-3 _Bar._ 4:8 + + +Introduction + + + +TI1e apocalypse known as 3 _Bar·uch_ depicts a celestial tour during which an +angelic guide leads a visionary through five heavens, revealing to him the +wonders of the upper realm. Scholars have noted that some details of this +heavenly journey resonate with the visionary accounts found in Enochic +materials.' Despite the similarities, the aud1or of 3 _Baruch_ seems to avoid +making direct references to the motifs and d1emes associated with Enochic +tradition. In the regard, Richard Bauckham comments: "It is remarkable that +3 _Baruch,_ which throughout chapters 2- 5 is preoccupied with the stories of +Gen 2-11, makes no reference to the Watchers." [2 ] He suggests, further, that + +d1e author of this apocalypse "is perhaps engaged in a polemical rejection +of d1e Enoch traditions, so d1at as well as substituting Baruch for Enoch +he also substitutes the human builders for the angelic Watchers. Instead +of deriving evil on earth from the fall of the Watchers, he emphasizes its +origin in the Garden of Eden." [3 ] In response to this observation, Martha +Himmelfarb agrees that various textual features of 3 _Baruch_ reveal a polemic +against the Enochic literature. [4 ] These observations are intriguing and deserve +furd1er investigation. Even a brief look at the apocalypse shows that despite +a conspicuous coloring of the Adamic interpretation of the origin of evil, + +the details of 3 _Baruch's_ descriptions of the garden expose the motifs and +d1emes linked to another prominent story in which the source of evil is +traced to the myth of the Watchers/Giants. + + +113 + + +11 4 Da rk Mirrors + + +This chapter will investigate the accoum of paradise found in chapter 4 +of _3 Baruch_ and its possible connection with Enochic and Noachic traditions. + + +The Paradise Traditions of the + +Slavonic Version of 3 Baruch + + +_3 Baruch_ became firs t known in its Slavonic version; and only later were the +Greek manuscripts of the book uncovered. [6 ] Despite the availability of the +Greek evidence, scholars noted that in some parts of the pseudepigraphon + +the Slavonic text seems to preserve more original materiaL Harry Gaylord's +newly assembled Slavonic sources show several areas where Slavonic appears +to be closer ro the original.1 One of such areas concerns the fourth chapter of +the text. Gaylord observes that the overall structure and comem of chapter +4 in Slavonic seem closer to the original [8 ] than the extant Greek version, +whicl1 in this part "has suffered the most at the hands of Christian scribes." [9 ] + +Chapter 4 of the Slavonic version contains several important details that are + +missing from the Greek version, including the srory of the angels planting the +garden. Our investigation of chapter 4 will deal with the Slavonic version +and will be supplemented by the Greek version. +In _3_ _Bar._ 4 the reader finds Barucl1 in the middle of his heavenly +journey. The angelic guide continues tO show him celesti al wonders. In the +beginn ing of the chapter, Baruch sees a serpem on a stone mountain who +"eats eard1 like grass." Then, in 4:6, Baruch asks h is angelus interpres to show +him the tree that deceived Adam. In response to this request, Baruch hears + +the story about the planting and destruction of the heavenly garden. In the +Slavonic version, d1e story has the following form: + + +And the angel said to me "When God made the garden and +commanded Michael to gather two hundred thousand' [0 ] md three + +angels so that they could plan t the garden, Michael planted +the olive and Gabriel, d1e apple; Uriel, [11 ] the nut; Raphael, the +melon; and Satanael, [12 ] d1e vine. For at first h is name in former +times was Satanael, and similarly all the angels plan ted the +various uees." [13 ] And again l Baruch said to the angel, "Lord, +show me the tree through which d1e setpent deceived Eve and + +Adam." And d1e angel said to me, "Listen, Baruch. In the first +place, the tree was the vine, but secondly, the tree (is) sinful +desire which Satanael spread over Eve md Adam, and because +of this God has cursed the vine because Satanael had planted it, + +and by that he deceived d1e protoplast Adam and Eve." And l +Baruch said to the angel, "Lord, if God has cursed the vine and + +its seed, then how can it be of use now?" And the angel said to + + +The Flooded Arboretums + + + +115 + + + +me, "Rightly yo u ask me. When God made d1e Flood upon rhe +earth, he drowned every firstl ing, and he destroyed 104 thousand +giants, and the water rose above the highest mountains 20 cubits + +above the mountains, and the water entered in ro the garden, +(and tool< _all d1at was_ blooming), '~ bringing our one shoot from rhe +vine as God withdrew the waters. And there was dry land, and +Noah went out from the ark and found the vine lying on the +ground, and did not recognize it having only heard about it and + +irs form. He thought ro h imself, saying, "This is truly the vine +which Saranael planted in d1e middle of the garden, by which +he deceived Eve and Adam; because of this God cursed it and +its seed. So if 1 plant it, then will God not be angry with me?" +And he knelt down on (his) knees and fasted 40 days. Praying +and crying, he said, "Lord, if I plant this, what will happen?" +And the Lord send the angel Sarasael; he declared to him, "Rise, +Noah, and plant the vine, and alter its name, and change it for +the better." (3 _Bar._ 4:7-15)." + + +The depiction conveys several rare traditions about the garden of which +two are especially important for this investigation: the angels planting the +garden and the flooding of this garden by the waters of the Deluge. Both +of these traditions are preserved only in rhis pseudepigraphon. There are, +however, some early materials rhar seem to allude to the same rare traditions +about the garden's planting the garden and flooding. One of these sources +includes the fragments of the _Book of Giants._ + + +The Garden Traditions in the Book of Giants + + +TI1e composition known as the _Bool< of Giants_ exists only in a very fragmentary +form preserved in jewish and Manichean sources, including the Aramaic +fragments of the Bool< _of Giants_ found at Qumran, [16 ] the fragments of the +Manichean _Book ofGiancs,_ _[11 ]_ and the later Jewish text kn own as the Midrash +_of Shemhazai_ _and_ _Az.ael._ [18 ] + +In these materials associated with the _Book of Giants,_ we find the themes +of the planting and the destroying of a garden. The Aramaic fragment of +the Book _of Gianrs_ from Q umran ( 4QS30) and the Midrash _of Shemhazai_ _and_ +_Azael_ depict a dream in which the giant Hahyah, the son of the watcher +Shemihazah, sees a certain garden planted and then destroyed. + +4Q530 lines 3- 12 read: + + +Then two of them dreamed dreams, and the sleep of their eyes +and come to[ ... ]their dreams. And he said in the assembly of + + +11 6 Da rk Mirrors + + +[his frien]ds, the Nephilin, [ ... in] my dream; 1 have seen in + +this night [ . .. ] gardeners and they were watering[ . . . ] numerous +roo[ts] issued from their trunk [ ... ] _I_ watched until rongues of +fi re from [ ... ] all the water and the fire burned in all [ ... ] Here +is the end of the dream. [19 ] + + +The fragment seems to depict certain gardeners planting or sustaining +a garden by watering its numerous "roots." It also poruays the destmction +of the same garden by water and fi re. The description of both events is very +fragmentary and many features of the swry appear _w_ be missing in 4Q530. + +Both motifs seem better preserved in the _Midraslt_ _of Shemhazai and_ _Azael,_ +which provides addi tional important details. It refers direc tly to the planting +of the garden by using the Hebrew verb .!)tj): + + +One night the sons of Shemhaza i, Hiwwa and Hiyya,2° saw + +(visions) in dream, and both of them saw dreams. One saw the +great stone spread over the earth .... The other (son) saw a +garden, _planted_ (.!)1tjJ) [11 ] whole with (many) kinds of trees and +(many) kinds of precious swnes. And an angel (was seen by +him) descending from the firmament with an axe in his hand, +and he was cutting down all the trees, so that there remained +only one tree containing three branches. When they awoke from +their sleep they arose in confusion, and, going to their father, +they related to him the dreams. He said to them: "The Holy +One is about to bring a flood upon the world, and to destroy + +it, so that there will remain but one man and his three sons." [22 ] + + + +Besides 4QS30 and the _Midrash_ _of Shemhazai_ and _Azael,_ the Hahyah/ +Hiyya dream is also mentioned in the Middle Persian Kaw§n fragment _j_ of +the Manichean _Book_ _of Giants_ published by Walter Bruno Henning. ·n .e +evidence, however, is very terse and ambiguous,B containing only one line: +"Nariman [24 ] saw a gar[den full of] trees in rows. Two hundred ... came out, + + + +d1e trees ... _. "_ _[15 ]_ + + + +Henning suggests that this fragment should be interpreted in light of +another Middle Persian fragment, _D_ (M 625c), which links the Watchers + + + +wid1 the trees: + + + + +[O]utside ... and ... left ... read the dream we have seen. +Thereupon Enoch thus ... and the uees that come out, those +are the Egregoro i, and the giants that came out of the women. +And ... over ... pulled out .. . over . . . .2 [6 ] + + +The Flooded Arboretums 117 + + +Several important details in the above mentioned descriptions from +Jewish and Manichean sources should be clarified. The first concerns + +the subjects planting the garden. 4Q530 refers to the gardeners watering +numerous roots issued from their trunk. Who are these gardeners? J6zef +Milik was first to identify the gardeners as angelic beings. He argued that +the gardeners are "guardian angels" or "bailiffs of the world-garden" and are +matched by the shepherds in the _Book of Dreams_ in _1 En._ 89:59 and 90:1 _Y_ +Loren Stuckenbruck agrees that the gardeners might be angelic beings, but +notes that there is reason to question whether the gardeners are meant to +represent good angelic beings. [28 ] He suggests that in light of 4Q530 line 8 +the ultimate outcome of the gardeners' work seems to be the production +of "great shoots" from the root source, which, in Stuckenbruck's opinion, +signifies "the birth of the giants from the women." [29 ] He further argues that + +the "watering" activity is a metaphor for impregnation and the gardeners, +in fact, represent fallen angelic beings, the Watchers. [30 ] John Reeves had +earlier suggested that the gardeners might represent the Watchers prior to +their apostasy. [31 ] He notes that the image of the gardeners "watering" the +garden may allude to the initial educational mission of the Watchers, who +according to _]ub._ 4:15 were originally sent by God to earth to instruct +humans in moral conduct. [32 ] + +The second detail of the description concerns the imagery of the trees. +It seems that the trees symbolize not the vegetation, but the inhabitants of +the garden: angelic, human, or composite creatures. Arboreal metaphors are +often used in Enochic tradition to describe the Watchers and the Giants +(cf. CD 2:17- 19). + +Another important detail is found in the Midrash _of Shemhazai_ _and_ +_Azael,_ in which the destruction of the garden is associated with the flood and +Noah's escape from it. 4Q530 linelO also seems to allude to the flood, since +Hahyah's dream mentions the destruction of the garden by fire and _water._ A +short Qumran fragment, 6Q8, also provides evidence for the connection of +Hahyah's dream with Noah's escape. Florentino Garda Martinez observes that +the reference to Noah and his sons in the _Midrash_ _of Shemhazai_ _and_ _Azael_ +has its equivalent in 6Q8 line 2, [33 ] which speaks of three shoots preserved +from the flood so as to signify the escape of Noah and his three sons. [34 ] + +John Reeves [35 ] offers the following reconstruction of the dream based +on the two fragments: [36 ] + + +Hahyah beholds in his vision a grove of trees carefully attended +by gardeners. This tranquil scene is interrupted by the sudden +appearance (or transformation?) of two hundred figures within +this garden. The result of this invasion was the production of + + +118 Dark Mirrors + + +"great" shoots sprouting up from the roots of the trees. While +Hahyah viewed this scene, emissaries from Heaven arrived and +ravaged the garden with water and fire, leaving only one tree +bearing three branches as the sole survivor of the destruction. [37 ] + + +A comparison of this description from the _Book of Giants_ with the story +found in the Slavonic version of _3_ _Bar._ 4 shows that both accounts seem + +to have three similar events that follow one anod1er in the same sequence: +the planting of the garden, the desuuction of the garden, and the escape of +one tree from the destruction. These intriguing similarities call for a more + +through investigation of the parallels between the garden traditions found +in the _3 Bar._ 4 and the _Book_ _of Giants._ + + +The Angelic Planting of the Garden (3 Baruch 4:7-8) + + + +The motif of angels planting the garden is uniquely preserved only in the +Slavonic version of _3 Baruch._ _[38 ]_ In the text, d1e tale about d1e planting comes +from the moud1 of Baruch's angelic guide. From him d1e visionary leams + +that God commanded Michael to gather two hundred thousand and three +angels in order to plant the garden. The story further relates that Michael, +Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, and Satanael planted five trees. Other angels also +planted "various trees." + +Several features in d1e story of d1e planting found in _3_ _Bar._ 4:7-8 +seem to resonate with the account found in the _Book of Giants._ These details + +include the following significant points: + + + +1. _3 Bar._ 4:7 mentions two hundred d1ousand and d1ree angels + +planting d1e garden; + + + +2. the fallen angel Satanael also takes part in d1e plantation of + +the "trees"·, + + + +3. according to d1e story, Satanael plants the bad tree- the tree + +of deception; + + + +4. d1e tree is described as a sinful desire d1at the fallen angel + +had for humans; + + + +5. _3 Bar._ 4:7 mentions the planting of five types of trees in the +garden. + + +1. The first feature of _3_ _Bar._ 4 that recalls the _Book_ _of Giants_ is the +number of angelic hosts involved in planting the garden. _3_ _Bar._ 4:7 states + + +The Flooded Arboretums 119 + + +th at God commanded MichaeP [9 ] to gather two hundred thousand and three +angels in order to plant the garden. The numeral two h undred thousand +and three, reserved here for the number of angelic hosts, gives a clue to the +reader intO seeing the angelic "gardeners" described in _3 Bar._ 4:7 as somehow +related to the fallen Watchers, who in the Bool< _of Giants_ "planted" gigantic +"trees" on dle earth through their iniquities. [40 ] In early Enochic accounts, + +the numeral "two hundred" often refers to the number of the Watchers +descending on Mount Hermon [41 ] Some later Enochic accounts, however, +tend to exaggerate the number of the fallen Watchers, depicting them as +two hundred thousand or two hundred myriads. For example, in the longer +recension 2 _En._ 18:3, the angelic guides give Enoch the fo llowing infonnation +about the Watchers: "These are the _Gregori_ (Watchers), who tumed aside +from the Lord, 200 _myriads,_ together wi th their prince Satanaii."H It is +noteworthy that in _3_ _Baruch_ 4, similar to 2 _Enoch_ 18, the tradition about +the two hundred myriads of ange lic beings is creatively conflated with dle +name of SatanaiiY + +2. In _3_ _Bar._ 4:7-8, one of the angel ic creatures planting the garden +along with the four principal angels (Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael) +is the fallen angel Satanael. The description of Satanael as the gardener is +puzzling. The pseudepigraphical texts usua ll y follow the biblical account [44 ] + +that claims that the garden was plamed by God (Gen 2:8). [4] ; This motif of +the fallen "planter" might, therefore, parallel the Boo/, _of Giants_ _,_ where the +fallen angels are also depicted as gardeners. + +_3._ In 3 _Baruch_ and in the Book _of Giants,_ the "planting of trees/tree" +is part of the angelic plot to corrupt the human race. In the _Book of Giants,_ +the "gardeners" represented by fa llen angelic beings, "plant" bad "trees"the wicked offspring dlat, through their enormous appetites, brought many +disasters to the anted iluvian generation. In _3_ Bar. 4, the "gardener," the fallen + +angel Satanael, also plants a tree designed to cause the fall and degradation +of the human race. In _3_ _Baruch,_ the vine tree eventually becomes the tool + +through which Adam and Eve were deceived and corrupted. +4. The account in 3 _BanJ.ch_ con nects dle tree planted by Satanael +with the "sinft1l desire" spread by this fallen angel over the fi rst humans. In +4:8, the _angelus_ _interpres_ te lls Baruch that "in the first place, the tree was + +the vine, but secondly, the tree (is) sinful des ire~ [6 ] which Satanael sp read +over Adam and Eve." [4] i This referen.ce ro the "sinful desire" of the fallen + +angel over humans is intriguing since it alludes to the terminology fo und +in Enochic tradition. Thus _1 En._ 6 says that the Watchers had sinful desire +for human creatures. [48 ] The _Midrash_ _of Shemhazai_ _and_ _Az.ael_ also uses the + +term "evil desire" or "evil inclination" (Heb. Viii 1:!:::' ) in reference to the +relationships between the descended Watchers and the "daughters of man": + + +120 Dark Mirrors + + +Forthwith the Holy One allowed the _evil inclination_ (l71 i1 1::t,) +to rule over them, as soon as they descended. When they beheld +the daughters of man that they were beautiful, they began to +corrupt themselves with them, as it is said, "When the sons of +God saw the daughters of man," they could not restrain their +inclination. [49 ] + + +In the story from the _Midrash of Shemhazai and Azael,_ the evil desire of +the Watchers over humans seems to come as consequence of the Watchers' +disrespect for humanity in general and the first human creature in particular. ;o + +It is intriguing that some Russian manuscripts of _3 Baruch_ contain the passage +about Satanael's refusal to venerate Adam, [51 ] which recalls the account +found in the Midrash 1- 4. [52 ] Harry Gaylord, however, does not include this +account in his English translation of the Slavonic version of 3 _Baruch_ in +OTP, considering it to be a later interpolation. +5. Finally, 3 _Bar._ 4:7 refers to five kinds of trees. The text says that the +olive tree was planted by Michael, the apple by Gabriel, the nut by Uriel, +the melon by Raphael, and the vine by Satanael. Although the number of +the principal angels seems unusual, the reference to the "five trees" excites +interest in light of a passage found among the fragments of the Manichean +_Book of Giants_ published by Henning. This fragment, similar to 3 _Baruch_ 4:7, +also operated with the notion of the "five trees": "evil-intentioned ... from +where ... he came. The Misguided fail to recognize the five elements, [d1e +five kinds of] trees, d1e five (kinds of) animals" (frg. h). [53 ] + +In both Enochic and Adamic accounts, the flooded garden is depicted +as a place where the drama of the primeval evil unfolds. lt has been already + +mentioned in our study that Enochic and Adamic traditions often compete +with each other, offering different explanations of the origin of evil in d1e + +world. Despite apparent differences in these two mythologies of evil, they +share many common details that reveal a persistent and strenuous polemic +between the two traditions. The description in 3 _Bar._ 4 of the flooded garden +as the arena of the primordial heavenly rebellion involving angelic beings +of d1e highest status brings the two traditions closer together. + + +The Flood in the Garden (3 Baruch 4: 1 0-11) + + +In 3 _Baruch_ 4:8, the angel tells the visionary about d1e evil role d1e vine + +u·ee played in Satanael's deception of Adam and Eve. According to d1e story, +God, as a result of this deception, cursed the vine and its seed. Upon hearing +this story, Baruch asked the angel why, despite God's curse, the vine can +still exist. The angel told Baruch about the flood in the heavenly garden. + + +The Flooded Arboretums 121 + + +The story recounts that God first caused the flood upon the earth, +which led to the drowning of "every firstling," including 104,000 giants. +TI1en the water rose above the highest mountains and flooded d1e heavenly + +garden. As God withdrew d1e water, "all that was blooming" was destroyed +except for one shoot from the vine. When the land appeared from the water, +Noah went out from his ark and discovered the vine lying on the ground. + +Several points of this flood story resemble the account found in the +Book _of Giants,_ including the following details: + + +1. In _3 Bar._ 4:10 and in the Book _of Giants,_ d1e flooding of the +garden is paralleled to d1e flood on d1e earth. + +2. In both traditions d1e destruction of all vegetation (in _3_ + +_Baruch-"all_ that was blooming") [54 ] in the garden "mirrors" +the destruction of all flesh and the giants on earth. + +3. In both traditions the surviving "plant" from the flooded + +garden is paralleled to the escape of Noah from the flood. + + +1. Later rabbinic materials sometimes operate with the notion of +two gardens: the celestial garden of Eden and the terrestrial garden. In _3_ +_En._ 5:5-6 we learn d1at before the generation of Enosh had sinned, God's +_Shekhinah_ freely traveled from one garden to the other: + + +When the Holy One, blessed be he, went out and in from the +garden to Eden, and from Eden to the garden, from the garden + +to heaven, and from heaven to the garden of Eden, all gazed at +the bright image of Shekhinah and were unharmed- until the +coming of the generation of Enosh, who was d1e chief of all the +idolaters in the world. [55 ] + + +The story of the garden in _3 Bar._ 4 might represent an early tradition +about the two gardens, since in this apocalypse the garden becomes the + +locus of celestial and terrestrial events at the same time. In the story of the +flood in _3 Bar._ 4:10- 11, the events taking place in heaven and on earth are +depicted as if they mirror each other: the destruction of "all flesh," including +the giants on earth, mirrors the destruction of "all that was blooming" in +the heavenly garden. Both accounts also mention survivors, the patriarch +Noah from the flooded eard1 and one plant from d1e flooded heavenly +garden. This parallelism resembles the one in the Book _of Giants,_ where +the dream(s) about the destroyed "vegetation" of the garden and the single +preserved shoot symbolized the drowned giants and Noah's miraculous escape. + + +122 Dark Mirrors + + +2. As we mentioned above, in the Enochic traditions the fallen +angels and their offspring are often depicted through arboreal imagery. CD +2:17-19 refers to the giants as tall cedars. 5 [6 ] The _Book of Giants_ supports this +tendency: in the Manichean fragments of this composition, the Watchers +are unambiguously associated with the treesn T he _Midrash_ _of_ _Shemhazai_ +and _Azael_ also seems to take dle vegetation of the garden as a symbol of + +the Watchers/Gian ts group. This correspondence is made not directly but +through parallelism. In the _Midrash,_ Shemhazai's statement about the flood +on earth follows immediately after Hiyya's dream about the destruction of +the trees. The two events seem to "m irror" each other in such a way th at +the first depicts the second symbolically. +_3 Bar._ 4:10 follows the same pattern, portraying the destruction of "all +flesh" and the giants on earth and the destruction of"all that was blooming" + +in the heavenly garden as two "mirroring" processes taking place in the +celestial and terrestrial realms. The sim ilarities between the descriptions + +in 3 _Bar._ 4 and those of the _Book_ _of Giants_ seem not to be coinc idental. +In addition, the description of "all flesh" in 3 _Bar._ 4:10 includes a direct +reference tO the drowned giants. [58 ] + +3. The next is the identification of Noah with dle "escaped plant." In +the _Midrash_ _of'_ _Shemhazai_ _and_ _Azael,_ the giant Hiyya beholds in his dream +one tree with three branches that survived the destruction of the garden. +The text states that "an angel (was seen by him) descending from the + +firmament with an axe in h is hand, and he was cutting down all trees, so +dlat there remained only one tree containing three branches." [59 ] A verse later, +the sto ry switches to Noah [60 ] and his three sons: [61 ] "He (Shemhazai) said to +them (Hiwwa and Hiyya): 'The Holy One is about to bring a flood upon +the world, and tO destroy it, so that there will remain but one man and his +three sons."' [62 ] In the Midrash IOb- Ila, the reference to Noah and h is three +sons enduring the Flood follows immediately after the symbolic depiction of + +the tree with three branches surviving the destruction. A lthough the _Midrash_ +does not directly identify the tree with Noah, it makes the identification +obvious by correlating these two descriptions. +The same correlation is seen in _3_ _Bar._ 4:10b-ll, where the reference + +to Noah and his escape follows immediately after the statement about the +preserved shoot: "(A]nd the water entered into the garden, (and took all that + +was blooming), bringing out one shoot from the vine as God withdrew the +waters. And there was dry land, and Noah went out from the ark." [63 ] It is +important, however, that the escaped "tree," which in the Book _of Giancs_ was +associated with the righteous remnant, becomes associated in _3 Baruch_ with +the evil deception. This difference might point tO the polemical character +of 3 Baruch's appropriation of Enochic imagery. + + +The Flooded Arboretums 123 + + +The Noachic Narrative (3 Baruch 4: 11-1 5) + + +_3_ _Bar._ 4:11-1.5 deals with Noah's story. It depicts the patriarch after his +debarkation seeing the shoot of vine lying on the ground. Noah hesitates + +tO plant the vine, knowing the fatal role this plant had in deceiving Adam +and Eve. Puzzled, Noah decides to ask the Lord in prayer if he can plant +the vine. The Lord sends dle angel Sarasael, who delivers to Noah the +following command: "Rise, Noah, and plant the vine, and alter its name +and change it for the berter." [64 ] Sarasael's address to Noah is important for +establishing the connection between _3_ _Baruch_ 4 and the broader Enochic/ +Noachic traditions. It reveals that the author of _3_ _Baruch_ was familiar not +only with the details of Noah's escape from the flood that are found in + +the extant materials of the _Book_ _of Giants_ but with the peculiar derails of +Noah's srory in the _Book_ _of the_ _Watchers_ and in the traditions associated +with the _Book_ _of Noah._ + +The Greek and Ethiopic versions of 1 En. I 0:1-3 attest dlat God +commissioned Sariel to info rm Noah about the approaching Flood. [6] ; This +story might possibly par'allel Sarasael's [66 ] revelation to Noah in _3_ _Bar._ 4:15, +but Sariel's revelation in _1_ En. 10:1- 3 does not contain any information +about the plant. It may be, however, that the "original" reading of _1_ En. +10:3 survived in its entirety not in the Ethiopic text of _1_ _Enoch_ but in the +text preserved by Syncellus, [67 ] which corresponds closely to the Aramaic +evidence. [68 ] In the passage found in Syncellus, God commissioned Sariel tO + +tell Noah not only about his escape from the flood but also about a _plant:_ +"And now instruct the righteous one what to do, and the son of Lamech, + +that he may save his life and escape fo r all time; and from him a plant shall +be planted and established for all genemtions for ever." [69 ] + +Although "a plant" in this revelation can be taken as a symbolic +reference to the restored humanity1° or Noah h imself, who is described in _1_ +En. 10:16 as the "plant of righteousness and tnlth," some rex ts associated with +Enochic traditions reveal that besides "planting" justice and righteousness, +Noah was involved literally in the planting of the vine. Thus, _]ub._ 7: 1, for +example, says that "during dle seventh week, in its first year, in this jubilee +Noah planted a vine at the mountain (whose name was Lubar, one of the +mountains of Ararat) on which the ark had come to rest. It produced fruit +in the fourth yea r."il Here, just as in 3 _Bar._ 4:13-15, d1e planting of the +vine is associated with Noah's debarkation. + +Noah's story as found in _3_ _Bar._ 4:1 1- 16 gives additional support to +the hypothesis about the existence of the materials associated with the _Book_ +_of_ _Noah._ Florentino Garda Martinez's pioneering research [72 ] demonstrates +that the materials of the _Book_ _of Noah_ are closely associated wi th the + + +124 Da rk Mirrors + + +Enoch ic/Noachic traditions found in _l_ _Enoch,_ _Jub.,_ the Qumran materials, +and SyncellusY In _3_ Bar. 4 several traditions associated with the _Book_ _of_ +_Noah_ appear to be intimately interconnected, which might point to their +possible common origin in the _Book of Noah._ For example, in _3 Bar._ 4: 15- 17, +Sarasael tells Noah about the dange rs of the vine. The angel tells him that + +d1e plant still retains its evil. This re\•elation about the plant and the evil +it possesses recalls ano ther passage possibly associated wi th the _Book_ _of_ +_Noah,_ namely, the tradition about the angelic revelation to Noah recorded +in _Jttb_ _._ 10:1- 14, wh ich h as it d1at Noah was taught by angels about the +plan ts and evil spirits. [14 ] + + +Conclusion + + +The foregoing analysis has demonstrated a number of intriguing parallels +between the theme of the garden in _3 Bar._ 4 and similar traditions associated +with me materials of the _Book_ _of_ Giants. [15 ] In both accounts, the garden is +depicted as the place of the primordial heavenly rebellion involving angelic +being(s). A lthough _3_ _Bar._ 4 is written from the Adamic perspective, d1 is +account demonstrates several details that are absent in "traditional" Adamic +accounts bm can be found in the Enochic lore. This suggests that the +author of _3 Bawch_ might be involved in anti-Enochic polemics borrowing +and rewriting Enochic motifs and themes from the Ada mic perspective. +Therefore, the narrative of the planting and the destruction of the garden + +in _3_ _Baruch_ seems to represent the locus of intense debates involving +substantial rew riting of the "original" Enochic/Noachic motifs and themes. +T he details of the Enochic Watchers/Giants srory appear to be rearranged [76 ] + +and transferred to new characters of the Adamic sto ry, including Samael/ +Satanael and the serpent. [71 ] + +The author of _3 Baruch_ seems to be engaged in anti-Enochic polemics, +not only with the traditions associated with the _Book of Giants_ bur also with +the Enochic motifs and themes found .in the _Book of the_ _Watchers,_ the _Booi<_ +_of Jubilees,_ and Syncellus. It appears that even the theme of d1e flooding +of the heavenly garden represents an anti-Enochic motif. _jubilees_ 4 depicts + +Enoch as the one who was translated ro the garden of Eden. _]ub._ 4:23 further +claims d1at because of Enoch "the flood water did not come on any of the + +land of Eden because he was placed there as a sign and _w_ testify against all +people in order to tell all the deeds of history until the day of judgment." [78 ] + +A substantial pan of _3 Bar._ 4 is occupied by the Noachic account and +the Noachic tradition found in _3 Bar._ 4 is closely connected with the fragments +of the _Book of Noah_ found in 1 _Enoch,_ _Jubilees,_ the Qumran fragments, and +Syncellus. It appears, however, th at the Noachic materials found in _3_ _Bar._ + + +**The** Flooded Arboretums 125 + + +4 have also undergone the "Adamic" revisions. Harry Gaylord observes +th at "a strong typological relation is set up between Adam and Noah, who +discovers a piece of the vine through. which Adam and Eve sinned washed +om of the garden by the receding floodwaters." [19 ] + + +**Notes** + + +Introduction + + +I. On the temporal and spatial symme.try in the Jewish apocalyptic literature, +see J. M. Scott, On _Earth_ _a.<_ in _Heaven:_ _The_ _Rescoracion_ _of Sacred_ _Time and_ _Sacred_ +Space in _the_ _Book_ _ofl_ _ubilees_ (JSJSS, 91; Leiden: Brill, 2005), 212-19. +2. _Scott, On_ _Ecn·th_ _as_ in _Heaven,_ 212. In his other book james Scott noted +that "the juxtaposition of _U,-zeit_ and E11dz_cit- the beginn ing of the nations and their +cataclysmic end-occurs not on ly in Jubilees S-9 itself, but also in Dan. 12: 1 and + +the War Rule." ). M. Scott, _Oeogra{>hy_ i11 _Early_ _judaism_ and _Christianity: The_ _Book_ +_of_ ./~inceton _Sym{)osium_ on _.Judaism and_ Christian Origins ( ed. J. H. +C harlesworth; Minneapolis: Fortre.ss, 1992), 182-83; M. Knibb, "Messian ism in the + +Pseudepigrapha in the Light of the Scrolls," DSD 2 (1995): 177- 80; J. Fossum, _The_ +_Image of the_ _Invisible_ God: _Essays on rhe_ Influence _of Jewish_ Mysticism on _Early ChTistology_ +(NTOA, 30; Fribourg: Universir.iirsverlag h eiburg Sch we iz; Goctingen: Vanderhoeck +und Ruprecht, 1995, 144- 45; C. H. T. Fletcher-Louis, _Luke-Acts: Angels,_ _Chrisrology_ +_and Soteriology_ (WUNT, 2.94; Tubingen: Mohr/Siebeck, 1997), 15 1; A. _Orlov,_ "The + +Face as the Heavenly Counterpart of the Visionary in the Slavonic Ladder of Jacob," +in _Of_ Se>ibes _and Sages:_ _Early_ _./etvish_ lnterpreta!ion _and_ Transmission _of_ Scripture (2 +vo ls.; eel. C. A. Evans; SSEJC, 9; London: T & T Clark, 2004), 2.59- 76. + +12. VanderKam, "Righteou.s One, Mess iah, Chosen One, and Son of Man in +I Enoch 37- 71," 182-83. + +13. One of the specimens of this tradition can be found in the _Prayer of.loseph_ +and in the targumic elaborations of the stOry of the patriarch Jacob that depict his + +heavenly identity as his "image" engraved on the Throne of Glory. The traditions +abOtlt the heavenly "image" of Jacob are present in several 1:a.rgumic texts, including +_Tg._ _Ps_ _.-]., Tg._ Ncof., and _Frg._ _Tg._ Thus, for example, in _Tg._ Ps.-.1. to Gen 28:12 the +following description can be found: "He [J acob) had a dream, and behold, a ladder +was fixed in the earth with its tOp reaching toward thh_ _of_ Adam (B loomingron: Ind iana Universit)' Press, 2002); idem," 'Be +You a Lyre for Me': Identity or Manipulation in Eden," _T he_ _Exegetical_ _Encounter_ +between./cws _and Christians_ in Late _Antiquity_ (ed. E. Grypeou and **H.** Spurling; JC PS, + +'1 8; Le iden: Brill, 2009}, 87-99. +21. T he Latin Vita tells the following story;" '0 Adam, all my enmity, jealousy, +and resencmenc is cowa rd~ you, since on account of you l was expe lled and alienated + +from my glory, which l had in heaven in the midst of the angels. Then the Lord God +grew angry wi th me and sent me forth with my angels from our glory. On account +of you we were expelled from our dwelling into this world and cast out upon the +earth. Immediately we were in grief, since we had been despoiled of so much glory, +and we grieved to see you in such a great happiness of delights.' " A _Synopsis_ _of_ + +_the_ _Books_ _of .A.dctm_ _and_ _Eve._ _Second Revised_ _Edition_ (ed. G. A. Anderson and M. E. +Stone; **EJL,** 17; A tlanta: Scholars, 1999}, 15- ISE. + +22. "For behold, the garment which in heaven was formerly yours has been set +aside for him, :md the corruption which was on him has gone over to you" (Apoc. +_Ab._ 13:7- 14). A. Kulik, Rerroverting Slavonic _Pseudepigraplta:_ _Toward_ the OriginaL _of_ +_the Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ (TCS, 3; A tlanta: Scholars, 2004), 20. + +23. Targumic t!"adition might also reflect this situation of the transference of the +attributes and conditions benveen the proroplast(s) and their prom log ical opponent(s} +when it says that God d othed Adam and Eve with the luminous garments of their +Seducer. In _Tg._ _Ps_ _.-]._ on Gen 3:21 the following tradition can be found: "And the + +Lord God made gamtents _of glory_ for Adam and for his wife from the skin which +the serpent had cast off (to be worn) on the skin of their (g<'rments of} fmgernuils +of which they had been stripped, and he clothed them." _Targum_ _Pseudo-Jonathan:_ +Genesis (tr. M. Maher, M.S.C.; A rBib, IB; Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1992}, 29. + +24. On early Jewish demonology, see W. M. A lexander, _Demonic_ _Possession_ in +the _New_ Testament: Its _Historical,_ _Medical and Theological_ Aspects (Grand Rapids: Baker, +1980}; P. S. A lexander, "The Demonology of the Dead Sea Scrolls," in _The_ _Dend_ +_Sea Scrolls aft·er_ _Fifty_ _Years_ _:_ A Com{)rehemive Asses>~nent (2 vols.; ed. P. W. Flint and +J. C. VanderKam; Leiden: Brill, 1999), 2.33 1- 53 ; C. Auffarth and L. T. Stuckenbruck +(eels.), _The_ _Fall_ _of_ _the Angels_ (TBN, 6; Le iden: Brill, 2004}; B. J. Bamberger, _Fallen_ +_Angels:_ _Soldiers_ _of Saran's Realm_ (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 19.52); +G. A. Barton, "TI)e Or igin of the Names of Angels and Demons in the Extra-Canonical + +ApoctJHaS1) has been +prepared for you by the Eternal One." Kulik, _Retrovercing Slavonic_ _Pseudepigrapha,_ 18; + + + +Philonenko-Sayar and Philonenko, L' _Apoca.lypse_ _d' Abraham,_ 60. + + + +22. This identification of the positive lot with the lot of God is also present +in the Qumran materials. Cf. 1QM 13:5-6: "For they are the lot of darkness but +the lot of God is for [everlast]ing light." _The_ _Dead_ _Sea_ _Scrolls_ _Study_ _Edition_ (2 vols.; +ed. F. Garcia Martinez and E. Tigchelaar; Leiden: Brill, 1997), 135. +23. _Apoc._ _Ab._ 20: 1- 5. Kulik, _Retroverting Slavonic_ _Pseudepigrapha,_ 25. +24. On the Azazel traditions, see Blair, _De-Demonising the_ _Old Testament:_ _An_ +_Investigation_ _of Azazel,_ _Lilith,_ _Debe-r,_ _Qeteb_ _and_ _Reshef in_ _the_ _Hebrew_ _Bible,_ 55-63; +J. De Roo, "Was the Goat for Azazel Destined for the Wrath of God?" _Bib_ 81 (2000): + +233-41; W. Fauth, "Auf den Spuren des biblischen Azazel (Lev 16): Einige Residuen +der Gestalt oder des Namens in jlldisch-aramaischen, griechischen, koptischen, +athiopischen, sydschen und mandaischen Texten," ZAW 110 (1998): 514-34; C. L. +Feinberg, "The Scapegoat of Leviticus Sixteen," _BSac_ 115 (I 958): 320-31; M. Gorg, +"Beobachtungen nun sogenannten Azazel-Ritus," BN 33 (1986): 10-16; Grabbe, +''The Scapegoat Tradition: A Study in Early Jewish Interpretation," 165-79; Helm, +"Azazel in Early Jewish Literature," 217-226; B. Janowski, _Sulme als_ _Heilgeschehen:_ +_Studien zur_ _Suhnetheologie_ _der Priesterchrift und der Wurzel_ KPR im _Alten Orient und im_ +Alten _Testment_ (WMANT, 55; Neukirchen-Yluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 1982); idem, +"Azazel," in _Dictionary_ _of Deities_ _and_ _Demons_ _in_ _the_ _Bible_ ( ed. K. van der Toorn et +al.; Leiden: Brill, 1995), 240-48. B. Jurgens, Heiligkeit _und Versohnung:_ _Leviticus_ _16_ _in_ +_seinem_ _Literarischen_ _Koncext_ (New York: Herder, 2001); H. M. Kllmmel, "Ersatzkonig + +und Sllndenbock," ZAW 80 (1986): 289- 318; R. D. Levy, _The Symbolism of the Azazel_ +_Goat_ (Bethesda: International Scholars Publication, 1998); 0 . Loretz, _Lebe·rschau,_ +_Sundenbock_ _,_ _Asasel_ _in_ _Ugarit_ _und_ _Israel:_ _Leberschau_ _und_ _Jahwestatue_ _in_ _Psalm_ 27, +_Leberschau_ in _Psalm 74_ (UBL, 3; Altenberge: CIS-Verlag, 1985); J. Maclean, "Barabbas, + +the Scapegoat Ritual, and the Development of the Passion Narmtive," HTR 100 +(2007): 309-34; Molenberg, "A Study of the Roles of Shemihaza and Asael in 1 +Enoch 6-11," 136-46; J. Milgrom, _Studies_ _in Cultic Theology_ _and Te1minology_ (SJLA, +36; Leiden: Brill, 1983); D. Rudman, "A Note on the Azazel-goat Ritual," _ZAW_ 116 + +(2004): 396-401; W. H. Shea, "Azazel in the Pseudepigrapha," _JATS_ 13 (2002): 1-9; +Swkl Ben Ezca, "Yom Kippur in the Apocalyptic Imaginaire and the Roots of Jesus' + +High Priesmood," 349-66; idem, "The Biblical Yom Ki ppur, the Jewish Fast of the +Day of Atonement and me Church Fathers," 493- 502; idem, _The_ _Impact_ _of Yom_ +_Kippur_ on _Early Christianity:_ _The_ _Day_ _of Atonement from_ _Second_ _Temple Judaism_ _to the_ + +_Fifth Century;_ A Strobel, "Das jerusalemische Sllndenbock-ritual. Topographische und +landeskundische Erwagungen zur Oberlieferungsgeschichte von Lev. 16,10,21£," ZDPV +103 (1987): 141-68; H. Tawil, "oc._ Ab. 14:5 "Say tO him, 'May you be the fire brand of the furnace +of the earth! (maB'bHelo nell\H 3CMHWI).'" Kulik, _Retroverting Slavonic_ _Pserulepigrapha,_ +21; Philonenko-Sayar and Philonenko, _L'A[Joca.ly[Jse_ _d'Abraharn,_ 68. + +44. Kulik, Retmvercing _Slavonic_ _Pse·udepigrapha,_ 22. +45. Ibid. +46. Ibid., 23. +47. Ibid., 24. See also _A{Joc._ _Ab._ 18:13: "And above the Wheels there was the +throne which I had seen. And it was covered with fire and the fire encircled it round +about, and an indescribable light surrounded the fiery people." Kulik, _Recroverting_ +_Slavonic_ _Pseudepigrapha,_ 24. + +48. Box and Lmdsman, _The Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ xxvi. +49. Kulik, Recroverting _Slavonic_ _Pswdepigrapha,_ 35; Rubinkiewicz, _L'Apocalypse_ +_d' Abraham_ en ·vieux _slave,_ 202. + +50. Cf. _Apoc ._ _.Ab._ 31 :Z-3 "And I shall burn with lire those who mocked +them ruling over them in this age and l shall commit those who have covered +me with mockery to the reproach of the coming age." Kulik, _Recroverting_ Skwonic +_Psew.le[>igrapha,_ 35. + + + +51. Ibid. +52. Ibid., 26. + + + +53. Philonenko-Sayar and Philonenko, L' _Apocaly{Jse_ d' _.Abraham,_ 84. +54. Cf., for example, Horace Lunt's comment in Rubinkiewicz, _The Apocalypse_ +_of Abrahcun_ _,_ l .699. + +_55._ Kulik, Retroverting _Slav011ic_ _Pseudepigraplta,_ 26. +56. Ibid., 27; Philonenko-Sayar and Philonenko, L' _Apocalypse d'Abraham,_ 88. +57. On the traditions of the serperHine Eve in Jewish and C hristian literature, +see S. M inov, '"Serpentine' Eve in Syriac Christim1 Literature of Late Antiquity," + +in _Wlich_ Letters _of Light:_ _Scudies_ in the _Dead_ _Sea_ _Scrolls,_ _Early_ _jewish Apocalypricisrn,_ +_Magic_ _and Mysticism_ (Ekstasis, 2; ed. D. A rbel and A . Orlov; Berlin/New York: De +G ruyter, 2010), 92-114. + +58. T hus, for example, reflecting on the imagery found in _.Apoc ._ _.Ab._ 23:4-11, +Daniel Harlow suggests that "the three of them appear in a _menage a t>·ois._ the man +and woman entwined in an erotic. embrace, the fallen angel in serpentine guise + +feeding them grapes." Harlow, "Idolatry and .Alterity: lsrael and the Nations in the +_Apocalypse of Abraham,"_ 320. + +_59._ On various versions of the _Life of Adam and_ _Eve,_ see M. E. Stone, A +History _of the_ _Literature_ _of Adam_ and _Eve_ (E] L, 3; Atlanta: Scholars, 1992); M. de +jonge and). Tromp, _The_ Life _of Adam_ and Eve (Sheffield: Sheffie ld Academic Press, + + + +1997). + + + +60. A _Synopsis_ _of_ the _Books_ _of_ _Adam and Eve,_ 62E. The Armenian and Georgian +versions of LAE 22:4 also support this tnlclition: "He set up his throne clos[e] to the +Tree of Life" (Armenian); "and thrones were set up near the Tree of Life" (Georgian). +A _SynO{Jsis_ _of che_ Booiha_ (2 vols.; ed. j. H. Charlesworth; New York: Doubleday, 1983-85), J.ll4. +62. P. Alexander, "3 (Hebrew Apocalypse of) Enoch," _The_ _Old_ _Testament_ +_Pseudepigrapha_ (2 vols.; ed. _J._ H. Charlesworth; New York: Doubleday, 1983-85), 1.259. + + +138 Notes to "The Likeness of Heaven" + + + +63. _The_ _Zohar_ (5 vols.; ed. H. Sperling and M. Simon; London and New +York: Soncino, 1933), 2.355. +64. _The Babylonian Talmud_ (ed. L Epstein; London: Soncino, 1935- 1952), 3.255. +65. Exod 37:9. +66. 1 Kgs 6:27; Ezek 1:9. +67. 2 Chr 3:12. +68. R. Elior, _The Three Temples_ _: On_ rl1e _Emergence of Jewish Mysticism_ (Oxford: +T he Littman Library of Jewish C ivilization, 2004), 67. + +69. In later Jewish mysticism the imagery of the cherubim in the Ho ly of +Holies was interpreted as the conjugal union between male and female. Thus, in +_Zohar_ IIL59b the following tradition can be found: "R. Simeon was on t he point +of going to visit R. Pinchas ben )air, along with his son R. Eleaza r. When he saw +them he exclaimed: 'A song of ascents; Behold how good and how pleasant it is for +brethren to dwell togeth er in unity'" (Ps CXXXIII, 1). 'The expression "in unity," +he said, refers to the Cherubim. When their faces were turned to one another, it +was well with the world- "how good and how pleasant," but when the male turned +his face from the female, it was ill with the worl d. Now, too, l see th at you are +come because the male is not ab iding with the female. If you have come only for + +this, return, because I see that on this day face will once more be turned to face.'" +Sperling and Simon, _The_ _Zohar,_ 5.4 1. Another passage from _Zohar_ IIL59a also tells +about the conj ugal un ion of the cherubim: 'Then the priest used to hear their vo ice + +in the sanctuary, and he put the incense in its place with all devotion in o rder that +all might be blessed. R. Jose said: The word 'equity' _(mesharim,_ li t. equities) in the +above quoted verse indicates that the cherubim were male and female. R. Isaac +said: From this we learn that where there is no union of male and female men are + + + +not worthy to behold the divine presence." Sperling and Simon, _The_ _Zohar,_ 5.4 L + + + +70. Elior, _The_ _Three_ _Temples:_ On _the_ _Emergence_ _of Jewish_ _Mysticism,_ 67. +71. _The_ _Babylonian_ _Talmud_ (ed. L Epstein; London: Soncino, 1935- 1952), +3.257. _Zohar_ IIL67a, which describes the actions of the high priest on Yo m Kippur, +also attests to the same tradition when it portrays the "wrestle" of the cherubim in +the Holy of Ho lies who are "beating their wings together" The passage then describes +the high priest entering the Holy of Ho lies bringing the incense that "pacifies" or +"reconciles" the "wrestling" of the angelic creatures. Sperling and Simon, _The_ _Zohar,_ + +5.60. See also: _Zohar_ L23la: "Now at sunset, the Cherubim which stood in that +place used to strike their wings together and spread them out, and when the sound +of the beating of their wings was heard above, those angels who chanted hymns in +the night began to sing, in order that the glory of God might ascend from below on +high. The striking of the Cherubim's wings itself intoned the psalm, 'Behold, bless +ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord . . . lift up your hands to the sanctuary, etc.' +{Ps. CXXXIII). T his was the signal for the heavenly angels to commence." Sperling +and S imon, _The_ _Zohar,_ 2.340. + +72. Elior, _The_ _Three_ _Temples,_ 158. In relation to this union of the ange lic +creatures in the Holy of Holies, Elior further noticed that "the grammatical relationship +between the Hebrew words for the Holy of _Holies-_ _lwdesh hakodashim-_ _and_ for +betrothal-kidushin-suggests an ancient common ground of heavenly and earthly +union." Elior, _The_ _Three_ _Temples,_ 158. + + +Notes to "The Likeness of Heaven" 139 + + + +73. Similar tO the "Living Creat-ures of the Cherubim" the demon is also +portrayed as a composite being which combines zoomorphic and human features-the +body of a serpem with hands and feet like a man. + +74. Cf. _Pirke_ de _Rabbi_ _Eliezer_ 13: "Sammael was the great prince in heaven; +the _Hayyot_ had four wings and the Seraphim had six wings, and Sammael had twelve +wings." Pirke _de_ _Rabbi_ Eliezer (2nd ed.; tr. G. Friedlander; New York: Hermon Press, +1965}, 92. Cf. also Georgian LAE 12:1 "My [Satan's] wings were more numerous +than those of the C herubim, and I concealed myself under them." A _Synopsis of_ _the_ +_Books_ _of Adam and_ Eve, 15- 15E. + + + +75. Kulik, _Rerroverting S/a.vcmic_ _Pse·udepigrapha,_ 27. +76. Ibid., 24. + + + +77. This imagery of Azazel posited between Adam and Eve might serve also as +a profound an thropological symbol that possibly signifies the division of the protoplast. + +Azazel might be envisioned here as rhe primordial knife separating androgynous +proto-humse_ _of_ _Abraham,_ see +also: Box and Landsman, _The Apocalypse_ _of Ahmham,_ xxix- xxx; M. Dean-Orting, + +_Heavenl.y ]oumeys:_ A _Study of the_ _Motif_ in Hellenistic _Jewish. Literature_ (JU, 8; Frankfurt + +•l m Main: Peter Lang, 1984}, 251-53 ; I. G ruenwald, _AJ>ocalyf>tic_ _and_ _Merlle_ _Period:_ +_Apocryf>ha,_ _Pseudef>igrapha,_ Qumran _Sectarian_ \XIritings, _Philo,_ _joseph«.<,_ .383-441, esp. +418; G. Sc.holem, _Major_ Trends in _./ewish Mysticism_ (New York: Schocken, 1961}, +52, 57- 6 1, 72; idem, _jewish_ _Gnoscicism, Merlwbah_ _Myscicism, and Talmudic_ Tradition + +(New York: The Jewish Theo log ical Seminary, 1965}, 23-24; idem, _Kabbalah_ (New +York: Quadr.lngle, 1974}, 18. + + +**140** + + + +Notes to Eschatological Yom Kippur + + +Eschatological Yom Kippur in **the** + +Apoca lypse of Abraham + + +l. Slav. cancj:JMp'b. Philonenko-Sayar and Philonenko, _I:_ _Apocalypse d' Abraham,_ + + + +60. + + + +2. Slav. xpycoJIHTb. Philonenko-Sayar and Philonenko, L' _Apocalypse_ +_d' Abraham,_ 60. + +3. "(A)nd a turban (KHJJ;apb) on his head like the appearance of the bow +in the clouds." Kulik, Recroverting _Slavonic_ _Psew:lepigrapha.,_ 19; Philonenko-Sayar and +Philonenko, _L:Apocal)'pse d'Abraham,_ 60. +4. Thus, Daniel Harlow observes that "Yahoel's clothing ... indicates that +he is the heavenly high priest: he wears a 'turban on his head like the appearance +of the bow in the clouds,' his garments are purple, and he has a golden staff in + +his hand (11:2). These elements evoke the wardrobe and accoutrement of Aaron +(Exod 28; Num 17)." Harlow, "Idolatry and A lterity: Israel and the Nations in the +_Apocal)'pse_ _of Abraham,"_ 313- 14. + + + +5. Jacob Milgrom observes that the high priest's head covering was a turban + + + +(t"l!l)~Q ) and not **t'11l):::lJQ,** the simpler headdresses of the ordinary priests (Exod +28:39- 40). J. Milgrom, _Leviticus_ _1- 16:_ A _New_ _Translation_ _with_ _Introduction_ _and_ +_Commentary_ (AB, 3; New York: Doubleday, 1991), 1016. +6. M. H immelfarb, _Ascent to_ _Heaven_ _in Jewish and Christian Apocal)'pses_ (New +York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), 62. + +7. Ibid. +8. Ibid. Yahoel's role as a heavenly high priest is also hinted at later in +the text _(Apoc. Ab._ 10:9) through his liturgical office as choirmaster of the living +Creatures, which is reminiscent of the liturgical office of Enoch-Metatron in the +Merkabah tradition. Cf. A. Orlov, "Celestial Choir-Master: The Liturgical Role of +Enoch-Metatron in 2 _Enoch_ and the Merkabah Tradition," _JSP_ 14.1 (2004): 3-24. + +9. Himmelfarb, _Ascent_ _co_ _Heaven_ _in_ _Jewish_ _and Christian_ _Apocal)'pses,_ 62. +10. "Greatest of his brothers and the beauty of his people was Simeon the +son of Johanan the priest ... how honorable was he as he gazed forth from the + +tent, and when he went forth from the house of the curtain; like a star of light +from among clouds, and like the full moon in the days of festival; and like the sun +shining resplendently on the king's Temple, and like the rainbow which appears in +the cloud." C. N. R. Hayward, _The Jewish Temple:_ A _Non-Biblical Sourcebook_ (London: +Routledge, 1996), 41-42. +**11.** One of the extensive descriptions of Y' ~ is found i..n the _Book_ _of Zohar,_ +which describes its unusual luminosity: "[Rabbi Simeon] began quoting: 'And they + +made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, [and wrote upon it a writing, like +the engravings of a signet: Holy to the Lord)' (Exod 39:30). Why was [this plate) +called Y' ~ ? It means 'being seen, to be looked at.' Since it was there to be seen +by people, it was called Y' ~ . Whoever looked upon th is plate was recognized by it. +The letters of the holy name were inscribed and engraved upon this plate, and if +d1e person who stood in front of it was righteous, the letters inscribed in the gold +would stand out from bottom to top and would shine out from the engravings, and + +illuminate the person's face." _Zohar_ 11.217b. I. Tishby, _The_ _Wisdom_ _of the_ _Zohar._ _An_ + + +Notes to Eschatological Yom Kippur 141 + + +_Anthology_ _of Texts_ (3 vols.; London: The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, +1989), 3.920- 21. + +12. Exod 39:30-31 "They made the rosette of the holy diadem of pure gold, +and wrote on it an insc ription, like the engraving of a signet, 'Holy to the Lord.' +They tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it on the turban above." + +13. _b. Yoma_ 37a. +14. In this respect Himmelfarb observes that "the heaven of the _Apocalypse_ +_of Abraham_ is clearly a temple. Abraham sacrifices in order to ascend to heaven, + +then ascends by means of the sacrifice, and joins in the heavenly liturgy to protect +himself during the ascent .... The depiction of heaven as a temple confirms the +importance of d1e eard1ly temple. The prominence of the heavenly liturgy lends +importance to the liturgy of words on earth, which at the time of ilie apocalypse +provided a substitute for sacrifice, a substitute that in the apocalypse's view was to +be temporary." Himmelfarb, _Ascent to_ _Heaven_ in _jewish_ _and Christian_ _Apocalypses,_ 66. +15. On heavenly Temple traditions see M. Barker, _The_ _Gate_ _of_ Heaven: _The_ +_History_ _and_ _Symbolism_ _of the_ _Temple_ in _]e,·usalem_ (London: SPCK, 1991); G. K. + +Beale, _The Temple_ _and_ _the_ _Church's_ _Mission_ (NSBT, 17; Downer Grove: lntervarsity +Press, 2004); J. J. Collins, "A Throne in the Heavens: Apotheosis in Pre-Christian +Judaism," in _Death, Ecstasy,_ _and_ _Other_ _\.Vorldly_ _Journeys_ (ed. J. ). Collins and +M. Fishbane; Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995), 43-57; A. DeConick, +"Heavenly Temple Traditions and Valentinian Worship: A Case for First-Century +Christology in the Second Century," in _The Jewish_ _Roots of Christological_ Monodteism: +_Papm_ _from_ _the_ _St._ _Andrews_ _Conference on_ _dte_ _Historical_ Origins _of_ _the_ _\.Vorship_ _of_ +_Jesus_ (ed. C. C. Newman, J. R. Davila, G. S. Lewis; JSJSS, 63; Leiden: Brill, 1999), +308- 41; B. Ego, "Im _Himmel_ wie _auf Erden"_ (WUNT, 2.34; Tubingen: Mohr/Siebeck, + +1989); R. Elior, "From Earthly Temple to Heavenly Shrines: Prayer and Sacred Song +in the Hekhalot Literature and its Relation to Temple Traditions," _]SQ_ 4 ( 1997): +217-67; idem, _The Three_ _Temples:_ On _the_ _Emergence_ _of jewish_ M)•sticism (Oxford: +T he Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2004); C. H. T. Fletcher-Lewis, _AU_ _the_ + +_Glory of Adam:_ _Liturgical_ _Anthropology_ in _the_ _Dead Sea SeroUs_ (STDJ, 42; Leiden: Brill, +2002); I. Gruenwald, _Apocalyptic and_ _Merkavah_ Mysticism (AGAJU, 14; Leiden: Brill + +1980); Halperin, _Faces_ _of_ _dte_ _Chariot:_ _Early_ _Jewish_ _Response_ _to_ _Ezekiel's_ _Vision;_ idem, +"Heavenly Ascension in Ancient Judaism: TI1e Nature of the Experience," SBLSP + +26 (1987): 218-31; R. G. I-lamerton-Kelly, "The Temple and the Origins of Jewish +Apocalyptic," _VT_ 20 (1970): 1-15; R. Hayward, _The Jewish Temple:_ A _Non-Biblical_ +_Sourcebook_ (London: Routledge, 1996); M. Himmelfarb, "The Practice of Ascent in + +the Ancient Mediterranean World," in _Death,_ _Ecstasy,_ _and_ _Other_ _Worldly_ _Journeys,_ +123- 37; idem, _Ascent_ _to_ _Heaven_ in _Jewish_ _and_ _Christian_ _Apocalypses;_ idem, "From +Prophecy to Apocalypse: The Book of the Watchers and Tours of Heaven," in _Jewish_ +_Spirituality:_ From _the Bible Through the Middle_ _Ages_ (ed. A. Green; New York: Crossroad, +1986), 145- 65; idem, "Apocalyptic Ascent and the Heavenly Temple," 210- 17; +C. R. Koester, _The Dwelling of God: The Tabernacle_ in _the Old Testament,_ _Intertestamental_ +_Jewish_ _Literature and_ _the_ _New Testament_ (CBQMS, 22; Washington: Catholic Biblical + +Association of America, 1989); J. D. Levenson, "The Temple and the World," JR 64 + +(1984): 275-98; idem, Sinai and Zion (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1985), 111-84; +idem, "The Jerusalem Temple in Devotional and Visionary Experience," in _Jewish_ + + +142 Notes to Eschatological Yom Kippur + + +_Spirituality:_ FTOm _the_ _Bible Through_ tl~e Middle _Ages,_ 32-59; G. W. MacRae, "Heavenly +Temple and Eschatology in the Letter co the Hebrews," _Semeia_ 12 ( 1978}: 179- 99; +A. J. McNicol, "The Heavenly Sanctuary in Judaism: A Model for Tracing the Origin of +the Apocalypse," _JRS_ 13 (1987}: 66-94; C. R. A. Morray-Jones, 'The Temple Within: +The Embodied Divine Image and Its Worship in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Other +Jewish and Christian Sources," SBLSP 37 (1998}: 400-31; idem, "Transformational + +Mysticism in the Apocalyptic-Merkabah Tradition," _JJS_ 43 (1992): 1- 31; R. Patai, _Man_ +_and Temple_ _in_ Ancient _Jewish_ _Myth_ _and_ _Ritual_ (New York: KTAV, 1967); C. Rowland, +_The_ _Open_ _Heaven:_ A _Study_ _of Apocalyptic_ _in Judaism_ _and_ _Early_ _Christianity_ (London: +SPCK, 1982); idem, 'The Visions of God in Apocalyptic Literatu re," _]SJ_ 10 (1979}: +137-54; A. F. Segal, "Heavenly Ascent in Hellenistic Judaism, Early Christianity and +Their Environment," _ANRW_ 2.23.2 (1980): 1333-94. + +16. Thus, for example, Harlow views the whole structure of the work as +the composition which includes five sacerdotal seeps or "movements": "Abraham's +separation from false worship (chaps. 1-8); Abraham's preparation for true worship +(chaps. 9- 14); Abraham's ascent for true worship (chaps. 15- 18); Abraham's vision +of false worship (19:1-29:13); and his vision of true worship restored (29:14-31:12)." + +Harlow, "Idolatry and Alterity: Israel and the Nations in the _Apocalypse of Abraham,"_ +305- 306. + +17. Alexander Kulik argues that the description of the sacrificial services of +Terah's family found in the first chapter of the _Apocalypse of Abraham_ "precisely follows + +the order of the Second Temple daily morning tamid service as it is described in the +Mishna: first, priests cast lots _(Yoma_ 2, 1-4; _Tamid_ 1, 1-2; cf. also Luke 1:9), then + +they sacrifice in front of the sanctuary _(Tamid_ 1-5), finishing their service inside +_(Tamid_ 6)." Kulik, _Retroq,-e1·ting_ _Slavonic_ _Pseudepigrapha,_ 86. + +18. Harlow's research helps to clarify the priestly status of Azazel by drawing +on the structural parallelism between the high priestly profile of Yahoel in chs. 10-11 +and Azazel's priestly profile in chs. 13-14. Harlow, "Idolatry and Altericy: Israel and + +the Nations in the _Apocalypse_ _of Ab7·aham,"_ 310. +19. Rubinkiewicz, _L'Apocalypse_ _d'Abraham_ _en vieux slave,_ 58-60. +20. Ibid., 60. +21. David Halperin notes the Mosaic flavor of this passage, observing that +"in preparation, Abraham must abstain from meat, wine, and oil _(Apocalypse_ _of_ + +_Abmham,_ ch. 9). The immediate source of this last detail seems to be Dan 10:3. But, +significantly, it recalls the abstentions of Moses and Elijah (Exod 34:28; Deut 9:9, +18; I Kgs 19:7- 8); for like Moses and Elijah, Abraham is to have his experience on +'the Mount of God, the glorious Horeb.'" D. Halperin, _The Faces of the Chariot._ _Early_ +_Jewish_ _Responses_ _to_ _Ezekiel's Vision_ _(TSA],_ 16; Tubingen: Mohr/Siebeck, 1988), 105. +22. Kulik, _Retroverting Slavonic_ _Pseudepigrapha,_ 17. +23. Ibid., 19. +24. Daniel Harlow observes that "the patriarch's fasting 'for forty days and +nights' marks one of several places in the apocalypse where the author models +Abraham's experience on Moses's (Exod 34:28).'" Harlow, "Idolatry and Alterity: + +Israel and the Nations in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,"_ 312. +25. Martha Himmelfarb observes that "the account in the _Apocalypse_ _of_ +_Abraham_ implicitly compares Abraham's ascent to Moses' experience at Sinai. Thus, + + +Notes to Eschatological Yom Kippur 143 + + + +for example, Abraham performs the sacrifice described in Gen 15 at MOLmt Horeb +(the name for Mount Sinai in some biblical sources) after fort)' days of fasting in the +wilderness. The exegetical occasion for the association of Gen 15 and Exod 19-20 +is the manifestation of the presence of God in smoke and fire in both passages." +Himmelfarb, Ascent _to Heaven_ in _Jewish and Christian Apocalypses,_ 62. For the Mosaic +background of the patriarch's actions in chapter twelve see also N. L. Calven, +_Abraham_ _Traditions_ in _Middle_ _Jewish_ _Literature:_ _Implications_ _for_ _the_ _Interpretation_ _of_ +_Galatians_ _and_ _Romans_ (PhD diss.; Sheffield University, 1993). Calvert observes that +"the similarity between Abraham's actions in chapter twelve and those of Moses are +striking. He first travels to the mountain Horeb, known also in the Old Testament +as Mt. Sinai, which is called 'God's mountain, glorious Horeb' in the _Apocalypse_ _of_ +_Abraham_ 12:3. Like Moses when he receives the law, Abraham spends forty days and +nights on the mountain. Abraham is said neither to eat bread nor to drink water +because his food 'was to see angel who was with me, and his discourse with me was + +my drink.' _(Apoc._ _Ab._ 12: 1-2). Philo reflects a Jewish tradition of Moses's time on +the mount, saying that Moses neglected all meat and drink for forty days, because +he had more excellent food than that in the contemplations with which he was +inspired from heaven _(De_ _Vita_ _Moses_ 11.69). Because Mt. Horeb and Mt. Sinai are +names for the same mountain, Abraham receives his revelation from God in the +same place that Moses received God's commandments. Finally, as the Lord 'was like +a devouring fire on the top of the mountain' in the Exodus account, so the fire on +top of Mt. Horeb burns the sacrifices over which Abraham and the angel ascend to +heaven where God also appears as fire." Calvert, _Abraham Traditions_ in _Middle Jewish_ +_Literature:_ _Implications_ _for_ _the Interpretation_ _of Galatians_ _and_ _Romans,_ 274. +26. Box notes the connection of this idea of alternative noll(ishment with +the Mosaic tradition fou nd in Philo. He observes that "there is a close parallel to +our text in Philo, _Life_ _of Moses,_ Ill. 1, where it is said of Moses in the Mount: 'he + +neglected all meat and drink for forty days together, evidently because he had more +excellent food than th at in those contemplations with which he was inspired from +above from heaven.'" Box and Landsman, _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ 50. +27. David Halperin elaborates this tradition of the unusual nourishment of +the patriarch and its connection to Moses's feeding on the _Shekhinah_ attested in +some later rabbinic accounts. He notes that "Moses also discovered that the divine +presence is itself nourishment enough. That is why Exod 24:11 says that Moses and +his companions beheld God, and ate and drank. This means, one rabbi explained, + +that the sight of God was food and drink for them; for Scripture also says, 'In the +light of the King's face there is life.' .. . We may assu me that the au thor of the +_Apocalypse of Abmham_ had such midrashim in mind when he wrote that 'my food was +to see the angel who was with me, and his speech- that was my drink.'" Halperin, +_The_ _Faces_ _of the Chariot,_ 111 . +28. Christopher Begg observes d1at "making Mt. Horeb _(Apoc. Ab._ 12:3) +the site of this incident (contrast _Jubilees,_ where it takes place at Hebron) serves +to associate Abraham with the figures of Moses and Elijah, both of whom received +divine communications at that site." Begg, "Rereading of the 'Animal Rite' of Genesis + + + +15 in Early Jewish Narratives," 44. + + + +29. Halperin, _The Faces_ _of the Chariot,_ 110. + + +**144** Notes to Eschatological Yom Kippur + + + +30. On the Bar-Eshath episode see A Orlov, "'The Gods of My Father Terah': +Abraham the Iconoclast and the Polemics with the Divine Body Traditions in the +_Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,"_ _]SP_ 18.1 (2008): 33- 53; idem, "Arboreal Metaphors and +Polemics with the Divine Body Traditions in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,"_ HTR 102 + + + +(2009 ): 439- 5 **L** + + + +3 L _T_ _he_ _Babylonian_ _Talmud._ _Baba_ _Bathra_ (ed. **L** Epstein; London: Soncino, +1938), 498. +32. _The Babylonian Talmud._ _Taanith_ (ed. **L** Epstein; London: Soncino, 1938), 161. + +33. _Tanna_ _Debe_ _Eliyyahu:_ _The_ Lore _of the_ _School_ _of Elijah_ (tr. W. G. Braude +and **L** J. Kapstein; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1981), 190. + +34. As can be seen, some midrashic materials try to connect the es tablishment +of the Day of Atonement festival with repentance of the Israelites after the idolatry +of the Golden Calf. Later Jewish mysticism deepens this connection even further +when it interprets the scapegoat ritual in light of the Golden Calf traditions. Thus, +some Jewish texts connect the Golden Calf episode with the beginning of the +enigmatic practice of assigning a share to "the other side" in sacrificial rituaL Isaiah +Tishby refers to the tradition found in the _Book of Zohar_ according to which "one of + +the consequences of Israel's sin with the Golden Calf was that 'the other side' was +assigned a share in the sacrificial rituaL" Ttshby, _The_ Wisdom _of the_ _Zohar,_ 89 1. _Zohar_ + +IL242b tells that "from that day the only thing they could do was to give a portion +of everything to ' the other side' through the mystery of the sacrifices, the libation, +and the whole-offerings." Tishby, _The_ Wisdom _of the_ _Zolun·,_ 891. In the dualistic +framework of the Zoharic tradition, the goat that is dispatched to Azazel comes to +be understood as "the principal offering that is destined in its entirety for 'the other +side."' Tish by, _The_ Wisdom _of the_ _Zohar,_ 821. Ttshby notes that "in many passages + +[of the _Zohar)_ this is described, following a late midrash, as a bribe that is offered to +SamaeL T he _Zohar_ quotes a number of parables to explain this matter of the bribe. +One describes how a king wish es to rejoice with his son or his friends at a special + +meaL In order that the happy occasion should not be spoiled by the presence of +ill-wishers and quarrelsome men, he orders a separate meal to be prepared for them. +According to this parable the purpose of sending a goat to Azazel is to remove _sitra_ +_ahra_ from the 'family circle' of Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, on the Day +of Atonement." Ttshby, _The Wisdom_ _of the_ _Zohar,_ 892. These references to the later +jewish dualism connected with the Yom Kippur ritual are not completely irrelevant + +in light of the dualistic imagery of the two lots found in the _Apocalypse of Abraham._ +Students of the Slavonic apocalypse often try to interpret the dualistic developments +found in the pseudepigraphon as later interpolations by the Bogomils. Yet, as we +will see further in this investigation, the dualistic understanding of the Yom Kippur + +traditions found in the _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham_ and the _Zohar_ can be traced to the +Second Temple traditions fou nd in the Dead Sea Scrolls, where the imagery of the + + + +two lots was put in a dualistic eschatological framework. + + + +35. Friedlander, _Pirke_ _de_ _Rabbi_ _Elieze7·,_ 364. +36. Ibid., 362. +37. _Tanna_ _Debe_ _Eliyyahu,_ 385. + + + +38. For the common anti-anth ropomorphic tendencies of the _Apoca.lypse_ +_of Abraham_ and the _Testament_ _of Abraham,_ see Orlov, " 'The Gods of My Father + + +Notes to Eschatological Yom Kippur 145 + + + +Terah': Abn1.ham the Jconoclast and the Polemics with the Divine Body Tr~di tions + +in the _Apocalypse of_ Abraham," 33-53; idem, "Praxis of the Vo ice: The Divine Name +Traditions in the _Apocalypse_ _of .A.I;n-aham," )BL_ 127 (2008): 53-70. + +39. For the expansion of Abraham's story in the _Book_ _of Jubilees,_ Josephus, +Philo, and the later rabbinic materials (Gene,~ i.s _Rabhah_ 38:1.3, _Tamw_ Debe _Eliyyahu_ +2:25, Seder _Eliyyahu Rabbah_ 33), see: Box and Landsman, _The At)ocalypse of A bmltam,_ +88- 94; Rubinkiewicz, _L'Apocalypse d'Abraham_ en _vieux slave,_ 4.3-49. + +40. In this respect the authors of t he Slavonic pseudepigraphon appear to he +bound by the formative tradition manifested i.n the biblical accotmt of Abraham's +sacrifices found in Gen 15. Thus, Box notes that "the apocalyptic part of the book + +is based upon the story of Abraham's sacri fices and tntnce, as described in Gen. xv." +Box and Landsman, _Tlte Apocalypse_ _of Abraham,_ xxiv. +**41.** Knihh, The _Ethiopic_ _Bool<_ _of_ Enoch, 2.87- 88. +42. R. H. C harles, _The_ _Bool<_ _of Enoch_ (Oxford: C larendon, 1893}; D. Dimant, +_The_ Fallen Angels in _the_ _Dead Sea Scrolls_ and _the_ _Related Apocrypha and_ _Pse1.igrapha,_ 21. +92. Philonenko-Sayar and Philonenko, _L'.A.pocalypse_ _d'Aln-aham,_ 68. +93. Ibid., 68. +94. Philonenko-Sayar and Philonenko, _L'At>ocalypse_ _d'Abraham,_ 68. +95. Lev 16:22: "T he goat shall be ar on itself all their iniquities to a barren +region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness." + +96. lvlilgrom, _Leviticus_ J- 16, 1045. +97. Kulik, _Apocalypse_ _of Abraham._ _Towards_ _che_ _Lose Original,_ 90. +98. Sti.ikl, _The lmpacr.ofYom Kit>fm.r_ on _Early Chrisrianicy: The Day of Atonemenc_ +_from_ Second _Temple_ ./r.u:laism _t.o_ _the_ _Fifch_ Century, 94. +99. Harlow notes that "Yahoel teaches Abraham a kind of exorcistic spell +to drive Azazel away." Harlow, "Idolatry and Alterity: Israel and the Nations in the +_Apocalypse_ _of Aln·aham,"_ 3 15. + +100. In this respect Jacob Milgrom reminds us that in the beginning, before +becoming an annual festival, Yom Kippur was understood as an "emergency rite'' for +purgation of the sus, Symbol,_ _Allegorie_ +_bei_ den ostlichen Vii!em and _ihren_ Parallelen im _Mittelalter_ (ed. M. Sch midt; EB, 4; + +Regensbufg: Friedrich Pustet, 1982), 11-40;. A. D. DeConick and j. Fossum, "Stripped +before God: A New Interpretation of Logion 37 in the Gospel of Thomas," VC 45 +(1991): 123-50 at 141 ; N. A. Dah l and D. Hellholm, "Garment-Metaphors: T he Old +and the New Human Being," in _Antiquity and Humanity:_ _Essays_ _on Ancient_ _Religion_ +_and Philosophy:_ Presented _to_ _Hans_ Dieter Betz on _l1is_ 70"' _Birthday_ (ed. A. Yarbro Collins + +and M. M. Mitchell; Tiibingen: Mohr/Sie.beck, 2001), 139-58; A. Goshen-Gottstcin, +"The Body as Image of God in Rabbink Literature," HTR 87 (1994): 171- 95; + +B. Murmelstein, "Adam, ein Beitrag zur Messias lehre," _\X!ZKM_ 35 (1928): 242-75 +ar 255; N. Rubin and A. Kosman, "The Clothing of the Primordial Adam as a +Symbol of Apocalyptic Time in the Midrashic Sources," HTR 90 (1997): 155-74; +J. Z. S mith, ''The Garments of Shame,'' HR 5 (I 965/!966): 217- 38. + +10. Aaron, "Shedd ing Light on God's Body," 303. +11. Cf., for example, Ezek I; Ps 10 1:1; Job 40:10. + +12. Brock, "Clothing M<'wphors as a Means of Theological Expression in +Syriac Tradition," **14.** + +13. The Qumran materials appear to be aware of the motif of the glorious +condition of Adam. Thus, several rexts invoke the rradition of the glory of the +protoplast: JQS 4:15 22- 23: "For those God has chosen for an everlasting covenant +and to them sha ll belong a ll the glory of Adam (Cl1~ **1 1J::J)."** IQH 4:9 15; +"giving them as a legacy a ll the glory of Adam (C'1~ **1 1J::J)."** CD-A 3:20 ''Those +who remained steadfast in it will acquire eternal life, and all the glory of Adam + +(Cl1~ **1 1JJ)** is for them." _The Dead Sea ScrolLs_ _Study_ Edirion, 78-79, 148-49,554-55. + +14. A _Synot>sis of r.he_ _Boolsis of rhe_ _Books_ _of Adam and_ _Eve,_ 12E. O n the Armenian version +of the _Primary_ Adam BooiJizapcKu_ _npe!JOOb_ _u 6eJieJJCKU_ (COcpH5!: IlpH.[(BOpHa IJetCHUHa_ _npe:J_ _XIII_ _e._ (ed. L Bozhilov + + +160 Notes to The The Watchers of Satanael + + + +et al.; Coqm}l: B'bJirapcKM ITMcaTen, 1987), 150-56; D. Petkanova, "Cnono Ja +JI'b:liigraf>htt_ (ed. ]. C . Reeves; E] L, 6; Atlanta: Scholars, 1994), 185. + + + +16. _)._ VanderKam, _Enoch:_ A _Man for_ _AU_ Generations (Columbia: South +C arolina, 1995 ), 159. + + +162 Notes to The The Watchers of Satanael + + +17. The longer recension of _2_ En. 18:4 reads: "And they broke the promise +on the shoulder of Mount Ermon." Andersen, "2 Enoch," 1.132. + +18. " ... identity [of the imprisoned angels) as rebellious Watchers is further +underscored by the petition they press upon Enoch." Reeves, "Jewish Pseudepigrapha +in Manichaean Literature: The Influence of the Enochic Library," 185. + +19. This connection was also mentioned by Robert Henry Charles who +noticed that "the angels ask Enoch to intercede for them, as in _1_ En. xiii.4," _The_ +_Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of_ the _Old_ Testament (2 vols.; ed. R. H. Charles; Oxford: +Clarendon, 1913), 2.433, note 4. + +20. "And they asked me to write out for them the record of a petition that +they might receive forgiveness and to take the record of their petition up to the +Lord in heaven." Knibb, _The_ _Ethiopic_ _Book_ _of Enoch,_ 2.93. + +2 L "And then I wrote out the record of their petition and their supplication +in regard to their spidts and the deeds of each one of them, and in regard to what +they asked, (namely) that they should obtain absolution and forbearance. And I +went and sat down by the waters of Dan in Dan which is south-west of Hermon +and I read out the record of their petition until I fe ll asleep." Knibb, _The_ _Ethiopic_ +_Book_ _of Enoch,_ 2.93- 94. + +22. Soko lov, "MaTepHanbi 11 JaMeTKH no cTapHHHOH cnaBHHCKoii +nwrepa-rype," 16. + +23. George Nickelsburg notices that the division of the fallen angels into two +gro ups is also reminiscent of some early Enochic developments attested already in _1_ +_Enoch._ He observes that "in his description of the rebel angels the seer distinguishes +between two groups, as does _1_ _Enoch.:_ the _egregoroi_ ('watchers'), who sinned with +the women (2 En. 18); and their 'brethren' (18:7), called 'apostates' (chap. 7), who +may correspond to the angels as revealers." G. W. E. Nickelsburg, _jewish_ _Literature_ +_Between_ _the_ _Bible_ _and_ _the_ _Mishnah_ (2nd ed.; Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005), 222. + +24. Sokolov, "MaTepRaJibl R JaMeTKR no cTapHHHOH cnaBHHCKOH +mYTepaType," 6. +25. Ibid., 16. +26. "their prince = Satanail, xviii, 3," _The_ _Apocrypha_ _and_ _Pseuclepigrapha_ _of_ +_the_ _Old_ _Testament,_ 2.433, note 3. +27. Orlov, _The_ _Enoch-Metatron Tradition,_ 221- 22. +28. The motif of the prostration of angelic beings, including the Watchers, +before the seventh anted iluvian hero is unknown in the early Enochic circle reflected +in _1 Enoch._ A possible reference to another tradition of prostration- the theme of +the Giants bowing down before the patriarch-might be reflected in the _Book_ _of_ +_Giants_ [4Q203 _Frag._ 4:6): "they bowed down and wept in front [of Enoch ... ]." +_The_ _Dead_ _Sea_ _Scrolls_ _Study_ Edition, 409. Although the passage is extant in a very +fragmentary form and the name of Enoch is not mentioned, Jozef Tadeusz Milik, +Siegbert U hlig, and Florentino Garda Martinez have suggested th at the figure before +whom the Giants prostrate themselves is none other than Enoch himself. For the +discussion of this tradition see L Stuckenbruck, _The_ _Book_ _of Giants_ _from_ _Qumran:_ +_Texts,_ _Translation,_ _and Commentary_ (TSAJ, 63; Tubingen: Mohr/Siebeck, 1997), 75- 76. +29. The account of Adam's elevation and his veneration by angels is found +in Armenian, Georgian, and Latin versions of the _Life of Adam_ _and_ _Eve_ 13- 15. + + +Notes to The The Watchers of Satanael 163 + + + +30. The Slavonic version of 3 Bar. 4; _Gospel_ _of_ _Bartholomew_ 4, Coptic +_Enthronement_ _of Michael,_ _Cave_ _of Treasures_ 2:10- 24, and _Qur'an_ 2:31-39, 7:11- 18, + + + +15:31- 48, 17:61-65, 18:50, 20: 116-123, 38:71-85. + + + +31. Annette Reed suggested that the tradition about Uzza, Azza, and Azael is +"reflecting direct knowledge of the account of the fall of the angels in _1_ _En._ 6-11." + +v +Reed, "From Asael and Semihazah to Uzzah, Azzah, and Azael: 3 Enoch 5 (§§7-8) +and Jewish Reception-History of 1 Enoch," 110. + +32. On the tradition of the veneration of humanity in rabbinic literature +see A. Altmann, "The Gnostic Background of the Rabbinic Adam Legends," +_]QR_ 35 (1945): 371- 91; B. Bare, "La taille cosmique d'Adam dans La litterature +juive rabbinique des trois premiers siecles apres J.-C.," _RSR_ 49 (1975): 173-85; +_]._ Fossum, "The Adorable Adam of the Mystics and the Rebuttals of the Rabbis," +_Geschichte-Trad.ition-Reflexion. Festschrift fur_ _Martin Hengel_ _zum_ 70. _Geburtstag_ (2 vols; +eels. H. Cancik, H. Lichtenberger, and P. Schafer; Tubingen: Mohr/Siebeck, 1996), +1.529- 39; G. Q uispel, "Der gnostische Anthropos und die judische Tradition," _E1]b_ +22 (1953): 195- 234; idem, "Ezekiel 1:26 in Jewish Mysticism and Gnosis," VC 34 +(1980): 1-13; A. Segal, _Two_ _Powers_ _in Heaven:_ _Early_ _Rabbinic Reports about Christianity_ +_and_ _Gnosticism_ (SJLA, 25; Leiden: Brill, 1977), 108-15. +33. Commenting on 3 _En._ 4, Gaty Anderson suggests that if"we remove those +layers of the tradition that are clearly secondary ... we are left with a story that +is almost identical to the analog we have traced in the Adam and Eve literature." +Anderson, "TI1e Exaltation of Adam and the Fall of Satan," 107. He further notes + +that the acclamation of Enoch as the "Youth" in _Sefer_ _Hel.H. A6A)'JIJiaeaa, _IlepcuiJcKaf! KopaHu'leCKaf! 3K3ezemuKa: TeKCIIlbl, nepe(WObl,_ + + + +_KO.M.MeHmapuu_ (C.-Tierep6ypr: Tie-rep6yprcKoe BocTOKOBeAeHHe, 2000). + + + +74. Alexander, "3 En.och," 1.303. +75. MS New York JTS 8128. +76. P. Schafer, with M. Schluter and H. G. von Mutius, _Synopse zur_ +_He/Jw!oth-Literatur_ (TSAJ, 2; Tubingen: Mohr/Siebeck, 1981), 164. + +77. M. Cohen, _The_ _Shi'ur_ _Qomah:_ _Texts_ _and_ _Recensions_ (TSAJ, 9; Tubingen: +Mohr/Siebeck, 1985), 162-64. +78. Cohen, _The_ _Shi'ur_ _Qomah:_ _Liturgy_ _and_ _Theurgy_ _in_ _Pre-Kabbalistic_ _Jewish_ +_Mysticism,_ 134. +79. Slav. CJI)')f{RTe. Sokolov, "MaTepHaJihi 11 3aMeTKH no CTapHHHOH +CJiaB5JHCKOH JIHTepaType," 17. + +80. Slav. CJI)')I(611 aawe. Ibid. +81. Andersen, "2 Enoch," 1.132. +82. See Georgian LAE 14:1: "Then Michael came; he summoned all the +troops of angels and told them, 'Bow down before the likeness and the image of the +divinity.'" Latin LAE 14:1: "Having gone forth Michael called all the angels saying: + + +168 Notes to Satan and the Visionary + + +'Worship the image of the Lord God, just as the Lord God has commanded.'" A +_Synopsis_ _of_ the _Books_ _of Adam_ _and_ _Eve,_ 16E. +83. T hus, in 2 En. 24 God invites the seer to the place next to him, closer than +that of Gabriel, in order to share with him the information that remains hidden even +from the angels. The shorter recension of 2 _En._ 24 puts even greater emphasis on the +unique nature of this offer; in this recension God places the patriarch "to the left of +himself, closer than Gabriel (Slav. EmnKe fc·mpFina)." Andersen, "2 Enoch," 1.143; +Sokolov, "MarepHaJihi H 3aMeTKH no cTapHHHOH cnaBHHCKOif nHTepaType," 90 + +(Ms. B), 117 (Ms. U ). Crispin Fletcher-Louis writes that the fact that in 2 _Enoch_ the +seer is seated next to God "suggests some contact with the rabbinic Enoch/Metatron + +tradition." Fletcher-Louis, _Lulre-Acts,_ 154. Michael Mach also suggests that this motif +is closely connected with the Metatron imagery. He notes that "the exaltation to a +rank higher than that of the angels as well as the seating at God's side have their +parallels and considerable development in Enoch's/Metatron's transfonnation and +enthronement as depicted in 3 _Enoch."_ M. Mach, "From Apocalypticism to Early +Jewish Mysticism?" in _The_ _Encyclopedia_ _of Apocalypticism_ (3 vols.; ed. J. J. Collins; +New York: Continuum, 1998), 1.229- 64 at 251. +84. On the Adamic background of the temptation narrative in Matthew and +Luke, see J. A. Fitzmyer, _The_ _Gospel According_ to _Lul_ 4.10 (2006): 380-412; R. Bauckham, _The Face_ _of the_ _Dead._ + +_Studies_ _on_ _the Jewish_ _and_ _Christian_ _Apocalypses_ (NovTSup, 93; Leiden: Brill, 1998); +H. E. Gaylord, "3 (Greek Apocalypse of) Baruch," in _The_ Old _Testament Pseudepigraplw_ + +(2 vols.; ed. ). H. Charlesworth; New York: Doubleday, 1983-85), 1.653-79; M. L +Sokolov, "eHHKC B anoKpmpax o6 EHoxe H Bapyxe," in _Hoenzii c6opuuK cmameii_ +_no_ _CJI06fiHOeeoeHuJO,_ _cocmaeJJeHHblU_ _u u300HHbn"i y 'leHuKaMu_ _B.H._ _JlaMaHCKozo_ + +(C.-fleTep6ypr:Tanorpa down." Alexander, "3 Enoch," 1.260. +41. See I En. 6:6: "And they were in all two hundred, and they came down +on Ardis which is the summit of Mount Hennon." Kn ibb, _The_ _Ethiopic_ _Boo!<_ _of_ +_Enoch,_ 2 .68. +42. Andersen, "2 Enoch," 1. 130. +43. The possibility that the aurhor of _3_ _Baruch_ was cognizant of the myth of +the Watchers is supported also by d1e information fotmd in other parts of the book. +According to Bauckham, the aumor of _3_ _Baruch_ indeed knew about the story of +the Watchers. He suggests mat two groups of condemned angels in chapters 2 and +3 of _3_ _Bamch_ parallel two groups of Watchers in the second and fifth heaven from +2 En. 7 and 18. See Bauckham, "Early Jewish Visions of He ll," 3 72. +44. [ am indebted to Professor Michael Stone for this clarification. +45. See also 4Q504 8:4-6: "(. Adam,] our [fat]her, you fashioned in the +image ~, f [your) glory [ ... ] [ .. . the brearh of life) you [b] lew inw his nostril, and + + +176 Notes to The Flooded Arboretums + + + +intelligence and knowledge [ ... ] [ .. . in the gard)en of Eden, which you had +planted .... " _The_ _Dead Sea_ _Scrolls_ _Study_ _Edition,_ 1009. + +46. Slav. IIoxoTh rpexoaHaro. Novakovic, "Otkrivene Varuhovo," 206. +4 7. Gaylord, "3 Baruch," 1.666. +48. _1_ En. 6:1- 2a: "And it came to pass, when the son of men had increased, +that in those days there were born to them fa ir and beautiful daughters. And the +angels, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them." Knibb, _The_ _Ethiopic_ Book +_of Enoch,_ 2.67. + +49. Milik, _The_ _Books_ _of Enoch,_ 327. +50. _Midrash of ShemhaztJ.i and Azael_ 1-4: "When the generation of Enosh arose +and practiced idolatry and when the generation of the flood arose and corrupted their +actions, the Holy One-Blessed be He-was grieved that He had created man, as it +is said, 'And God repented that he created man, and He grieved at heart.' Forthwith +awse two angels, whose names were Shemhaza i and Azael, and said before Him: '0 +Lord of the Lmiverse, did we not say unto Thee when Thou didst create Thy world, +Do not create man?' The Holy One-Blessed be He-said to them: Then what shall +become of the world?' They said before Him: 'We w iII suffice (Thee) instead of it.' + +He said: 'It is revealed and (welt) known to me that if peradventure you had lived +in that (earthly) world, the evil inclination would have ruled you just as much as +it rules over the sons of man, but you would be more stubborn than they.' They +said before Him: 'Give us TI1y sanction and let us descend {and dwelt} among the +creatures and then Thou shalt see how we shalt sanctify Thy name.' He said to +them: 'Descend an.d dwell ye among them.' Forthwith the Holy One allowed the +evil inclination to rule over d1em, as soon as they descended. When they beheld the +daughters of man that they were beautiful, they began to corrupt themselves with + +them, as it is said, 'Wh en the sons of God saw the daughters of man, they could +not restrain their inclination.' " Milik, _The_ Books _of Enoch,_ 3 2 7. +51. "And he said to Michael, 'Sound the trumpet for the angels to assemble +and bow down to the work of my hands which I made.' And the angel Michael +sounded the trumpet, and all the angels assembled, and all bowed down to Adam +order by o rder. But Satanael did not bow down and said, To mud and dirt I will +never bow down.' And he said, 'I will establish my throne above the douds and I +wilt be like the highest.' Because of that, God cast him and his angels from his face +just as the prophet said, 'These withdrew from his face, all who hate God and the +glory of God.' And God commanded an angel to guard Paradise." Gaylord, "How +Satanael Lost His ' -el,"' 305. + +52. "Forthwith arose two angels, whose names were Shemhazai and Az.ael, +and said before Him: '0 Lord of the universe, did we not say unto Thee when +Thou didst create Thy world, Do not create man?'" M ilik, _The_ Books _of_ Enoch, 327. + +53. Henning, "The Book of the G iants," 63. +54. Slav. BhCh I.IB'tT'h. Gaylord, "CnaBHHCKHH TeKCT TpeTheif KHHnl +Bapyxa," 52. +55. Alexander, "3 Enoch," 1.260. +56. "For having walked in d1e stubbornness of their hearts the Watchers of the +heaven fell; on account of it they were caught, for they did not heed the precepts of +God. And their sons, whose height was like that of cedars and whose bodies were + +like mountains, fell." _The_ _Dead_ _Sea_ _Scrolls_ _Study_ _Edition,_ 555. + + +Notes to The Flooded Arboretums 177 + + +57. "outside ... and . .. left . . . read the dream we have seen. Thereupon +Enoch thus ... and the trees that come out, those are the Egregoroi, and the giants + +that came out of the women. And ... over ... pulled out ... over .... "Henning, +"The Book of the Giants," 66. + +58. It is possible that _3 Bar._ 4:3 also attests to the traditions of the giants. The +text says that Baruch's angelic guide showed him a serpent who "drinks one cubit +of water from the sea every day, and it eats earth like grass." This description might +allude to the appetites of the giants who were notorious for consuming everything +a live on the surface of the earth. The _Book of_ _the_ _Watchers_ and the _Book_ _of Giants_ +attest to the enormous appetites of the giants. T he _Midrash of Shemhami_ _and_ _A_ _zael_ +h as it that "each of them eats daily a thousand camels, a thousand horses, a thousand +oxen, and all kinds (of animals)." Milik, _The_ _Books_ _of_ _Erwch,_ 328. +59. Ibid. +60. The associations of Noah with the plant abound, e.g., _1_ _En._ 10:16: "Destroy +all wrong from the face of the earth .. .. And let the plant of righteousness and + +truth appear." Knibb, _The Ethiopic Book of Enoch,_ 2.90. For a survey of the evidences, +see Reeves, _jewish Lore,_ 99- 100. + +61. Scholars believe that 6Q8 li ne 2 also refers to the story of Noah and +his three sons. + +62. Milik, _The_ _Books_ _of Enoch,_ 328. +63. Gaylord, "3 Baruch," 1.666. +64. Ibid., 1.668. +65. _1_ En. 10:1-3: "And then the Most High, the Great an.d Holy One, spoke +and sent A rsyalalyur to the son of Lamech, and said to him: Say co him in my name +' Hide yourself,' and reveal to him the end which is coming, for the whole earth will +be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come on all the earth, and what is in it will + +be destroyed. And now teach him that he may escape, and (that) his offspring may +survive for the whole earth." Knibb, _The_ _Ethiopic_ _Book of Enoch,_ 2.87. + +66. Sarasael represents here the corruption of Sariel, the angelic name of the +archangel Uriel also known in various traditions under the name of Phanue l. On t he +Uriel/Sariel/Phanuel connection, see O rlov, "The Face as the Heavenly Counterpart +of the Visionary in the Slavonic Ladder of Jacob," 2.59- 76. + +67. Matthew Black observes that "the longer text of Sync. seems closer to an +original." Black, _The_ _Book_ _of Enoch_ or _1 Enoch,_ 133. + +68. Milik, _The Books_ _of Enoch,_ 161-62. +69. Black, _The Book_ _of Enoch_ _or 1_ _Enoch,_ 30. +70. P. A. Tiller, "The 'Eternal Planting' in the Dead Sea Scro lls," _DSD_ 4.3 +(1997): 312- 35, esp. 317. See also S. Fujita, "The Metaphor of Plant in Jewish +Literature of the lmertestamental Period," _}S}_ 7 (1976): 30-45. + +71. J. C. VanderKam, _The_ _Book of jubilees_ (2 vols.; CSCO, 510-11, Scriptores +Aethiopici, 87- 88; Leuven: Peeters, 1989) 2.43. + +72. Garda Martinez, _Qumran ana_ _Apocalyptic,_ 1-44. +73. Even though the _Book_ _of Noah_ is not listed in the ancient catalogues of +the apocryphal books, the wr itings attributed to Noah are mentioned in such early +materials as the _Book of Jubilees_ _Uub_ _._ 10:13 and _]ub._ 21:10), the Genesis _Apocryplwn_ +from Qumran, and the Greek fragment of the Levi document from Mount Athos. +In addition to the titles of the lost _Book_ _of Noah,_ several fragmentary materials + + +178 Notes to The Flooded Arboretums + + + +associated with the early Noachic traditions have survived. Most researchers agree + +that some parts of the lost _Book of Noah_ "have been incorporated into _1_ _Enoch_ and +_Jubilees_ and that some manuscripts of Qumran preserve some traces of it." Garda + + + +Martinez, _Qumran_ _and_ _Apocalyptic,_ 26. + + + +74. _Jub._ lO:llb-14 "All of the evil ones who were savage we tied up in the +place of judgement, wh ile we left a tenth of them to exercise power on the earth before +the satan. We told Noah all the medicines for their diseases wi th their deceptions +so that he could cure (them) by means of the earth's plants. Noah wrote down in +a book everything (just) as we had taught him regarding all the kinds of medicine, +and the evil spiri ts were precluded from pursuing Noah's children. He gave a ll the +books that he had wr itten to his oldest son Shem because he loved him much more +than a ll his sons." YanderKam, _The_ _Book of Jubilees,_ 2.60. + +75. The analysis demonstrates that, among the Jewish and Manichean materials +associated with the _Book of_ Giants, the _Midrash Shemhazai and_ _Azael_ shows the closest +proximity to the garden traditions folmd in 3 _Bar._ 4. +76. Daniel Harlow noted that the author of 3 _Bar._ 4 "put the Watchers' myth +on its head." Harlow, _The_ _G1·eek_ _Apocalypse_ _of Baruch,_ 59. + +77. The depiction of the serpent in 3 _Baruch_ seems to allude to the enormous +appetites of the giants; see 3 _Bar._ 4:3 "And he showed me a plain, and there was a +serpent on a stone mountain. And it drinks one cubit of water from the sea every +day, and it eats earth li ke grass." Gaylord, "3 Baruch," 1.666. +78. YanderKam, _The_ _Book_ _of Jubilees,_ 2.28. +79. Gaylord, "3 Baruch," 1.659. + + +## **Bibliography** + +I. Texts and Translations + + +Abdullaeva, Firiuza. _flepcuocKaJt KopanutJeCKaR 3K3ezemuKa: Tegcmbt, nepeaoobz,_ + +_tWMMenmapuu._ C.-TieTep6ypr: TieTep6yprcKoe BocTOKOBeAeHHe, 2000. +Alexander, Philip. "3 (Hebrew Apocalypse of) Enoch." In _The Old Testament_ + +_Pseudepigrapha._ Edited by J. H. Charlesworth, 1.223- 315. 2 vols. New York: +Doubleday, 1983-85. +Andersen, Francis. "2 (Slavonic Apocalypse of) Enoch." In _The Old Testament_ + +_Pseudepigrapha._ Edited by J. H. Charlesworth, 1.91- 221. 2 vols. 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Atlanta: Scholars, 1987. + + +# **Index** + + + +Aaron, 28, 57, 64, 140, 148 +Abe l, 2 +Abih u, 46 +Abraham, 2, 4, 6, 8, 13- 14, 16-18, + + + +20- 21, 25, 27- 31, 36-49, 55, +64- 68, 79- 81, 132- 133, 135- 136, +141- 143, 147- 149, 154, 170 +as fighter against idols, 31 +as goat for YHWH, 38- 39, 147- 148 + + + +Aher, 172 +Angel of Darkness, 13- 14, 147, 154 +Angel of the Lord, 65, 166 +angelic opposition, 100, 176 +angelic veneration, 8, 90-92, 98, + + + +100- 101, 104-106, 110-112, +162- 163, 171 +_angelus_ _inrerpres,_ 8, 28, 49, 109, 114, +119 +Ararat, 123 +arboreal metaphors, 21- 22, 63, 117, +122 +Ard is, 164, 175 +Ark, 115, 121- 123, 153 +Asael/Azazel, 4, 6- 7, 11- 12, 14-25, 29, + + + +as priest, 29, 44-48, 55, 64-67, +147-149, 155 +as seer, 4, 20-21, 25, 27, 68, 132 +his corruption, 55, 81 +his garment 8, 38, 55, 64-67, 80 +abyss, 20-21, 38, 99 +Acherusian, Lake, 151 +Adam, 2, 4-6, 21, 23, 25, 50-51, 54, +57' 63, 66, 68- 73, 76, 86- 87' +91-92, 110-111, 113-115, 119 + + +35-46, 48- 55, 66-68, 76-79, 97' +99, 129- 159, 167 + + + +120, 123, 125, 130, 139, 149- 153, +156-158, 160-163, 165, 171- 172, +175-176 +as priest, 57, 152 +creation of, 51, 110, 152, 161, 165 +his anointing, 63 +his burial, 63, 151 +his exaltation, 5, 53, 86- 87, 91-92, +11 1 +his garment, 50, 57, 71, 130, + + + +as cosmic scapegoat, 7, 35- 38, 43-46 +as "burning coal," 19, 136 +as fallen priest, 29, 142 +as impure bird, 18, 3 7, 68, 79 +as leader of the fallen angels, 6, 8, +16, 79 +as revealer of secrets, 79 +as "rider," 11, 76- 77 +his demotion, 55, 66 +h is garment of darkness, 78- 79 +his heavenly garment, 6, 48-55 + + + +his inheritance, 13- 15 +his _kavod,_ 4, 11-12, 20-25 +his lot, 38-42 + + + +149-153 +his veneration, 90-92, 98, 100- 101, + + + +h is theophany, 4, 18, 20- 25 +h is theriomorphism, 77-78 + + + +104- 106, 110-112, 162- 163, 171 +aeon of light, 1-2 + + + +197 + + +198 Index + + + +ascent to heaven, 56, 59, 61, 66, 86, + +109, 141- 142, 165 +atonement, 15, 33- 34, 37, 44, 55, 59, +146, 159 +Azza, 91, 100-101, 163, 167 + + +Balaam, 166 +Bar-Eshath, 31 +Baruch, 113-114, 120 + +Belial, 14, 40, 131, 134, 136, 147 +Bogomils, 26, 144 + + +Cherubim, 7, 23- 25, 53, 61, 70, + +138- 139, 156 +their union in the Holy of Holies, +24-25 +Christ, 106 + + +Dan, 162, 170 +David, 127 +Dreams, 115- 117, 121- 122, 128, 177 +Dualism, 12- 13, 26, 133, 144, 154 +Dudael, 36, 77, 167 + + + +156-158, 160-161, 163, 165-166, +173 +_evil_ inclination, 119- 120, 176 + + +Face, Divine, 31, 57, 79, 91, 93, 104, + +109, 110, 112, 143. 164, 173, 176 +Flood, 115- 11 7, 120-124, 161, 176 + + + +Hahyah/Hiyya, 115-118, 122, 174 +_Hayyot,_ 102, 139 +heavenly counterpart, 3, 61, 128, 171 +Hell, 19-20, 98, 108, 136 +Hermon, Mount, 64, 85, 89, 94, 119, + + + +Gabriel, archangel, 52, 63, 98, 108, + + + +114, 118-120, 151, 168, 175 +Gadre' el, 166 +Garden of Eden, 6, 21-23, 50, 56-57, +66, 68, 87, 108, 113, 121, 124, + + + +150, 152, 160-161, 176 +as the Holy of Holies, 56-57, 152 +garments of skin, 50-52, 62, 71- 72, 152 +garments of light, 51-52, 63, 72, 155 +G iants, 37, 85, 88, 93-94, 113, + + + +ll5- 117, ll9, 121- 122, 124, 145, +161-164, 177-178 +Golden Calf, 31- 33, 46, 144 + + + +Elijah, 31, 108, 142- 143 +_Endzeic,_ 1-2, 4, 127 +Enoch, 1-3, 5, 37- 38, 50, 60-64, 67, +78, 87-92, 94-96, 98-104, 109, + + + +162, 164, 175 +_hieros_ _gamos,_ 25 + + + +113, 116, 119, 129, 147, 154, +161 +as celestial choirmaster, 101-104 +as cosmic dam, 124 +as priest, 5, 38, 61-62 +as second Adam, 87 +his anointing, 63 +his heavenly counterpart, 3 +his luminosity, 50, 62-63 +his metamorphosis, 50 +his veneration, 90-92, 162 +Enosh, 101, 121, 176 +eschatology, 1- 5, 7, 11, 13- 18, 36, + + + +High Priest, 8, 28- 29, 33- 34, 39, +42-44, 47-48, 57-60, 62, 65, 80, +103, 138, 140, 146-148, 153-154 +his garments, 57- 58, 62, 65, 140, 153 +Hiwwa, 116, 122 +Holy of Holies, 4, 6-8, 19, 24-26, + + + +33- 34, 38- 39, 48, 55-61, 66, 138, +146, 149, 153-154 +Horeb, Mount, 29, 30, 34, 108, 142, + + + +143, 170 + + + +39-40, 48, 50, 53, 56, 59-60, 63, +96, 127, 144, 147, 151, 160 +Eve, 4, 6-7, 21- 22, 25, 51- 52, 57, 68, + + + +70-75, 86-87, 113-115, 119-120, +123, 125, 130, 137, 139, 149-150, + + + +idolatty, 31- 32, 34-35, 144, 176 +idols, 18, 20, 28, 31, 46 +Image, Divine, 51, 72- 74, 110-111, + +167- 168, 172, 175 +inheritance, 13, 15-16, 33, 45, 134, 136 +Isaac, 36, 170 + + +Index 199 + + + +Ishtar, 155 + + +Jacob, 2-3, 128, 170 +his h eavenly counterpart, 3, 128 +his image, 128 +Jared, 88, 100 +Jesus, 2, 8, 106-108, 112, 127, 171 +Jordan, River, 156 +Joseph, 2 +Joshua, 64-65 + + +_Kavod,_ 4, 7, 11-12, 20, 26, 33, 104, + +110-112 +Korah, 28 + + +Lamech, 123, 177 + +Levi, 28, 62-63, 65 +his priestly garment, 62-63, 65 +Leviathan, 21, 149 +lots, 12-17, 27, 29, 35, 38-42, 129, +134- 136, 142, 144, 147 +Lubar, Mount, 123 + + + +Name, Divine, 28, 34, 42, 102-103, + + + +105, 140, 154- 155 +Nar iman, 116 +Nephilim, 170 +Noah, 2, 36, 56, 115, 117, 121- 125, + + + +153, 161, 171, 177-178 +as angelomorphic being, 78 +as "plant," 117, 121- 122 + + + +oath, 89, 94, 164 +oil, 30, 52, 62-64, 72, 142 +Other Side, 81, 144 + + + +_Pargod,_ 110, 171 +_paroket,_ 171 +Phanuel, 98, 173, 177 +Prince of Lights, 13-14, 147, 154 +protology, 1-2, 4-5, 20- 23, 25, 50, 56, + + + +62-64, 68, 73, 77' 86-87' 92, 96, + + + +Melchire~a<, 14, 40 +Melchizedek, 14-15, 40, 108, 134, 147 +_menorah,_ 62 +Metatron, 23, 100, 102- 103, 110, 147, + + + +100, 106, 109, 127, 130, 152 +Protoplasts, 2, 4-6, 21, 23, 25, 50- 51, +54, 57, 63, 66, 68- 73, 76, 86- 87, +91-92, 110-115, 119-120, 123, +125, 130, 139, 149-153, 156-158, +160-163, 165, 171- 172, 175- 176 +as "lower cherubim," 25 +entwined, 4, 21, 139 +their fall, 6, 23, 86-87, 119-120, + + + +168, 172 +as celestial choirmaster, 102- 103 +as prince of the Presence, 23 + + + +as prince over all princes, 102 +as Youth, 100, 102-103 +Methuselah, 152 +Michae l, archangel, 52, 62-64, 98, 110, + + + +123, 158, 160-161 +their garments, 50-53, 57, 71, 130, +149, 150-153 +their nakedness, 51, 173 +psychopomp, 8, 85, 108, 109 + + + +R. Aibu, 172 +R. Eliazar, 138 +R. Isaac, 76, 138 +R. Isaac b. Jacob ha-Kohen, 107 + + + +114, 118-120, 151, 167- 168, 173, +175-176 +Moses, 1-3, 30-34, 57, 64, 78, 108 + + +110, 127, 142- 143, 170- 171 +as angelomophic being, 78 +his heavenly counterpart, 3 +mythologies of evil, 7, 87, 90, 96-98, + + + +R. Ishmael, 23, 37, 100, 110 +R. Jose, 138 +R. Judah, 76 +R. Kattina, 24 + + + +100-101 + + + +Nadab, 46 +Nahor, 29, 46 + +as priest, 29 + + + +R. Levi, 151 +R. Meir, 52 +R. Pinchas b. ]air, 138 +R. Simeon, 76, 138, 140 + + +200 Index + + + +R. Simeon b. Gamaliel, 32 +R. Simeon b. Menasya, 151 +Raphael, archangel, 36, 77, 98-99, 114, +118-120, 167, 175 +Resh Lakish, 24, 151 + + + +Samael, 76, 107, 124, 144, 147, 175 +Sarasael, 115, 123, 177 +Sariel, 123, 177 +Satan/Saranael/Satanail, 5, 7- 8, 3 7, +53- 54, 65, 69- 76, 79, 85- 99, +106-115, 118-120, 124, 129, 139, +156- 160, 165- 166, 173, 176, 178 +as angel, 69- 71, 165 +as _angelus_ _interpres,_ 8, 108-109 +as beast, 71- 73 +as cherub, 70 +as gardener, 119 +as leader of the fallen angels, 96-98 +as prince, 85, 88-90, 92-93, 97, 107, + + + +Sinai, Mount, 1, 29-31, 33-34, 57, +108, 143, 171 +"sinful desire," 113- 114, 118- 119 +Solomon, 127 +Son of Man, 3, 98, 166 +symmetry, 1-4, 12, 17, 23, 53, 127, 129 + + + +transforma tional mys ticism, 67, 71-72, +112, 155 +Tree of Life, 4, 22-23, 62-63, 66, +137 +Tree of the Knowledge of Good and +Evil, 21, 23-25, 77 +"two powers," 11, 133, 172 + + + +Temple, 5, 24, 28, 34, 48, 61, 66, +108-110, 140-141, 149, 152, 155, +171 +Terah, 18, 29, 46, 49, 142, 147 + + + +as priest, 29, 46, 142 +three watchers, 100-101, 167 +Throne Room, 19, 25, 28, 39, 47, 56, +61, 64, 66, 68, 70 +Tigris, River, 70-71, 156 +Torah, 29- 30, 33- 34, 52 + + + +119, 139, 162 +as psychopomp, 8, 109 +as "rider," 76 +as serpent, 7 4-77 +his demotion, 69 +his ga rment of glory, 54, 156 +his invisibility, 74-75, 157 +sa tans, 97, 166 +scapegoat, 5-7, 35-38, 40, 42-46, 48, +55, 60, 66, 77- 78, 80-81, 144, +146, 154-155, 159 +Seraphim, 102-103, 139 +Serpent, 11, 21, 25, 50, 68- 72, 74- 77, + + + +114, 124, 130, 137, 139, 147, 151, +155- 158, 160-161, 173, 177- 178 +as androgyne, 71 +as camel, 76-77 +as lyre, 72, 75- 76 +his glorious garment, 50, 130, 151 +Seth, 2, 72-74, 152, 157 +_Shavuot,_ 29- 30 +_Shehhinah,_ 23, 103, 121, 143 +Shem, 36, 178 +ShemU1azah/Shemhazai, 85- 86, 100, + + + +U riel, archangel, 109, 114, 118-120, + +173, 175, 177 +_Urzeit,_ 1- 2, 4, 127 +Uzza, 91, 100-101, 163, 167, 175 + + +Voice, Divine, 18-19, 132, 136, 161 +Vrevoil, 109 + + +Watchers, 2, 5-6, 8, 36-37, 60, 78, + +85- 105, 109- 113, 116-117, +119- 120, 122, 124, 145, 148-149, +153, 160-162, 164, 166-167, +175- 178 +as gardeners, 117 +as stars, 78 +as trees, 116 +their oath, 89, 94, 164 +their petition, 89, 162 + + +Yahoel, 6, 11, 13, 16-17, 27-30, 37, +39- 40, 43- 44, 46- 48, 79-80, +142, 148- 149, 154 + + + +115, 175 +_Shi Source: `Personal or Impersonal_ An Analysis of Karl Barth and Merrill Ungers Perspectives on the Demonic.pdf` + +--- + +# **Personal or Impersonal? An Analysis of Karl Barth and Merrill** **Unger’s Perspectives on the Personhood of the Demonic** + +by +Scott Douglas MacDonald + + +Supervisor: Dr. Gerrit Brand + +Faculty of Theology + + +March 2013 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**Declaration** + + +By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained + + +therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly + + +otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not + + +infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it + + +for obtaining any qualification. + + +March 2013 + + +Copyright © 2013 Stellenbosch University + + +All rights reserved + + +ii + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**Abstract** + +Is the demonic personal or impersonal? The question is rarely treated in depth. This + + +thesis initially delves into the demonological offerings of a pair of twentieth century theologians, + + +Karl Barth and Merrill Unger, in order to discern their particular positions upon the subject. + + +Personhood itself is a divisive issue between the two theologians. Barth’s perspective on + + +personhood is not intrinsically linked to the physical nature. Persons are who they are because of + + +their relationship with the divine. In reference to the demonic, Unger briefly assesses + + +personhood by inseparably correlating it with ontological reality. Their disagreement continues + + +into the definition of “demon.” Barth prefers to see the demonic as uncreated yet derived from + + +God as a byproduct of His creative decree, and Unger opts for a famous classical construction + + +that they are created beings who rebelled against their Maker. + + +Yet, Barth and Unger are both found to not only adhere to personal language concerning + + +the demonic but also to posit demons as personal beings. According to Barth and Unger, demons + + +are real, personal, and malevolent. This unusual unity, even with their distinct theological + + +backgrounds, can only be properly understood as the result of their mutual profession to reflect + + +the biblical material. + + +Considering the dated nature of Barth and Unger’s writings, recent biblical scholarship is + + +examined in order to determine whether or not their attestation of a demonic personhood is borne + + +out by current studies. While a few exceptions are noted, the majority of scholars indicate that + + +the biblical material portrays personal intermediary players besides God and humanity, with the + + +category of “demon” becoming progressively prevalent as one chronologically journeys through + + +the divine revelation. Spurning a Bultmann-inspired demythologization, Barth and Unger simply + + +attempt to reflect the biblical material. + + +But how does Barth and Unger’s idea of demonic personhood hold up in light of the + + +multicultural context? As the globe hurriedly shrinks during our technologically connected age, + + +the boundaries between cultures have fallen, resulting in numerous contexts which contain two + + +or more cultures sharing the same space. How can Christianity navigate such turbulent times, + + +except by emphasizing the centrality of the God’s Word! It coheres God’s people, while + + +convicting and transforming every contacted culture. In the multicultural context, specifically + + +through the Western and African worldviews, Barth and Unger’s personhood of the demonic + + +speaks admonition and affirmation to the Christian masses. Unhealthy superstition is challenged, + + +iii + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +and dismissive skepticism is chastised. Caution is upheld, and the openness of the African + + +worldview is vindicated. Thus, in light of the multicultural context, a biblical personhood of the + + +demonic realm is plausible, and as a revelation-centric position, it surpasses current ethnocentric + + +expressions of the topic. + + +As we turned toward constructing some conclusions, Barth and Unger’s strengths and + + +weaknesses were assessed. Karl Barth claims that conveying the biblical testimony is his first + + +concern, but on the subject of the demonic, he entertains a confusing philosophy which + + +unpredictably maintains personhood. Merrill Unger paints with broad brush strokes, failing to + + +discuss or respond to the progressive way in which the demonic is unveiled throughout the + + +biblical text. One of the strengths of Barth’s demonological presentation, which includes + + +demonic personhood, is that he highlights the activity of the demonic before the ontology of the + + +demonic. Though interacting with scholars and theologians, Unger’s clear emphasis and strength + + +is on recapitulating the biblical text, linking nearly every point to numerous texts. + + +Finally, if we accept the reality of a personal demonic, our response to the demonic + + +should reflect it. Theologically, it should spur us onward toward a truly personal view of + + +redemption. Practically, it means that we should critically analyze and carefully consider the + + +constructive works of counselors, pastors, and deliverance practitioners that we may cautiously + + +adapt our ecclesiological practices to reflect biblical realities. + + +iv + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**Opsomming** + + +Is die demoniese persoonlik of onpersoonlik? Die vraag word selde in diepte behandel. + + +Hierdie tesis beskou aanvanklik die demonologiese aanbiedinge van twee twintigste-eeuse + + +teoloë, Karl Barth en Merril Unger, om hulle spesifieke standpunte oor die onderwerp te + + +onderskei. + + +Persoonskap self is 'n verdelende kwessie tussen die twee teoloë. Barth se perspektief op + + +persoonskap is nie intrinsiek aan hulle fisiese aard gekoppel nie. Persone is wie hulle is weens + + +hul verhouding met die goddelike. Met verwysing na die demoniese evalueer Unger + + +kortliks persoonskap deur dit onlosmaaklik met die ontologiese werklikheid te korreleer. Hul + + +meningsverskil strek tot in hul definisie van die "demoon". Barth verkies om die demoniese as + + +ongeskape, tog afgelei van God as 'n byproduk van Sy skeppingsverordening te sien, en Unger + + +verkies 'n bekende klassieke voorstel dat hulle geskape wesens is wat in opstand gekom het teen + + +hulle Maker. + + +Tog word daar gevind dat Barth en Unger beide nie persoonlike taal betreffende die + + +demoniese aanhang nie, maar demone ook as persoonlike wesens poneer. Volgens Barth en + + +Unger is demone werklik, persoonlik en kwaadwillig. Hierdie ongewone eensgesindheid, selfs + + +met hul verskillende teologiese agtergronde, kan slegs behoorlik verstaan word as die gevolg van + + +hul gedeelde aanspraak dat hulle die Bybelse stof weerspieël. + + +Die verouderde aard van Barth en Unger se geskrifte in ag geneem, word onlangse + + +Bybelwetenskap ondersoek om te bepaal of hulle bevestiging van 'n demoniese persoonskap deur + + +huidige studies beaam word. Hoewel 'n paar uitsonderings waargeneem word, dui die + + +meerderheid geleerdes daarop dat die Bybelse stof persoonlike tussengangers buiten God en die + + +mensdom uitbeeld, met die kategorie van die "demoon" wat toenemend voorkom soos wat 'n + + +mens chronologies deur die goddelike openbaring reis. In veragting van 'n Bultmann + +geïnspireerde ontmitologisering probeer Barth en Unger eenvoudig die Bybelse stof weerspieël. + + +Maar hoe hou Barth en Unger se idee van demoniese persoonskap stand in die lig van die + + +multikulturele konteks? Soos die wêreld haastig krimp tydens ons tegnologies-verbinde tydperk, + + +het die grense tussen kulture verval, wat gelei het tot verskeie kontekste waarin twee of meer + + +kulture dieselfde ruimte deel. Hoe kan die Christendom sulke onstuimige tye navigeer, behalwe + + +deur die sentraliteit van Gods Woord te benadruk! Dit verenig God se volk, onderwyl dit elke + + +kultuur waarmee ons in verbinding tree oortuig en transformeer. In die multikulturele konteks, + + +v + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +veral deur die Westerse en Afrika se wêreldbeelde, spreek Barth en Unger se persoonlikheid van + + +die demoniese van vermaning en bekragtiging aan die Christenmassas. Ongesonde bygeloof + + +word uitgedaag, en afwysende skeptisisme word gekasty. Omsigtigheid word gehandhaaf, en die + + +oopheid van Afrika se wêreldbeskouing word geregverdig. Dus, in die lig van die multikulturele + + +konteks, is 'n Bybelse persoonskap van 'n persoonlike demoniese realm geloofwaardig, en as + + +openbaringsgesentreerde standpunt oortref dit huidige etnosentriese uitdrukkings van die + + +onderwerp. + + +Soos wat ons 'n paar gevolgtrekkings begin maak het, is Barth en Unger se sterk- en + + +swakpunte geassesseer. Karl Barth beweer dat die oordra van die Bybelse getuienis sy eerste + + +belang is, maar betreffende die onderwerp van die demoniese koester hy 'n verwarrende filosofie + + +wat onvoorspelbaar persoonskap handhaaf. Merrill Unger verf met breë kwashale, en versuim + + +om die progressiewe wyse waarop die demoniese dwarsdeur die Bybelse teks ontsluier word te + + +bespreek of daarop te reageer. Een van die sterk punte van Barth se demonologiese voorstelling, + + +wat demoniese persoonskap insluit, is dat hy die aktiwiteit van die demoniese bó die ontologie + + +beklemtoon. Hoewel hy in gesprek is met geleerdes en teoloë, lê Unger se duidelike klem en + + +krag in sy samevatting van die Bybelse teks, met die koppeling van byna elke punt aan talle + + +tekste. + + +Laastens, as ons die werklikheid van 'n persoonlike demoniese aanvaar, moet ons reaksie + + +daarop dit weerspieël. Teologies moet dit ons aanspoor om verder in die rigting van 'n waarlik + + +persoonlike siening van verlossing. Prakties beteken dit dat ons die konstruktiewe werke van + + +verlossingspraktisyns, pastore, en raadgewers krities moet ontleed en versigtig moet oorweeg + + +sodat ons versigtig ons ekklesiologiese praktyke kan aanpas om Bybelse werklikhede te + + +weerspieël. + + +vi + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**Acknowledgements** + + +I would first like to recognize my parents, for their ceaseless desire to raise up biblically + +grounded children, who would employ a bold mouth to proclaim the Word of God in a world + + +blinded by the deceiver, who would wield a sharp mind to defend biblical wisdom in an age + + +captivated by skepticism and pluralism, and who would nurture a noble heart to display the + + +gracious compassion of Christ in our global context. My prayer is that by the empowering + + +presence of the Spirit I would live up to but a fraction of their hopes. + + +I thank God for those, especially Dr. Bryan Litfin, who have continued to spur me + + +onward in theological pursuits, for the strength of the church and the glory of Christ. + + +I thank God for those, especially Dr. Gerrit Brand, who have faithfully supported and + + +graciously guided me as I have constructed this thesis. + + +I thank God for His church, specifically South Loop Community Church in Chicago and + + +St. Paul’s Evangelical Anglican Church in Stellenbosch, which continues to enrich me with + + +fellowship, leadership, sacraments, prayer, and sound doctrine. My prayer is that I have served + + +you while you have served me. + + +Finally, I must thank the Lord Himself, who saw fit to dispense His immeasurable riches + + +of grace and love upon me, even when I was His enemy. My Stronghold, my Conqueror, He has + + +proven more than capable in every storm and battle. _soli Deo gloria_ + + +Scott MacDonald + + +“…in this place ought those men to be refuted who babble of devils as nothing else than evil + + +emotion or perturbations which come upon us from our flesh... But it was worth-while to touch + + +upon this point, also, lest any persons, entangled in that error, while thinking themselves without + + +an enemy, become more slack and heedless about resisting.” + + +John Calvin, _Institutes of the Christian Religion_, 1, XIV, 19. + + +“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” + + +James 4:7 (NASB) + + +vii + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**Table of Contents** + + +**1.** **Demonic Personhood in the Theologies of Karl Barth and Merrill Unger** + +1.1 Introduction 1 +1.2 Personal Background 3 +1.3 Research Methodology 4 +1.4 Hermeneutical Principles 5 +1.5 Terminology 10 +1.5.1 “Personhood” 10 +1.5.2 “Demon” 13 +1.6 Karl Barth’s Perspective on the Personhood of the Demonic in _Church Dogmatics_ 16 +1.6.1 Personhood in Barth’s Demonology 17 +1.7 Merrill Unger’s Perspective on the Personhood of the Demonic in _Biblical_ 20 + +_Demonology_ + +1.7.1 Personhood in Unger’s Demonology 21 +1.8 Similarities and Distinctions 24 +1.9 Conclusion 26 + + +**2.** **An Evaluation of Barth and Unger’s Perspectives on the Personhood of the Demonic** +**in Light of Contemporary Influential Biblical Studies on Demonology** + +2.1 Introduction 27 +2.2 The Scope of Interaction 27 +2.3 Central Biblical Texts in Barth’s Personhood of the Demonic 28 +2.4 Central Biblical Texts in Unger’s Personhood of the Demonic 29 +2.5 Contemporary Influential Biblical Scholarship and the Personhood of the Demonic 30 +2.5.1 The Development of Demonic Personhood 31 +2.5.2 Old Testament Thought and Demonic Personhood 32 +2.5.3 New Testament Thought and Demonic Personhood 36 +2.5.4 Central Texts in Barth and Unger’s Perspective on Demonic Personhood in 41 + +light of Modern Influential Biblical Commentaries + + + +2.6 The Demythological Theme in Contemporary Influential Biblical Scholarship in + +Relation to Barth and Unger’s Perspectives on the Personhood of the Demonic + + + +44 + + + +2.7 Conclusion 47 + + +**3.** **A Critical Analysis of Barth and Unger’s Perspective on the Personhood of the** +**Demonic from a Multicultural Perspective** + +3.1 Introduction 49 +3.2 A Definition of Culture 50 +3.3 Multiculturalism and a Multicultural Hermeneutic 55 +3.4 Reflections on Barth in the Context of Theology and Culture 60 +3.5 Reflections on Unger in the Context of Theology and Culture 63 + + +viii + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +3.6 Multiculturalism and the Personhood of the Demonic 65 +3.7 Conclusion 74 + + +**4.** **The Strengths and Weaknesses of Barth and Unger’s Positions toward a Defensible** +**Account of the Personal Nature of the Demonic** + +4.1 Introduction 76 +4.2 Karl Barth’s Strengths with Regard to the Personhood of the Demonic 76 +4.3 Karl Barth’s Weaknesses with Regard to the Personhood of the Demonic 78 +4.4 Merrill Unger’s Strengths with Regard to the Personhood of the Demonic 79 +4.5 Merrill Unger’s Weaknesses with Regard to the Personhood of the Demonic 82 +4.6 Conclusion 84 + + +**5.** **Conclusion and Suggestions for Further Study** + +5.1 Introduction 85 +5.2 Theological Consequences of a Personhood of the Demonic 86 +5.3 Practical Consequences of a Personhood of the Demonic 88 +5.4 Suggestions for Further Study 91 +5.5 Conclusion 92 + +Bibliography 93 + + +ix + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**1.** **Demonic Personhood in the Theologies of Karl Barth and Merrill Unger** + + +**1.1** **Introduction** + + +Why demonology? Why study something that dredges the darkness and exposes its filth? + + +While the topic lay fallow for centuries in the universities, it has been resurrected since the + + +middle of the twentieth century. Seized by academics, pastors, and ordinary church-goers, + + +demonological studies have shaken off the supposedly enlightened taboos of the past and + + +returned to the theological discourse of our time. Even with notable theologians like Walter + + +Wink and Daniel Migliore spearheading this new generation of studies, numerous issues in the + + +realm of demonology have remained insufficiently addressed. + + +Across Christianity, one often overlooked or assumed element arises. When we discuss + + +demonology, are we discussing a “what” or a “who?” Should our demonological studies be + + +conceptually crafted upon an impersonal demonic power or upon a realm of individual, personal + + +demons? That particular question will be explored in the writings of Karl Barth and Merrill + + +Unger. + + +Dismissive perspectives are aplenty with respect to this question. One of the most telling + + +arenas for this attitude is the “powers.” Theologies concerning the “powers” have become a + + +significant field since demonology’s twentieth century resurrection. Led by Hendrikus Berkhof + + +and others, these studies often attempt to reshape the historic angel imagery which is connected + + +to Paul’s theology. Berkhof says, “One can even doubt whether Paul conceived of the Powers as + + +personal beings. In any case this aspect is so secondary that it makes little difference whether he + +did or not. He may be using personifications.” [1] Personhood is exiled as an unfitting subject for + + +extended scrutiny. Walter Wink exhibits this as well when he says regarding personhood, “As + + +long as these Powers were thought of personalistically… reduced to the categories of + + +individualism… belief in the demonic had no political consequences. But once we recognize + + +that these spiritual forces are the interiority of earthly institutions or structures or systems, then + +the social dimension of the gospel becomes immediately evident.” [2] Especially in _Engaging the_ + + +1 Berkhof, Hendrikus. _Christ and the Powers_, Page 24. +2 Wink, Walter. _Engaging the Powers_, Pages 77-78. + + +1 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_Powers_, he consistently treats angels and demons as myth, avoiding a detailed look into the + +possibility of personhood. [3] + + +Another common response to the question of personhood is one of “openness.” For + + +instance, this vagueness surfaces in Daniel Migliore’s writing on the “powers.” He remarks, + + +“Traditionally, these powers have been understood as supernatural beings like angels and + + +demons, but they can also be viewed as powerful forces and structures of our common human + +life – nations, institutions, systems of law and order, forms of culture.” [4] With this short + + +statement, Migliore opens this subject to multiple “views” with no obvious desire to investigate + +and resolve the ambiguity, though he prefers impersonality. [5] + + +This introductory chapter will analyze the issue of demonic personhood in the theologies + + +of Karl Barth and Merrill Unger. In order to assess the topic properly, research methodologies + + +will be clarified, and terminological parameters will be set. Flowing out of these definitions, a + + +survey of each author’s particular view of the personhood of the demonic will be provided. + + +Afterward, distinctions and similarities will be detailed in order that their positions may be fully + + +understood. + + +I maintain that demonology must be a topic of critical, well-researched analysis. If the + + +demonic realm is indeed impersonal, we can clearly observe that theologians like Walter Wink + + +seriously and accurately consider the subject, though some might relegate it to a mere ingredient + +in liturgical practice. [6] Perhaps then our current academic treatment of the subject is appropriate, + + +but if the demonic realm is better interpreted as personal with a disposition of malevolence, a + + +lack of concentrated reflection would be unwise. + + +What this thesis is not is almost as crucial as what it is. Whenever a conversation nears + + +the topic of evil, familiar controversies reassert themselves. The origin of evil’s existence has + + +been a gigantic topic throughout the history of theological thought, and the reality of the demonic + + +in general has surfaced as a controversial debate as well. For the purpose of this study, these + + +controversies will be kept to the periphery and skirted altogether whenever possible. Thus, + + +neither evil’s origins nor the reality of the demonic are our central theme. + + +3 Wink, Walter. _Engaging the Powers_, Pages 65-85. For more on myth and demythologization, see section 2.6. +4 Migliore, Daniel. _The Power of God and the gods of Power_, Page 5. +5 Ibid. +6 Schleiermacher, Friedrich, _The Christian Faith_, Pages 169-170. + + +2 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +Before we delve into the topic at hand, the personhood of the demonic, another point of + + +clarity is necessary. While the reality of the demonic is not a primary theme or issue of + + +discussion, this thesis will display an underlying and occasionally overt bias toward the reality of + + +the demonic. Because theological preconceptions are inevitable, stating them up front is a + + +beneficial point. The perspective of this thesis is that the writers of the Old and New Testaments + + +were speaking carefully not superstitiously concerning the reality of the demonic. Evil is indeed + +real, and it wields a powerful influence, a weighty rule over the created realm. [7] The demonic, a + +“sinister matter,” is “in its own way very real.” [8] With this as a starting point, the question then + + +follows, “Is this demonic power impersonal or personal?” + + +It should also be mentioned that Barth and Unger’s perspective on the personhood of the + + +demonic should not be considered the academic norm. While the two authors take divergent + + +paths to a similar conclusion, their advocacy for the personal agency of the demonic world adds + + +important vigor to the rarely entertained debate surrounding the personhood of the demonic. As + + +such, this thesis wishes to explore their particular perspectives in assisting this discussion. Let us + + +cautiously attempt to mine an orderly response to the question of personhood from the + + +demonology of Barth and Unger. + + +**1.2** **Personal Background** + + +The topic of this thesis is “Impersonal or Personal? An Analysis of Karl Barth and + + +Merrill Unger’s Perspectives on the Personhood of the Demonic.” I arrived at this thesis due to + + +my experiences since the beginning of 2011. I was hired as a media representative for a + +worldwide Christian radio program headquartered at a large Evangelical church. [9] Equipped with + + +a modest theological background, I was often tasked to receive phone calls from dedicated + + +listeners who asked biblical and theological questions stemming from their circumstances. In + + +this context, I would often seek to assist them as best as possible over the telephone. + + +Occasionally this led to conversations where I counseled Christians under apparent demonic + + +7 Ephesians 2:2, 6:11-12; Revelation 12:7-9. Chapter 2 addresses the particular relationship of these passages to +biblical scholarship. +8 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 519. +9 Throughout this thesis, the terms “Evangelical” and “Evangelicalism” will consistently refer to “The movement in +modern Christianity, transcending denominational and confessional boundaries, that emphasizes conformity to the +basic tenets of the faith and a missionary outreach of compassion and urgency.” Thus, this thesis is choosing to use +the terms in accordance with their contemporary theological meaning in the global church. Pierard, R. V. and W. A. +Elwell. “Evangelicalism” in _Evangelical Dictionary of Theology_, Pages 405-409. + + +3 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +attack. These attacks sometimes involved the visual appearance or the audible voice of a + + +supposed demon wishing to harass and intimidate. In addition to these counseling instances, a + + +number of coworkers and myself all experienced unusual events firsthand. + + +I also specifically raise the topic of multiculturalism in my third chapter due to my past as + + +well. As a resident of Chicago for six years, I attended and became a member of a church + + +community which contained an eclectic gathering of cultural backgrounds. In this church + + +context, it was easy to discern that cultural background guided one’s view of the demonic. Some + + +members spoke openly about the demonic while others generally preferred to ignore the topic. + + +These differences usually manifested along cultural lines. Hence, my theological aim in this + + +thesis is not to serve myself but the church, with all its diversity in view. “Dogmatics is not a + +‘free’ science, but is bound to the Church, inside which only it has place and meaning.” [10] + + +**1.3** **Research Methodology** + + +In order to approach the question concerning the personal or impersonal nature of the + + +demonic, this thesis raises the theological contributions of Karl Barth and Merrill Unger, + + +focusing on Barth’s _Church Dogmatics: Volume III, 3_ and Unger’s _Biblical Demonology: A_ + +_Study of the Spiritual Forces Behind the Present World Unrest_ . [11] These works have been + + +selected as they offer Barth and Unger’s most comprehensive assessments of demonology. + + +Other works by these particular authors will be occasionally introduced if they are relevant to the + + +theme at hand. Structured as a literature review, both authors’ demonologies are analyzed, while + + +engaging related works by other contributors. + + +These two conversation partners are selected with a particular intent. Academia rarely + + +reaches conclusions which posit the possibility that demons are real, personal beings. This thesis + + +finds that these two scholars hold this particular view and determines that their positions merit + + +further reflection. With academic training, Unger epitomizes the Evangelical yearning for + + +radical biblicism. Barth bears a few similarities having “articulated a theological identity + + +formed out of biblical and dogmatic habits of thought with rigorous consistency and with a + + +10 McConnachie, John. _The Barthian Theology and the Man of Today_, Pages 40-41. +11 As this thesis is composed in English, Geoffrey Bromiley and R. J. Ehrlich’s English translation from the original +German will be relied upon for the purpose of this study. Also, Unger’s work will henceforth be referred to as +_Biblical Demonology_ for brevity’s sake. + + +4 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +certain exclusivism.” [12] But inevitably, it is impossible “to fit Barth… into any known scheme of + +theology, orthodox or liberal.” [13] The interaction and input of these two voices is a dynamic and + + +unique avenue by which we can instigate this demonological project. + + +Furthermore, the research included in this study will not strive to address Satanology + + +itself, though it will be considered in passing as it is definitively related to demonology. Due to + + +the selected texts and the stated goal, we are not explicitly concerned with the identification and + +possible personhood of Satan. The broader category of the demonic is our target. [14] + + +**1.4** **Hermeneutical Principles** + + +When investigations toward truth and conclusion occur, hermeneutical standards and + + +practices are pushed to the forefront. To be clear, principles of interpretation are integral to the + + +systematic endeavor, but, in this context, we cannot descend too deeply, lest we blither about + + +“how” and never “do.” A detailed investigation on the Barthian and Ungerian hermeneutics + + +involved in this project would entail an entire thesis. Our task lies in their theology, in their + + +demonology, confined to the debate of demonic personhood. As we proceed, hermeneutics will + + +serve the theological process as this thesis seeks God’s truth through “the true meaning of the + +biblical text” and aims to systematically express it. [15] + + +By setting our goal in the systematics field, we automatically have to extend the project + + +beyond the context of one particular verse, pericope, book, or authorial collection. Biblical + + +theology must serve the systematic endeavor. Although each book is specifically written by a + + +particular human author in time and space, this systematic study must also concurrently treat the + + +sixty-six books of the Scriptures as divine revelation and discourse, as numerous biblical authors + +testify. [16] Thus, clarity of biblical interpretation is primarily found via two avenues, the + + +12 Webster, John. “Introducing Barth” in _The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth_, Page 5. His mention of Barth’s +consistency is likely an overstatement, as we will we see throughout this thesis. +13 McConnachie, John. _The Significance of Karl Barth_, Page 242. +14 As Satanology and demonology are inseparably linked, the question then follows, “What is their relationship?” In +this thesis, Satanology is subjugated to the broader demonological category. Since we are talking about personhood +in general, addressing the personhood of Satan alone would fail to adequately answer our thesis question concerning +the demonic. If Satan were to be declared personal, we may or may not declare that a personal demonic realm +exists, but if we reach a decision concerning the demonic as a whole, then Satanology would be consequently +affected. Therefore, Satanology will function in a supplementary manner throughout this thesis. +15 Klein, William. “Evangelical Hermeneutics” in _Initiation into Theology: The Rich Variety of Theology and_ +_Hermeneutics_, Page 325. +16 Isaiah 6:8-13, Jeremiah 1:4, Amos 1:1-3, Haggai 1:1-3, Zechariah 1:1-3, Malachi 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 +Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21. This is obviously not a comprehensive list considering the very phrase “says the + + +5 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +immediate context of the book in question and the broader context of God’s whole counsel. + + +Scripture interprets itself far better than any other. + + +Though many scholars respectfully appreciate the Scriptures and simultaneously maintain + + +that it is not completely faultless, this thesis advocates a different avenue. Due to the divine + + +direction behind the biblical text, optimism should be placed upon the Scriptures with pessimism + + +resting upon the reader. When the two are reversed, even with a respectful attitude, the seat of + + +judgment rests upon the sinful and corrupt rather than the Spirit-guided witnesses. We should be + + +wary of ourselves and our reading, not the Word and its intended meaning. Who are we to + + +contend that we can comprehensively grasp and detail the unity of divine thought in human + + +terms? A disposition of humility is a theologian’s highest virtue. However, this perspective + + +understandably raises objections which cannot be exhaustively repudiated without a separate + +work of significant length. [17] + + +That being said, God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures through the styles and words + +of men. [18] The books of the Bible contain numerous forms of literature, and depending on the + + +methodology and material utilized, the intention should be read through the lens of that particular + + +style of writing. For instance, a detailing of King Manasseh’s life should not be casually read as + +moral prescription for the modern Christian. [19] Instead, the author’s descriptive work on + + +Manasseh should be understood as a contribution to an overarching theological purpose + + +throughout the larger work. In turn, the theological intention of that larger work supports the + + +redemptive (essentially Christological) theme of the canon. + + +As the Scriptures are divinely wrought by the hands of men, our attitude of humility then + + +leads us to subjugate ourselves to them; the Word of God has authority. But where exactly does + + +this authority lie, in God, in the individual authors, in the original autographs, or in the text’s + + +reproclamation in a contemporary event? To some degree, we must respond in the affirmative to + + +Lord” is used in 25 times in the NASB translation of Malachi alone. The utilization of many of these texts to reach +these theological conclusions is not uncommon. (E.g., Henry, C. F. H. “Bible, Inspiration of” and “Revelation, +Special” in _Evangelical Dictionary of Theology,_ Pages 159-193, 1021-1023.) +17 Apparent contradictions are often raised in an attempt to lower our qualitative expectations regarding the +Scriptures, but may I suggest that our reading and framing of so-called contradictions creates confrontations, +especially when we are open to accept intrabiblical conflict. +18 Upon a survey of the incarnation of Christ, we need not be excessively pessimistic regarding the divine and +human nature of Scriptures. If the perfect God can become thoroughly man, one with humanity yet one with the +Holy Trinity; the composition of a book that is one with human words yet one with the eternal Word appears to be a +simple task in comparison. +19 2 Kings 21:1-18. + + +6 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +each. God’s _exousia_ ultimately resides in Himself, as the Creator of the finite, but God + + +frequently bestows authority upon others. Angelic and prophetic messengers were repeatedly + +deputized for the exertion of God’s will and word on earth. [20] This act is the result of the volition + + +of God alone; “…the person … must have been deputized to do so; he can’t just undertake to do + +so.” [21] Deputized by God and then superintended by the Spirit, the authors bore God’s + + +authoritative message and poured it into the autographs, which then retain the authority of God + + +Himself. + + +Furthermore, if we consider the authority of God, does not God’s authority rest over all + + +His creation, regardless of whether they know God or acknowledge God? In the same way, the + +authority of the divine words stands, regardless of our level of reflection upon them. [22] So + + +authority also rests in the words themselves. But they come to bear and exert authority in our + + +lives not in their silence but in their audible and examined recapitulation. Therefore, God’s + + +biblical witness is an authoritative work on every level. + + +Through the Scriptures, God speaks. As theologians, we, of all persons, must carefully + + +avoid the arrogance that supposes we know better than the Omniscient. When God utters but a + + +word, we must listen, and we must be slow to respond for fear that we might “darken [God’s] + +counsel with words without knowledge.” [23] Meaning, value, and purpose flow from the Spring, + + +the Source of all truth, God. God’s revelation, as found in the writings of the Old and New + + +Testaments, stand as the ultimate authority. All other contributions must be crafted and directed + + +by this singular reality. + + +Stemming from this reality, Scriptures are granted preeminence as the first voice, for the + + +Bible is our reliable source for direction, meaning, and hermeneutical clarity. By this assertion, + + +this thesis does not ignore that we apprehend the biblical material in our context with our culture + + +as a guide and our mind as a compass. The “hermeneutical inquiry” is inherently marked by + + +20 Isaiah 6 is a dramatic instance of such deputation. +21 Wolterstorff, Nicholas. _Divine Discourse: Philosophical Reflections on the Claim that God Speaks_, Page 43. I +prefer to broaden his thought on deputation from the biblically-recorded deputized to the authors of the texts +themselves. The authority of the contents hinges first upon the proper deputation of the authors who penned the +container. +22 On an ethical level, if the Scriptures say that adultery is wrong, it is still wrong for those who are not aware of the +command. The validity of the command is not contingent upon God’s thorough communication of it. God is under +no obligation to dispense a particular truth to absolutely everyone. Thus the impetus for knowledge and truth is +upon us and our acquisition of it, and the Spirit assists us in this. +23 Job 38:2. This verse “makes clear the limits of Job’s understanding…” Balentine, Samuel E. _Smyth & Helwys_ +_Bible Commentary: Job_, Page 642. + + +7 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +“particularity, contingency, and temporality.” [24] We are not “innocent readers without + + +presuppositions… Our presuppositions about these texts mediate our experience of them. And + + +our presuppositions about these texts have been formed by historical, social, and cultural + +processes.” [25] + +Other contexts are not devoid of truth. [26] As a result of God’s creative goodness, cultures, + + +inherently not synonymous with the biblical information, can and do possess true family values + + +and other truths, just as a godless mathematician can possess veracious conclusions. One could + + +propose an equality of input and authority, balancing revelation, context, and reason for + + +theological formation, but if revelation is not primary, this thesis suggests that it is always + + +subjugated. While our context does inform our interpretative method, the authoritarian river + + +primarily flows from revelation. + + +If we attempt to raise the authoritarian value of our context, innumerable sources with + + +their competing claims of “truth” risk destroying our Christian identity and force us to assume + + +arbitrary lines for when and where Scripture, context, and reason may or may not speak. As + + +many academic theologians continue to elevate the truth claims of the polyphony of cultures and + + +contexts, religious pluralism has become an intellectual norm, forging a “Christianity” for which + + +no apostle would have perished. + + +Hermeneutics not only controls the identity of Christianity but also the identity of a + + +Christian. + + +_The failure to focus on identity has created enormous problems. The gospel in_ +_our time is an unimportant item in peoples’ lives… Christ is not an accessory to_ +_our identity, as if one were choosing an option for a car. He takes over identity_ +_so that everything else becomes an accessory, which is precisely what “Jesus is_ +_Lord” means._ _[27]_ + +If we abandon the primacy and centrality of the Scriptures - the words of Christ, His prophets, + + +and His apostles, we, including the academy and the church, will descend to a Christianity none + + +of them knew, empowered by a hermeneutical method fueling our perilous voyage. + + +24 Thiselton, Anthony C. _The Hermeneutics of Doctrine,_ Page 63. +25 Smit, Dirk J. “Reading the Bible and the (Un)official Interpretive Culture” in _Neotestimentica_ . 28:2, Page 309. +26 The issue of multiculturalism is central to this thesis, as it is an emerging contextual reality. A more complete +discussion of multiculturalism’s impact on hermeneutics will be provided in the corresponding chapter. +27 Snodgrass, Klyne R. “An Introduction to a Hermeneutics of Identity” in _Bibliotheca Sacra_, 168, Jan-Mar 2011, +Page 8. + + +8 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +This thesis also recognizes the role that meaning (and the search for it) plays in a + +theologian’s hermeneutic. But meaning should not be equated with value or worth. [28] Too often, + + +such attitudes of theological self-service which scream “It suits my needs” or “It is meaningful to + +me” continues to foster the “the age of cafeteria religion” which we currently navigate. [29] + + +Remember! A bottle means something to a drunk, and a woman means something to a rapist. + + +What we value should not be immediately correlated with proper meaning. We must avoid + + +turning theology into anthropology by the glorification of our conscious feelings and + + +subjectivity. Instead, T. F. Torrance comments regarding a Barthian perspective of revelation + +that “God actively reveals Himself… revelation is and ever remains a pure act…” [30] We are + +revelation receivers, prone to obfuscations. The problem is us, not revelation. [31] + + +Therefore, meaning, value, and identity must ultimately be rooted in revelation, even if + + +we struggle to ascertain it through our numerous biases and perspectives. When approaching the + + +topic of meaning, this thesis will cautiously evaluate its value through a revelatory filter. + + +Without this lens, we would easily slip into contextually demanded values without any directing + + +revelatory agency to correct wrongs. Indeed, ethics and hermeneutics are related in a + + +“complicated” manner, and as Christians in the historical tradition of the apostles, we ultimately + +obey God before people. [32] Thankfully, we are accompanied by the illuminative work of the + + +Holy Spirit throughout the difficult hermeneutical journey abounding in pitfalls. + + +Finally, as we are addressing what may be deemed an abstract concept, it may be asked if + + +we can even use literal language regarding the demonic. For instance, whenever we discuss + + +God, we are automatically limited by analogous and metaphorical language. This complicates + + +every discussion regarding the personhood of the God. Only in the humiliation and + + +condescension of God in Christ do we glimpse the personhood of God unveiled. Brümmer + + +comments: + + +28 “It meets my needs” should also not be confused with value. In this age of theological consumerism, one’s +“needs” is often the driving force behind why someone adheres to a perspective, a theology, or even a religion. But +who made us the judge of our needs? When was a particular person, family, or culture ordained as the arbiter of +what we require and where we should find meaning? Lest we reject God from the conversation, can we not first +listen to what He teaches as our needs, to where He directs us to find meaning, and to what He calls right? +29 Dalferth, Ingolf U. “’I DETERMINE WHAT GOD IS!’ Theology in the Age of ‘Cafeteria Religion’” in +_Theology Today_, Vol. 57, Num. 1, Page 6. +30 Torrence, T.F _. Karl Barth: Biblical and Evangelical Theologian_, Page 42. +31 For this reason, hermeneutics are necessarily a community process. Grasping our frailty and subtle self-service, +we must submit ourselves before the Spirit-commissioned community of faith for guidance, perspective, and rebuke. +No theology should be divorced from the church. +32 Smit, Dirk J. “Ethics and Interpretation: New Voices from the USA” in _Scriptura_, 33, Page 19. + + +9 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_…since God is not like other people, the personal terms used to talk about God_ +_cannot have the same meaning that they have with reference to other people and_ +_our relations with them. Our language about God is therefore metaphorical in the_ +_sense that not all the implications that this language has with reference to other_ +_people can be carried over to our talk about God._ _[33]_ + +But the demonic is not God; they should hardly be uttered at the same time. As they are not + + +divine and infinite but rather created and finite, they are not bound to metaphorical language. + + +Like other finite subjects, the Scriptures speak about who they actually are and what they + + +actually do. With this in mind, we can approach demonology in the biblical text in a similar + + +manner to anthropology. The Scriptures do not claim to exhaustively detail the nature and + + +activity of humanity or demons, but the text offers us what God decided as sufficient. This thesis + + +is not primarily concerned with dominant metaphor identifiers but with the rational and + + +comprehensible identification of what demons are – personal or impersonal. We are more + + +focused upon reality rather than language, though the two are inseparably linked. + + +**1.5** **Terminology** + + +Pursuing terms in the realm of demonology has its perils. The idea of “demon” is + + +perceived differently by many people, depending on culture, age, and faith. What makes + + +someone a “person” is perhaps even more debated. Should we use definitions of personhood that + + +are commonly applied to humanity (or even God)? By endeavoring to search for definitions, this + + +thesis is conceptually arguing that revelatory definitions are inherently tied to humankind’s + + +perception and perspective. In other words, a person constructs the definition of personhood and + + +the demonic with one’s self as a lens, though continually pursuing revelatory adherence. + + +In this chapter, the particular terms will be presented in light of each author’s particular + + +position toward them. Then using that information, we can assess whether their ideas concerning + + +the “demonic” and “personhood” carry a particular perspective. + + +**1.5.1** **“Personhood”** + + +Even apart from demonology, forming a proper understanding of personhood is a + + +difficult proposition. What defines a person? Obviously, one’s cultural context dictates and + + +33 Brümmer, Vincent. “Spirituality and the Hermeneutics of Faith” in _HTS Theological Studies,_ 66(1), Article +#891. + + +10 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +directs one’s perspective. For the sake of this evaluation, determining Barth and Unger’s + + +definitions from their works is analytically prioritized. Then we can effectively assess whether + + +their treatment of demonology leads us to believe whether they are propagating a demonology + +bearing an impersonal nature or a personal ontology. [34] + +Can someone or something that does not have a body be called a person? [35] Within the + + +anthropological arena, the question is heavily debated, often framed within the philosophical + +“Mind and Body problem.” [36] Some like Guus Labooy assume “an intimate union between mind + + +and body” which leads to “a concept of person to which… both corporeal and mental predicates + +can be prescribed.” [37] Furthermore, he argues that God “created humans as persons, as a bi-unity + + +of body and soul. For our created reality, personhood is primary, and God will raise the person, + +rather than the body or soul.” [38] Adopting an idea of personhood which results from both the + + +physical and psychical would certainly direct one away from accepting a personhood of the + +demonic. [39] In the context of our death and eventual resurrection, others like Anthony Flew + + +prefer the more Platonic approach which ties humankind’s personhood primarily to the + +incorporeal substance of the soul. [40] + + +Though conversation exists regarding whether or not certain demons can take physical + +forms, [41] the vast majority of biblical references to the demonic appear to be non-corporeal and + +pneumatological, but it is unfair to paint the demonic as unsubstantial from such descriptions. [42] + + +But Barth himself indicates that the non-physical can be personal with his treatment of God the + + +Holy Spirit. He consistently refers to the Holy Spirit as a “Whom” or “He” rather than + + +34 The word “ontology” is being used loosely here; perhaps demons have an undetectable physical being of some +sort? No strict ontological correlation is implied between humans and demons. +35 One could also question whether or not the demons have bodies of some sort. Reckoning that demons are fallen +angels, Aquinas says regarding angels, “The incorporeal substances are midway between God and corporeal things, +and the point midway between extremes appears extreme with respect to either; the tepid, compared with the hot, +seems cold. Hence the angels might be called material and bodily as compared with God, without implying that +they are so intrinsically.” Aquinas, St. Thomas _. Summa Theologiæ_, Vol. 9, Question 50, Article 1, Page 7. +36 Labooy, Guus. _Freedom and Dispositions_, Page 21. +37 Ibid. +38 Ibid, Page 235. +39 Ibid, Pages 278-279. Though God’s personhood, except in the Son, might then be in question as well. +40 Flew, Anthony. _Body, Mind, and Death_, Pages 5-9. +41 During the temptation of Christ in wilderness, has Satan taken a physical form for the conversation? Also, +Leviticus 17:7 and 2 Chronicles 11:15 give rise to the possibility of so-called “goat demons.” Historically speaking, +Jewish superstition maintained that demons could manifest in three forms - animals, humans, and angels. +Ferguson, Everett. _Demonology of the Early Christian World_, Page 88. +42 Especially among New Testament writers, the ideas of “evil spirit” and “demon” are synonymous. Luke (8:2) +actually employs both terms in one verse to refer to the same phenomena. + + +11 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +employing a more generic “it,” and at one point Barth discusses the Trinity saying, “God is God + +the Spirit as He is God the Father and God the Son.” [43] This is no small admission for Barth, + +because this sweeping statement does in some way equate the personal nature of each. [44] To + + +equate the God-man Jesus with the Holy Spirit in that way greatly elucidates his perspective on + + +the Holy Spirit’s personal ontology. + + +Anthropological personhood in Barth’s _Church Dogmatics_ is a different matter. While + + +not directly commenting on humanity’s personhood and the composition of personhood, true + +humanity is controversially located in one’s attitude toward God and His attitude toward us. [45] + + +Determining humanity’s nature through scientific and autonomous resources is an incomplete + + +errand. According to Barth, these methods only describe the “phenomena of man” and neglect to + +discover the “real man.” [46] Humankind’s ontology and personal nature are derived from a + + +relationship with God, from whom all life and existence emanate. He is the ultimate Person. + + +Thus, as we attempt to address the personhood of the demonic in Barth’s writings, the + + +relationship of the divine to the demonic takes center stage. + + +Merrill Unger, a twentieth century American Evangelical theologian, analyzes the topic + + +of demonology as a subject demanding reflection and study. Intentionally committing to + + +demonological study, details are specifically provided concerning demonology. An entire + +chapter of his book _Biblical Demonology_ postulates the reality and identity of demons. [47] + + +In Unger’s chapter regarding demonic identity and reality, the issue of personhood is + + +scarcely raised, save for one short section. + + +_Men in the church and out of it, blatantly assert that there is no personal devil,_ +_that the devil is only evil personified, and that whatever devil there is, is in man_ +_himself, and there is enough of that variety to answer all theological_ +_requirements. It is also confidently declared that no longer can a respectable_ +_scholar be found anywhere who believes in a personal devil or demons. Thus this_ + + +43 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, I, 1, Pages 532-533. +44 “Barth was motivated by his reaction to the limitations of the modernized psychological understanding of _person_ . +Barth challenged the tritheistic idea of the Trinity as three distinct, personal centers of consciousness and will that +stand apart from each other. He emphasized that the one God simultaneously exists in three self-differentiated +‘repetitions” or ways of being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Grenz, Stanley J., David Gurentzki, and Cherith Fee +Nordling. “Modes of Being” in _Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms_, Page 80. The complexities of Barth’s +Trinitarian studies are obviously not able to be entertained at this time. +45 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 2, Page 121. While this position harmonizes well with his Christo-centric +theology, it does raise peculiar questions regarding whether non-Christians are somewhat less “real” or less +“human.” +46 Ibid, Page 122. +47 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 35ff. + + +12 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_aggressive skepticism and militant attacks demand an apologetic approach to the_ +_problem. For it is obvious that if demons be imaginary and non-existent, then the_ +_whole subject belongs to the realm of fairy-tale and folklore, and not to the sphere_ +_of Christian theology._ _[48]_ + +With this pericope as Unger’s impetus, he then constructs an argument for the existence of + + +demons from Scripture, physical nature, human nature, and human experience. In this simplistic + + +manner, the personhood and reality of demons is amalgamated. + + +The fusion of the two concepts is important to Unger. As we can observe above, in + + +Unger’s ontology, no biblical demons truly exist unless they are personal beings. Personhood as + + +a point of critique is bypassed, and his pro-belief, anti-skepticism theological construction takes + + +shape. He does momentarily reference the topic of personhood again in other chapters, but those + + +will be addressed at length later. + + +Therefore, we can conclude that with no clear reference to the personhood of the + + +demonic, Barth’s concept concerning personhood in general is not tied to the presence of flesh. + + +Instead, humanity’s realness, who he is and his personhood, is directly tied to a relationship with + + +the divine. Unger approaches the issue of personhood treating it as synonymous with the + + +ontological reality of the demonic. If we may paint with a broad brush, if there are no personal + + +demons, no demons exist in Unger’s theology. + + +**1.5.2** **“Demon”** + + +When formulating the meaning of the term “demon,” one’s temptation is to simply + + +describe the opposite of an angel. After writing about angels for over forty pages, Barth + + +immediately ushers in a discussion concerning their opponents with an urgent clarification. + + +_We are forced to do this because a primitive and fatal association has always_ +_brought together these two spheres of angels and demons from the days of the_ +_Fathers to those of Neo-Protestantism. We shall not bring them into the same_ +_close relationship as formerly._ _[49]_ + +In this manner, his aside into the realm of the demonic is inaugurated. [50] Demons are not to be + +considered similar to angels in “origin or nature.” [51] God and His angels have virtually nothing in + + +48 Ibid, Pages 35-36. +49 Ibid, III, 3, Page 519. +50 Ibid. In fact, Barth would disagree with this thesis’ very composition. He strongly advocates that demons are +basically hoping to be the subject of “systematic attention.” +51 Ibid, Pages 520-521. + + +13 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +common with the demonic. Barth elaborates by adding that “God is the Lord of the demonic + + +sphere, and it derives from Him, just as in a wholly different way He is Lord of the angelic + +sphere and it too derives from Him.” [52] From this adamant theological posturing, we can deduce + + +that his angelology will not assist us in discerning his position regarding the personhood of the + + +demonic. + + +Originating from his consternation with earlier (patristic and medieval) writings on the + + +demonic, Barth’s use of the term “demon” diverges from the traditional usage in a number of + + +critical ways. As we already observed, demons are disassociated with the angelic realm. But + + +Barth adventures further. He asserts their existence but says that they are neither divine nor + +creature. [53] They are the necessary result of God’s affirmation. This is a direct result of his + +theology of “nothingness.” [54] Before we can truly address Barth’s position toward the + + +personhood of the demonic, we must understand this key literary context which shapes his + + +demonological writings. + + +After Barth’s extensive discussion concerning the nature of God’s Lordship over the + +created realm, he identifies something which is out of place. He calls this an “alien factor.” [55] + + +While he still places it under God’s providential vision, he elaborates saying, “This opposition + + +and resistance, this stubborn element and alien factor, may be provisionally defined as + +nothingness.” [56] As this term is not self-explanatory, “nothingness” is fleshed out. It is not + +merely negation or absence. [57] It is “utterly distinct from both Creator and creation, the adversary + + +with which no compromise is possible, the negative which is more than the mere complement of + +an antithetical positive…” [58] While God is indeed Lord over it as well, “nothingness is that from + + +which God separates Himself and in face of which He asserts Himself and exerts His positive + + +52 Ibid. +53 Ibid, Page 523. +54 Nothingness is the result of Barth’s Christo-centricism. “…the theology of Barth is avowedly Christo-centric. +For Barth, at least, that does not mean that the topics of theology are limited to a study of the person and work of +Christ but rather that all theology finds its focal center in Christ and that all knowledge of God is obtainable only +through Christ.” Kantzer, Kenneth. “The Christology of Karl Barth” in _The Bulletin of Evangelical Theological_ +_Society_, Page 25. However, “Logocentricism” is probably the preferable description of Barth’s theological thrust. +Ward, Graham. _Barth, Derrida and the Language of Theology_, Page 13ff. +55 Barth, Karl. _Christian Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 289. +56 Ibid. +57 Ibid, Page 349. +58 Ibid, Page 302. + + +14 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +will.” [59] With this philosophy underpinning his view of evil, Barth’s conclusion concerning + +demons is straightforward: “They themselves are always nothingness.” [60] + + +As his book title conveys, Unger primarily seeks the definition of “demon” from a + + +biblical directive. Concerning their origins, the traditional theology is advocated. Satan revolted + +against God and spread rebellion amongst the angels. [61] Demons are created beings that were + + +once in God’s service and presence. He cautiously advocates for this view as overwhelming + + +biblical clarity on the matter does not exist, politely disagreeing with those who speculate about a + +pre-Adam creation or an ante-diluvian reproductive origin of the demons. [62] + + +After a loose sketch concerning their origin, Unger offers a three-fold understanding of + + +the nature of a demon, which assists us in discerning exactly how he defines the term. A demon’s + +nature is spiritual, intellectual, and moral. [63] To evidence their incorporeal nature, passages from + + +the gospels are utilized which use demon ( _daimon_ ) synonymously with spirit ( _pneuma_ ). After + + +citing five references, he concludes “Demons and evil spirits are therefore one and the same + +thing.” [64] Building on his citations of the gospel narratives, Ephesians is drawn into his argument + + +for the spiritual nature of the demons, believing that these “powers” and “spiritual forces” are to + +be interpreted as demons. [65] + + +A demon is also a being of expansive intellect. This intelligence takes many forms. + + +Prominently, they possess cosmic knowledge, recognizing Jesus, knowing His Sonship, obeying + +Him, and corrupting doctrine. [66] Unger is quick to illuminate this argument. Even though they + + +are intellectually capable and understand their own doom, their knowledge is in no way salvific. + + +59 Ibid, Page 351. +60 Ibid, Page 523. By attributing the demonic’s origin and nature to nothingness, Barth is refusing to challenge the +pure identity and creative quality of God. The utilization of nothingness as a philosophical prop further illuminates +the character of God. The Lord’s creation is not tarnished. This is further clarified by a 1957 chapel message. +Barth said, “Bad, ugly, and evil, and dangerous things exist. The world is full of them. But what is bad was +certainly not created by God. It is the nature of what is bad, ugly, and evil not to have been willed or created by +God. It may be known because it has nothing whatever to do with Jesus Christ and his grace. It is alien to the +structure and meaning of the Father’s house. It can come forth only from our corrupt hearts and understandings. It +can derive only from the devil, who is not a second creator. Being rejected and denied by God, and set on his left +hand, it is something that we can reject, avoid, fear, and flee. The fact that there are bad things – many, many bad +things – does not alter the truth that God’s creation is good. Neither we nor the devil can alter this.” Erler, Rolf +Joachim, Reiner Marquard, and Geoffrey W. Bromiley, eds. _A Karl Barth Reader_, Pages 90-91. +61 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology,_ Pages 15-16. +62 It is likely that Unger understands Adam as a literal historical figure. +63 Ibid, Pages 62-68. +64 Ibid, Page 63. +65 This subject is debated heavily; what or who are these powers? See section 2.5.3 for more information. +66 Ibid, Page 66. + + +15 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +“They have a distinct realization that Jesus is Lord of the spirit-world, but their confession does + +not involve a saving trust, or a willing submission.” [67] Demonic knowledge is vast but inherently + +steeped in rebellion. [68] + + +This leads us to Unger’s last category concerning his description of the demons – their + + +moral nature. He writes concerning their consistently depraved nature, highlighting their + +perpetual desire to disseminate spiritual maladies and physical afflictions. [69] By formulating and + +spreading pernicious teachings, men are lead “not only to unmoral, but to immoral conduct.” [70] + + +In addition to the moral degradation they perpetuate and accelerate, their ability to enter a being + +or “demonize” someone often causes psychological problems and bodily injury. [71] + + +In sum, Barth crafts the term “demon” as something which is independent of the created + + +order yet under God’s rule as a hostile and substantial nothingness. Unger’s position argues that + + +a demon is a created being, a fallen angel, in permanent, irreconcilable rebellion against God. + + +From a rigid reflection upon the texts of Scripture, Unger, as he perceives the text, discerns that + + +demons are inherently immaterial, intelligent, and immoral. + + +**1.6** **Karl Barth’s Perspective on the Personhood of the Demonic in** _**Church Dogmatics**_ + + +Karl Barth, a preeminent Christian theologian of the twentieth century, serves as a unique + + +and insightful contributor to the field of demonology. Barth’s proportional brevity in relation to + + +the length of his _Church Dogmatics_ does not necessarily translate to a lack of importance placed + + +upon the subject. It is not a cursory treatment of the topic, and his perspective stands out due to + + +the particular path by which he accesses the often ignored topic. + + +Before we begin our analysis, we should proceed further than merely mentioning Barth’s + + +succinctness concerning this topic. As we pursue this topic further, we must concede that Barth + + +disagrees with the very nature of this study. Delving into demonology is a dangerous matter, and + + +67 Ibid. +68 This is in keeping with Aquinas when he said, “… we must firmly maintain, in keeping with Catholic faith, that +the will of good angels is established in goodness and the will of the devils fixed in evil.” Aquinas, St. Thomas. +_Summa Theologiæ_, Volume 9, Question 64, Article 2, Page 289. +69 Ibid, Page 67. +70 Ibid. +71 While the traditional term “possession” is still commonly used in many Christian circles, “demonize” or +“demonization” will be utilized throughout this thesis, in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding demonic +“ownership.” + + +16 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +Barth even mentions the negative effects it had on Martin Luther. As we begin, we should + + +recount a portion of Barth’s warning. + + +_Why must our glance be brief? Because we have to do at this point with a sinister_ +_matter about which the Christian and the theologian must know but in which he_ +_must not linger or become too deeply engrossed, devoting too much attention to it_ +_in an exposition like our own._ _[72]_ + +One of the few to address Barth’s demonology, G. C. Berkouwer clarifies Barth’s statement, + + +saying, “[Demonology] could again receive the appearance of great power only if we were to + +give much attention to it and treat it as a matter still deserving of respect.” [73] + + +Though Barth is emphatically warning us against reviewing demonology in excess, have + + +we gone too far in the other direction? From Barth’s perspective, the doctrine concerning + + +demons is something necessary. Have we left demonological studies as an ignored topic graced + + +with little to no reflection whatsoever? Let us revisit the topic today, reflecting on the issue of + + +personhood. + + +**1.6.1** **Personhood in Barth’s Demonology** + + +Since Barth understands personhood through the lens of one’s relationship to God and + + +since he describes demons as something hostile and independent of creation though under God’s + + +dominion, is he predominantly implying that demons are personal or impersonal? + + +As we previously established according to Barth’s theology, we cannot point to the + + +angelic beings. He vehemently argues that angels are a different category, unrelated to demons + + +ontologically. They only relate in that they oppose one another. Angels are God’s ambassadors, + +never independent of God’s work and presence. [74] Due to this strict relationship, angels “have no + +profile or character, no mind or will of their own.” [75] Yet, angels are “creatures” not + +“emanations.” [76] This information cannot be distilled into a theological form to which we can + + +relate demons. In Barth’s theology, his writings concerning angels only serve to distinguish how + + +the identity and personhood of an individual is formed. One’s relationship to God is the defining + + +point for assessment. + + +72 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 519. +73 Berkouwer, G. C. _The Triumph of Grace in the Theology of Karl Barth_, Page 376. +74 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 479. +75 Ibid, Page 480. To those who would deny the existence of angels, Barth polarizes the issue saying, “To deny the +angels is to deny God Himself.” (Page 486) +76 Ibid, Page 480. + + +17 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +What exactly is the demonic realm’s relationship to God? First, “God is the Lord of the + +demonic sphere.” [77] It is perhaps an uncomfortable notion, but Barth does not turn back from his + + +Augustinian/Calvinistic fervor for God’s sovereignty. All is under His domain. Barth builds on + +God’s supremacy by insisting that the demonic “derives from Him” as well. [78] Of course, this + + +derivation is completely distinct from creation. + + +Second, though demons are derived from God, they are not His creation. + + +_God has not created them, and therefore they are not creaturely. They are only_ +_as God affirms Himself and the creature and thus pronounces a necessary No._ +_They exists in virtue of the fact that His turning to involves a turning from, His_ +_election a rejection, His grace a judgment._ _[79]_ + +Essentially, they are a byproduct of the creative process. They find their ultimate derivation + + +from God in His ultimate No, but they do not receive the care that He bestows upon His + + +creaturely realm. They are always rejected, always evil, as they have no access to God’s eternal + +Yes of love and redemption. [80] Demons can “only exist in the attempt to rage against God and to + +spoil His creation.” [81] + + +Third, because of their existential rebellion, Barth paints a demonic sphere that is always + + +opposed by God and His angels. Even though it still submits to His will, it “does not cease to be + + +the demonic sphere and therefore a sphere of contradiction and opposition which as such can + +only be overthrown and hasten to destruction.” [82] His judgment is ever upon them. + + +If that is the demonic’s relationship to God, what is their relationship to nothingness, as + + +Barth has consistently linked the two topics? After arguing that demons are derived from God, he + +reminds us that demons are derived from nothingness. [83] Nothingness is basically equated with + + +God’s creative No. Nothingness is derived from God; thus demons can be said to both be + + +derived from nothingness and God. But Barth goes further, saying, “They are nothingness in its + + +77 Ibid, Page 520. +78 Ibid. +79 Ibid, Page 523. +80 Perhaps this is an advantageous place to return to an earlier question: if we rejected Barth’s doctrine of an +uncreated demonic, to whom do the demons bear more resemblance - God, angels, or humanity? By far, we must +conclude that fallen humanity, rebellious to the core and antinomian by nature, remains the demons’ closest relative. +We are linked by rebellion. While humankind’s relationship with the divine is always metaphorical except in the +person of Jesus Christ, perhaps demons should be considered as finite creatures that are relatable and +comprehensible? +81 Ibid. +82 Ibid, Page 521. +83 Ibid, Page 523. + + +18 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +dynamic, to the extent that it has form and power and movement and activity.” [84] In itself, + + +nothingness is amorphous, powerless, without direction or aim. Demons are nothingness + +enabled, and they are the “exponents” of the kingdom of falsehood. [85] + + +In fact, because of their relationship to nothingness and their inherently rebellious nature, + + +demons are more independent and “free” than angels. Briefly evoking a comparison that he + + +disparages, Barth mentions the loyal conduct of the angels in that they never act contrary to the + + +direct command and pleasure of God, and writes, + + +_He would be a lying spirit, a demon, a being which deceives both itself and others_ +_in respect of its heavenly character, if he were to try to profit from his nature and_ +_position, deriving any personal benefit, cutting an individual figure, playing an_ +_independent role, pursuing his own ends and achieving his own results. A true_ +_and orderly angel does not do this._ _[86]_ + +The implication of this statement is that demons actually have personal, selfish, individualistic + + +ends, while angels only behave in accordance with the Lord’s purposes. + + +Barth’s position, as conveyed in _Church Dogmatics_, assumes and indicates a personal + + +demonic ontology. These uncreated beings are directly derived from nothingness, which is + + +directly derived from God. Underlying his personal demonology, Barth’s receptive attitude + + +toward the text, even in the midst of his overriding philosophy of nothingness, guides his + + +outcome. Having criticized Rudolph Bultmann for arbitrarily selecting what to demythologize + + +from the biblical witness, Barth parts ways with traditional demonology where the biblical + +material is sparse and advocates a strong philosophy of nothingness. [87] + + +This somewhat surprising conclusion seems to mirror Berkhof’s interactions with Barth. + + +Barth apparently had once accused Berkhof of “mythologizing” the topic of the powers. Berkhof + + +notes that Barth must not be “bothered” by that anymore, saying, “[Barth] is now combating the + + +modern spirit whose rational-scientific world view has no eye left for the power of the + +Powers.” [88] + + +To conclude that Barth, a central theological figure in Protestant thought, implied the + + +reality of personal demons is a controversial conclusion, but if we look to other assessments of + + +the topic, we find similar hypotheses. Vernon Mallow, who composed a riveting analysis of the + + +84 Ibid. +85 Ibid, Page 527. +86 Ibid, Page 481. +87 Barth, Karl. “Barth on Bultmann and Demythologizing” in _Modern Theology: Karl Barth_, Pages 86-87. +88 Berkhof, Hendrikus. _Christ and the Powers_, Page 10. + + +19 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +demonic theme in Edwin Lewis, Karl Barth, and Paul Tillich’s theologies, unfortunately does not + + +tackle the Barthian issue of demonic personhood directly, but he summarily submits that “Barth + +does not hesitate to state that there is a real devil with his legion of demons.” [89] Also, Paul Jones, + + +an associate professor at the University of Virginia who specializes in Barthian theology, allows + + +for the possibility that Barth aligns himself with a personhood of the demonic. He says, “…if the + + +devil is ever a ‘person’ for [Barth], it’s a macabre distortion of what personhood truly is -- as + +conceived in light of God's being…” [90] But he would prefer to lean toward the idea that the “talk + + +of demonic personhood” may be a “domestication of evil -- a way of downsizing just how + +threatening that which opposes God truly is…” [91] While Jones’ conclusion is intriguing, it is + + +flawed to an extent, considering that it does not account for Barth’s attribution of the + +theologically heavy word “being” to the demonic realm, on top of other personal indicators. [92] + + +However, from Jones’ assessment, this thesis’ conclusion which argues that Barth expressed a + + +demonic personhood is not unfounded or academically implausible. Instead, a careful digestion + +of Barth’s demonology outlines a demonic that is personal in being. [93] This conclusion will be + + +further supported as we continue. + + +**1.7** **Merrill Unger’s Perspective on the Personhood of the Demonic in** _**Biblical Demonology**_ + + +Merrill Unger, an Evangelical theologian with doctorate degrees from both Dallas + + +Theological Seminary and Johns Hopkins University, has composed a number of works on the + +subject of demonology. [94] As evidenced by his three demonological works, he places a fair deal + + +of importance in incorporating demonology’s presence into the twentieth century’s systematic + + +and practical theologies. Unger states, + + +_Biblically considered, it looms large on the sacred page, and especially in the_ +_New Testament [it is] accorded remarkable prominence. It forms, together with_ + + +89 Mallow, Vernon R. _The Demonic: A Selected Theological Study: An Examination into the Theology of Edwin_ +_Lewis, Karl Barth, and Paul Tillich_, Page 83. +90 Jones, David. Personal correspondence, July 25, 2012. +91 Ibid. +92 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 481. +93 Throughout the research process, substantial disagreement with this conclusion was unable to be located, likely +because the topic of demonic personhood is not a common study. Mallow fails to look into the issue in any depth, +and Jones briefly addresses the issue because I directly inquired. +94 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology._ Unger, Merrill. _Demons in the World Today: A Study of Occultism in the_ +_Light of God’s Word._ Unger, Merrill. _What Demons Can Do to Saints._ Our focus rests upon _Biblical Demonology,_ +per section 1.3 _._ As Unger both studied and taught at Dallas Theological Seminary, his background is rooted in the +dispensational heritage of C. I. Scofield and John Darby. + + +20 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_angelology and Satanology, an indispensable branch of systematic theology,_ +_dealing with the realm of evil supernaturalism._ _[95]_ + +“Evil supernaturalism” is the fulcrum for Unger’s analysis of the demonic. + + +**1.7.1** **Personhood in Unger’s Demonology** + + +Enlightening the worldwide phenomenon of supernatural evil and its related practices is + + +Unger’s ultimate goal. His systematic engagement with biblical demonology serves to undergird + + +the reality of demonization, Satanism, divination, necromancy, and other forms of dark ritualism. + + +The issues of government, heresy, and eschatology are also informed by his studies. Though + + +“demonological phenomenon have been found to be almost universally prevalent,” Unger does + + +admit that the innumerable supernatural practices present a problem of abounding confusion and + + +complexity, but as such, we should have a “discriminating grasp” concerning biblical + +demonology, being careful to allow for faulty research and inaccurate conclusions. [96] + + +Unger is eager to preclude argumentation against the very nature of addressing the + + +demonic. As they appropriately apply to the issue of personhood in _Biblical Demonology_, let us + + +briefly review his short apologies. He addresses four “problems” - the silence of revelation, the + +accuracy of interpretation, the prevalence of superstition, and the preponderance of doubt. [97] + + +In response to the supposed silence of revelation, Unger argues that the problem is falsely + + +portrayed. While some phases of demonology lack biblical content, the overall topic is robustly + + +represented throughout Scripture. In other words, we cannot approach concrete biblical + + +conclusions concerning the origins of the demonic and a few other subtopics, but “this is no + +barrier to a comprehensive presentation of the subject (of demonology).” [98] + + +A more substantial problem in Unger’s perspective is the accuracy of interpretation. + + +Though neglect has somewhat stalled and destabilized the topic’s analysis, the main culprit is + +extreme interpretations, rooted in “ultra-rationalism” and “extravagant superstition.” [99] He + + +advises that further research is essential, as demonology’s “treatment in the average systematic + +theology is exceedingly sketchy, if it is given any space at all.” [100] + + +95 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 1. +96 Ibid. +97 Ibid, Pages 2-8. +98 Ibid, Page 2. +99 Ibid, Page 3. +100 Ibid. + + +21 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +Accepting Scripture as the revealed truth, the prevalence of superstition, with its endless + + +rituals and chthonic imagery, is also a pressing problem. Unger argues that too many people + + +“have lived and died in the clutches of appalling fear and absurd superstition, under thralldom of + +evil supernaturalism.” [101] Such distortion has not been limited to the educationally deprived; it is + + +also replete among the leaders of society, with Talmudic writers being some of the worst + +offenders. [102] These overwhelming excesses which are weaved throughout the fabric of humanity + +add further frustration to the Christian systematic endeavor. [103] + + +Finally, Unger opines an obvious problem concerning a theology of demons. A + + +preponderance of doubt exists regarding the demonic. Most difficulties originate from the + + +unnatural nature of evil supernaturalism. No independent test or naturalistic observation can + + +construct a comprehensive scientific conclusion. “Knowledge of the supernatural can only come + +through supernatural revelation, since it is above and beyond natural law.” [104] The problem is + +only further conflated by the Spiritless attitude in which most skeptics approach the subject. [105] + + +Flowing out of these problems, when Unger develops his brief discussion regarding the + + +personhood of the demonic, his perspective integrates these four issues. The answer to each + + +concern is plainly a well-researched biblical demonology, which he tries to deliver in an + +intellectual yet approachable manner. [106] Thus, we will look at his argumentation. + + +As we previously mentioned, in Unger’s theology, demonic reality and demonic + + +personhood are equated. No “demon” exists apart from their conception as sinful, immaterial, + + +personal beings. When Unger begins his section on the nature of demons, he comments, + + +101 Ibid. +102 Ibid, Pages 32-34. +103 Ibid, Page 29. “Without the chart of revealed truth to guide, it would be an impossible and hopeless task to try to +steer a straight course through the intricacies and complexities of heathen thought and practice. With such amazing +complication of detail, and often with such refined and subtle intermixture of truth and error, the student of religion +proceeding on mere naturalistic hypotheses, without the infallible guide of revelation, is like a vessel without chart, +rudder, or compass, tempest-tossed on a reef-strewn sea.” +104 Ibid, Page 7. +105 1 Corinthians 2:14. In this text, Paul divides the Corinthians into two groups. “The spiritual person has achieved +a level of spiritual maturity, but the merely psychic person is still in an infantile phase of development, unable to +know the gifts (things) of God’s spirit because such ethereal matters can be discerned only spiritually.” While to +firmly posit that skeptical endeavors are “infantile” in the demonological field would be overly harsh, to admit that +spiritual perceptivity is a methodological necessity in this realm would not be ridiculous. Without the Holy Spirit, +how can we expect to comprehend the truth into which He guides us? Horsley, Richard A. _Abingdon New_ +_Testament Commentaries: 1 Corinthians_, Page 61. +106 Unger’s book _Biblical Demonology_ is derived from his Th.D. dissertation at Dallas Theological Seminary. +Ibid, Page vii. + + +22 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_But it must not be supposed that because spirits are immaterial, they are any less_ +_personal. Demons, as well as all other created spiritual beings, possess_ +_personality, and are everywhere represented as intelligent and voluntary agents_ +_(Mark 5:10; Luke 4:34)._ _[107]_ + +Within his ontological conversation concerning the immaterial nature of the demonic, he slips in + + +this terse statement where demons are bluntly portrayed as personal beings. In his later work + + +_Demons in the World Today_, he elaborates on his occasional references to demonic personhood + + +in _Biblical Demonology_ . In three short paragraphs, he explains that demons have “all the + +elements of personality such as will, feelings, and intellect.” [108] As referenced in _Biblical_ + + +_Demonology_, this thought is built upon the Synoptic thought of Mark and Luke. + + +The Gerasene demoniac narrative is one of the iconic New Testament passages + + +concerning the demonic. In _Biblical Demonology_, it is cited at least seventeen times. Unger + + +references Mark 5:10 in particular, “And Legion asked Jesus many times not to send them out of + +the area.” [109] Presumably, he selects this as a proof text in this instance as Legion is a persistent + + +negotiator. Furthermore, Legion and the rest of the demons he represents are not mere mental + + +aberrations as they somehow transferred into and demonstrably affected the nearby herd of + +pigs. [110] + + +Much like Mark, Luke 5:34 records the words of a demon who apparently knew Jesus of + + +Nazareth as the “Holy One of God.” This unusual display of superior knowledge is quoted, not + + +as the testimony of a lunatic, but as the spirit world’s admission of Jesus’ special nature. Unger + + +accepts these passages as written with no qualification. He does not suppose or entertain that the + + +author fabricated or falsely interpreted the situation. His biblicism voids the questions. + + +Unger avoids all attempts at demythologization; instead, he wishes to convey the biblical + + +material as received. Demons are real, personal beings irreparably bent upon destruction and + +rebellion, though subservient to the command of God. [111] The Bible is not silent concerning their + + +being, and it consistently distinguishes them as independent agents. While religions and cultures + + +107 Ibid, Page 65. +108 Unger, Merrill. _Demons in the World Today_, Page 23. +109 Author’s translation. +110 Mark 5:11-13. +111 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 74. “Although granted a large sphere of activity, and exercising a +powerful and malignant ministry, demons, like their leader Satan, are nevertheless strictly under divine control and +have a definite part in the divine plan. The span of their evil machinations is strictly determined, the sphere of their +wicked operations is definitely set, and their doom is inexorably sealed. There is no unhealthy dualism in Biblical +demonology.” See pages 67-68 for more on their “depravity and complete moral turpitude…” + + +23 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +offer superstitious accounts and descriptions, the Scriptures avoid fantastical and outlandish + +superstitions. [112] Doubt about their being and personality remains only for those who do not + + +properly discern the content and consistency of the biblical accounts of the demonic. + + +**1.8** **Similarities and Distinctions** + + +When we compare Karl Barth and Merrill Unger’s contributions to demonological + + +studies, the distinctions are many. An entire chapter might begin to catalogue their + + +methodological and contextual differences. But concerning the personhood of the demonic, a + + +couple points move to the forefront. + + +The major distinction is the means by which personhood is conferred. Is it indirectly + + +derived from God, or is it a direct creative work of God? Barth posits three statements which + + +lead us to conclude that he favors indirect derivation. He confirms that the demonic finds its + +source in God. “God is the Lord of the demonic sphere, and it derives from Him…” [113] This + + +statement is later broadened with an affirmation that demons “derive from [nothingness]. They + +themselves are always nothingness.” [114] Finally, _Church Dogmatics_ also mentions that demons + +are not God’s creation. [115] + + +The strongest relationship mentioned is the tie of the demonic to nothingness. Demons + + +are not only derived from nothingness, but they actually are nothingness, in personal form. + + +Nothingness itself is derived from God but not like His creatures which exude and bear His + + +affirmation and presence. Therefore, Barth directs us toward an understanding of the demonic + + +(including its personhood) which is indirectly derived from God. + + +In contrast, Unger’s theology maintains that Satan and his angels were a direct creation of + +God before they rebelled. [116] Possessing a conceptual conflation of ontological reality and + + +personhood, Unger views the demonic as having its original root in the divine, though it has been + + +112 His assessment of superstition is found in pages 3-6. With their ridiculous stories, Unger essentially designates +the elaborate demon management systems of ancient and modern times as superstition. Yes, the biblical tone is +different, but Unger does not seem to sense the utter insensibility of the biblical tone as well. People perceive the +biblical narratives as ridiculous too! If Jesus were to exorcize the demonized in the streets of a Western city today, +it would be seen as bizarre to most. Thus, his label of “superstition” merely describes the diverse demonological +perceptions and practices that have propagated throughout the world, in contrast to the significantly distinct biblical +portrait. +113 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, Page 523. +114 Ibid. +115 Ibid. +116 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 16. + + +24 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +ostracized and exorcised from God’s acceptance. Demons (as fallen angels) are the result of a + + +direct creative work of God, though their eventual rebellious state is not condoned. + + +The demon’s relationship to God is dramatically different. Unger’s “demon” is a + + +carefully crafted creature of God who has deviated toward destruction. Barth’s “demon” is the + + +thoroughly corrupt byproduct of God’s good creative activity. These “demons’” personhoods + + +differ accordingly. One has received a good personhood from God and warped it by following + + +Satan’s folly. The other has come into being as an uncreated person forged out of evil, derived + + +from God but not rooted in Him. + + +While other points could be compiled, the central similarity is their agreement on the + + +personal ontology of demons, flowing from a receptive attitude toward biblical revelation. + + +Unger is upfront about his biblical adherence. He reads the text, reasons that demons are + +portrayed as intelligent individual spirits, and concludes that they are such. [117] In response to + + +those who suggest that spirits are literary personifications of physical afflictions, Unger retorts, + + +“This ingenious, but false, theory is completely incompatible with the simple and direct + + +attribution of personality to the demons (as much as to men, angels, or God), and, if carried out + +in principle, must subvert the truth and integrity of the Holy Scripture itself.” [118] But he does not + + +address those who would perceive the demonic as a significant reality yet impersonal. + + +Barth is more subtle, but he too primarily accepts the reality and personhood of demons + + +because of the biblical material. Though Barth is deeply affected and directed by philosophical + + +currents, D. F. Ford comments, “The criterion by which Barth wants to be judged is that of + +fidelity to the Bible.” [119] Concerning the demonic, he interacts with revelation, especially in his + +footnotes. [120] After one lengthier discourse on how the truth of God unmasks the practices of the + + +demonic, Barth offers, “This, then, is what Holy Scripture has to tell us concerning demons. It + + +certainly does not say that they do not exist or have no power or do not constitute a threat. It is + +quite evident that their existence and nature are very definitely taken into account…” [121] As we + + +already postulated, their nature is indeed personal in his demonology. Where does this + + +117 This reasoned conclusion is reached amongst the influences of Unger’s theological heritage in the Evangelical +community. He is not a hermeneutical island; he quotes other scholars frequently. +118 Ibid, Page 91. Unger then specifically references Mark 5 as one passage that loses coherence if such a theory is +applied. +119 Ford, D. F. “Conclusion: Assessing Barth” in _Karl Barth – Studies of His Theological Methods_, Page 199. +120 His limited rationalism which George Hunsinger describes as “reason within the limits of revelation alone” +appears to not be so limited concerning the demonic. Hunsinger, George. _How to Read Karl Barth_, Page 49. +121 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, Pages 528-529. + + +25 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +ultimately originate? It courses from the Scriptures, though dressed and shaped by philosophical + + +inflows. + + +**1.9** **Conclusion** + + +In this chapter, we have laid out a considerable base of literature review by which an + + +analysis of the personhood of the demonic can occur. Within the commonly bypassed question + + +regarding whether we should view demons as impersonal or personal, this thesis specifically + + +designated two particular conversation partners, Karl Barth and Merrill Unger. After selecting + + +these two primary interlocutors, terminology was defined through their particular paradigms, + + +emphasizing their understandings of “demon” and “personhood.” Barth defines “personhood” + + +through one’s relationship to the divine and a “demon” as something real which is both hostile + + +toward and independent of God’s created realm. In contrast, Unger correlates his concept of + + +personhood to the issue of reality, and a “demon” is a fallen incorporeal being of profound + + +intelligence and unfathomable wickedness. + + +We then turned to the personhood of the demonic itself. Though disagreeing on major + + +background issues concerning the origin and nature of the demonic, both authors ultimately + + +affirmed the personhood of the demonic. Though not a primary subject of their systematic + + +endeavors, Barth and Unger nearly treated the subject of personhood as an assumed element. + + +We concluded that their greatest similarity lie in their receptive attitude toward the biblical + + +material which played a fundamental role in their overall demonological contribution. + + +Therefore, as we carefully move forward following the close of this introductory chapter, + + +a pressing question arises from Barth and Unger’s agreement on the personhood of the demonic. + + +Since biblical studies played such a central role in forming their conclusions, how does recent + + +biblical scholarship relate and engage with their writings? Is there any substantial support for + + +their position? + + +26 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**2.** **An Evaluation of Barth and Unger’s Perspectives on the Personhood of the Demonic** + + +**in Light of Contemporary Influential Biblical Studies on Demonology** + + +**2.1** **Introduction** + + +In the last chapter, we sought to define “personhood” and “demon” through a literature + + +survey of Karl Barth’s _Church Dogmatics_ and Merrill Unger’s _Biblical Demonology_ . After + + +exploring their definitions, we assessed their positions regarding the personhood of the demonic, + + +as to whether they preferred an impersonal or personal perspective. Subsequently, both Barth + + +and Unger were found to advocate for the reality of demons as personal agents, due to their + + +reading of the biblical material. + + +Since their demonologies rely heavily upon biblical studies, what does contemporary + + +influential biblical scholarship have to contribute to this analysis of Barth and Unger’s view of + + +demonic personhood? Does this scholarship lead us to conclude that the biblical material + + +advocates the existence of personal demonic beings? What role does the popular hermeneutic of + + +demythologization play? Due to this standing wealth of interrogatives, we must venture to seek + + +answers which will further our analysis of Barth and Unger’s personhood of the demonic. + + +Therefore, we will first address the stated primary authority of Barth and Unger’s + + +position. We will briefly introduce the revelatory material they utilize in order to construct their + + +personhood of the demonic. Following this, tracing the issue of demonic personhood in + + +contemporary influential biblical scholarship becomes our primary concern. After discerning the + + +overall attitude toward the issue of demonic personhood, Barth and Unger’s primary texts will + + +then be reassessed, along with interaction with the topic of demythologization. Finally, we will + + +offer support and criticism for Barth and Unger from that recent scholarship, while also allowing + + +Barth and Unger’s works to defend their hypotheses. + + +**2.2** **The Scope of Interaction** + + +In order to achieve our stated ends, we must narrow the scope of the biblical scholarship + + +which we will pair as interlocutors with Barth and Unger. The first criterion we will utilize is + + +“contemporary.” This thesis will primarily engage recent biblical and theological works, penned + + +subsequently to the publication of _Church Dogmatics_ and _Biblical Demonology_ . Also, another + + +criterion is that the commentaries, articles, and books quoted must be of considerable influence + + +27 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +in contemporary studies, widely read or academically published. But it should not be + + +misconstrued that this chapter is a complete compilation of every contribution to the + + +demonological field that could possibly relate to this thesis. Rather, these articles, dictionary + + +offerings, and critical commentary materials are selected as representative of the greater whole + + +within the academic realm. + + +Finally, while demonological/spiritism studies exists in numerous religious and + + +sociological contexts, the scholarship assessed in this chapter will be Christian and biblical, + + +intentionally including more than a single strand of Christian thought. By choosing Christian + + +biblical scholarship for the analysis of Barth and Unger’s demonological ontology, this thesis is + + +not asserting that other religious contributions are unworthy of study. Thus, let us first glean but + + +a few of the central texts from Barth and Unger’s demonologies as we begin to delve into + + +contemporary biblical scholarship’s contribution on the matter of demonic personhood. + + +**2.3** **Central Biblical Texts in Barth’s Personhood of the Demonic** + + +As we engage biblical scholarship with Karl Barth’s demonology, it is crucial that we + + +grasp the biblical material which undergirds his theology. This is a daunting task due to the path + + +by which he arrives at his perspective. Barth does not simply state a theological position and + + +then proof text his point with a list of biblical references (as an Evangelical, Merrill Unger is + + +much more affiliated with this style of theological composition). While Barth states that his + + +demonology is staunchly rooted in Scripture, the reality is that his argumentation is logically tied + +the biblical text, not directly linked. [122] + + +Why does Barth write about demons? He declares their reality but also their drastic + + +dissimilarity from the angels, saying, “The two spheres do not belong together either by origin or + +nature.” [123] But then he mentions that the demonic horde and the angelic host do intersect + + +concerning their activity! This operation-oriented opposition leads us to Barth’s direct citing of + + +biblical information. After trying to dismiss the pandemonium of problems surrounding the + + +usage of “angel” to describe Satan’s servants in Matthew 25:41, Revelation 12:7, and 2 + + +Corinthians 12:7; he still seeks to disassociate the two parties yet admits, + + +_In the few biblical passages in which angels and demons are seen together at all_ +_(as in the “war in heaven” of Rev. 12:7f. or the brief encounter at the temptation_ + + +122 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 529. +123 Ibid, Pages 519-520. + + +28 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_in Mk. 1:12), they are always understood to be in radical conflict. This radical_ +_conflict ought to have been regarded as a radical and essential determination on_ +_both sides. The devil and demons ought never to have been seen or understood_ +_otherwise than in this essential conflict._ _[124]_ + +Ergo, it is clear, methodologically speaking, that the Bible speaks powerfully into his theological + +formation. [125] + + +As we previously established, Barth thinks that demons are indirectly derived from God, + + +almost as an eddy formed by a passing ship. Demons are a consequence of God’s creative work, + + +and “they are nothingness in its dynamic, to the extent that it has form and power and movement + +and activity.” [126] What texts shall we examine to correlate such statements? Barth’s next + +sentence says, “This is how Holy Scripture understands this alien element.” [127] But we are left on + + +our own to discern exactly how he arrived at such a “biblical” conclusion. It may be better said, + + +“This is how Barth understands this alien element in Holy Scripture.” + + +We can conclude that having a robust understanding of demonic personhood does clarify + + +and support his biblical conclusions concerning angelic and demonic activity. But he does not + + +overtly support his argument from a biblical passage that personhood is derived from one’s + + +relationship to the Creator and that demons are uncreated offspring, derived from God. + + +However, in general, his brief treatments of biblical texts concerning demonology distinguish the + + +implication that he accepts the texts’ basic ontological implications. Demons exist but should + + +not be associated with angels, except in the context of conflict. + + +**2.4** **Central Biblical Texts in Unger’s Personhood of the Demonic** + + +Merrill Unger’s _Biblical Demonology_, as evidenced by the title, is littered with scriptural + +references in order to support his theses. [128] His strict biblically-founded style is briefly + + +expounded in his defense of the reality of the demonic. He argues, + + +_The evidence of revelation is put first, not because it is expected more effectively_ +_to impress the skeptic (he seems unimpressed by any Scriptural declaration), but_ + + +124 Ibid, Page 520. +125 Barth additionally cites Romans 8:38 and John 8:44 during his treatment of the demonic (Pages 520, 531). +Genesis 6:1-14, Jude 6, and 2 Peter 2:4 are only mentioned in order that he might dismiss them as “uncertain and +obscure.” Ibid, Page 530. +126 Ibid, Page 523. +127 Ibid. +128 His Scripture index spans pages 245-250. He cites over two thirds of the sixty-six canonical books throughout +his composition. + + +29 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_because intrinsically it is the most important witness. Demons do exist, first and_ +_foremost, for God in His Word says they exist._ _[129]_ + +This priority continues to permeate his argumentation. He later comments, “When Luke writes + + +that ‘Satan entered into Judas’ (Luke 22:3), he most certainly implies that the dynamic of his + + +crime and suicide was Satan or demonic agency. The burden of proof, therefore, rests upon the + + +skeptics…” Scripture speaks, and he demands others to elucidate otherwise. + + +In Unger’s most direct statement concerning the personhood of the demonic, he loosely + + +corroborates his conclusion with a pair of biblical references. Obviously, no particular text in the + + +revelatory witness amounts to a systematic demonology. The behavioral descriptions of + + +narratives serve as his verification. He says, “Demons… possess personality, and are + +everywhere represented as intelligent and voluntary agents (Mark 5:10, Luke 4:34).” [130] + + +Throughout his demonology, the Synoptic testimony is centrally featured, though well supported + + +through Old Testament literature and epistolary theology. But what does recent influential + + +biblical scholarship have to offer to the issue of the personhood of the demonic? + + +**2.5** **Contemporary Influential Biblical Scholarship and the Personhood of the Demonic** + + +The personhood of the demonic is not treated as an important theme in biblical + +scholarship. [131] Perhaps certain interpretive, demythologization exercises are thought to best suit + + +the demonological field, but too often, the topic remains an assumed element, either with + + +demythologization or literalism previously accepted. Thankfully, biblical scholarship does offer + + +information which shapes and aids the subject. Thus, we will begin by assessing the + + +development of the idea of “demons” and then navigate Old and New Testament scholarship + + +through the lens of demonic personhood. Lastly, we will engage a number of prominent + + +scholar’s commentaries on the specific texts referenced by Barth and Unger in support of their + + +demonologies. + + +129 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 36. +130 Ibid, Page 64. +131 It could be argued that via the discussion concerning Satan, which has been set outside the limits of this particular +study, demonological personhood is frequently discussed, but it is the opinion of this thesis that demons and their +personhood remain underdeveloped. But even after an examination of Breytenbach and Day’s article on Satan, the +identity of Satan (or “the _satan_ ” depending on the textual construction of the passage they are examining) is +questioned. Personhood is less of an issue, especially since Day links the meaning of the Satan with ancient +Akkadian terms which denote “a human legal opponent” or “a deity acting as an accuser in a legal context.” +Breytenbach, C. and P. L. Day. “Satan” in _The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (DDD)_, Page 727. + + +30 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +While it is a topic of importance, this thesis cannot address at length the hermeneutical + + +disparity which exists in demonological studies resulting from diverse paradigm affiliations. We + + +recognize that some authors, believing in the reality of a personal demonic realm, prefer to + + +harmonize the varying contributions to demonological thought by the numerous biblical genres + + +and texts. In such cases, a canonical and cohesive demonology is sought. In other cases, authors + + +prefer to cite the subject’s diversity with the biblical testimony as evidence of mythical inclusion, + + +advocating that numerous cultural manifestations of demonology are present in the canon rather + + +than one divine cosmological thought. Essentially, some prefer to highlight biblical unity, and + + +some prefer to emphasize biblical diversity. + + +**2.5.1** **The Development of Demonic Personhood** + + +Since the conception of the word “demon” (from the Greek _daimon_, _daimonion_ ), + +personhood was implied. [132] In classical Greek thought, the imagery conveyed by “demon” + + +conjured up thoughts of full-fledged deities, capricious demigods, or souls of the deceased “who + +now invisibly watch over human affairs.” [133] They were an unseen reality which dwelled in + + +chthonic lairs or heavenly abodes. More “persons” existed than empirical observation could + + +indicate, though myths and religious annals varied in the description of their power and number. + + +It would be an egregious error to not mention that _daimon_ and _daimonion_ had an impersonal + + +cacophony of usages as well. Alongside their reference to gods and eventually “personal + + +intermediary beings,” _daimon_ could occasionally depicted stars, consciences, or simply a divine + +portion of the anthropological. [134] + + +Though the framework of personhood is implied in the concept of the demonic (when + + +referring to beings), the moral nature of those beings was often ambiguous. “The word + + +translated ‘demon’ in the literature preceding and contemporary with Scripture is not always + +negative.” [135] After Homer and others maintained an essentially neutral understanding of the + + +word, it is best understood that “the exclusively ‘negative’ charge associated with demons + + +doubtless represents a secondary development reflecting an understanding that opposes them to + + +132 Twelftree, Graham. “Demon” in _The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible_, Volume 2, Page 91. +133 Riley, G. C. “Demon” in _The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (DDD)_, Page 235. +134 Foerster, Werner. “ _Daimon_ ” in _The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament_, Pages 2-3. +135 _Dictionary of Biblical Imagery_, Page 202. + + +31 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +the gods.” [136] Throughout the Ancient Near East, moral qualifiers were still commonplace in + + +order to denote that a particular demon was “evil.” Zoroastrianism was the prominent exception, + +and this Persian dualism became more prevalent throughout the intertestamental period. [137] Even + +as late as Luke’s authorship of Acts, neutral uses of “demon” were acceptable. [138] But let us + +specifically focus on the personhood of the demonic in each testament. [139] + + +**2.5.2** **Old Testament Thought and Demonic Personhood** + + +Before we begin to interact with the biblical scholarship concerning the Old and New + + +Testaments, a canonical perspective is essential. While we can delve into the particular + + +complexities of each individual author and genera in relationship to demonic personhood, the + + +nature of revelation itself dictates that a particular level of divulged information results in a + + +particular level of clarity. With further revelation, a topical theology is increasingly clarified. + + +Hence, the author of Hebrews offers insight into Old Testament mysteries and ambiguities. It is + + +no surprise that demonic personhood continues to be increasingly illuminated throughout the + +progressing revelations of the Old and New Testament. [140] + + +The issue of demonic personhood in the Old Testament is multi-faceted. “The Hebrew of + + +the OT, as the other Semitic languages of the ancient Near East, had no single, comprehensive + +term for demonic figures as did the ancient Greeks.” [141] Due to this issue, the identification of + + +“demons” has proved more problematic. Joanne Kuemmerlin-McLean admits that this has + + +resulted in inconsistency and adds, “The most generally accepted understanding is of demons as + + +‘evil spirits’ who live in ruins and the desert and are responsible for illness and natural + +disasters.” [142] But scholarship remains fragmented as to the exact amount of demons or demonic + + +figures in the OT. With some having historically opted for an Old Testament demonology + + +136 Hutter, Manfred. “Demons and Spirits: I. History of Religion (Ancient Near East and Antiquity)” in _Religion_ +_Past & Present_, Page 747. +137 Ibid. See section 4.5 for more on Zoroastrianism. +138 Pervo says that Acts 17:18 is the only instance in the New Testament where _daimonia_ is “in a nonpejorative +sense.” Pervo, Richard I. _Acts: A Commentary_, Page 428. +139 As we proceed, we will interact not only with articles related to our task but also with critical commentaries. No +effort was exerted to selected favorable commentaries; rather, the primary prerequisite was their academic quality, in +that they engaged with other scholars, the original languages, and cognates. +140 Barth also remarks about the progressive clarity of the demonic from the Old to the New Testaments. He +strongly argues that this is a result of God’s continuing triumph and the “kingdom of God coming from heaven to +earth.” All that opposes the Christ is “driven from the field” and exposed more clearly as it flees. Barth, Karl. +_Church Dogmatics_ . III, 3, Page 529. +141 Aune, D. E. “Demon” in _The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia_, Page 919. +142 Kuemmerlin-McLean, Joanne K. “Demon” in _The Anchor Bible Commentary_, Volume 2, Page 139. + + +32 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +trifurcated between angelic, animalistic, and human type demons; such endeavors seems + + +ambitious when there appears to be no clear overarching OT perspective accessible for easy + +systemization. [143] A bifurcation does not appear helpful either. [144] This thesis posits that it is only + + +by the fruition of the New Testament that we ascertain enough insight for an adequate + + +demonology and a proper response to it. A survey of a few major demonic terms identified in + + +the Old Testament (bringing to light any specific material regarding their personhood) is in + + +order, but we must try to avoid ambitious systematic conclusions. + + +Demonic personas do present as animal-like creatures throughout the Old Testament. + + +Spirits of the wilderness and deserted places are described as goat demons ( _seirim_ ) and wild + +beasts (Isaiah 13:21, 34:14). [145] Apparently, cultic worship grew up around these figures + + +(Leviticus 17:7, 2 Chronicles 11:15). Strangely enough, this imagery continues into the + + +Apocalypse (18:2). Understood as beings, their presence is the direct result of divine judgment + + +in Isaiah and the subject of condemnation of false worship in Leviticus, but it would be + + +presumptuous to align such beings as personal manifestations of evil from the Old Testament + + +text alone. + +The worship of other gods is often considered demonic. [146] Psalms 106:37 says, “They + +even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons ( _shedhim_ ).” [147] In other instances + + +like Deuteronomy 32:17, this concept of false worship sets up these gods as actual demons. + + +However, like the animalistic demons of the OT, these references do little to elucidate a + +particular personhood attributable to demons. They are beings but vaguely so. [148] + + +Perhaps the most intriguing Old Testament texts involve various spirits ( _ruach_ ). In 1 + + +Kings 22, Micaiah recounts a vision of a heavenly scene to Ahab and Jehoshaphat, wherein God + + +is determining Ahab’s end. In this instance, a “deceiving spirit” agrees to trick Ahab to his + + +appointed death through the mouths of prophets. Then God guarantees the spirit that his mission + + +will prove successful! While bearing some resemblance to the throne room scene of Job, we are + + +143 Ferguson, Everett. _Demonology of the Early Christian World_, Page 88. +144 Kuemmerlin-McLean, Joanne K. “Demon” in _The Anchor Bible Commentary_, Volume 2, Page 139 +145 Riley, G. C. “Demon” in _The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (DDD)_, Page 237. +146 Eshel, Esther, and Daniel C. Harlow. “Demons and Exorcism” in _The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism_, +Page 531. This OT thought became increasingly pronounced through the interpretive nature of the Septuagint. +147 New American Standard Bible (NASB). +148 Dickason, C. Fred. _Angels: Elect and Evil_, Page 152. By no means does this section comprehensively categorize +every possible reference to the demonic in the Old Testament literature. Dickason offers a number of others, but we +must be careful to accept the original text without overvaluing the interpretation of the LXX translators. + + +33 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +at a loss to exactly determine this spirit’s origin and nature, but the spirit’s activity is well +defined, shaped by its verbal abilities, immoral qualifications, and locational specificity. [149] + + +In another text where a spirit is commissioned by God for His purposes, Saul is troubled + + +by an evil spirit. + + +_Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from_ +_the Lord terrorized him. Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil_ +_spirit from God is terrorizing you” … So it came about whenever the evil spirit_ +_from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and_ +_Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him._ _[150]_ + +Confirming the absence of dualistic influence in the Tanahk, this evil spirit is again present as an + + +aspect of God’s judgment against the reign of Saul. Because of the reaction of Saul’s advisors, + + +the removal of the Spirit of God and the arrival of the evil spirit left little doubt that something + +was wrong, which they correctly diagnosed as an evil spirit. [151] This spirit is then temporally + + +affected by the audible influence of David’s harp; the apotropaic music furnished relief to Saul. + + +Personhood is not a remarkable feature of this particular incident, nor can we discern a direct + + +link to the demonic without integrating the testimony of other canonical works. + + +One other instance involving a spirit is even more unusual and difficult to interpret. In + + +Job 4:12-21, the author records Eliphaz’ encounter with the supernatural (v12-16) and the + + +message delivered by the spirit (v17-21). The encounter is especially dramatic. + + +_Now a word was brought to me stealthily,_ +_And my ear received a whisper of it._ +_Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night,_ +_When deep sleep falls on men._ +_Dread came upon me, and trembling,_ +_And made_ _all my bones shake._ +_Then a spirit passed by my face;_ +_The hair of my flesh bristled up._ +_It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;_ +_A form was before my eyes;_ +_There was silence, then I heard a voice..._ _[152]_ + + +149 By “locational specificity,” it is meant that the spirit was present before God, and then it was not. The text does +not convey it as a general rule, law, or force which is metaphorically omnipresent, ambiguously present, or absent. +Instead, the text conveys that this deceiving spirit was locationally before God, commanded by God, and eventually +brought about the fulfillment of its earthly task, considering Ahab’s death at the end of the passage. +150 1 Samuel 16:14-15, 23; NASB. +151 The relationship of rulers and the supernatural is an unusually common theme throughout Scripture. +152 Job 4:12-16, NASB. + + +34 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +In his opening salvo against Job, Eliphaz recapitulates a horrific nighttime visitation as the + + +primary content of his response. He “claims a privileged revelation that gives him special insight + +concerning the nature of humankind.” [153] But is this frightening exchange from God? While + + +Eliphaz evidently considers the event to have divine origins, the context of God’s eventual + + +rebuke of Eliphaz in Job 42:7 opens the possibility that this spirit was acting deceptively, thus + +explaining the terrifying circumstances. [154] This unique instance does not by any means define a + + +spirit as a person, but it is peculiar that while “spirit… is never used of an apparition in the OT… + +here the spirit is given a semblance of form.” [155] + + +Due to the demythological currents in modern theology, depersonalization of such + + +“demon-like” figures in the OT is common practice. For instance, Adrian Hastings submits, “In + + +particular, there is no reason internal to Genesis for thinking the serpent in the Garden of Eden + +(3:1-15) was a spiritual being in disguise…” and he concludes, “it was simply a snake.” [156] + + +While he himself understands the text as conveying a mere snake, it would be unwise to + + +conclude that the text itself is arguing that point, especially considering the snake’s role in the + + +_protoevangelium_, the radical inbreaking of deception, the snake’s unusual ability to speak, and + +the subsequent interpretation of this text in Jewish thought. [157] + + +In conclusion, the OT text does not advocate nor deny a personhood of the demonic per + + +se, but it does describe other persons. The existence of personal entities beside God and + + +humanity is a given, but to declare a “personhood of the demonic” in the OT would be + +presumptuous. [158] The passages themselves do not demonstrate an overarching demonological + + +theme to which we could attribute personhood, though the LXX and other writings translate and + + +interpret one. The OT is content to display a variety of beings/spirits which manifest as powerful + +153 Balentine, Samuel E. _Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary: Job_, Page 110. +154 Note Eliphaz’ use of “breath/spirit” in verses 9 and 15 in chapter 4. +155 Pope, Marvin H. _The Anchor Bible: Job_, Page 37. +156 Hastings, Adrian. “Devil” in _The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought_, Page 164. +157 Outside of Genesis, another instance of an animal speaking is found in Numbers 22. That conversation between +Balaam and his donkey also originated with supernatural intervention. +158 In the theological arena, this conclusion is not without dissenters. In an attempt to “write off” the reality of +demons and intermediate beings of any kind, Labooy states, “I conclude that it runs counter to the ethical-religious +intentions of the OT to fill the space between God and man with ‘intermediaries.’ Nevertheless, in the NT, these +syncretistic figures acquire power over people, _in spite of_ Moses and the prophets. From this perspective, we can +say that the (syncretistic) demons constitute a category that is primarily relevant for the people in question in a +mythical and psychological sense, but then only in _their_ understanding and experience. _Therefore_, they are the ideal +‘extra’s’ in the final scene. However, none of this implies real existence. Seen in this way, the OT can then be +allowed to speak the last word: In the OT perspective, which should be accepted as normative, they do not exist.” +He then unreservedly demythologizes the demonic realm, with virtually no interaction with the biblical text or +scholars. Labooy, Guus. _Freedom and Dispositions_, Pages 277-278. + + +35 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +malevolencies which sit under the authority of the one God, directed by His command and + + +indicative of His judgment. Classifying them under one heading as “demons” is not plausible + + +given the scholarship in this field. + + +**2.5.3** **New Testament Thought and Demonic Personhood** + + +The New Testament witness toward the personhood of the demonic shares a strong + + +affinity and similarity with the previous demonological thought of the Jewish Scriptures, though + + +sharply devoid of their wealth of ritualistic superstition commonplace by the time of the NT. + + +The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament links their demonological structures + + +consistently, saying, “The demonology assumed by Jesus and the Synoptics is clearly that of + + +Ancient Judaism… the Catholic epistles reflect the ancient Jewish mythological theme… all + +strata of the NT are in agreement in adopting the structures of ancient Jewish demonology.” [159] + + +Utilizing Greek terms, “they presuppose the ideas about demons that were current in the Jewish + + +world of their day. For them, demons stand between God and humans; they are the opponents of + +the former and harmful to the latter.” [160] This establishes that the authors of the New Testament + + +were indeed grounded in ancient Jewish didactic currents, but does this link the testaments? + + +In the shadow of an OT demonology lacking a “tidy development,” the NT thought on + + +the subject is surprisingly helpful and cohesive, offering clarity and substance in the context of + +demonology’s “soteriological implications.” [161] G. F. Twelftree says concerning spiritual powers + + +in the Bible, “While the NT picture is more developed than that of the OT, there is significant + +continuity between the Testaments.” [162] Simply put, the witness of the Christian writers describes + + +a demonology which preserves and expands upon the OT demonological vaguenesses without + + +imposing harsh conflict. As the text of the NT speaks openly about the demonic, let us peruse + + +through recent scholarship regarding each major authorial grouping and investigate their view + + +toward the personhood of the demonic. + + +The Synoptics gospels speak repeatedly and clearly about the demonic. Jesus’ ministry + + +reportedly supersedes the exorcism norms from that time. Avoiding the use of apotropaic + + +methodologies, “Jesus simply orders the demons to leave their victims. This picture stands in + + +159 Böcher, O. “ _Daimonion_ ” in _The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament_, Pages 272-274. +160 Röhl, Wolfgang G. “Demons” in _The Encyclopedia of Christianity_, Pages 794-795. +161 Twelftree, G. F. “Spiritual Powers” in _New Dictionary of Biblical Theology_, Pages 796-797. +162 Ibid, Page 796. + + +36 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +stark contrast to the exorcisms of the world of antiquity…” [163] How often did Jesus perform such + + +unusual exorcisms? While we cannot know for sure, it does seem to be a central feature of His + + +ministry as “the first three gospels relate seven distinct instances of Jesus’ performance of an + +exorcism.” [164] This significant portion of biblical material grants a particularly robust offering of + + +information concerning demons themselves. They are “thought of in thoroughly personal terms: + + +they know secrets such as the identity of Jesus; they know their fate, give an account of + + +themselves, and can be brought to silence (Mark 1:24, 34 par. Luke 4:34, 41; Mark 3:11; 5:7; + +par.; cf. Jas 2:19).” [165] Even the violent movement of the demonized in Mark 1/Luke 4 is directly + + +linked to the demon. + + +In a sense, the exorcism narratives of the Synoptics portray demons as if they are + +“animating a puppet from the inside.” [166] Evidenced by a myriad of physical and mental + + +maladies, the authors definitively identify demons/spirits as the source of the ills. They are the + + +invisible cause to the visible effects. The unseen evil spiritual world directly disturbs the + + +tangible realm. Additionally, pericopes like Mark 5’s account of Jesus’ conversation with + + +Legion lend credence to the argument that the original authors intended demons to be understood + + +as powerful personal beings. + + +Luke’s letter to Theophilus, the book of Acts, carries on many of the same traits and + + +descriptions of the Synoptics, though exorcisms are only described with relation to _pneumata_ not + +_daimonia_ . [167] As a further development of the Synoptic recordings of public recognitions of + + +Jesus by demons; the knowledge, authority, and identity of Jesus now serves the Christian + + +leadership in the book of Acts. Not only Paul (16:18) but numerous disciples “heal and exorcise + +successfully in the name of Jesus (3:6, 16; 4:7, 10, 30)…” [168] The phrase “in the name of Jesus” + + +is also illuminated as being more than a mere exorcism formula by the sons of Sceva who + + +received a rude response and a physical beating from a demonized man. The verbal exchange + + +163 Guelich, Robert A. “Spiritual Warfare: Jesus, Paul and Peretti” in _PNEUMA: The Journal of the Society for_ +_Pentecostal Studies_, Vol. 13, Num. 1, Page 39. Apotropiac items do not frequent the biblical page with regularity, +but Acts 19:11 does detail one unusual instance where objects related to Paul were empowered and causing +miraculous results. +164 Emmrich, Martin. “The Lucan Account of the Beelzebul Controversy” in _Westminster Theological Journal_, 62, +Page 268. +165 Böcher, O. “ _Daimonion_ ” in _The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament_, Page 272. +166 Riley, G. C. “Demon” in _The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (DDD)_, Page 239. +167 _Daimonion_ is used once by the Athenians in Acts 17:18, but it appears to be a neutral use of the word. +168 Böcher, O. “ _Daimonion_ ” in _The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament_, Page 273. + + +37 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +between the sons of Sceva and the evil spirit continues to convey a demonic realm which is + + +knowledgeable and personal. + + +The Pauline corpus provides a wrinkle in the NT demonological fabric. Though replete + + +with references to Satan, the devil, spirits, and angels; _daimonion_ only shows up in 1 Corinthians + + +10 concerning idol worship and 1 Timothy 4 concerning deceitful doctrine. Unlike the Synoptics + + +and Acts which record narratives, Paul lends the demonic no voice. Instead, demons are + + +portrayed within the didactic nature of his epistles. Thus, as a subject matter, Paul’s works + + +illuminate them as the party ultimately “responsible for false teaching…” because “competing + +gods are demons.” [169] + + +Paul’s theology builds a framework of cosmic powers, rulers, and authorities upon this + + +“demon/competing god” thought. Aside from God and humanity, Paul’s worldview “is also + +disturbingly full of other personal agents of power who work harm against us…” [170] Avoiding a + +dualistic worldview, these powers are fragile and have been disarmed by the cross. [171] While + +they continue to exist under the authority and victory of Christ, their destruction is certain. [172] As + + +for why this Pauline theological thread is not more prominent in popular preaching, some + + +suggest that “the gods of this world have blinded the Church to its own scriptures with respect to + +the ‘principalities and powers.’” [173] + + +With writers who are comfortable and committed to discussing demonology, it is + + +commonplace to see these powers equated with demonic realities on a one to one basis. “Paul’s + + +mature doctrine interpreted demonic opposition to the gospel in terms of angelic Principalities, + + +Authorities and Powers… Throne and Dominations… These personal and cosmic forces had, + +however, been brought under subjection by God…” [174] Along those lines, the Pauline “elements” + + +( _stoicheia_ ) of Galatians 4 are also occasionally correlated with demonic forces. Indeed, extra + +biblical writings from before Paul’s time, such as the Testament of Solomon, further these + + +169 Kollmann, Bernd. “Demons and Spirit: III. New Testament” in _Religion Past and Present: Encyclopedia of_ +_Theology and Religion_, Page 749. +Riley, G. C. “Demon” in _The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (DDD)_, Page 240. +170 Neyrey, Jerome H. “Bewitched in Galatia: Paul and Cultural Anthropology” in _The Catholic Biblical Quarterly_, +Page 88. +171 Colossians 2:15. In Wilson’s summary of this brief section of the letter to Colossae, he summarizes, “The ‘bond‘ +that stood against them has been canceled, through the cross of Christ, who has triumphed over all the powers that +once brought fear into their lives.” Wilson, R. McL. _Colossians and Philemon_, Page 214. +172 1 Corinthians 15:24-27. +173 Wylie-Kellermann, Bill. “Not Vice Versa. Reading the Powers Biblically: Stringfellow, Hermeneutics, and the +Principalities” in _Anglican Theological Review_, Vol. LXXXI, Num. 4, Page 668. +174 Woods, Richard. “Demons” in _The New Dictionary of Theology_, Pages 275-276. + + +38 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +arguments as they use “elements” and “demons” to refer to the same entities. [175] In sum, a power + + +or element is a demonic person, so to speak. + + +But when we assess the biblical material itself, a more sustainable conclusion, especially + + +considering the lack of personal indicators, might be that these powers are actually structures and + + +forces completely controlled or merely manipulated by the personal demonic realm. Romans + + +8:38-39, which contains both demons and powers in the same list, directs us toward a more + + +nuanced definition than simple equation. For instance, if we consider the relationship of the + + +demonic to heresy, Paul did not insist that false teaching is a demon in 1 Timothy 4, but rather, + + +he indicates that heresy originates from demonic sources and is sustained through demonic + + +oversight. A firm conclusion would be hasty, but Paul’s theology of the powers could finger a + + +demonic scheme rather than a demonic agent (though Ephesians 6:11-12 does require special + + +attention). The powers are vaguely set up as “spiritual powers in the heavenlies who [stand] + +behind human activity and institutions.” [176] But further study into this matter is merited. + + +The book of James has one passage which references the _daimonia_ . James 2:19 reads, + + +“You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” In the + + +Anchor Commentary series, Luke Johnson links this passage to the gospel narratives in which + +the demons recognize and identify Christ. [177] It is even proposed that the text alludes to the + + +practices recorded in Jewish literature and the corresponding items which cause demons to + +shudder. [178] But the shuddering itself is likely the result of fear. + + +Concerning the personhood of the demonic, this passage does appear to equate the ability + + +of belief in a human capacity with the demonic ability to believe. Obviously, one is redemptive + + +in nature and the other is simple admission. But the resulting fearful shuddering evidences + + +something like personal behavior. + + +The Johannine writings confirm the demonological contributions of the rest of the NT. + + +First John 4:1-4 identifies false prophets as originating from spirits, presumably evil since they + + +are set up in contrast to the divine. The gospel of John grants insight into unusual circumstances. + + +In chapters seven through ten, Jesus has to repeatedly defend His nature, for they accuse him of + + +having a _daimonion_ . While the other gospels select narratives which highlight His miraculous + + +175 Arnold, Clinton E. “Returning to the Domain of the Powers: _Stoicheia_ as Evil Spirits In Galatians 4:3, 9” in +_Novum Testamentum_, Vol. XXXVIII, Num. 1, Page 58. +176 _New Dictionary of Biblical Theology_, Page 801. +177 Johnson, Luke Timothy. _The Anchor Bible: the Letter of James_, Page 241. +178 Dibelius, Martin. _James: A Commentary on the Epistle of James_, Page 160. + + +39 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +repudiation of evil, Jesus in the book of John responds with doctrine and dialogue. Regardless, + +Jesus is rejected, as “the pneuma of Jesus is suspected of being of diabolical origin…” [179] + + +Through these passages, it presumably confirms that false teachers and less reputable miracle + + +workers were associated with demonization. + + +Revelation confirms earlier demonological thought, though it is translated into the + + +imagery-driven apocalyptic genre. We observe standard biblical themes regarding the demonic, + +such as 9:20, in which the text “designates pagan gods as _daimonia_ …” [180] The text says, “The + + +rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, + + +so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of + +wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk…” [181] In context, demons are listed as having + + +stolen worship. The exact relationship between demons and idols is not distinguished, as the + +“works of their hands” clearly refers to the idols of various substances. [182] + + +Also, the ancient theme of demons haunting ruins and desolate places, recapitulated by + + +Jesus in Matthew 12:43, resurfaces again in Revelation 18:2 regarding the ruins of Babylon. + + +Overall, the plethora of demonic mentions in Revelation does little to develop the concept of + + +demonic personhood, due to the wealth of vision-related anthropomorphisms and other figurative + + +methodologies. The genre itself is not advantageous or conducive for establishing ontological + + +realities, but constructing an argument that Revelation detracts from a personhood of the + + +demonic is difficult. + + +One final theme that surfaces in the remainder of the Catholic Epistles is the disobedient + + +angels. In keeping with Genesis 6:1-4 and the Jewish tradition concerning angelic interference + + +in the ancient world; the imprisoned spirits of 1 Peter 3:19 “are probably fallen, malevolent + +angels.” [183] Combined with Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, a case for NT continuity with the Genesis + + +6:1-4 text can be made. Though we can conclude that spiritual forces are the oratory audience + + +and the recipients of divine chastisement (by some sort of divine condescension) like personal + + +179 Böcher, O. “ _Daimonion_ ” in _The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament_, Page 273. +180 Ibid. +181 NASB. +182 One could read this and conclude that demons are the result of human construction, but since it is a vague text, +one could just as easily argue that demons have seized upon the opportunity created through idolatry or fostered the +growth of idolatry altogether. However, the latter explanation seems to fit with conceptual picture of the demonic in +Revelation. +183 _New Dictionary of Biblical Theology_, Page 800. + + +40 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +beings, the trouble which demands further study is to whether these disobedient angels should be + + +conflated with the pernicious demons, but this issue lies outside our task. + + +In the NT writings, we observed a clear category of personal, spiritual beings labeled as + + +demons. The majority of the NT contributors not only mention demons, but they describe them + +in personal terms. Recent biblical scholarship largely acknowledged this biblical reality. [184] + + +Having surveyed biblical texts and corresponding scholarship concerning the personhood of the + + +demonic, let us now turn to the specific texts utilized by Barth and Unger. + + +**2.5.4** **Central Texts in Barth and Unger’s Perspective on Demonic Personhood in light of** + + +**Modern Influential Biblical Commentaries** + + +Earlier, we asserted that Barth and Unger develop their theology of demons from their + + +receptive attitude toward the biblical text. Following that assertion, we briefly included a few + + +texts which underpin their perspective. In this section, we will examine the opinions of a few + + +scholars on those particular verses. + + +In Barth’s _Church Dogmatics_, Revelation 12 is cited more than once as a proof text to + + +further his logical reasoning. Barth is undeterred in his biblical acceptance, as he cites epistles, + + +gospels, and the apocalypse with espoused realism. In response to the demythologization + + +project, Barth argues, “It would no doubt suit [demons] very well to be grouped with the + + +angels… and in this exalted company to be ‘demythologised,’ to have their reality denied, to be + +interpreted away.” [185] + + +In contrast, the text itself, in its descriptive vision-relaying manner, does little to imply + + +personhood to the dragon/Satan and his angels, and commentators offer little as well. David + + +Aune, in the _Word Biblical Commentary_, directs his attention to the origin of this “mythic + +narrative in vv 7-9…” [186] Jürgen Roloff’s commentary on chapter 12 advocates that “Revelation + + +sees here in Satan the mysterious power that from the beginning of human history personified + +resistance against God…” [187] Ergo, the text regurgitates the mythical battle between good and + + +evil, and Satan, though presented in personal terms, is not a personal being but a representation + + +184 E.g., Woods, Richard. “Demons” in _The New Dictionary of Theology_, Pages 275-276. Neyrey, Jerome H. +“Bewitched in Galatia: Paul and Cultural Anthropology” in _The Catholic Biblical Quarterly_, Page 88. Böcher, O. +“ _Daimonion_ ” in _The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament_, Page 272. +185 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_ . III, 3, Page 521. +186 Aune, D. E. _Word Biblical Commentary: Revelation 6-16_, Page 663. +187 Roloff, Jürgen. _Revelation: A Continental Commentary_, Page 148. + + +41 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +of rebellion in the created order. But problems with this conclusion exist in the text. Let us + + +examine it a little more closely. + + +A great deal of interpretive direction is implicit in Revelation 12. Verse 5 ushers us into + + +understanding the male child as being the person of Jesus, the victorious King and Messiah. + + +Though debate continues as to the exact identity of the woman, verse 17 does lend itself to the + + +idea that the woman and her offspring represent actual persons (whether corporate or individual + + +is insignificant for this discussion). Is it not then possible that the other participants in this + + +cosmic drama amount to personal beings as well? No theologian should argue that God is + + +symbolic for something other than Himself in this passage. So God, the woman, and the child + + +are clearly symbolic for persons. What grounds exist in the text itself to lend credibility to an + + +impersonal interpretation for any of the participants? In response to Roloff and Aune, perhaps + + +Revelation does not exemplify the figurative nature of Satan and intermediary beings throughout + + +Scripture. Perhaps Revelation affirms cosmic realities, including God, through the veil of + + +apocalyptic literature. + + +Alvin Plantinga provides a suitable excursus at this point. He remarks: + + +_Many philosophers… have complained that it is extremely implausible, in our_ +_enlightened day and age, to suppose that there is such a thing as Satan, let alone_ +_his cohorts… Whether or not one finds the view in question plausible or_ +_implausible will of course depend on what else one believes; the theist already_ +_believes in the existence of at least one non-human person who is active in_ +_history: God. Accordingly the suggestion that there are other such persons – that_ +_human beings aren’t the only sorts of persons God has created – may not seem at_ +_all implausible to him._ _[188]_ + +In other words, as theists, we have no reason to rashly dismiss the interpretation that these texts + + +portray unseen persons. They remain plausible. + + +In Unger’s _Biblical Demonology_, Luke 4 and Mark 5 feature prominently. In Luke 4:33 + +37, we observe Jesus casting out a demonic spirit. Introduced as a spirit of an unclean demon, + + +Luke might be “establishing… his basic vocabulary for demon possession” so he can use these + +words interchangeably in a negative manner. [189] Darrell Bock paints the scene as a “personal + + +188 Plantinga, Alvin. Quoted in Keith Ferdinando’s _Triumph of Christ in an African Perspective: A Study of_ +_Demonology and Redemption in the African Context_, Page 373. Originally from J. Tomberlin and P. van Inwagen’s +(editors) _Alvin Plantinga Profiles 5_, Page 43. (Dordrecht; D. Reidel, 1985.) +189 Nolland, John. _Word Biblical Commentary: Luke 1-9:20_, Page 206. With Luke’s one neutral use of _daimonion_ +in Acts 17:18, Nolland’s suggestion makes sense. + + +42 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +confrontation.” [190] Citing the early church father Clement and others, Bock finds that the + +situation paints the demon as feeling “opposed and threatened.” [191] The remarks made by the + +demon reveal an emotion of “surprise and/or displeasure.” [192] The demon apparently knew who + + +Jesus was, unusually identifying Him as the “Holy One of God.” The New American + + +Commentary deduces, “We are not told how the demon knew Jesus’ identity, but the assumption + +is that they possessed supernatural knowledge and thus recognized him.” [193] But the crux of the + + +narrative lies in the restoration and freedom that Jesus – “the Holy One of God” – offers + + +humanity in His authority over the demon. The result of the encounter depicts the awe of the + + +crowd in light of Christ’s words, and “the demon openly admits defeat by throwing the liberated + +man into the midst of the crowd as it leaves him, and by doing this without hurting the man.” [194] + + +Mark 5:1-20 is often reflected upon as the prototypical deliverance passage. Subtly + + +mocking contemporary Western theology’s aversion toward this story, Donald Juel of Princeton + + +University comments that he “never heard it read in church... probably because there are all sorts + + +of uncomfortable things about the story – unclean spirits who talk, drowned pigs, and people + +who respond to miracles by asking Jesus to leave. [195] ” Yet he continues onward, retelling the + + +passage without demythologizing in this instance. + + +Though categorically classified as a “tale” or as a “miracle story,” the biblical exegesis is + + +fairly straightforward (even with Morna Hooker’s assertion that it is the combination of two + +stories). [196] Not alluding to the Gentile background of the demonized or the spatial proximity to + +the tombs, Adela Collins remarks that the demon “is unclean because of its origin.” [197] She adds + + +that when the man kneels before Jesus, “the reverential gesture is probably an act initiated by the + +unclean spirit.” [198] The demon is recognizing Jesus’ power and status. [199] + + +In her comments on the text, Dr. Collins continues to highlight personal characteristics + + +concerning the demons involved. Further into her analysis of Jesus and the demons’ + + +conversation, the demons’ plea for mercy from torment also indicates “that exorcism is painful + + +190 Bock, Darrell. _Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Luke 1:1 – 9:50_, Page 431. +191 Ibid. +192 Ibid. +193 Stein, Robert H. _New American Commentary_ : _Luke_, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database. +194 Bovon, François. _Luke 1: A Commentary on the Gospel of Luke 1:1-9:50_, Page 163. +195 Juel, Donald H. “Plundering Satan’s House: Mark 5:1-20” in _Word &World_, Vol. XVII, Num. 3, Summer 1997. +196 Hooker, Morna. _Black’s New Testament Commentaries: The Gospel According to St Mark_, Page 143. +197 Collins, Adela Yarbro. _Mark: A Commentary_, Pages 266-267. +198 Ibid, Page 267. +199 Ibid. + + +43 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +or at least distressing for the spirit.” [200] When Jesus permits their relocation into the nearby + + +swine, He apparently wins the war of wits with ease, as the demons who wished to remain in the + +area were instead plunged into the Galilean lake. [201] + + +Of course, she is not arguing that she believes in personal demonic beings; she is simply + + +acknowledging that the text is framed in the context of a personal encounter. Other writers + + +would prefer to further distance themselves from the notion of a personal demonic ontology. + + +Thus, Robert Guelich says regarding Legion’s lack of resistance, “The ‘demon’ has abandoned + +all attempts to use his own power to gain control.” [202] + + +While some commentators advocate that this passage demonstrates the supernatural + + +nature of these demons, others take another route. Building upon the “possession” motif, it can + + +be argued that no distinction can be made between the demons and the inhabited man. Henry + + +Turlington leans this direction and comments concerning the conversation chronicled in Mark 5, + +“The response of the man and the unclean spirit are not separable.” [203] This allows the reader to + + +arrive at psychological explanations of the demonic rather than supernatural and personal + + +definitions. + + +Overall, Barth and Unger are not ostracized through the lens of recent scholarship. + + +Instead, they read the passages as is, and they indirectly (Barth) or directly (Unger) form there + + +theological perspectives concerning the demonic and their personhood. They maintain that the + + +personal exchanges of the Scriptures are informative concerning our understanding of reality, + + +unlike some contemporary scholars who have no problem admitting that the text conveys + + +personal exchanges but then disconnect the text from our understanding of reality through + + +demythologization. + + +**2.6** **The Demythological Theme in Contemporary Influential Biblical Scholarship in** + + +**Relation to Barth and Unger’s Perspectives on the Personhood of the Demonic** + + +From the scholarship presented over the past paragraphs, common themes arise. While a + + +spectrum of theological perspectives exists regarding the ontological reality and independent + + +personhood of the demonic, the analysis of the biblical texts themselves provides a fairly + + +200 Ibid, Page 268. +201 Ibid, Page 271. +202 Guelich, Robert A. _Word Biblical Commentary: Mark 1-8:26_, Page 279. +203 Turlington, Henry. _The Broadman Bible Commentary_, Page 308. + + +44 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +coherent and consistent consensus concerning exactly what the text aims to indicate. On a + + +whole, scholars generally have no problem admitting that the Bible conveys a world view which + + +increasingly includes personal beings (described as demons or other synonymous designations) + + +who stand as malevolent toward God and His created order, though submissive to divine rule. + + +However, that admission is then couched in the need for demythologization, disconnecting the + + +portrayal of personhood from ontological reality. + + +Formally originating with Rudolph Bultmann in 1941, “the task of demythologization + + +is... the elimination of the illusion of objectivity through the translation of myths into the + +appropriate language of existential participation…” [204] But has this “translation” rendered the + + +angelic and demonic figures of the Old and New Testaments to the ontological category of + + +unicorns and every other imaginary creature? Who is qualified to unilaterally draw the + + +mythological lines? + + +Karl Barth reacted strongly in his _Church Dogmatics_ concerning the rise of + + +demythologization, even as he felt pressure in academic circles against being too + +“mythological.” [205] He rejects the value of demythologization in relegating the demonic world + + +into a non-existent entity. Barth thinks the demons would appreciate such a perspective. Yet + + +demonology, according to Barth, does require demythologization, but he defines it differently. + + +Barth says: + + +_The demythologisation which will really hurt [demons] as required cannot consist_ +_in questioning their existence. Theological exorcism must be an act of the_ +_unbelief which is grounded in faith. It must consist in the fact that in the light, not_ +_of a world-outlook but of Christian truth, they are seen to be a myth, the myth_ +_which lurks in all myths, the lie which is the basis [of] all other lies, so that a_ +_positive relationship to them, an attitude of respect and reverence and obedience,_ +_is quite impossible._ _[206]_ + +This theological exorcism is a part of Barth’s program to dissuade the Christian from having any + + +relationship with the demonic. Demons are not supposed to be viewed positively in any way, + + +and a belief in them similar to our relationship toward God and His angels is unbefitting. Thus, + + +204 Fergusson, David. “Demythologization” in _Religion Past & Present_, Page 754. +205 Berkhof, Hendrikus. _Christ and The Powers_, Page 9. Berkhof’s work on the powers was nearly published in +_Theologische Studien_ due to the wishes of Karl Barth’s secretary. She later had to inform Berkhof that Barth “had +reasons not to let this text appear in the series.” Barth eventually apologized for the rejection, explaining that “He +felt that [Berkhof] was ‘mythologizing’ the Powers too much, and that he could not approve of such a publication at +a time when his own theology was under the crossfire of Bultmann and his disciples.” +206 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, Pages 521-522. + + +45 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +even though he mentions the reality of demons and describes them as personal beings, Barth + + +reminds us “that the realism of the Bible in this respect consists exclusively in the clarity and + + +vigor with which we are comforted and warned and set on our guard against this sphere, but + +called away from it rather than to it...” [207] + + +Merrill Unger also repudiates the undergirding philosophy beneath the academically + + +prevalent hermeneutic of demythologization. Accepting the existence of a supernatural realm, + + +Unger argues for the inadequacy of natural, scientific investigation on the subject, for “the + + +supernatural realm is above natural laws of the physical universe and involves a sphere of reality + +beyond the control of scientific experimentation and strictly scientific inquiry.” [208] Branding + + +those who attempt to guide and source their demonological studies without a revelatory + + +foundation as “handicapped” and “unqualified,” the biblical worldview of the supernatural + + +“furnishes the only true criteria for understanding and evaluating the diverse and perplexing + +phenomena in this field.” [209] Naturalistic pursuit without the Holy Spirit is “inevitably + +foredoomed to failure and deception.” [210] + + +Addressing the issue of biblical criticism and exegesis in a brief article, Unger poses a + +question, “Is there a valid scientific approach to biblical criticism?” [211] He says “yes,” and + + +qualifies, “But it must not attempt to foist the purely naturalistic methods and presuppositions of + + +physical or mathematical science upon the higher realm of personality and spirit where the Bible + +operates.” [212] Unger consistently seeks the inclusion of the supernatural in our approach to the + + +biblical material. When we skip this valuable ingredient, the repercussions are obvious – + +“…spiritual barrenness, empty intellectualism, and endless confusion…” [213] One can see this + + +attitude in Unger’s response to Friedrich Strauss. + + +Unfortunately, Unger does not directly interact with Bultmann and the concept of + + +demythologization, but Strauss is mentioned. In the context of Merrill Unger’s defense of the + + +reality of demonization, he speaks of “Strauss and the mythical school” which attest “that the + + +whole narrative of Jesus’ expulsions of demons is merely symbolic, without actual foundation of + + +207 Ibid, Page 522. +208 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 6. +209 Ibid. Pages 6-7. +210 Ibid, Page 7. His reasoning here depends heavily upon 1 Corinthians 2:14. +211 Unger, Merrill. “Scientific Biblical Criticism and Exegesis” in _Bibliotheca Sacra_, January 1964, Page 61. +212 Ibid, Pages 61-62. +213 Ibid, Page 62. + + +46 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +fact.” [214] To this widespread thought, Unger responds, “…in the Gospel accounts, the plain + + +prosaic narration of the incidents as facts, regardless of what might be considered as possible in + + +highly poetical and avowedly figurative passages, would make their statement here, in pure + +prose, not a figure or a symbol, but a lie.” [215] Demanding widespread symbolism where realism + + +is apparently intended leads us to the conclusion that the writer speaks mistruth, not figurative + + +didactics. + + +With specific reference to demonology and the personhood of the demonic, Barth and + + +Unger, with varying levels of emphasis, accept the revelation concerning malicious spirits as + + +conveying reality, avoiding theological and philosophical imposition upon the text. Indeed, + + +many Western theologies have accepted this philosophical concept from Bultmann and done + +what Barth warned every demon wanted. [216] + + +**2.7** **Conclusion** + + +In this chapter, we sought to analyze Karl Barth and Merrill Unger’s surprisingly united + + +position regarding the personhood of the demonic, in light of biblical scholarship. In order to + + +achieve these ends, we first clarified the scope of the scholarship utilized as interlocutors. After + + +narrowing our scope to contemporary and influential sources, an identification and brief sketch + + +of central biblical texts in Barth’s _Church Dogmatics_ and Unger’s _Biblical Demonology_ helped + + +provide a platform to engage with biblical scholarship. In our discussion with biblical + + +scholarship, we specifically approached the topic of demonic personhood in Old and New + + +Testament scholarship, concluding with a narrow analysis of the particular texts which feature in + + +Barth and Unger’s demonology. Arising from biblical scholarship’s moderate affirmation of + + +demonic personhood, we addressed the hermeneutical prevalence of demythologization, + + +including Barth’s redefinition and Unger’s dismissal of it. We finally observed that Barth and + + +Unger, though faced with a few criticisms, stand with the weight of a great deal of recent + +scholarship behind them. [217] + + +Through this study, we have again confirmed that Barth and Unger rely heavily upon + + +revelatory material to support their conclusions. Upon examining contemporary biblical + + +214 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 90. +215 Ibid. +216 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, Page 521. +217 The strengths and weaknesses of their positions will be discussed in chapter four. + + +47 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +scholarship, most authors either advocated that the biblical material suggested a demonic + + +personhood or described demons in the revelatory text as personal beings. Through the writings + + +of Barth and Unger, we also raised the possibility that Western scholarship’s interpretive + + +practices may benefit the demonic realm and cause critics to doubt biblical value and veracity + + +altogether. In the following chapter, we will pursue Barth and Unger’s theology of demonic + + +personhood with specific reference to a multicultural context. + + +48 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**3.** **A Critical Analysis of Barth and Unger’s Perspective on the Personhood of the** + + +**Demonic from a Multicultural Perspective** + + +**3.1** **Introduction** + + +In the last chapter, we sought to engage biblical scholarship regarding the personhood of + + +the demonic. Through the lens of Barth and Unger’s demonologies, we examined recent + + +influential scholarship on the Old and New Testaments’ depiction of demons. A conclusion was + + +reached that biblical studies generally confirmed that the intention of the revelatory material was + + +to convey a worldview which included malevolent personal supernatural beings. + + +This chapter will aim to analyze Barth and Unger’s perspectives regarding the + + +personhood of the demonic in light of a multicultural context and hermeneutic. Why introduce + + +multiculturalism? Why embark on such a perilous road? As it will be argued throughout this + + +chapter, the multicultural dynamic is a nearly unavoidable aspect of human existence in this age. + + +Then let us, as bearers of God’s revelation, understand our audience, ponder the hermeneutical + + +complexities of communicating in a multicultural context, and finally offer a well-rounded, + + +biblically-consistent theology of demonic personhood attuned to the intricacies of the world we + + +inhabit. + + +We begin this journey by first defining culture itself, followed by a lengthy explanation + + +of multiculturalism and the hermeneutical results of a multicultural world. Utilizing the + + +multicultural perspective, Barth and Unger’s demonologies, specifically considering demonic + + +personhood, will be sifted for Western impositions upon the biblical worldview. In response, a + + +multicultural perspective, a way forward, will be proposed. Support and criticism of Barth and + + +Unger will be provided as needed. + + +The topic of multiculturalism is of particular interest to me. Formerly a six-year resident + + +of Chicago, I attended and became a member of a church community which contained an eclectic + + +gathering of cultural backgrounds. The church was located near large communities of Chinese + +Americans, African-Americans, and Caucasians. This demographic diversity translated into our + + +church context, with no single group forming a majority in our fellowship. While such diversity + + +proved to enhance our unity in Christ and further our appreciation for one another’s heritage, it + + +was easy to discern that cultural background influenced one’s view of the demonic. Some + + +members spoke openly about the demonic while others generally preferred to ignore the topic. + + +49 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +These differences often manifested along cultural lines. Furthermore, these ecclesiological + + +experiences were further duplicated through multicultural contexts during my undergraduate + + +studies. + + +**3.2** **A Definition of Culture** + + +As we tackle the issue of multiculturalism, particularly concerning its hermeneutical + + +implications with regard to Barth and Unger’s perspective on the personhood of the demonic, we + + +must first define “culture” itself. Mercy Oduyoye and Hendrik Vroom attest, “Cultures are + + +patterns of meaning, value and normativity: ways in which social life is structured, both in + +respect to freedom and lack of freedom, communion and hierarchy.” [218] Byang Kato simplifies + + +that definition, saying, “Culture is the whole system of living made up of what society knows + +and does.” [219] + + +Throughout this chapter, a particular emphasis will be placed upon the African + + +manifestation of cultural studies, simply because culture has proven to be an issue of interest and + + +emphasis in African theological circles. Due to the missionary heritage accrued over the past + + +centuries, Kwame Bediako and others have lamented the history of “European value-setting for + +African Christianity.” [220] Now that the African theological movement has taken great strides to + + +throw this off, “the theological meaning of the pre-Christian past becomes an unavoidable + +element in all major African theological discussion.” [221] But does this “unavoidable element” of + + +African religious background create a proclivity toward certain errors? + + +Kato signals a few of these common “pitfalls.” As African Christian theologians have + + +tirelessly wrought theologies which diverge from past “European value-setting,” it is easy to + +agree with Kato that “Africa has come of age.” [222] But what is the result? “Now the temptation + + +is to magnify all that is African, especially in cultural and religious heritage. It is felt that as the + + +West boasts of modern technology, Africa can boast of a long-standing history. It is even + + +wrongly held that as Christianity is a religion of the West, Africa should be proud of her + + +218 Oduyoye, Mercy Amba, and Hendrik M. Vroom. _One Gospel - Many Cultures: Case Studies and Reflections on_ +_Cross Cultural Theology_, Page 4. +219 Kato, Byang. _African Cultural Revolution and Christian Faith_, Page 7. +220 Bediako, Kwame. _Theology and Identity_, Page 237. +221 Ibid. +222 Kato, Byang. _Theological Pitfalls in Africa_, Page 12. + + +50 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +religious heritage. [This] tends to universalism.” [223] While culture helps form the contextual + + +bridge by which the gospel can be communicated, we cannot permit culture – ancient or modern, + + +African or Western – to dictate the reshaping of the biblical material, specifically the news and + + +work of Christ. + + +For clarity’s sake, the term “gospel,” as used throughout this thesis, refers to the biblical + + +definition of “gospel” set down by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. The gospel is (1) Received, (2) + + +Exclusive, and (3) Supernatural – transcendent and immanent in the Person of Christ alone. One + + +possesses the gospel upon the reception of and reliance upon Christ Himself by faith, while + + +acknowledging the sin He exposes, the redemption He offers, and the judgment and vindication + + +He will one day bring. The historical nature of Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection are + + +inseparable from this. Because He was raised in history, our coming story includes our literal + + +resurrection as well. Indeed, if the dead are not eschatologically raised, if our salvation is not + + +defined by actual events in space/time, then we should recapitulate Paul’s cry and live out our + + +meaningless days as Epicureans (v32). The gospel is factually grounded in past, present, and + + +soon-to-be consummated realities and contextually bound to historical and locative events. + + +Holding the gospel high, we can proclaim, “It is not neo-colonialism to plead the uniqueness of + + +finality of Jesus Christ. It is not arrogance to herald the fact that all who are not ‘in Christ’ are + +lost. It is merely articulating what the Scriptures say.” [224] + + +Let us return to the issue of culture. What role does culture play in the hermeneutical and + + +theological process? We cannot avoid the question. Culture’s relationship with hermeneutics is + + +nearly indistinguishable. “We all apply _hermeneutics_ - that is principles of interpretation – + + +whenever we engage in any communication process… we employ hermeneutics, even though in + + +our own culture and in familiar surroundings we are usually completely unaware of the process. + +We decode what we hear and settle on its meaning.” [225] Because of our cultural context, we have + + +particular hermeneutical presuppositions with which we operate. These are inherently engaged + + +when we enter the theological arena. + + +This is where we must resist the temptation to dilute theology into a merely sociological + + +and anthropological activity. Leaning heavily upon Gordon Kaufman, Kathryn Tanner argues + + +223 Ibid, Pages 12-13. +224 Ibid, Page 16. +225 Klein, William. “Evangelical Hermeneutics” in _Initiation into Theology: The Rich Variety of Theology and_ +_Hermeneutics_, Page 320. + + +51 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +that “Theology is a particular version of this search for meaning, for a pattern of fundamental + + +categories that will, as cultures do, orient, guide, and order human life. The adequacy of + +theology can therefore be judged by how well it performs these general cultural tasks.” [226] This + + +completely neglects theology’s necessary relationship with revelation. Without that relationship, + + +theology becomes anthropocentric instead of theocentric, virtually social anthropology. + + +Commenting on the relationship of theology and secular knowledge, T. F. Torrance says: + + +_…because theology has problems that overlap with philosophy and other sciences_ +(including cultural studies) _, it must subject itself to rigorous control and the_ +_discipline of self-critical revision in order to ensure that it is really being good_ +_theology, and not some debased brand of theology that confuses its task and its_ +_subject-matter with those of philosophy and or some science of nature. Thus,_ +_while recognizing its own peculiar nature, and pursuing it with unceasing_ +_vigilance and exacting criticism, it must think out its relation with philosophy and_ +_natural science and make clear its distinction from them._ _[227]_ + +In pursuing this “self-critical revision” our primary source ought to be the biblical canon. All + + +searches for meaning without “good theology,” wherein God speaks to us, become a grasping at + + +air – desiring to cling to something and never attaining a grip. Unless our meaning and purpose + + +is connected to something heavenly, something eternal; all meaning is temporal and fleeting. We + + +have no grounds for a certain hope, the faith which has signified God’s people. + + +Theology is the reception of revelatory information and its reasonable and accessible + + +translation into a cultural context(s), not to “tickle the ears” of the hearer but to accurately + + +divulge the needs and purposes of God. In Jesus and His cause, we find objective purpose, + + +meaning, and hope. Theology’s adequacy is not primarily judged upon our reception and the + + +fulfillment of cultural tasks but upon its faithful contextualization of the Revelator’s intention + + +and the successful communication of His truth, containing His perspective and tasks. The + + +benefits of anthropological purpose and meaning are a derivative of this communication. + + +Current hermeneutical thought, embodied by Tanner and others, is seemingly obsessed with + + +flipping the object of theology (from God to humanity) by focusing the theological endeavor + + +upon our search for meaning. Yes, this does have its place, but first and foremost, we must chase + + +after God and His revelation that He may be honored. In God, we obtain meaning. + + +226 Tanner, Kathryn. _Theories of Culture: A New Agenda for Theology_, Page 64. +227 Torrance, Thomas F. _Karl Barth: Biblical and Evangelical Theologian_, Page 51. Clarification added. + + +52 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +Though the agents involved in revelation’s original transmission were indeed human, + +within a particular context, the Holy Spirit preserved the words of God in the prophetic office. [228] + + +In the same way, we should be careful to not exclude His influence even now. Does the Spirit no + + +longer work? In fact, we recognize that the Spirit’s relationship to us and the Word of God has + +not eroded. [229] Yet we must continue to be vigilant, for spirits which do not guide us into truth + +are many. [230] + + +As we consider culture, we must also clarify that it is not morally removed. Though + + +humanity was originally crafted in a perfect cultural context, corruption is introduced. “… + + +Because humanity is sinful, culture bears the imprint of human sinfulness. However beautiful, + +great and highly cultivated it may be it is affected by human sin.” [231] On some level, all cultures + + +enshrine false thinking and behavior; they install human corruption as a communal norm. It is a + +fool’s errand to assert that a perfect culture exists apart from the first or second Eden. [232] + + +Therefore, we cannot pursue ends which would rewrite the cultural studies of the past century + + +and conclude that some cultures are not civilized while some are. Instead, every culture, when it + + +encounters the true and living God through revelation, is left challenged and transformed, for + +“not all Christian values are compatible with the values of any given culture…” [233] + + +Considering the Niebuhrian baggage attached to the word “transformed,” this thesis is not + + +employing that term to assert that Christianity’s primary communal purpose is to transform + + +228 2 Peter 1:20-21, Romans 3:2. Addressing the meaning of the 2 Peter text, Kelly articulates that human will was +only ever involved in the revelatory process, whether in cooperation or “under compulsion,” because they were +influenced by the Holy Spirit. Kelly, J. N. D. _A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and of Jude_, Pages 324-325. +229 John 14:6, 15-17, 26; 16:12-15. Beasley-Murray comments on 14:17, saying, “In contrast to the world the +disciples are to know the Paraclete because ‘he will remain alongside you…’ and ‘will be in you…’” The passage +simultaneously affirms “the presence of the Spirit with the disciples, while yet recognizing that the latter points to +the Spirit’s inner presence in individual believers…” Concerning 16:13, Beasley-Murray continues to exegete the +work of the coming Paraclete, “… the truth has been made known by Jesus to the disciples, but their grasp of it has +been limited; the task of the Paraclete will be to lead them that they may comprehend the depths and heights of the +revelation as yet unperceived by them.” Beasley-Murray, George R. _Word Biblical Commentary: John_, Pages 257258, 283. +230 1 John 4:1-4. “The author takes for granted the existence of a variety of spirits… the community is warned not to +submit itself to the various spirits, but to maintain a critical distance from them, that is, to ‘test’ them.” Strecker, +Georg. _The Johannine Letters: A Commentary on 1, 2, and 3 John_, Page 132. +231 Nieder-Heitmann, J. H. _An Analysis and Evaluation of John S. Mbiti’s Theological Evaluation of African_ +_Traditional Religions_, Page 106. +232 The first Eden, with Adam and Eve, depicts a singular culture with distinguished roles and ontological equality. +The second Eden, the new heavens and earth, does not display the abolition of diverse cultures but the marvelous +uniting of every culture in Christ. Thus, the first Eden is a vision of the perfect culture in relationship to God and +others, and the second Eden is a vision of the perfect multicultural context in relationship to God and others. +233 Oduyoye, Mercy Amba, and Hendrik M. Vroom. _One Gospel - Many Cultures: Case Studies and Reflections on_ +_Cross Cultural Theology_, Page 4. + + +53 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +cultures. In contrast to a militant perspective, cultural transformation is a natural result of a + + +rendezvous between Christian revelation and human culture. Even by carrying out one + + +command of Christ, such as “love your enemies,” cultures are affected, and the world is + +changed. [234] But Christians on every level desire that Christian ethics, as exemplified through + + +Jesus and His apostles, should lead us toward cultural service in some regard. Should those who + + +have been bestowed with the words of life be silent and still while a culture perpetuates systems + + +of repression against women and attitudes of normalcy toward child abuse? To these and other + + +injustices, we bear the biblical witness with divine authority to identify evil for what it is. Will + + +we not defend the downtrodden? When we remove revelation from centrality, judgments and + + +criticisms of cultural norms often manifest as one culture intolerantly accusing another. Only + + +God’s utterance offers a foundation by which we can employ a moral compass in the global + + +cultural marketplace fraught with injustices amongst the richness of its innumerable wares. + + +The canonical texts are also shaped by the cultural currents during their composition. + + +“God’s self-revelation in the Bible was recorded faithfully by the biblical writers, who used + +whatever cultural materials they had at their disposal.” [235] Biblical writers, such as John with + + +_logos_ theology, often expropriated cultural/religious terms of their day in order to coherently + + +convey the surpassing nature of Christ. Because God chose to reveal Himself at particular times + + +to specific people in certain contexts, culture remains an issue from start to finish in the + + +Christian’s relationship with God’s Word. We must understand the biblical cultures to + + +accurately ascertain the intention of the divinely superintended authors, and we must be + + +acquainted with current cultures in order to translate the gospel truth, while not subjecting the + +latter to the former. [236] But our concern lies with the hermeneutical implications on the backend + + +of that process. + + +234 Matthew 5:44. What a unique and convicting statement! The “love your enemies” text from the Sermon on the +Mount “is a classic example of Jesus’ exegesis of the Torah; far from breaking with the Torah, he interpreted it in +terms of Jewish hermeneutics of the time in order to propose a startlingly innovative interpretation...” Betz, Hans +Dieter. _The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, including the Sermon on the Plain_ +_(Matthew 5:3-7:27 and Luke 6:20-49)_, Page 309. +235 Lak, Yeow Choo. “Christianity in a Southeast-Asian Metropolis: Cross-Cultural Hermeneutics” in _One Gospel -_ +_Many Cultures: Case Studies and Reflections on Cross Cultural Theology_, Page 22. +236 Even with the cultural context which flavors the revelatory writings, the perspicuity of the Bible is remarkable. +Humanity’s ability to observe, form hermeneutical conclusions, and develop applicational consequences allows +everyone to access the truth with a reasonable amount of accuracy, while simultaneously allowing for the possibility +of a new understanding based upon other canonical contexts and ANE cultural insights. + + +54 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**3.3** **Multiculturalism and a Multicultural Hermeneutic** + + +We stand at the gateway to a new era, wearing the traditional garb of our fathers and + + +employing the thoughts crafted in the context of the past. The distance which once slowed and + + +separated global discourse has rapidly shrunk and virtually vanished, and Christian theological + + +thought cannot ignore the consequences. It is not a question of “will we respond to this changing + + +environment or not?” Rather, we must ask “how will we respond?” “There are methodological + + +implications for undertaking theology in light of the sheer expansion of data brought about by + +globalization, inculturation and non-Western theologies.” [237] Before we approach the + + +hermeneutical endeavor, let us first assess the situation. + + +As a resident of the ever-diversifying England, Graham Ward paints the following scene: + + +_I live in the northern part of Manchester, Salford, where the first language is now_ +_arguably Punjabi – certainly it is arguable the extent to which it is English… My_ +_local supermarket will serve you in English, but if you took an average day the_ +_staff probably speak more Polish (to each other and their customers) than they_ +_speak English. All the local shops, whether… serving pizzas, kebabs… tandoori…_ +_milk… cheap vodka, are owned by Punjabi speakers. If I walk less than 200_ +_yards further up the road on which my house is situated, I enter an area of several_ +_square miles occupied by Hasidic Jews… These speak a variety of Yiddish_ +_dialects. So as a Christian living in that area I cannot live out my faith, in fact I_ +_could not even live, without being multicultural._ _[238]_ + +This vibrant multiculturalism leads to exceedingly profound enrichment, which Ward describes + +in his personal experiences in England as “energizing.” [239] Invigorating diversity is increasing + + +not only on the streets of Manchester but around the globe, in the university and in the church. + + +One of the foremost scholars concerning culture and its relationship to theological + +practice, Tanner argues that cultures are not “sharply bounded, self-contained units.” [240] + + +Furthermore, she thinks that “the cultures that anthropologists study are never likely to have been + +closed systems in fact.” [241] But now, the innumerable cultures of the earth are more evidently + +fluid due to our “age of global world systems.” [242] + + +237 Cartledge, Mark J. and David Cheetam. _Intercultural Theology: Approaches and Themes_, Page 1. +238 Ward, Graham. “Intercultural Theology and Political Discipleship” in _Intercultural Theology: Approaches and_ +_Themes_, Page 30. +239 Ibid, Page 31. +240 Tanner, Kathryn. _Theories of Culture: A New Agenda for Theology_, Page 53. +241 Ibid, Page 54. +242 Ibid. + + +55 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +The danger we face at this level is the inner urge to return. Faced with the daunting + + +reality of being swallowed up into the multicultural façade, will our theology retreat to the + + +narrow “development of contextual theology” centered upon one arbitrarily isolated cultural + +manifestation and persist in resisting a multicultural theology? [243] As Ward says, “…the context + +today is multicultural and multi-faith…” [244] We cannot return to ages past when Christian + + +theologians and pastors could formulate and practice theologies which were crafted and + + +conditioned by one culture. Too many worldviews operate simultaneously in small areas – + + +communities, universities, and churches. With Yeow Choo Lak, we can agree that in our + +changing context, “there is no place for provincialism.” [245] + + +A great deal of theological energy has been exerted in forming helpful and insightful + + +American, African, and Chinese theological studies (to name but a few). For instance, in + + +constructing his African theological composition, Charles Nyamiti says, “… while doing African + + +theology, we should arrive at the stage where e.g. a Kikuyu theologian freely employs cultural + + +elements taken from Ghana, Congo, South Africa, etc. and integrates them in his/her Kikuyu + + +theology – for the simple reason that they are authentic African values, and as values they + +transcend all ethnics limits.” [246] But do such admirable sentiments portray the hermeneutical + + +ideals of the past rather than the hermeneutical challenges of the future? Can we truly construct + + +an “African theology” or an “American theology” any longer? How long will this be the case? + + +Even if we can outline distinct theologies, should we develop them? + + +Kato advocated, “The noble desire to indigenize Christianity in Africa must not be + + +forsaken… But must one betray Scriptural principles of God and His dealing with man at the + + +altar of any regional theology? Should human sympathy and rationalism override what is clearly + +taught in Scripture?” [247] His desire to maintain a focus upon the biblical revelation is + + +commendable, but the time of “regional theology” is in decline. This is now being + + +acknowledged. + + +In recognition of the multicultural era we inhabit, education has sought to be at the + + +forefront of multicultural issues. “Multicultural education” is a pliable term, “an umbrella term, + +243 Ibid, Page 32. +244 Ibid, Page 30. +245 Lak, Yeow Choo. “Christianity in a Southeast-Asian Metropolis: Cross-Cultural Hermeneutics” in _One Gospel -_ +_Many Cultures: Case Studies and Reflections on Cross Cultural Theology_, Page 13. +246 Nyamiti, Charles. _Studies in African Christian Theology: Vol. 1, Jesus Christ, the Ancestor of Humankind:_ +_Methodological and Trinitarian Foundations_, Page 15. Italics removed. +247 Kato, Byang. _Theological Pitfalls in Africa_, Page 16. + + +56 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +used to refer to a variety of approved or demanded practices in education establishments.” [248] + + +Mal Leicester explains that three primary strands exist: + + +_1._ _Education through many cultures._ +_2._ _Education in many cultures._ +_3._ _Education for a multicultural society._ _[249]_ + + +Without delving into the plethora of resulting debates, the overall agenda is clear: education + + +cannot be monocultural or ethnocentric. South Africa’s education system is confronted by this + + +on a broad scale, due to the amount of “learners from diverse cultural, linguistic, educational, + +and socioeconomic backgrounds.” [250] In a school, all these contexts meet. Yet in Western, + + +Eastern, and African religious education; do we recognize and account for such diversity in our + + +theology? Are we guilty of prescribing the wrong remedy for the prevailing symptoms, elevating + + +one past or current cultural expression of Christianity to a superior position? The simple answer + + +must be yes; we do this far too often. Then what does a multicultural hermeneutic look like at + + +the dawn of this new day? + + +Having been confronted by the current multicultural trend, David Cheetham wisely + + +reminds us of the necessary eschatological perspective, citing the multitudes from every “nation, + + +tribe, people, and language” who stand before the Lamb in Revelation 7:9. He calls this the + +“multicultural vision of the Kingdom of God…” [251] This adequately reminds us of the ultimate + + +calling of God’s people. We are not eschatologically destined to the permutations of Christian + + +theology but rather to unity before Christ. He is our focus and our destiny. Unity in the person, + + +work, and teaching of Christ is coming soon, even as we struggle for cohesion now. + + +However, Cheetham is not so concerned with the reality of multiple cultures operating in + + +one setting. He is concerned with “intercultural theology” which “could easily be described as + +merely a global intra-Christian discourse.” [252] Many others have nobly sought the “significant + + +development of Christian theology in one cultural context through interaction with theologies + +developed in other cultural contexts.” [253] This is not our primary focus in this study, and our + + +248 Leicester, Mal. _Multicultural Education: From Theory to Practice_, Page 22. +249 Ibid, Page 23. +250 Lemmer, Eleanor, Corinne Meier, and Noleen van Wyk. _Multicultural Education_, Page v. +251 Cheetham, David. “Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies” in _Intercultural Theology: Approaches_ +_and Themes_, Page 43. +252 Ibid. +253 Fulljames, Peter. _God and Creation in Intercultural Theology: Dialogue between Theologies of Barth, Dickson,_ +_Pobee, Nyamiti, and Pannenberg_, Page 173. + + +57 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +study does not seek to formally address the traditional “Christ and culture” paradigms. Lak says, + + +“While most theologians have to wrestle with the intricate ‘Gospel and cultures’ motif, others + + +have had to go beyond that to deal with the ‘Christ in multi- and cross-cultural contexts’ + +motif.” [254] More and more theologians are being confronted by the latter, and his recognition of + + +multiculturalism’s reality (specifically in Singapore) illustrates that argument. + + +In this thesis, it is posited that the theologians of the present and the theologians of the + + +future will not have one cultural context and neither will the parishioners, the students, and the + + +churches that they serve. In our attempt to move beyond monocultural and intercultural studies, + + +Walter Hollenweger, from the University of Birmingham, provides the way forward - crucial + +material - as he formulated the field of intercultural theology. [255] + + +Of his seven point list of presuppositions for his argumentation, Hollenweger’s fifth + + +principle says, “The point of contact between our traditions and the new theologies from the + +Third World is Scripture.” [256] Without denying that every Christian will select texts and share the + + +gospel through their particular cultural, traditional lens; this “point of contact” is an advance in + + +the multicultural communicative dilemma. + + +Two primary responses arise to the multicultural theological tapestry that floods the + + +Christian world. On one hand, we may seek to look back to the hermeneutics which seeks to + + +preserve and enshrine one particular cultural expression of Christianity, preserving and mining it + + +for its richness. The perils to this perspective are many. If we continue in this path, we may + + +champion the safeguarding of particular cultural theological strands, but we risk losing touch + + +with the culturally pluralistic world we now inhabit. Are we the defenders of past isolation or of + + +254 Lak, Yeow Choo. “Christianity in a Southeast-Asian Metropolis: Cross-Cultural Hermeneutics” in _One Gospel -_ +_Many Cultures: Case Studies and Reflections on Cross Cultural Theology_, Page 15. +255 Hollenweger, Walter J. “Intercultural Theology” in _Theology Today_, April 1986, Vol. 43, Num. 1, Page 29. +“Intercultural theology” as a discipline is defined as “(1) All theologies are contextually conditioned. (2) There is +nothing wrong with theology being contextually conditioned. (3) It may take others to show us how conditioned, +parochial, or ideologically captive our own theology is. (4) Even if once we could ignore such voices, now we can +no longer do so. (5) The point of contact between our traditions and the new theologies from the Third World is +Scripture. (6) Only in creative tension with the widest possible perspective can we develop theologies appropriate to +our own particular situations. (7) Since within the church the ultimate loyalty is not simply to nation, class, or +culture, the universal church is uniquely suited to provide the context in which the task of creative theologizing can +take place.” While this field proves to be absolutely critical for theological communication across Christian cultural +barriers in academic settings, the ramifications of the fifth point seem to be lost in the midst of the methodological +chatter. +256 Ibid. His seven point list is included in the previous footnote. + + +58 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +future unity? [257] On the other hand, we may adventure forward to a hermeneutics which + + +recognizes the multicultural intersection of the peoples. Yes, distinctions remain. So we must + + +ask: how will Christian hermeneutics and the resulting theology find unity and inspire unity in + + +such times? + + +As Hollenweger suggests, we must renew our focus, not upon the particular cultural + + +manifestations, but upon the Bible itself. The Scriptures and the Holy Spirit who accompanies + + +them are what bind us together. The Bible is what unites us in the midst of the numerous + + +expressions of Christian theology and elucidates which theologies are not truly Christian. An + + +unwavering fastidiousness to the Bible and its teachings is what bridges the cultural divides + + +present in our Christian communities - universities, churches, and homes. The Bible, with its + + +grand multicultural eschatological hope, is what will continue to maintain cohesion between the + + +numerous theological traditions. Without disregard for the cultural distinctions that exist, we + + +must emphasize that which unites us, the Scriptures and the Trinitarian God of salvation it + +espouses – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [258] The further we drift from this One God, His works, + + +and His perspective as superintended by the Holy Spirit in the revelatory composition of the Old + + +and New Testaments, the further we drift from true unity. We lose our point of contact, not only + + +with one another, but with our Heavenly Father for “God alone is the ground and source of + +authentic Christian doctrine.” [259] Thus, revelation from God is what binds us together, to God. + + +With a biblical prioritization response to the multicultural context in which we live, we + + +avoid the error of letting “theological content [be] determined by the cultural milieu, as happened + +in western theological liberalism.” [260] We can successfully skirt “the peril that threatens churches + + +of every age and culture as they seek to appropriate and communicate the message of the gospel + + +257 By using the word “isolation,” the intention is not to denigrate our past but rather to state the past’s reality. As +cultures throughout history were far more isolated, the present globalization fervor demands a shift in our +hermeneutical paradigm. +258 Some may perhaps choose at this point to claim the cultural dependency of this argument as I have referenced +Trinitarian theology. While it was formulated in the Greco-Roman context, I would assert that the Trinitarian +theology, though expressed in and through cultural parameters, was not manufactured but recognized, sourced from +the revelation of Scripture. Therefore, in a hypothetical attempt to translate Christianity into another culture, we +should not aim to deprive it of Trinitarian theology, but instead convey it with different language. In a multicultural +context, Trinitarian questions and therefore Trinitarian biblical theology is the natural result of biblical study. Some +theological questions are not determined by the context in which the Bible is received. They are determined by the +very context of Scripture itself. Trinitarianism arises in such a manner. +259 Thiselton, Anthony C. _The Hermeneutics of Doctrine_, Page 62. +260 Ferdinando, Keith. _Triumph of Christ in African Perspective: A Study of Demonology and Redemption in the_ +_African Context_, Page 406. + + +59 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +in their own contexts.” [261] Our Christian multicultural agenda must “ensure that its theology so + + +reflects the biblical emphases that it is the authentic New Testament gospel in its depth and + +completeness that it is communicating.” [262] + + +Though fervent in its desire for biblical grounding, the Evangelical perspective does not + + +fit the above prescription. The confession must be made that, as a Christian movement, it does + + +not adequately delve into the multicultural context and reflect upon it. William Dyrness says, + + +“…large segments of evangelicalism remain untouched by these conversations. The continuing + + +failure to integrate expanding multicultural experience into a consistent understanding of culture + +and cultural engagement still bedevils the evangelical movement.” [263] But with its radical desire + + +for the whole biblical truth to stabilize its faith and theological direction, perhaps it is better + + +prepared to respond to this multicultural context – not to “take back culture” but to speak the + + +transformative reality of redemption through Christ alone into every culture? + + +As we return to the focal point of this thesis (the personhood of the demonic as defined + + +by Karl Barth and Merrill Unger), the multicultural hermeneutic outlined here in 3.3 will be + + +utilized. Recognizing the numerous cultural currents which now simultaneously exist, we will + + +attempt to identify cultural elements in Barth and Unger which may be imposing a Western + + +worldview instead of propagating a biblical worldview. Once these elements are identified, we + + +will then proceed to offer a multicultural understanding of the personhood of the demonic, + + +highlighting particular cultural tendencies which either support a biblical perspective or lead us + + +farther away from it. + + +**3.4** **Reflections on Barth in the Context of Theology and Culture** + + +As we begin our endeavor into Barth’s cultural dimensions through his demonological + + +project, we must first state a glaring issue with Karl Barth’s theological method in general. + + +Robert Palma, in his detailing of Barth’s theology of culture, says that “there can be no facile + +typing of Barth’s theological understanding of culture.” [264] Through his estimation of Barth’s + + +diverse interactions and engagement with culture, Palma wonders if Barth could be placed + + +261 Ibid. +262 Ibid. +263 Dyrness, William A. “Evangelical Theology and Culture” in the _Cambridge Companion to Evangelical_ +_Theology_, Page 155. +264 Palma, Robert J. _Karl Barth’s Theology of Culture_, Page 6. + + +60 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +“somewhere between the ‘Christ and Culture in Paradox’ model and the ‘Christ the Transformer + +of Culture’ model?” [265] + + +Peter Fulljames rightly roots Barth’s theological expression back into his view of the + +supremacy of Scripture. We serve Christ, and “it is the Bible who witnesses to Jesus Christ.” [266] + + +In the resulting interpretation, all ends must lead to Christ. The hermeneutical endeavor must be + +grounded in Him. [267] Throughout _Church Dogmatics_, Barth focuses on this goal. A major issue + + +of theology is “the relation of revelation to the _Being_ and _Person_ of God Himself. In God’s self + +revelation in the Bible… God speaks to us in Person. In other words, revelation is God-in-his +revelation, God-in-his-Word.” [268] Thus, he offers “a theology which is an ontology for it is an + +account of God as He is in relationship with all things.” [269] This includes his assessment of the + + +demonic. + + +With this ontological attitude toward theological formation, culture does not play an + + +intentionally central role in Barth’s demonology. By rooting everything into Christ, revelation is + + +designed to serve as the focal point of his dogmatic project. With that method, he does convey + + +the biblical emphasis – which is not upon the demonic itself but upon their activity and defeat in + + +relationship to Christ’s victorious rule. Also, his perspective concerning personhood in general + + +is profoundly biblical, especially in light of the Genesis creation narrative. Adam was a living + + +being - a person – not because of his role in culture/society but because of his relationship to + + +God. Essentially, God, the ultimate Person, made and declared a person to be. Therefore, a + + +person is. But a few aspects of Barthian demonology are more related to Western cultural + + +philosophy than to biblical parameters. Without attempting to exhaust every topic of discussion, + + +we will examine a pair of issues. + + +In Barth’s demonology, nothingness is a key subject of discussion. In fact, Geoffrey + +Bromiley sums up Barth’s thought saying, “[Demons] belong to nothingness.” [270] Because of this + + +prevalent concept of nothingness – “the third order” - which we have already addressed at length, + + +265 Ibid. These models are shaped by Reinhold Niebuhr’s landmark work _Christ and Culture_ . +266 Fulljames, Peter. _God and Creation in Intercultural Theology: Dialogue between Theologies of Barth, Dickson,_ +_Pobee, Nyamiti, and Pannenberg_, Page 15. +267 Ibid, Page 16. +268 Torrance, Thomas F. _Karl Barth: Biblical and Evangelical Theologian_, Page 43. +269 Ibid, Page 18. +270 Bromiley, Geoffrey W. _Introduction to the Theology of Karl Barth_, Page 154. + + +61 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +he begins down some frustrating and perhaps self-contradictory paths. [271] This is exemplified in + + +Barth’s argument that “… God has not created [demons], and therefore they are not + +creaturely.” [272] Yet this theological conclusion is most certainly the result of Western + + +philosophical underpinnings rather than the Scriptures which alludes that demons were created, + +though they probably selected and subsequently championed malevolence. [273] At one point, he + + +actually argues that nothingness is how the Scripture understands the demonic - “this alien + +element.” [274] Yet no support is given. + + +Barth also demands that there is no relationship between the angelic and demonic realms. + + +Demons are not fallen angels; they are not of the same kind. He compares their relationship to + + +“nonsense” which “does not denote a particular species of sense, but that which is negated and + +excluded by sense…” [275] Barth brushes over the implications of passages such as Revelation + + +12:7 and Matthew 25:41 in order to angle his readers to this end. Throughout his treatment, the + + +emphasis is continually and rightfully placed on the “radical conflict” as the demonic must + +always be portrayed in light of their defeat. [276] But the means by which he attains such a “radical + + +conflict” is in doubt from a biblical standpoint. + + +Concerning this whole issue of the demonic, Bromiley illuminates that Barth’s stand + + +concerning the uncreated nature of demons and his repudiation of an angelic fall is problematic. + + +In light of the handful of texts which suggest otherwise, Bromiley says: + + +_Unfortunately he does not back up the objection with any direct biblical material._ +_His interpretation stands, then, under the shadow cast by these verses. They do_ +_indeed suggest an “angelic catastrophe” as Augustine put it. Nor would it seem_ +_that Barth’s understanding is totally compromised if this be their meaning. Yet he_ +_takes a firm stand on the issue and in so doing lays himself open to criticism at a_ +_vital point: Is he really obeying scripture as the criterion of dogmatic purity and_ +_truth?_ _[277]_ + +The logical response is no. His Western philosophical background hijacks his demonology away + + +from his rigid desire for revelatory primacy to such a point that scholars like Bromiley are left + +271 Mallow, Vernon R. _The Demonic: A Selected Theological Study: An Examination into the Theology of Edwin_ +_Lewis, Karl Barth, and Paul Tillich_, Page 64. +272 Barth, Karl _. Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 523. +273 Romans 8:38-39. Demons are included in Paul’s list of created things. The text emphasizes that the forces and +powers listed “are all creatures, just as humans are, and no creature has the power to contend with God.” Jewett, +Robert. _Romans: A Commentary_, Page 554. +274 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 523. +275 Ibid, Page 524. +276 Ibid. +277 Bromiley, Geoffrey W. _Introduction to the Theology of Karl Barth_, Page 155. + + +62 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +saddened. Bromiley summarizes, “When he has done so much to restore angels (and demons) as + + +a theme of serious theological enquiry, it is a pity that the whole discussion should end with so + +questionable a thesis and procedure.” [278] For being a man who wants to be judged by his “fidelity + +to the Bible,” his demonology is a rare misstep. [279] + + +**3.5** **Reflections on Unger in the Context of Theology and Culture** + + +Watered by the Evangelical tradition, Merrill Unger’s theology bears the earmarks of this + + +widespread teaching. Though occasionally a point of contention, “a high view of Scripture has + +always been part and parcel of Evangelical thought.” [280] Sometimes this manifests as the doctrine + + +of biblical inerrancy, and while it is not directly affirmed in Biblical Demonology, inerrancy + + +theology is clearly assumed throughout. His perspective of biblical superiority exudes + + +throughout every one of his demonological works. + + +_…Whereas the Scripture account of the origin and reality of evil supernaturalism_ +_offers a solid and substantial basis of explanation for the widespread persistence_ +_and manifestation of Satanic and demonological phenomena from the most_ +_ancient times to the present, naturalistic speculations can but inadequately_ +_attribute the facts to man’s religiously superstitious mind, or to some similarly_ +_unsatisfactory basis._ _[281]_ +_Demons do exist, first and foremost, for God in His Word says they exist._ _[282]_ +_The Word of God attests the reality of evil supernaturalism through the career of_ +_both Satan and his myriads of helpers called demons or evil spirits (Luke 10:17,_ +_20)._ _[283]_ +_It is high time for believers to see Satan and demonic powers in their true light_ +_and full Scripture perspective._ _[284]_ + + +Even with this revelation-oriented perspective, Evangelical hermeneutics still recognizes + +the need for cultural studies, especially with reference to the past. [285] In order to properly + + +understand the Bible, one must “‘walk in their sandals’ to understand their writings as they + + +278 Ibid. +279 Ford, D. F. “Conclusion: Assessing Barth” in _Karl Barth – Studies of His Theological Methods_, Page 199. +280 König, Adrio. “Evangelical Theology” in _Initiation into Theology: The Rich Variety of Theology and_ +_Hermeneutics_, Page 101. +281 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 17. +282 Ibid, Page 36. +283 Unger, Merrill. _Demons in the World Today_, Page 8. +284 Unger, Merrill. _What Demons Can Do to Saints_, Page 12. +285 There is a “growing and sophisticated conversation about culture [that] has taken root among evangelicals…” +Dyrness, William A. “Evangelical Theology and Culture” in the _Cambridge Companion to Evangelical Theology_, +Page 154. + + +63 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +would have.” [286] The other side of the equation however, is less structured, as Evangelicals often + + +try to present the words of Scripture as plainly as possible, and if that particular passage + + +confronts or confirms the prevailing culture, so be it. Daniel Treier observes, + + +“‘Contextualization’ has become a fairly popular way for evangelicals to describe their + + +theological encounter with Scripture in culture(s), consistent with their persistent commitment to + +Bible translation.” [287] Terms and concepts of the prevailing context and language are utilized in + + +the expressing of the truth, but nothing is above the rebuke of the biblical material. The intention + +of the Bible must be taught for that is what is true; all else submits, conforms, and agrees. [288] + + +Ergo, concerning the field of demonology, “The fact of Christians’ engagement in an on-going + +battle with the devil and his cohorts is a biblical fact which evangelical theology attests to.” [289] + + +Evangelicalism’s ongoing problem with the issue of culture is again replayed in Unger’s + + +theology. William Dyrness accurately comments concerning Evangelical theology: + + +_Throughout their history evangelicals have displayed ambivalence toward their_ +_cultural context. The world was either something to be won over in the name of_ +_Christ, or to be avoided as a source of temptation, but it could also represent a_ +_resource to be exploited in pursuit of their evangelical calling. As a result, their_ +_relationship with culture has been ambiguous, marked more often by vigorous_ +_campaigns against particular evils believed to threaten Christian living… than by_ +_thoughtful engagement with the complexities of culture._ _[290]_ + +Unger’s relationship to this summary is close. As Unger attempts to affirm a biblical perspective + + +utilizing whatever resources are available to him (primarily Scripture), he does engage wholesale + + +with cultural issues, but only in an attempt to usher away skepticism, remove cultural + + +superstitions, and validate biblical propositions concerning the reality of evil supernaturalism + + +(including the worldwide presence of occultism). He prefers to remain where certainty can be + + +grasped, saying: + + +_Since demonological phenomena have been found to be almost universally_ +_prevalent among people of various religions and of varying degrees of culture,_ +_from the remotest ages of antiquity to the present, it is practically impossible to_ +_interpret accurately and to evaluate properly the religious phenomena and_ + + +286 Klein, William. “Evangelical Hermeneutics” in _Initiation into Theology: The Rich Variety of Theology and_ +_Hermeneutics_, Page 328. +287 Treier, Daniel J. “Scripture and Hermeneutics” in _The Cambridge Companion to Evangelical Theology_, Page 44. +288 Ibid, Pages 323-324. +289 Ampong, Ebenezer Adu. _Deliverance in Ghanaian Neo-Pentecostal Ministries: A Critical Assessment from an_ +_Evangelical Perspective_, Page 87. +290 Dyrness, William A. “Evangelical Theology and Culture” in the _Cambridge Companion to Evangelical_ +_Theology_, Page 145. + + +64 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_practices of various peoples, which frequently are confusingly involved, without a_ +_discriminating grasp of this subject.”_ _[291]_ + +Gaining this “discriminating grasp” is pursued in the words of Scripture which charts the course + +between skepticism and superstition. [292] + + +Merrill Unger, even with his biblical centrality, still weaves non-biblical contributions + +into his demonology. [293] In his case for the reality of the demonic realm in _Biblical Demonology_, + + +he inaugurates his argumentation with scriptural material and then continues with evidence from + +physical nature, human nature, and human experience. [294] From these influxes alone, culture and + + +his cultural conceptions of the human and natural world are quietly inserted. Yet his devotion to + + +the scriptural revelation continues to shape and guide these secondary sources. + + +In Unger’s _Biblical Demonology_, one theological misstep habitually surfaces, one which + +Barth vehemently sought to discard for its unbiblical “nature.” [295] Traditional demonology has + + +consistently defined demonic ontology prior to demonic activity. While ontological priority + + +might be a suitable practice for Theology Proper, the biblical testimony, en masse, does little to + + +outline the demonic horde’s origin or nature. Instead, it consistently and overtly witnesses + + +demonic activity in relationship to Bibliology, Theology Proper, Christology, Anthropology, + +Eschatology, and so on. We consequently gain insight into who they are. [296] In the case of the + +demonic, a biblical perspective should emphasize activity before shouldering ontology’s tasks. [297] + + +**3.6** **Multiculturalism and the Personhood of the Demonic** + + +Utilizing the previously outlined multicultural emphasis upon revelation, how then + + +should we approach the personhood of the demonic? How should we dialogue concerning the + +291 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 1. Sadly, it appears that he still operates under the older Western +impression that there is a hierarchy of culture. +292 Ibid, Page 8. +293 He and Barth are quite united in their oversight of their own cultural presuppositions. +294 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Pages 36-39. +295 Whether or not Barth avoided this fault is up for debate, especially considering how the ontological reality of +nothingness overshadows the architecture of his demonology. +296 Matthew 12:43-45 is a helpful example of the principle stated above. While describing the activity of an +expelled demon, we are granted the knowledge of a gradation of evil among these ambient spirits. The fact that the +demon returns with seven others “‘more evil than itself,’ to lodge in the same person…” is critical to the point Jesus +is arguing. The “last state… of the person has become worse than the first state…” Jesus’ miracles had helped, but +the “evil generation” showed no repentance or commitment to Him and His cause. So they were left worse off than +before. Hagner, Donald A. _Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 1-13_, Page 357. +297 Since this thesis is an analytical work on previously constructed systematic demonologies, there is no harm in +pursuing an ontologically driven endeavor. If this was an article attempting to offer a new biblical demonology for +others’ analysis, a structural reorientation to prioritize demonic activity before ontology would be pursued. + + +65 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +personal supernatural beings, especially considering the massive worldview gaps between the + + +Western and African minds? + + +First, the Bible must speak, and we must listen. Regarding the study of demons, the + + +African worldview will face less direct confrontation. Keith Ferdinando, a preeminent scholar in + + +the realm of demonology in the African context, remarks, “Indeed in key respects African beliefs + +are closer to a biblical paradigm than is western rationalistic scepticism.” [298] The cosmological + + +views of the Bible offer “a perspective more sympathetic to African beliefs” than the paradigms + +of the West. [299] Thus, an African who maintains that “the invisible and visible worlds are not… + + +two separate spheres but… different dimensions of a single indivisible reality…” has less of an + +intellectual journey than a Westerner when he encounters the biblical material. [300] But the Bible + + +transforms everyone’s understanding of the world, with each culture and person being affected + + +differently. + + +Unfortunately, even some Africans would prefer to title a great deal as superstition, + + +saying, “The Devil, satyrs, fauns, the legendary inhabitants of the Golden Age and the noble + +savage of the Age of Enlightenment are other imaginary creations of Western man.” [301] But are + + +not the Devil (and perhaps satyrs) a part of biblical cosmology? Can we steal one part of the + + +Christian world (Jesus) without the whole? Who are we to determine what is true, real, and + + +relevant? In this regard, syncretism, polytheism, and naturalism await the adventurous. + + +These attempts at an intellectual rejection of the revelatory witness with its recordings of + + +supernatural phenomena are more commonly a Western activity. But how wise are these + + +endeavors? Ferdinando comments, “Most peoples, for most of history, have believed in spirits, + +witchcraft and sorcery.” [302] The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal mentions that “belief in spirits + +is widespread in the ancient and modern world.” [303] If we narrow the subject to apparitions and + + +necromancy, in overtly skeptical Western Countries, another source alleges that an increasing + + +298 Ferdinando, Keith. _Triumph of Christ in African Perspective: A Study of Demonology and Redemption in the_ +_African Context_, Page 5. +299 Ibid, Pages 378-379. +300 Ibid, Page 27. +301 p’Bitek, Okot. _African Religions in Western Scholarship_, Page 35. +302 Ferdinando, Keith. _Triumph of Christ in African Perspective: A Study of Demonology and Redemption in the_ +_African Context_, Page 376. +303 Stein, Gordon. “Spiritualism” in _The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal_, Page 713. + + +66 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +number of adults over the past century and a half have seen an apparition of some kind, nearly + +one third of those most recently polled. [304] The paranormal is not out of style. + + +In a global context, a multicultural forum would present the modern skeptic as being the + +odd one out. Should they not bear the burden of disproving the norm? [305] In the revealing light + + +of the biblical material, the case against the skeptic grows greater. As Ferdinando candidly + +posits, “Biblical supernaturalism contrasts sharply with western skepticism…” [306] + + +While the biblical material regarding the demonic may prove profoundly plausible in a + + +multicultural context, personhood is a different discussion. Specifically within African + + +traditionalism, there are major distinctions between it and the Western worldview. In his work + + +_The Living Dead and the Living God_, Klaus Nürnberger comments: + + +_In the West, a person is characterized by communicative competence on one hand_ +_and definite personality traits on the other… However, the concept of “personal”_ +_may be understood quite differently in traditionalist Africa. The individual is part_ +_of a greater structure of relationships in which each element impacts the other_ +_according to relative proximity and relative “weight.” The decisive ingredients_ +_are “presence” and “authority.” One’s identity is not defined so much by one’s_ +_individual personality traits as by one’s location in the communal hierarchy and_ +_the impact of this “status” on everything else in one’s life world._ _[307]_ + +But do either personhood positions, though culturally widespread within their respective + + +environments which increasingly junction and blend, bear out how God wishes us to understand + + +ourselves? Perhaps these particular cultural manifestations of the nature of personhood reflect + + +the results of living as persons. As in, because we are persons, we “love our neighbors as + +ourselves,” and serve our Christian community because we are a body together not apart. [308] But + +ultimately we are persons because God made us to be persons, in community with Him. [309] The + + +304 Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. “Apparitions” in _The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits_, Page 15. She leans heavily +upon the polling of the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Council (NORC). According to Guiley, +the last poll on apparitions was completed in 1987, and forty-two percent of American adults surveyed admitted +some form of contact with the dead, with seventy-eight percent of those who had contact reporting an apparition of +some kind. +305 Ibid. +306 Ferdinando, Keith. _Triumph of Christ in African Perspective: A Study of Demonology and Redemption in the_ +_African Context_, Page 379. +307 Nürnberger, Klaus. _The Living Dead and the Living God: Christ and the Ancestors in a Changing Africa_, Page +31. +308 Mark 12:31, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Regarding the figure of the body in 1 Corinthians 12, Conzelmann believes +“that Paul’s attack is directed against the practice of individuals’ disassociating themselves from the ‘body,’ that is, +against enthusiastic individualism.” Together, we are whole. Being apart is never supposed to occur. +309 Genesis 1:26, 2:7. We are who we are, persons, because of God who made us in entirety, and even from the +context of Eden, we are not supposed to be alone. Essentially, God creates a person who is displayed as a person in + + +67 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +resulting cultural theories as to what amounts to “personhood” are simply derivative outworkings + + +of our personhood as grounded in God’s creative work. + + +Let us begin to turn to the issue of demonic personhood. Nürnberger broadens this + + +discussion on personhood to more than simply the human and divine. He says: + + +_But this network of human relationships is not restricted to the human community._ +_In fact, there are no clearly defined boundaries between the self, the other and the_ +_whole. Therefore we do not find a sharp distinction between the personal and the_ +_impersonal that one finds in Western thought patterns, just as there is no clear_ +_distinction between the immanent and transcendent. Reality is one vast system of_ +_relationships. In this sense, the whole of reality is “personalized.” When a_ +_calamity strikes, the first question is always, “Who did it?” The cause can be_ +_sorcerers, witches or their (non-human) “familiars.”_ _[310]_ + +As we continue to let the African cultural context offer input into our discussion concerning + + +personhood, Herbert Bucher, in his analysis of Shona cosmology, says, “Power is wielded both + + +by tangible persons and by invisible entities, which latter are however, no less real an experience + +than the former.” [311] Though these “invisible entities” do not directly correlate to the malevolent + + +demons of the Bible, their conceptions of ancestral territorial spirits, with their indispensable role + + +in the community power systems, certainly allows conceptual space for unseen demons with + + +personhood. + + +It should be mentioned that Nürnberger falls into the common problem of letting one’s + + +needs dictate the discussion. Speaking about the unfortunate nature of many Christian Africans’ + + +religious duplicities, he asserts, “…the Christ they came to know through the message of the + + +missionaries, subsequent religious leaders, even their own reading of the Bible, does not seem to + +have covered their most pressing spiritual needs.” [312] As we already posited in chapter one, + + +seeking to remedy “needs” is too often a false avenue. Perhaps instead of seeking Christ as the + + +response to their needs, the religiously bifurcated African (or Westerner) ought to seek Christ + + +that He may define both his needs and solutions. But Nürnberger chooses to limit the level of + + +dialogue permissible saying that “dialogue between Christian and African religions should not + + +and through community. Bill Arnold says on Genesis 2:7, “The ‘living being’ is not some disembodied component +of the human being, distinct from his physical existence; a ‘soul’ comprising one portion of a person’s whole being. +Rather the ‘living being’ denotes the totality of the human.” Arnold, Bill T. _Genesis_, Pages 57-58. +310 Nürnberger, Klaus. _The Living Dead and the Living God: Christ and the Ancestors in a Changing Africa_, Page +31. Nürnberger proceeds to indicate myriads of other possible causes. +311 Bucher, Hubert. _Spirits and Power: An Analysis of Shona Cosmology_, Page 189. +312 Ibid, Page 40. + + +68 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +happen… at the level of ontological speculation.” [313] The result is that the Bible is not allowed to + + +define the players and needs, and it is left only to submit the moldable clay of Christ who may or + + +may not fit into an African’s situation. + + +As we continue to move toward tackling the issue of demonic personhood in light of a + + +multicultural context, we must again recall the preeminence of revelatory information. John + + +Mbiti writes: + + +_Any viable theology must have a biblical basis… nothing can substitute for the_ +_Bible. However much African cultural religious background may be close to the_ +_biblical world, we must guard against references like “the hitherto unwritten_ +_‘African Old Testament’” or sentiments that see any final revelation of God in the_ +_African religious heritage._ _[314]_ + +Yet, while this brief statement appears to place emphasis and priority on the influx of biblical + + +material into a formidable Christian theology, it remains to be seen if this plays out in practice. + + +In light of theological formation around the world, it must be conceded that Christian theology + + +can be formed with the Bible and without African cultural input. In reverse, a truly “Christian” + + +theology cannot be constructed with African cultural input and without the Bible. The cultural + + +information and context is interchangeable (though not superfluous); the biblical/revelatory + +contribution is essential. [315] + + +J. H. Nieder-Heitmann rejects anyone who would attempt to completely rescue any + + +cultural element from transformation, “Sin has totally permeated man’s being, religion and + + +culture. Religion is a systematic unity and every element revolves around the axis of a religion. + + +For these reasons there are no unblemished values in African Religion(s) which can be separated + +from the ‘dead’ and ‘rotten’ elements.” [316] Such is true in every context. Since culture is an + + +interwoven, interconnected tapestry, any change or influx creates a new whole. Too many seek + + +to rescue, prune, and redeem their religious heritage, when in reality it stands wholly affected. + + +As Amos chided ancient humanity for following the idolatrous religion of their ancestors, as Paul + + +so passionately declared that the Colossians were free from “philosophy which depends upon + + +human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces this world rather than on Christ,” we too must + + +313 Ibid. +314 Mbiti, John S. _Bible and Theology in African Christianity,_ Page 59. +315 In no way is this statement seeking to demean the richness of culture’s contributions to the Christian experience. +316 Nieder-Heitmann, J. H. _An Analysis and Evaluation of John S. Mbiti’s Theological Evaluation of African_ +_Traditional Religions_, Page 104 + + +69 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +be prepared for the consequences of accepting the Word of God. [317] But why should we worry? + + +What is a new perspective and a fresh attitude toward our culture when, as Paul says, we gain + +Christ, “who possesses all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?” [318] + + +As the oceans that divide the Western and African cultures evaporate with Christians of + + +both (and other) backgrounds converging in churches, universities, and communities; how then + + +will we aim to provide a multicultural Christian response (especially to the personhood of the + + +demonic) where one culture is not elevated by pejorative perspectives and prejudicial posturing? + + +We must let biblical revelation speak truth into our conceptions of the malevolent spirit world (or + + +lack thereof). The Bible must lead as our primary source of truth and unity in a multicultural + +world. It stands as “the final judge of every culture.” [319] + + +Such a bold perspective between the Bible and culture easily garners criticism as being + + +narrow and unaccepting. A bibliocentric and Christocentric attitude can and does tend to err + + +toward a disposition of cultural engagement marred by laziness, ignorance, and + +dismissiveness. [320] But the abuse of a position does not negate its validity. Revelatory priority + + +still stands. In a multicultural situation, criticism of each particular culture which composes the + + +context is inevitable. “Once multiculturalism is more widely accepted, then the much needed + +internal critique of traditions and customs will accelerate.” [321] This is not a curse but a blessing. + + +After we accept the multicultural reality, the issue then changes. As Christians who are directed + + +by the revelatory truth of the Bible, shall we let another culture or our own culture determine the + + +corrections that should be embraced? This thesis urges us to embrace the Word of God, first and + + +foremost, and in our pursuit of biblical Christianity, our relationship and perspective toward + + +culture will consequently transform. + + +317 Amos 2:4; Colossians 2:8, author’s paraphrase. Amos indicts Judah not only because they had turned from the +true God but because they had accepted false ones. This led to a traditional, generational rebellion. “The action of +the parents becomes paradigmatic to their children. The sons follow their parents in being led astray by idol +worship.” Paul, Shalom M. _Amos: A Commentary on the Book of Amos_, Page 75. +318 Colossians 2:3, author’s paraphrase. The exclusivity of Colossians 2 is jarring. “Just as the right understanding +of the community is dependent upon Christ alone, so also ‘Wisdom…’ and ‘knowledge…’ have their ground only in +him.” The Greek term _pantes_ “bans all exceptions, so that all attempts to search out other sources of knowledge +besides Christ are vain and false.” Christ is exalted by Paul due to the dangers of deceivers in verse 4 and captors in +verse 8. Lohse, Eduard. _Colossians and Philemon: A Commentary on the Epistles to the Colossians and to_ +_Philemon_, Page 82. +319 Kato, Byang. _African Cultural Revolution and the Christian Faith_, Page 42. +320 The opposite is far worse. A culture-centric theology lends itself to “laziness, ignorance, and dismissiveness” +toward God’s revealed truth. This position flirts with a Christ-less Christianity, the far greater evil. +321 Katsiaficas, George, and Teodros Kiros. _The Promise of Multiculturalism_, Page 7. + + +70 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +This conclusion is not supposed to leave the multicultural context devoid of cultural + + +richness. Once the Scripture has taken its place as the central invigorator and director of the + + +Christian faith, we do not and cannot leave our cultures. We cannot obliterate our pasts. But in + + +the glorious light of our Savior, we rejoice in our cultural diversity within the unity we now have + + +in Christ. We are not divided, for there is no longer “Greek and Jew, circumcised and + +uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” [322] Let us + + +abscond from such misleading titles as Christian Africans or Christian Westerners, and be + + +radically united with Christ, in identity and activity. We have been inseparably united to the + + +person and work of Jesus Christ. + + +The time has come to turn directly to the issue of demonic personhood in a multicultural + + +context. In our desire to let God speak and to let His Word shape our needs, practices, and + + +solutions; we have already highlighted the African’s spiritual (non-skeptical) worldview as + + +helpful in approaching God’s supernatural revelation. Indeed, in a diverse context, they have + + +much to offer in their fresh biblical perspectives which will further ground us in the Scriptures, + + +as it was meant to be read. But what cultural tendencies may arise which would serve as + + +stumbling blocks toward a cohesive multicultural community? + + +One of the most controversial topics, especially in African theological circles, is + + +regarding ancestors, which form a vital part of the African worldview. Simply put, they “are still + +a part of the family.” [323] In relationship to the issue of personhood, we should remember + +Nürnberger’s assessment, “…the whole of reality is ‘personalized.’” [324] Personhood does not + + +bear the brunt of scrutiny; rather, the issue of “demonic” does. This specifically is raised + + +concerning the African’s relationship with their ancestors. So Nürnberger comments, + + +“…ancestors should never be mistaken as being part of the demonic realm, as has sometimes + + +been done in missionary and evangelistic circles. According to the biblical witness, ancestors + + +have been normal human beings when they were alive… They cannot be anything else in + + +322 Colossians 3:11, NASB. “What separates men from one another in the world – which of course still exists – has +been abolished in the community of Jesus Christ.” The author of Colossians “speaks about men of completely +diverse origins who have been gathered together in unity in Christ through allegiance to one Lord. True, they also +continue to live in the roles that the world assigns to them as Greeks or Jews, slaves or free. But where the Body of +Christ exists and where his members are joined together into a fellowship, there the differences which separate men +from one another are abolished.” Lohse, Eduard. _Colossians and Philemon: A Commentary on the Epistles to the_ +_Colossians and to Philemon,_ Pages 143-145. +323 Steyne, Philip M. _Gods of Power: A Study of the Beliefs and Practices of Animists_, Page 80. +324 Nürnberger, Klaus. _The Living Dead and the Living God: Christ and the Ancestors in a Changing Africa_, Page +31. + + +71 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +death.” [325] After an examination the biblical text, he concludes in a plenary fashion, “As far as the + + +authority of the deceased is concerned, therefore, the messages of the Old Testament and the + + +New Testament leave no room for doubt; nothing, absolutely nothing, should ever assume + +authority over God’s people, or be given space to stand between God and His people.” [326] Thus, + + +the Christian led by revelation does not lose his ancestors, but instead, his relationship to them is + + +drastically reshaped. Especially within a Christian context; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the + + +pantheon of faithful believers, as recounted in Hebrews 11, do not serve as present authorities or + +intermediaries but as relevant examples and encouragements in our present situation. [327] This + + +cultural issue is simultaneously affirmed, corrected, and transformed. In a multicultural context, + + +a biblical perspective of the ancestors would add to the richness of theological understanding, + + +speaking into the past paradigms which still operate amongst those of other cultures. No doubt + + +many of a more Western persuasion could be reminded of the biblical value and theological + + +importance of our spiritual forbearers. + + +Since we have properly bifurcated the subjects of ancestors and demons, we must turn to + + +the spirits themselves. Gerrit Brand observes “…it is doubtful whether African Traditional + + +Religion ever knew of an absolutely evil spirit, comparable to the figure of Satan. It is, in any + + +case, abundantly clear that _most_ African spirits – whether ancestors of non-human spirits – are, + +like humans, regarded as morally ambiguous.” [328] How far is this ambiguousness from the + + +biblical revelation? If we consider (1) the spirit of Job 4:12-21, (2) Satan’s ability to disguise + + +himself in 2 Corinthians 11:14, and (3) the Johannine command to test the spirits in 1 John 4:1-4; + +ambiguity seems to be an inherent dynamic of the biblical recording of spiritual interactions. [329] + + +But the Scriptures see fit to delineate and distinguish the actuality of the spirit world, not merely + + +our perception of it. Evil spirits (demons) exist, exerting varying levels of perverse influence in + + +this realm. Therefore, we must approach ambiguous circumstances with caution! + + +325 Ibid, Page 14. +326 Ibid, Page 62. +327 Probably the most remarkable outworking of this engagement of revelation with culture is concerning Abraham. +Indeed, as Christians, he is our ancestor, and we are his seed. +328 Brand, Gerrit. _Speaking of a Fabulous Ghost: In Search of Theological Criteria, with Special Reference to the_ +_Debate on Salvation in African Christian Theology_, Page 100. +329 For more on Job 4:12-21, see section 2.5.2. For more on 1 John 4:1-4, see section 3.2. As for the text in 2 +Corinthians 11:14, debate does exist as to whether it reflects one instance of Satanic disguise or his “habitual +activity.” But from the passage itself, no reason is apparent which would limit Satan’s masquerade to one instance, +just as his servants (human false apostles) continue their fraud. For more on this discussion, see Thrall, Margaret, E. +_II Corinthians: Volume II_, Pages 695-696. + + +72 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +Another issue, as we have repeatedly addressed throughout this thesis, is the skeptical + + +proclivities of the Western mind in the Christian context. Though it might be an understatement + + +to classify it as merely a “tendency,” Ferdinando summarizes, “Western scholarship has tended + +to be skeptical toward African claims about both spirit and occult attack…” [330] Possession, + + +witchcraft, and other manifestations of a malevolent, accessible, and personal spiritual realm are + + +often relegated to the psychological sphere. Of course, the logic of such bold skepticism is + + +tedious, as the denial of every so-called spiritual or demonic event requires far more + + +investigation and faith than the openness and acceptance of the possibility. The odds are not in + +skepticism’s favor. [331] Ferdinando concludes, “… the case for the predominantly skeptical + +western approach has not been established.” [332] + + +In a multicultural context composed of but not limited to African and Western Christians, + + +the biblical material concerning the demonic, on a canonical level, harshly rebukes this Western + + +skepticism while not necessary confirming the entire perspective of the African Christian. + + +However, this rebuked skepticism does serve a valid biblical function. While others may lean + + +toward being too accepting in a diverse context, this skepticism may prove helpful to the whole + + +in dispelling and remedying the overall ambiguity of the spirit realm. Ergo, as Christians who + + +are first and foremost directed by the testimony of Scripture, a chastened skepticism should no + + +longer deny the demonic but clarify it. + + +Therefore, in a multicultural context, the path to unity while avoiding ethnocentricism + + +and isolationism is found in a biblical adherence which transcends and transforms our + + +relationship to our cultures. This is profoundly crucial concerning our approach to the + + +personhood of the demonic and the spirit realm in a diverse setting. In multicultural churches + + +and communities, the reading together of the biblical information concerning the demonic + + +becomes paramount. By this, cultural superstitions are dispersed, and cultural skepticism is + + +reshaped. Accepting the Scripture as our primary guide, we, of every people and tongue, are left + + +330 Ferdinando, Keith. _The Triumph of Christ in the African Perspective: A Study of Demonology and Redemption in_ +_the African Context_, Page 372. +331 For a skeptic to be validated in his dismissive attitude toward the reality of the demonic realm, every single +instance must be thoroughly disproven beyond the level of reasonable doubt. Undermining such skeptics only +requires one instance of the “so-called” demonic which provides a unexplainable level of curiosity-provoking +evidence. As Christians, should not the biblical narratives of Jesus’ ministry in the Gospels provoke us to openness +instead of driving us to skepticism? +332 Ferdinando, Keith. _The Triumph of Christ in the African Perspective: A Study of Demonology and Redemption in_ +_the African Context_, Page 378. + + +73 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +with the distinct biblical theology that the demonic realm is indeed personal in description. To + + +those who experience it, caution and sobriety is ordered, that they might avoid remedies which + + +do not find their root in the authority and testimony of Christ. To those who do not knowingly + + +encounter demonic personalities, faithfulness and watchfulness is commanded that they might + + +pursue the cause of Christ in a world ruled and manipulated by the enemy’s servants. + + +**3.7** **Conclusion** + + +As we conclude this chapter, let us recapitulate the divulged argumentation. In order to + + +analyze Barth and Unger’s perspective concerning the personhood of the demonic in a + + +multicultural context, groundwork had to be laid. Culture itself was initially described, + + +particularly focusing on its relationship to the gospel and hermeneutics. Primarily utilizing + + +African theological compositions, we advocated that “Africans need to formulate theological + + +concepts in the language of Africa. But theology itself in its essence must be left alone. The + +Bible must remain the basic source of Christian theology.” [333] Avoiding tendencies to champion + + +solely “Western” or “African” theologies, we ultimately resisted any attempts to simply attribute + + +theology as being another manifestation of cultural processes and goals. Because theology is + + +ultimately concerned with the proper reception and comprehension of the revelatory material and + + +hermeneutically conveying it into our cultural context, theology and culture are indeed related, + + +but the revelatory weight of the Word of God lends theology the strength to speak into our + + +cultures and to transform (affirming and rebuking) our relationships with them. + + +Having established a revelation-centered understanding of culture, multiculturalism and + + +its impact upon hermeneutical and theological arenas was investigated. With increasing + + +diversity in churches, Christian communities, and universities in limited geographical areas, + + +God’s people can no longer function as isolated cultural manifestations of Christianity, because + + +multiple cultures are present. How do we find Christian cohesion? Some might attempt to + + +service one culture’s particular needs, and yes, some division may be necessary in order to + + +bridge linguistic gaps. But our emphasis must lie on the elevation of the biblical perspective in + + +the midst of a multicultural community. Christ, as revealed in the Scriptures, unites. + + +As the overarching foil for our analysis of the personhood of the demonic, Barth and + + +Unger’s perspective toward theology and culture was integrated into the discussion. We + + +333 Kato, Byang H. “Theological Anemia in Africa” in _Biblical Christianity in Africa_, Page 12. + + +74 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +concluded that while Barth desired to have a theology which was biblically derived, his + + +demonology is essentially “hijacked” by his Western philosophical presuppositions. Even + + +Bromiley was left saddened by Barth’s demonological conclusions. Somehow through it all, he + + +maintains a demonic realm which is personal, remaining true to a biblical perspective, yet the + + +demonic’s uncreated origin and its relationship with nothingness is incongruent with the + + +revelatory material. + + +Merrill Unger constructs a demonology that is far more biblical. However, he quickly + + +succumbs to the ever-popular Evangelical mistake of failing to fully define the roles of other + + +sources which inevitably surface in any theology. In Unger’s case, he elevates biblical authority + + +yet allows traditional (cultural) paradigms to define the very system with which he approaches + + +the personal demonic beings described in Scripture. Thus, unlike the Bible, he formulates a + + +demonology that is grounded upon their ontology, when revelation ushers in demonic themes + + +through their activity. Only through demons’ activities do we begin to discern their ontology. + + +We then turned to multiculturalism and the personhood of the demonic. In a diverse + + +context, the Bible must speak, and the African perspective is largely affirmed by the Bible’s + + +primarily personal understanding of the spiritual world. Yet the African spiritual world is not + + +beyond biblical transformation for the African Christian in a multicultural context. After + + +properly dividing the subject of the ancestors from the malevolent spirits, spirits in general + + +require caution and testing due to the remarkable level of ambiguity in biblically recorded + + +instances. Western Christianity’s tendency toward skepticism is also transformed in light of the + + +biblical material. Revelatory acceptance instead of empirical presumptuousness is required, but + + +a skeptical mindset still lends itself to usefulness balancing and correcting those who might be + + +far too oblivious and ambitious with their relationship to unseen evils. + + +Therefore, we can conclude that when we accept the biblical material concerning the + + +personhood of the demonic in chapter two, it transforms the multicultural Christian community’s + + +perspective toward the demonic. The Bible affirms and rebukes, leaving us united and enriched + + +by our contextual perspectives yet grounded and directed by a singular understanding and + + +response to the personal malevolent spirit realm. + + +75 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**4.** **The Strengths and Weaknesses of Barth and Unger’s Positions toward a Defensible** + + +**Account of the Personal Nature of the Demonic** + + +**4.1** **Introduction** + + +Now that we have outlined and interacted with the pivotal topics of recent biblical + + +scholarship and the multicultural context, we will draw out some concerns and affirmations from + + +those theological avenues with regard to the demonological contributions of Karl Barth in + + +_Church Dogmatics_ and Merrill Unger in _Biblical Demonology_ . Since we concluded in chapter + + +two that the majority of authors advocated that the Bible does envision intermediary beings + + +which act malevolently and that these beings progressively manifest as personal demons, we + + +must then ask if Barth and Unger have strengths and weaknesses in these areas. Also, since we + + +affirmed in chapter three that our increasingly multicultural context demands a biblical emphasis + + +in order to avoid cultural preferences over one another, we must also investigate any strength or + + +weaknesses which may turn up in Barth and Unger’s theology of demonic personhood when it is + + +challenged by the multicultural context. + + +As we confront Barth and Unger’s writings with our assessments from the recent biblical + + +scholarship and the multicultural context, we must be reminded: no work of scholarship, no + + +cultural study is absolute. Their criticisms and encouragements toward Barth and Unger should + + +not be unreflectively swallowed, for their perspectives are flawed, just as the perspectives of this + + +thesis are certainly defective in places. With that in mind, let us first delve into Barth’s + + +theological offerings. + + +**4.2** **Karl Barth’s Strengths with Regard to the Personhood of the Demonic** + + +While Barth’s theology does not address the personhood of the demonic at length, it is + + +briefly mentioned. As we have seen, this arises because of his overwhelming desire to maintain + + +a biblical perspective. His stand against demythologization, in the Bultmann sense of the word, + + +is quite contrary to the academic thought at that time. But overall, we observed that Barth’s + + +demonology as a whole is swamped with philosophical convictions. Therefore, the strengths and + + +weaknesses of Barth’s demonological positions are tenuous and debatable, as one cannot always + + +discern what source (whether Scripture, reason/philosophy, or culture) is grounding his + + +theological decision. + + +76 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +When we narrow the topic to simply demonic personhood, Barth’s biblical + + +presuppositions shine. Speaking from a Barthian perspective, it is likely an over-step to + + +designate demons as fully ontological beings, though he might inadvertently refer to them as + +beings. [334] But as uncreated “beings” derived from nothingness, “which ultimately traces back… + +to God,” they are most certainly real. [335] Barth has no problem describing them in personal + +ways. [336] They are essentially nothingness in personal form. With such an arguably non-biblical + + +(and eisegetical) concept of nothingness which would easily lend itself to a completely + + +depersonalized view of evil, why would Barth reach a personalized conclusion? + + +His biblicism demands this conclusion. Indeed, the Bible describes demons as a part of + + +the kingdom which stands opposed against God. Barth aggressively asserts: + + +_…it is for the Bible no mere figure of speech or poetic fancy or expression of_ +_human concern but the simple truth that nothingness has this dynamic, that it is a_ +_kingdom on the march and engaged in invasion and assault… a kingdom which_ +_by the very fact that God confronts it is characterised from the very outset as_ +_weak and futile… yet a real kingdom, a nexus of form and power and movement_ +_and activity, of real menace and danger within its appointed limits. This is how_ +_Holy Scripture sees nothingness. And this is how it also sees demons._ _[337]_ +_Nothingness is falsehood. It exists as such, having a kind of substance and_ +_person, vitality and spontaneity, form and power and movement. As such it_ +_founds and organises its kingdom. And demons are its exponents, the powers of_ +_falsehood in a thousand different forms._ _[338]_ + +Of course, this reality is always posed in tension. He wishes to cede no ground to those who + + +“boldly demythologise.” Demons cannot be ignored. But they cannot be respected as true + + +powers. Their falsehood, their nothingness should never be out of view. + + +In light of recent biblical scholarship, what is Barth’s strength? By far, Barth’s stated + + +desire for activity’s preeminence in the demonic field stands out. Biblical scholarship is quite + + +uniform on the matter; demonology itself, though frequently referenced, is a supplementary + + +theme throughout the Scriptures. Barth says well, “…the Bible only touches on this sphere at all + + +334 “We cannot deny but must soberly recognise that in all these things the demons are constantly present and active. +Fortunately the angels are also present and active. But there can be no doubt that the demons are there too, beings +which betray their nature by this fatal ‘too.’” Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 528. He even utters the +term “demonic being” two pages later. +335 Mallow, Vernon R. _The Demonic: A Selected Theological Study: An Examination into the Theology of Edwin_ +_Lewis, Karl Barth, and Paul Tillich_, Page 54. +336 Barth, Karl. _Church Dogmatics_, III, 3, Page 481. +337 Ibid, Page 524. +338 Ibid, Page 527. + + +77 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +as it shows God and His angels to be in conflict with it… it does not in the least require us to + +consider or take this sphere seriously in and for itself.” [339] This perspective floods into his idea of + + +demonic personhood. While he is completely comfortable discussing anthropology and + + +Christology with their respective ontological ramifications, demonology is not afforded the same + + +attention but is discussed with direct reference to their activity of opposition. In his demonology, + + +ontology is a concern, as he is still defending the doctrine of nothingness, but demonic + +personhood occurs more incidentally. [340] + + +This thesis then moved forward from recent biblical scholarship in order to approach and + + +integrate the multicultural context into the analysis at hand. Again, Barth’s strength flows from + + +his prioritization of the biblical material, at least with regard to demonic personhood. Thus, in a + + +European context comfortable with Bultmann’s demythological project, Barth surprisingly + + +advocates that the Scriptures assert personal perspectives toward the demonic realm. From the + + +conclusions provided in chapter three, Barth’s demonology proves fairly coherent in a + + +multicultural context, though his philosophical thought concerning nothingness and other + + +outstanding issues do cause hindrances in attaining communal unity in the Scriptures. + + +**4.3** **Karl Barth’s Weaknesses with Regard to the Personhood of the Demonic** + + +After examining biblical scholarship concerning the personhood of the demonic, the + + +problems with Barth’s demonological project are quite glaring. Karl Barth, while engaging the + + +major theological trends and questions of his time, is found to be inconsistent. While claiming a + + +demonology grounded in Scripture, his perspective in _Church Dogmatics_ rarely returns to it, + + +leaving the reader to question what scholarship and texts he entertained to construct his + + +positions. Yes, he offers biblical conclusions, as in a demonic realm that is real, active, and + + +personal, but though those demonological conclusions may fit within the larger work, they + +certainly strike as unusual in his nothingness-dominated demonology. [341] When he does directly + + +339 Ibid, Page 522. +340 While this is a strength of Barth’s, this is a noticeable flaw in Unger’s demonology. The biblical material +relegates the ontology and origin of the demonic as nearly inconsequential. Instead, we are consistently warned to +be alert because of their activities. This biblical orientation is not embraced by Unger. He argues for the reality and +origin of demons long before he directly assesses their influence and effect in the created realm. In _Biblical_ +_Demonology_, Pages 35-66 address their reality, identity, and description. Page 67 begins Unger’s analysis of +demonic activity. +341 Bromiley, Geoffrey W. _Introduction to the Theology of Karl Barth_, Page 155. + + +78 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +utilize Scripture, the Apocalypse surprisingly stands as a central text, blurring an already difficult + +subject with a difficult genre. [342] + + +Again, we turn to the topic of culture and theology. We will now highlight Barth’s + + +primary weakness in his personhood of the demonic in light of the multicultural context, but we + + +must be careful to not offer an anachronological critique. As in, when he wrote in the middle of + + +the 1900’s, could we declare that the processes of globalism and multiculturalism had begun in + + +full? How then could we admonish Barth for not taking it into account! + +As we noticed, Barth’s theological relationship to culture is not obvious. [343] As all + + +theologians do, he clearly operates within a cultural framework, but his stated desire is to be + + +directed by revelation. This sentiment and his discomfort with demonology combine to offer us + + +little interaction with cultural ramifications of his demonology. Maintaining a biblical + + +demonology, especially with regard to personhood, does inevitably lead us to various + + +confrontation and affirmation situations with the cultural information we are sociologically fed. + + +Unfortunately, this is not a concern of Barth’s, and we are left to do this task. But this weakness + + +is perhaps a strength in a multicultural context, as no particular culture is elevated to being a + + +primary interlocutor, though he does not identify and engage his own cultural presuppositions. + + +Instead, he wishes that the biblical material might speak, and it does in part. Now let us shift to + + +the strengths and weaknesses of Merrill Unger’s personhood of the demonic. + + +**4.4** **Merrill Unger’s Strengths with Regard to the Personhood of the Demonic** + + +_Biblical Demonology_ is a direct systematic attempt to compile and analyze the biblical + + +information regarding the demonic, with the hope of providing meaningful and challenging + + +application for the Christian in the world. In his endeavor to search out the demonic subject, he + + +avoids common arbitrary hermeneutical assumptions, desiring that he might remain consistent to + + +the biblical claims. The end result perhaps overwhelms the reader with references. Fidelity to + + +the biblical material and what it intended to convey, from a canonical perspective, is a clear + + +priority. He says: + + +342 Barth fails to interact with biblical scholars throughout his demonological section (angelology is a different +matter). A common, unfortunate error of some systematic theologians is the disconnection of biblical scholarship +from the formal theological enterprise. On this subject, he is a perfect example. But Unger completely contrasts +Barth’s absence of interlocuters with a persistent interaction with biblical and theological scholarship. +343 Fulljames, Peter. _God and Creation in Intercultural Theology: Dialogue between Theologies of Barth, Dickson,_ +_Pobee, Nyamiti, and Pannenberg_, Page 15. + + +79 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_… there is not a hint that Jesus or any of the New Testament writers had the_ +_slightest doubt as to the real existence of either Satan or the demons. They_ +_believed in their reality as much as in the existence of God, or of the good angels._ +_Only slight investigation is necessary to expose the extreme crudity,_ +_destructiveness, and untenability of the rationalistic and mythical view of Satan_ +_and demons. It not only jeopardizes the character and truthfulness of the Son of_ +_God himself, but challenges the authenticity and reliability of the whole Bible._ +_For if the teachings of Scripture on the subject of Satan and demons are judged_ +_mythical, any other doctrine of Holy Writ may likewise be declared mythical at_ +_the caprice of the critic, who is disposed to offset his opinions against those of the_ +_prophets, apostles, and the Lord himself._ _[344]_ + +This humble approach, wherein he sets the Scriptures above himself, dictates his approach to the + + +demonic. + + +Unger’s greatest strength is his unashamed attitude of receptivity toward the Bible. + + +Because he seeks to simply accept the text instead of reinterpreting it, his personhood of the + + +demonic, much like Barth’s, finds few enemies amongst modern biblical scholarship, though he + + +certainly has less friends in the theological realm considering how strongly he rebukes imposed + + +textual judgments which stray from the original intention of the author. With the gospels at + + +center stage, he attempts to describe the phenomena recorded, and he consequently dismisses any + +conclusion that would seek to depersonify the demonic. [345] As the previously analyzed biblical + + +scholarship mostly recognized the personal nature of the demonic confrontations in the gospels + + +and remained open to the possibility of personhood in other texts, Unger, accepting the + + +Scriptures as a canonical whole, has no problem viewing the entire demonic theme as personal + + +even when it is not explicitly revealed. + + +Again, considering that _Biblical Demonology_ was originally composed in the 1952, we + + +cannot expect Unger to fully account for the multicultural context in his demonology. But he + + +does have an eye for diversity. The near universal existence of “demonological phenomena” + +serves as an introductory context by which he begins his study. [346] Even with his clearly Western + + +background, he seeks to encounter the text in such a way that it speaks to the global experience. + + +Unger does not arrive at his biblical study of the demonic out of unusual curiosity; + + +demonology’s practicality demands that it be a subject carefully parsed. + + +344 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Pages 36-37. +345 Ibid, Page 41. +346 Ibid, Page 1. + + +80 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_Some would view the whole subject of Biblical demonology as accidental and_ +_essentially purposeless, a mere incursion of popular contemporary superstitions_ +_into the Biblical accounts. Others would trace the facts to remnants of animistic_ +_or polytheistic belief in the evolutionary process from a more primitive and_ +_cruder faith. The emptiness of such baseless naturalistic hypotheses, however, is_ +_emphasized by the eminent practicality and intrinsic purposefulness of Biblical_ +_demonology._ _[347]_ + +Of course, his work continues on to address many practical issues after constructing a biblical + + +framework for the reality, identity, origin, and activity of the demonic realm. A biblical and + + +practical response is offered in response to possession, magic, divination, necromancy, heresy, + +world governments, eschatology, and deliverance practices. [348] His reception of the biblical + + +material, with its portrayal of demons as active and personal beings, leads him to have a + + +meaningful voice in the global and multicultural context, as these are relevant issues in virtually + + +any society. + + +However, this voice, seeking to remain biblical yet inevitably colored by a Western + + +cultural lens shaped by historical expeditions into demonology, does not and cannot + + +unconsciously accept the spiritual practices of the West or the rest of the world which result from + + +a personhood of the demonic. In an attempt to relay God’s revelation into the global context, + + +Unger lets the Bible both affirm the reality of experience and challenge our response to it. This + + +disposition, which places the Bible in the seat of authority, is a profound strength in a + + +multicultural context. The Christian community ultimately coheres, not according to a + + +fluctuating set of cultural parameters, but upon the unchanging Word of God. + + +If we turn directly to the personhood of the demonic, Unger’s strength, in relationship to + + +the multicultural context, is that he accepts the reality and personhood of the demonic from the + + +biblical material and attempts to apply it in light of the global context. How could he reach a + + +mythical understanding of the demonic when the Bible does not convey it and the global context + + +does not bear it out? Believing that demonization is directly or indirectly caused by demons, he + + +will not ignore: + + +347 Ibid, Page 25. +348 After arriving at the conclusion that the demonic realm is personal, we should not dismiss the contributions of +Migliore ( _The Power of God and the gods of Power_ ) and Wink ( _Engaging the Powers_ ). Rather, the demonic’s +relationship to power, especially human government, is left as a subject requiring even further engagement. Unger +says, “In every age of human history and in every phase of daily life demons have played a tremendous and very +important role. In no realm is their activity more significant than in the sphere of human government. In this area +possibly more than in any other field of their operation their activity has frequently not been clearly discerned or +even partially understood.” Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 181. + + +81 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +_Cases both of spontaneous or involuntary and voluntary possession are_ +_practically universal in extent, there being no quarter of the globe where such_ +_phenomena have not been authenticated nor any class or society, primitive or_ +_civilized, where they have not occurred, nor any period, ancient, or medieval, or_ +_modern, in which cases cannot be cited._ _[349]_ + + +Unger sees this context, and since God has revealed Himself in such a way that offers victory + + +over the personal and malevolent spirit world, he proclaims that God’s truth be received and + + +trumpeted. + + +**4.5** **Merrill Unger’s Weaknesses with Regard to the Personhood of the Demonic** + + +As we cast a glance upon the primary weaknesses of Unger’s personhood of the demonic, + + +it is likely that the reader has already noticed them as they were exposed throughout this thesis. + + +Unger’s relationship to recent biblical scholarship is fairly amicable. As an Old Testament + + +scholar with a PhD in Semitics and Biblical Archeology, his respect for the Word of God is + + +evident. But blind spots do crop up. He does not incorporate the progressive nature of + + +revelation into his analysis of the demonic, and the vaguenesses of the Old Testament witness + + +concerning the spirit world are not discussed at length. Indeed, this seems to avoid scrutiny due + + +to his canonical hermeneutic wherein the New Testament grants luciferous insights, which + +reveals a fuller understanding of the Old Testament. [350] While this thesis does not desire to + + +undermine the centrality of canonical hermeneutics in the Christian religion, the progression of + + +demonology (and especially personhood) throughout the biblical text does demand interaction + + +and assessment. + + +As a brief aside concerning the progression of demonological thought in the Scriptures, + + +speculation regarding the transmission of ANE thought to Hebrew theology is commonplace in + + +contemporary scholarship. In reference to Zoroastrianism’s influence in the ancient world, G. J. + + +Riley says, “Circles within Judaism used [the Zoroastrian demonological] framework to revalue + + +older myths and produced after the Exile the dualistic strains of Judaism visible in post-exilic + + +349 Ibid, Page 84. Unger’s inherently ethnocentric understanding of culture and “civilization” permeates this +statement, yet it should sadly be recognized that his perspective was not uncommon at the time of his writing. He +cites T. K. Oesterreich’s _Possession, Demoniacal and Other among Primitive Races in Antiquity, the Middle Ages,_ +_and Modern Times_ (New York: R. Long and R. Smith, Inc., 1930. Pages 131-380) to support his argument. +350 Ibid, Pages 15-16. In this section, he is building a biblical understanding of Satan. His interpretation of the Old +Testament texts hinges upon the presence of the New Testament. + + +82 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +and intertestamental literature and in Christianity.” [351] Yes, an increase in flamboyant + + +demonological literature, such as the book of Enoch, does surface especially in the + + +intertestamental period, which may have been influenced by such currents. But those + + +superstitious works bear little in common with the biblical material, in both the Old and New + +Testaments. [352] As an Old Testament scholar, Unger notes, “Even Jewish demonology, in spite of + + +the chaste and lofty example of the Old Testament Scriptures, has by the time of our Lord + + +degenerated into a system of almost incredible and fanciful superstition, in sharp contrast to both + +Old and New Testament teaching.” [353] It should also be considered that while similarities in + + +terms and categories may be worthy of study, conclusions which directly assert cause + + +(Zoroastrian dualism) and effect (post-exilic Hebrew demonology) are ultimately speculative. + + +Thus, in the midst of such speculation which overtly overlooks the revelatory nature of the + + +Scriptures, this thesis posits that we should instead place our focus upon our remarkable canon of + + +sixty-six works, which elucidates an unusually unadorned and perspicuous demonology. + + +Unger’s emphasis is clearly upon the text, but not engaging with the demonological progression + + +in the biblical material is a noticeable omission. + + +Unger’s personhood of the demonic in light of the growing multicultural context also has + + +its problems as well. The most prominent is that he fails to state and account for his own cultural + + +influences as he attempts to present a truly biblical and personal demonology. This lack of self + +analysis leads Unger to one of the frequent errors of his time: an archaic idea of culture and the + +preeminence of Western culture as true “civilization.” [354] + + +This lack of reflection is particularly prominent when he discusses “The Character of + +Ethnic Demonology” in chapter three. [355] He systematically contrasts the revelation of God – the + + +“true and thoroughly reliable… criterion of appraisal” – with the briefly sketched demonological + +thoughts of numerous cultures. [356] Yet as he rightly critiques others, he does not pose the + + +possibility that his own presentation of a biblical demonology, with its blunt acceptance of a + + +demonic personhood, may be shaded by his cultural relationship to the topic. On top of this + + +351 Riley, G. C. “Demon” in _The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (DDD)_, Page 238. +352 Is there a spot in the biblical text which definitively asserts a dualistic cosmology? In the Old and New +Testaments, Satan and his demons are consistently portrayed as underlings, subservient to God’s sovereignty and +unable to persist in thwarting God’s power. All spirits appear to be under His control. +353 Unger, Merrill. _Biblical Demonology_, Page 4. +354 Ibid, Page 1. +355 Ibid, Pages 29-32. +356 Ibid, Page 29. + + +83 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +problem, a more substantial response to mythology, demythologization, and symbolism is + + +noticeably absent. Understanding culture more broadly, these academic enterprises might + + +perhaps deserve to be placed under his survey of “ethnic demonology,” but instead, these + +subjects barely garner a few paragraphs. [357] But what conclusions can we discern from our + + +assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Barth and Unger’s demonic personhoods? + + +**4.6** **Conclusion** + + +On a whole, Barth and Unger are left relatively unscathed and largely affirmed by + + +contemporary scholarship in their reading of the biblical material concerning the personhood of + + +the demonic. The biblical scholarship often implicates that the textual intention is to convey a + + +personal demonic ontology. While not overwhelmingly supported, Barth and Unger’s + + +theological conclusions from the text are, at least, vindicated as valid. Of course, while the text + + +seems to indicate demonic personhood, many choose to impose demythological methodologies, + + +but this interpretive endeavor is not supplied or supported from Scripture. In no way should we + + +misconstrue Barth and Unger’s position as unbiblical. + + +Furthermore, Barth and Unger’s theology of demonic personhood stands up well in a + + +multicultural context. While their unreflective perspective toward culture does create significant + + +blind spots, their overwhelming desire to focus upon the biblical texts and to found their + + +demonologies upon those texts results in a surprising level of unity regarding the personhood of + + +the demonic. This is a remarkable event considering Barth and Unger’s divergent contexts. But + + +this biblical emphasis translates well into the multicultural context, wherein we can bring our + + +cultural backgrounds, sit at the feet of God’s Word, be united together, and transformed in our + + +cultural perspectives. + + +As we conclude this thesis, we must finally turn to the natural conclusions of accepting + + +the reality and language of demonic personhood. What theological consequences are there? + + +What practical ramifications occur? How can we further study and further equip the church on + + +this issue? + + +357 Ibid, Page 90. + + +84 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**5.** **Conclusion and Suggestions for Further Study** + + +**5.1** **Introduction** + + +In chapter one, we surveyed the demonological contributions of Karl Barth in _Church_ + + +_Dogmatics_ and Merrill Unger in _Biblical Demonology_ . We posed the question of whether or not + + +they advocated for an impersonal or personal perspective toward the demonic. Though + + +surrounded and crafted by widely differing theological contexts, they both opted to convey the + + +reality of demons through personal indicators, as they both desired to remain faithful to the + + +revelatory language of the Bible. + + +This led us to chapter two, wherein we investigated if the biblical witness, as shown + + +through contemporary scholarship, indicated and validated a demonic which is personal. While + + +we did encounter a progressive introduction of demonic personhood throughout the biblical text, + + +many scholars advocated that the texts which referenced the demonic contained personal + + +references. Barth and Unger’s reading of the biblical material was found to be remarkably valid. + + +Cultural context’s input into the topic was presented in chapter three. After outlining + + +culture and the rise of multiculturalism, we assessed the cultural perspectives of Barth and + + +Unger. Employing a host of African sources, we engaged the plausibility of a personhood of the + + +demonic in a multicultural context. This thesis asserted that Christian cohesion in a diverse + + +community is forged through biblical fidelity and that fidelity results in affirmation, correction, + + +and transformation of every culture represented. From this instruction, we concluded that Barth + + +and Unger’s acceptance of the biblical language of a personal demonic realm was appropriate, + + +especially in a multicultural setting. + + +Chapter four then asked analytical questions concerning Barth and Unger’s personhood + + +of the demonic. We assessed their strengths and weakness with regard to the previously + + +provided input of recent biblical scholarship and the multicultural context. While numerous + + +flaws were uncovered, both theologians were deemed proficient, as they both operated using + + +personal references to the demonic due to their biblical perspective, which grants theological + + +strength and unity to the multicultural Christian community. + + +Finally, in response to these four chapters, we must now ask, “What are the consequences + + +of accepting a demonology with personhood?” The range of responses is evident. On one hand, + + +Barth prefers to theologically demythologize the subject, and on the other hand, Unger offers + + +85 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +numerous applications, spilling into his other works in the demonological field. But how will we + + +respond? The theological and practical complications could be discussed at great length, + + +requiring their own thesis! In that light, suggestions for further research will be suggested. Let + + +us begin with the theological ramifications of integrating a demonic personhood into our + + +theological structures. + + +**5.2** **Theological Consequences of a Personhood of the Demonic** + + +No theological enterprise should be performed in isolation. A systematic study, such as + + +this one, cannot be left to stand alone. Can we pursue a consistent and inter-related theological + + +perspective in order that we can present a cohesive and consistent Christianity, before a watching + + +world and church? With that question in mind, what theological ramifications stem from + + +accepting a personhood of the demonic in our systematics? Here are three suggested fields for + + +reevaluation. + + +If we accept that the extant narratives of the gospels truly depict our Savior expelling + + +demonic persons from the demonized, our Christological efforts ought to reflect those realities. + + +While the primary biblical motifs of Christ the Prophet, Priest, and King should not be + + +supplanted, Christ the Exorcist should be integrated as a subsidiary motif. Diane Stinton, in her + + +work _Jesus of Africa: Voices of Contemporary African Christology_, researched the prevalence of + + +particular Christological titles. In the study of “Jesus as liberator,” she found that a common + + +sentiment was, in the words of interviewed clergyman Abraham Akrong, “I think he’s liberator + + +only in the sense of the one who liberates us from demons and witches but not in terms of social, + +political liberation.” [358] She later concluded, “Analysis of the oral Christologies reveals almost + + +unanimous assent to the image of Jesus as liberator, with interpretations generally favoring + +personal and spiritual dimensions such as deliverance from sin, fear, and evil powers.” [359] This + + +common perspective merits further systematic emphasis and investigation in light of a personal + + +demonic. + + +Theologies of personhood also need to be widely reevaluated. Throughout this study, we + + +have rejected that personhood is merely the result of a certain attribute of communicative ability, + + +intellectual capacity, or social designation. Yes, they are valuable indicators, but they serve to + + +358 Stinton, Diane B. _Jesus of Africa: Voices of Contemporary African Christology_, Page 209. +359 Ibid, Page 213. + + +86 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +identify what already exists with or without them. Concerning humanity, a person is a person + + +because God created them as one. In the case of the demonic, we only observe the results of + + +personhood (will, intellect, emotion, and social hierarchy/relationship) sketched by divine + + +revelation in personal terms, with no biblical creation account included for further clarity. + + +Reorienting our personhood studies around the ultimate Person would be a logical step. Before + + +He created, God was the only Person; a Person in a far greater sense than we can ever convey or + + +articulate. The created spirit realm and humanity bear personhood, not because of empirical and + + +sociological signs but because of our Father’s gracious act of creation. While other insights are + + +valuable, a divine perspective is primary. + + +As a subject of critical study, demonology, by far, bears the strongest relationship with + + +soteriology, regardless of whether the demonology in question espouses an impersonal or + + +personal demonic. Works like Gustaf Aulén’s _Christus Victor_ have championed this strong + +tie. [360] But how does a personal demonic realm affect this association? It adds a level of + + +tangibility to redemption. Yes, the sins which we exhibit everyday have been addressed by the + + +work of Christ. These are performed by every person everywhere, even now, but as the author of + + +Hebrews argues, Christ is the sufficient sacrifice and high priest to satisfy the wages of such + + +behavior. And yes, Christ has dramatically reshaped our affiliation with the world – the patterns, + + +goals, and practices developed by its inhabitants. And yes, Christ has rescued us, ransomed us + + +from the hateful grip of Satan and his servants. Our salvation is never amorphous. We are saved + + +from the wrath of the ultimate Person, from the sinful patterns of a world of persons, from the + + +unsatisfying desires of our own person, and from the schemes of a largely unseen realm of + + +malevolent persons. All of this is not accomplished by a moral code, a sacrificed animal, or an + + +intellectual paradigm but the compassionate action of the person Jesus Christ. Thus, our + + +salvation is plausible, tangible, and consistent. But this consistency is not as clear unless we + + +maintain the personhood of the demonic. In that light, it may prove beneficial to reassess + + +soteriology as a personal subject. + + +360 Aulén, Gustaf. _Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of the Atonement._ +Pages 47-55 especially illuminate the relationship of Satan and salvation. Sadly, his focus primarily rests upon +Satan himself, not the wider idea of the demonic. + + +87 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**5.3** **Practical Consequences of a Personhood of the Demonic** + + +Too often, we engage in theological pursuits with little to no relationship to the practical + + +realm, to the detriment of the church’s health and the gospel’s spread. Intellectual stimulation + + +and even self-gratification can be our theological ends. The hope is that even this thesis could + + +largely remain accessible to the church and beneficial for its nourishment. With that in mind, we + + +will draw some specific outworkings of a demonic personhood in the ecclesiological context. + + +One group has affirmed, with near universality, the personal nature of the demonic. So + + +then, what must we do with the testimony and instruction of exorcists and deliverance + + +practitioners? Should their empirical contributions be dismissed? While empiricism is a flawed + + +system because as an inherently naturalistic process it cannot fully account for spiritual factors, + + +the observations and testimonies of personal encounters similar to the biblical witness should be + + +evaluated. Theologians such as J. Janse van Rensburg argue strongly for the relevance and value + + +of empirical research, advocating and participating in qualitative studies into deliverance + + +ministries. + + +Throughout the history of the church, godly men have detailed their personal + + +confrontations with the demonic. Among the church fathers, the accounts are numerous. + + +Tertullian writes, “For God, Creator of the universe, has no need of odours or of blood. These + + +things are the food of devils. But we not only reject those wicked spirits: we overcome them; we + + +daily hold them up to contempt; we exorcise them from their victims, as multitudes can + +testify.” [361] Irenaeus was more than comfortable concluding that a “whom” had demonized the + +ancient heretic Marcus. [362] The so-called ministry of the “Holy Spirit” through a demonized + + +woman is discussed by Firmilian in his letter to Cyprian, wherein her deceptions with the aid of + +at least one demon and her subsequent deliverance by a Christian exorcist are recounted. [363] A + + +compilation of the early Christian demonological accounts would be a vast undertaking! But + + +cataloging the sheer number of contemporary reports would also prove difficult. + + +361 Tertullian, “To Scapula: Chapter 2” in _Ante-Nicene Fathers_, Volume 3, PC Study Bible formatted electronic +database. +362 Irenaeus, “Against Heresies: The Deceitful Arts and Nefarious Practices of Marcus” in _Ante-Nicene Fathers_, +Volume 1, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database. +363 Cyprian, “Epistle 74 – Firmilian to Cyprian: Chapter 10” in _Ante-Nicene Fathers_, Volume 5, PC Study Bible +formatted electronic database. + + +88 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +Within the past century, numerous deliverance specialists have recorded empirical + +offerings on this matter. [364] Kurt Koch, the late German theologian, controversially discussed + + +hundreds of cases of apparently occultic and demonic activities, describing a demonic realm + +which is profoundly personal. [365] In a straightforward manner, van Rensberg recounts the + + +ministry of André O’Kennedy, a Dutch Reformed Minister, who conversed in Afrikaans with a + +demon who dwelled in a man who could not speak that language. [366] Others, such as Karl Payne, + + +have sought to not only document the variety of demonic attacks but also to train leaders and + + +laypersons to systematically utilize biblical principles with restraint and courage, when + +necessary. [367] Even Dr. Ed Murphy, from a Pentecostal background, directs readers of his + + +_Handbook for Spiritual Warfare_ to lead deliverance sessions which keep spirits silent, avoiding + +confusion and unnecessary clamor. [368] All of these practitioners and others are responding to the + + +same phenomena – the apparent acts of unseen malevolent persons. Can we dismiss their input + + +and perspective in light of the work of Christ, Paul, Steven, and others? + + +Can we also concede our past errors, as a Christian community, in this regard? Aversion + + +and skepticism toward this topic may be the result of Christianity’s unfortunate treatment of the + + +demonic in the past. Satan and his compatriots have been sensationalized by authors like Danté, + + +and they have been misconstrued as being far more powerful than they actually are. Erwin + + +Lutzer corrects this notion saying, “…although Lucifer rebelled that he might no longer be God’s + + +364 Only a limited number of examples are included for the sake of brevity. Opponents to the reality of the demonic +admit that empirical evidence may arise in opposition to their position. “Could demons perhaps be written off on +the basis of empirical motives? This is a problematic argument, for our experience of ‘empirical facts’ is +codetermined by a normative world-picture: Proponents of the view that demons exist will probably have empirical +arguments of their own. Therefore, we shall have to provide good argumentative justification for maintaining the +normativeness of the modern world-picture as far as scepticism about demons is concerned. This could be done by +pointing to the achievements of modern science after 1600. The rejection of demonology is part of the broader +development: Today, we have _better, more successful_ explanatory theories at hand, namely psychiatric categories. +However, this argument would hardly impress the opponent, for in his view, it is precisely natural science that has a +blind spot for these kinds of realities.” Labooy, Guus. _Freedom and Dispositions_, Page 277. +365 Probably his two most famous works are _Occult ABC_ and _Christian Counseling and Occultism_ . As for instances +of personal encounters, they are numerous, but one extreme instance is found in _Occultism ABC_, pages 304-305. +366 Van Rensberg, J. Janse. “A Qualitative Investigation into the So-Called Ministry of Deliverance” in _In die_ +_Skriflig_ 44 (3 & 4), 2010, Page 689-690. +367 Payne, Karl I. _Spiritual Warfare: Christians, Demonization, and Deliverance_ . Chapter two contains a pair of +more obvious instances of demons acting as individual persons within a human host, but this is far from Karl +Payne’s emphasis. He is primarily concerned with the contemporary church’s laxity toward the nuanced advances +of the enemy against the laity. He says on page 135, “Demonic warfare is usually a battle of mental subtleties and +deception that more often than not focuses upon growing Christians.” +368 Murphy, Ed. _The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare_, Pages 595-599. Dr. Murphy’s work is perhaps the most +thorough presentation of theological and practical insights regarding the demonic, utilizing a plethora of first hand +experiences and biblical references. + + +89 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +servant, he still is.” [369] God’s sovereignty has not been subverted; His children need not fear the + + +unseen, unnecessarily avoid the biblical identifiers of personhood, or glamorize the church’s + + +ministries against the demonic. From the scholarship we assessed, the realm of the demons, with + + +their described personhood and activities, is a simple truth of God’s revelation, depicted to bring + + +glory not to the conquered but the Conqueror – Jesus Christ. + + +Finally, if we accept the revelatory commitment that demons are defined as personal + + +beings which interact within the visible world we inhabit, then our pastoral and counseling care + + +should account for their impact like any other factor. Unger comments: + + +_Because demons are spirit personalities, they can act upon and influence man’s_ +_body and mind. Counselors, parapsychologists, and psychiatrists who deny or_ +_ignore this sphere of reality render themselves unequipped to deal with patients_ +_who may be suffering from occult oppression and subjection..._ _[370]_ + +Hence, contributions such as the Resources for Christian Counseling series which includes an + +entire volume entitled _Counseling and the Demonic_ should perhaps be further utilized. [371] + + +Rodger Bufford’s balanced perspective dictates stringent diagnostic standards and an aversion + + +toward one-size-fits-all deliverance activities, instead suggesting multiple spiritual intervention + + +methods of which “exorcism” is simply one. In sum, Bufford, Payne, and others offer tangible + +steps, which could be carefully introduced in pastoral circles. [372] Hopefully this would blunt the + +prevalence of pastoral silence toward occultism and its victims. [373] + + +369 Lutzer, Erwin W. _The Serpent of Paradise: The Incredible Story of How Satan’s Rebellion Serves God’s_ +_Purposes_, Page 21. +370 Unger, Merrill. _Demons in the World Today_, Page 23. +371 Bufford has an extraordinarily clinical and restrained approach toward the issue. In his introduction, he +describes his work as “Biblical accounts of demonism and the work of Satan and his agents are compared and +contrasted with the American Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R). After defining the problem and setting it in +context, biblical principles for dealing with demonism are addressed along with practical suggestions from +psychology and counseling. Examples from the counseling office are given to illustrate various approaches.” +Bufford, Rodger K. _Counseling and the Demonic_, Page 13. +372 Anderson, Neil T. and Timothy M. Warner. _The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare_ . Beyond the necessity of +equipping leadership, Anderson and Warner penned this work so that laypersons could be equipped to properly +evaluate their relationship with the flesh, the world, and the enemy. This brief book contains a particularly +insightful yet accessible chapter (3) concerning the inadequacy of the Western worldview and the importance of +acquiring a biblical one. +373 Van Rensburg, J. Janse. “A Qualitative Investigation into the So-Called Ministry of Deliverance” in _In die_ +_Skriflig_ 44 (3 & 4), 2010, Page 691. + + +90 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**5.4** **Suggestions for Further Study** + + +Without a doubt, as one ponders on demonic personhood as evidenced throughout Barth + + +and Unger’s writings, questions inevitably arise. On theological and practical levels, this subject + + +is far from exhausted. Beneficial insight and research are yet to be obtained. With the + + +contribution of this thesis in mind, let us examine a few areas which merit further investigation. + + +First, as this thesis analyzed Barth’s _Church Dogmatics_ and Unger’s _Biblical_ + + +_Demonology_, plenty of critical works reviewing Barth’s theology were available, but when the + + +focus was narrowed to the field of demonology, only Vernon Mallow, who grouped Barth with + + +two other theologians for his analysis, took a specific and sizeable look at the demonic. The + + +situation was even worse when the study turned to Unger, as lengthy critiques on American + + +Evangelical demonology were noticeably absent. A contemporary analytical work or series on + + +the spectrum of demonologies in the past and present of the broader Christian community would + + +appear to be a distinct need. + + +Obviously, while this thesis undertook the theme of demonic personhood in Barth and + + +Unger, angelology could easily undergo the same examination. The study would be fairly + + +straightforward as well. As Barth provides far more content concerning angels than demons, + + +more material would be available for assessment. Since Unger does not contribute to the field of + + +angelology in any substantial way, he could easily be swapped out for another Evangelical + + +composition such as _Angels: Elect and Evil_ by C. Fred Dickason. + + +A completely original work on the personhood of the angelic/demonic realm would also + + +be appropriate. Founded upon revelatory data, supported by cultural information from around + + +the world, supplied with specialists’ observations, informed by the numerous historical + + +traditions; an academic and systematic work of such magnitude would no doubt serve as a + + +starting point for numerous other studies. But while personhood is a major topic in anthropology + + +and theology proper, it remains an underdeveloped theme with regard to biblical intermediaries. + + +Finally, upon the composition of a demonology which utilizes personal indicators, the + + +results remain somewhat similar to early Christianity’s understanding of the demonic realm. + + +With the academic trends for the past decades mostly modeling an impersonal demonic, perhaps + + +this has forged a wedge of disassociation with the demonology and the context of the early + + +church. Thus, an academic recovery and critique of ancient demonology would naturally follow + + +after asserting a demonic personhood. Recognizing the presence of Greek philosophical and + + +91 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +ontological underpinnings, an unwavering fidelity to biblical commitments and priorities would + +be essential. [374] + + +**5.5** **Conclusion** + + +The theological area selected for this thesis, demonic personhood in the writings of Karl + + +Barth and Merrill Unger, was not chosen at random or upon the whim of a passing curiosity. As + + +this chapter hopefully demonstrates, the topic is not without its implications and further + + +questions. This brief section began by noting some theological results of maintaining a personal + + +demonic like Barth and Unger. Our Christology needs to be more obvious and personal in + + +accounting for Christ’s role as an exorcist. Personhood studies need to be more theological than + + +anthropological in nature; if not, the idea of a personhood of the demonic will be likely ushered + + +away from serious thought and consideration. Finally, soteriology is reshaped as a consistently + + +personal process. + + +We also considered a few practical and pastoral consequences. First, we engaged the + + +relevance and value of historical and contemporary observations regarding the demonic, + + +especially in personal manifestations. We followed this strand of thought to its end - the + + +reintegration of biblical and empirical studies on the demonic into our pastoral and counseling + + +practices. + + +In conclusion, we suggested a few areas which require further study. Academic, + + +analytical studies into demonology are very much in need. Evangelical demonology as a whole + + +lacked significant critiques with which this thesis could interact. Also, a near repetition of this + + +study for the subject of angels in Barth and others would also address more personhood + + +questions which were left mostly untouched. After this, we also outlined the need, in light of a + + +demonic personhood, to revisit the demonology of the early church in order that their theological + + +wealth might instruct and their theological errors might warn. + + +374 A suitable starting point for a historical study would be Everett Ferguson’s _Demonology of the Early Christian_ +_World_ . His incredible research distinguishes the biblical perspective on demonology from the prevalent Jewish and +Greek teachings on the subject. But he does not intentionally develop or critique their relationship with modern +demonology. + + +92 + + +Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za + + +**Bibliography** + + +Alexander, T. Desmond., Brian S. Rosner, D. A. Carson, and Graeme Goldsworthy, eds. _New_ + +_Dictionary of Biblical Theology_ . Leicester, England: InterVarsity, 2000. + + +Allen, Clifton J., ed. _The Broadman Bible Commentary_ . Vol. 8. 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Leiden: Brill, 1999. + + +Van, Niekerk E. _Methodological Aspects in Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics_ . Pretoria: University + +of South Africa, 1984. + + +Ward, Graham. _Barth, Derrida and the Language of Theology_ . Cambridge: Cambridge UP, + +1995. + + +Webster, J. B. _The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth_ . Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. + + +Wilson, R. McL. _Colossians and Philemon_ . London: T&T Clark, 2005. + + +Wink, Walter. _Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination_ . + +Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1992. + + +Wink, Walter. _Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament_ . Philadelphia, + +PA: Fortress, 1984. + + +Wylie-Kellermann, Bill. “Not Vice Versa. Reading the Powers Biblically: Stringfellow, + +Hermeneutics, and the Principalities.” _Anglican Theological Review_ LXXXI.4 (1999): +665-82. + + +99 + + diff --git a/md/Spiritism and the Fallen Angels in the Light of the Old and New Testaments.md b/md/Spiritism and the Fallen Angels in the Light of the Old and New Testaments.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b8c7854 --- /dev/null +++ b/md/Spiritism and the Fallen Angels in the Light of the Old and New Testaments.md @@ -0,0 +1,7014 @@ +# Spiritism and the Fallen Angels in the Light of the Old and New Testaments + +> Source: `Spiritism and the Fallen Angels in the Light of the Old and New Testaments.pdf` + +--- + +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +in the light of the +Old and New Testaments +_ +BY +r -~-' +_IAMES M. §iRAY, +D.D. +Deon of the Moody Bib! Inxtitute of Chicago +Author of "Synthetic Bible Studies," "The Christian Worke/J +Commentary," "A +Text +Book +on Prophecy," +"The +Antidote +to +Christian +Science," +"Progress +in +the +Life +to +Come," +"Bible +Problems +Explained," +etc. +I.. +bhw"hnx +Cnmmm +Fleming H. Revell Company +Lennon +Ann +Enxxnuncn +Q". +~ +_ +iw 1.3 + +----- + +l. +Copyright, 192), by +FLEHING H. REVELL COMPANY +_ +'in +. +;__ +~ +' umm +PULLS LLERARY + 825926 +K +'fl +L. +_ +A°'1`O!'K +1. +|ox .mo +TILULN bu 'WU.'L`LON' +18;O +Printed in the United State: of America +New +York: +158 +Fifth +Avenue +Chicago: +I7 North Wabash Ave. +London: +21 +Paternoster +Square +Edinburgh: +75 +'Princes +Street + +----- + +I. +II. +III. +IV. +V. +VI. +VII. +VIII. +IX +X +XI +XII +CONTENTS +THE NEW ATTACK OI-' SPIRITUAL- +ISM AND HOW TO MEET IT +. +THE MODERN HISTORY OF SPIRIT- +ISM +...... +SATAN, +OR +SPIRITISM +AT +ITS +SOURCE +.... +ANGELS AND DEMONS, OR SPIRIT- +ISM,S PERSONNEL +. +. +. +SPIRITISM BEFORE THE FLOOD +.., +"SONS +OF +GOD" +MARRYING +THE +"DAUGHTERS +OF MEN" +. +ABOMINATIONS +OF +THE +CANAAN- +ITES +...... +SPIRITISM IN ISRAEL AND JUDAH +. +EARLY +CHRISTIANITY +AND +THE +BLACK ART +.... +TEACHING +OF +THE +APOSTOLIC +EPISTLES +..... +TEACHING +OI-' +THE +GENERAL +EPISTLES +..... +TEACHING OF THE APOCALYPSE +. +9 +I6 +27 +39 +46 +57 +66 +80 +90 +IOz +II9 +135 + +----- + + + +----- + +I. +THE NEW ATTACK OF SPIRITUALISM +AND HOW TO MEET IT +I +F writing books on`Spiritualism in these +days there is no end. But with a single ex- +ception, and that rather inadequate in its +treatment of the subject, we have found none to +put into the hands of +a Christian desirous of +learning how to meet and deal with this error +'from an all round Biblical point of view. +Some were too technical, +some too bulky and +expensive and some so mixed with other error as +to be impossible to recommend. +Not a few were written by those who were we1l~ +informed on the scientific phases of Spiritualism, +the findings of the Society of Psychical Research +or the doings of mediums and seances, but whose +authors appeared either ignorant of or indifferent +to the Bible, which to the Christian, of course, +holds the first place and is of final authority. +Some of the writers were of the novelist type +like Sir A. Conan Doyle, Basil King or Booth +Tarkington, and antagonistic to Christianity con- +sidering it +a confirmed failure. +These referred +to the Bible to ridicule its teachings or to wrest +9 + +----- + +10 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +their meaning into conformity with their +own +views, being convinced, as one of them said, that +Spiritualism is "not only a new religion but the +coming religion." +We intended to briclly analyze some of' these +books for the sake of the warning they contain, +but this has been +so well done by the Sunday +School Times in the +case of Basil King's +"The +dbolishing of Death," that we take the liberty to +quote. +The +reviewer +confesses +the +masterful +character of the work and the fact that it intelli- +gently recognizes the fundamentals of the Chris- +tian faith, but, as he adds, it just as intelligently +rejects them: +"The unique inspiration of the Bible is rejected. +The finality of the Bible's +message, as a complete revela- +tion from God for all men for this life, is rejected. +The unique deity of Christ is rejected. +The necessity for the blood atonement of Christ is rejected. +The existence and reality of sin are rejected. +God's +word that some men will be lost and some will be +saved is rejected. +The reality of death is rejected. +The need of faith in Christ as Saviour as a condition of +etemal life is rejected. +God's +word as to hell, or the second death, is rejected. +The lines between sin and holiness are obliterated. +And the divinity of all mea, which the Bible denies, is +declared." +I1 +It is astonishing and saddening too, +to read +some of the arguments advanced in books and + +----- + +New Attack of Spiritualism +11 +other writings on this subject, by Christian min- +isters, in their efforts to dissuade their flocks from +following these false shepherds. +One wams them to beware of the medieval sys- +tem of demonology, which on further investiga- +tion turns out to mean really Bible demonology. +He would have his ministerial brethren also deny +absolutely that +a medium +can receive communi- +cations from another world, because, he adds, +"this would make it inconsistent to suggest that +their communications were from evil spirits!" +It +seems almost impossible that such +a +man +ever +could have consulted his Bible except as he goes +to a book of familiar quotations to select a text. +That mediums can receive communications from +another world there is no doubt, nor°is there any +doubt that their' communications +are from evil +spirits, for the Bible confirms both propositions. +That is not to say, however, that all mediums re- +ceive such communications, nor that any medium +receives them in every case, there are frauds per- +petrated +as every one knows; but in principle it +is as. foolish to deny this as it is for an ostrich to +hide its head in the sand and suppose that it|can +not be seen. +Another expresses the opinion that it is per- +fectly natural to seek communion with those we +have loved and who have passed beyond, and that +there is no reason why we should not talk with +them if they are near to us; but advises against + +----- + +12 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +it because "the +means of communication and the +machinery of contact is as yet so imperfect l" +In +other words, as soon as scientists have perfected +the apparatus, communications between the living +and the +dead. may be popularized, +not merely +without harm to any but with positive benefit to +all. +It is like the aeroplane which will soon lose +its interest for sportsmen and scientists and be- +come a common carrier. +'Strange to say, this last opinion is from a writer +of the Evangelical type apparently, for he goes on +to say that while such intercourse with the dead +would be a great comfort and a renewed assurance +of the persistence of life after death, yet after +all that is not religion. +"Religion," +he truly wit- +nesses, "is the consciousness of God, the sense of +redemption from sin through Jesus Christ, joy +and peace in the Holy Ghost, service of the world, +and love and tenderness for all mankind." +One +wonders that a man +so intelligent in the Gospel +could possibly be led into folly of this kind and +into such gross contradiction of the Bible. +It may +be natural enough for us to seek communion with +our departed, but the +reason +we should refrain +from it is because God has forbidden it. +What +further do we need? +Perhaps as confusing as anything we have seen +was +a review of four new books, in +an English +evangelical periodical, in which the +claim-s +and +teachings of Spiritualism were weighed in the bal~ + +----- + +New Attack of Spiritualism +13 +ance and found wanting, and as to which the re- +viewer said he heartily commended them all. +Two +of these books were thoroughly sound and Biblical +in their contention, but one of the others was that +referred to above +as containing the theory that +mediums could have no intercourse with demons, +and the fourth advocated, as an oliset to Spiritual- +ism, that Christians give more diligence in inter- +cession of the saints and prayers for the dead! +The reviewer would explain his inconsistency +doubtless, by the circumstance that all agreed in +teaching that between Spiritualism and Christian- +ity there was +no aiinity. +Nevertheless, if such +lack of discrimination were everywhere, we could +well appreciate the remark of another English- +man that "the word 'Christianity' +has undergone +such enlargement that I scarcely know what it +means when I see it." +_ +III +Speaking further of the inability and lack of +Biblical knowledge in dealing with this subject on +the part of some who ought to be 'teachers +in +Israel', +it recalls the situation when Christian Sci- +ence first raised its head +as +an avowed rival of +the Church and when, as a result, the ministry was +thrown into a panic. +And by the way, the editor of Christian Work +on his +return from England not long since, +re- +ported that now +one seldom heard Christian Sci- + +----- + +14 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +ence referred to there. +The war, he said, had +dissipated all illusions +as to the non-existence of +evil, and to quote his words, "men who have been +buried under +a shower of legs, arms, heads and +mutilated trunks of human bodies falling all about +them do not make easy converts to that faith. +But +everybody is talking about Spiritualism," +he went +on to say, "and spiritualistic meetings are being +held all over the country, and there are seances on +every street. +So alarmed have the churches be- +come that the preachers +are delivering +sermons +regarding it, and the religious press is printing +weekly editorials." +It was the +same in this country and especially +in and around Boston, Where the present writer +lived in the early eighties, which saw the rise and +development of Mrs. Eddy's +delusion. +Of course +it was the proper thing to deliver sermons and +write +editorials +against it if only they +aimed +straight and used the right ammunition; but pas- +tors and church committees, not a few, were ready +to capitulate or compromise after the first +cam- +paign, and to admit the validity of Christian Sci- +ence as a church and grant letters dimissory to it. +We remember that Dr. A. Gordon was pro- +claimed a saviour when, in an issue of the Congre- +gationalist of April I 885, he contributed an article, +later circulated by the thousands in leaflet form, +entitled, "Christian +Science Tested by Scripture." +Everybody thought Scripture should be recognized + +----- + +New Attack of Spiritualism +15 +in the premises and that its dictum would settle the +matter at least for believers, but until Dr. Gordon +rose up to say the word, no one else seemed able +or willing to go about it. +History is repeating itself, but while many like +the Hebrews with Saul at Gilgal, are going "over +jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead," not a few +are remaining true and with trumpets of no un- +certain +sound +proclaiming +a +"Thus +saith +the +Lord." +We are happy to join their number, and at the +request of our publisher, to do what we can in the +chapters of this book to aid Christians in under- +standing and meeting the error of Spiritualism from +the Bible point of view. + +----- + +II +THE MODERN HISTORY OF SPIRITISM +I +PIRITUALISM at its source is older than +man, but we have no intention of tracing it +to its source just now, that will come later. +At the moment we wish to deal with it only for +the period of time during which it has been known +by its present name. +And yet its present name is not the best because +it has too wide an application. +At one time "Spir- +itualism" +was used to designate the doctrines and +religious life of mystics like _Iacob Bohme and +Madame Guyon who tried to live consecrated lives +subject to the Holy Spirit, and in obedience to the +Word of God. +_ +As a French investigator put it, "spiritualism is +the opposite of materialism. +Whoever believes he +has something within him distinguished from mat- +ter is a spiritualist," in which sense, of course, all +true Christians are spiritualists, though it does not +follow that they practice +communications with +spirits of an invisible world. +16 + +----- + +Modern History of Spiritism +17 +Therefore to designate this latter belief the word +"Spiritism" +has come to be used, which We shall +employ hereafter, meaning by it the idea of some +people, that the living can and do communicate +with the spirits of the departed, and also including +the various practices resorted to in that intercourse. +II +Spiritism, which is also necromancy or the evoca- +tion of the dead, was a feature of that Gnosticism +which assailed the Christian Church in the Apos- +tolic era, and against which Paul, by the Holy +Spirit, inveighs particularly in his epistle to the +Colossians. +And this, in tum, indicates that it was +not a new thing even then, but that it formed a +part of the earlier pagan religions. +Allusions to +it have been found in Homer, Strabo ascribes its +practice to the early Persians, Theodoret finds it +in Chaldea and Babylonia, and readers of the Old +Testament recall Moses speaking of it as among +the +abominations +of +the +Canaanites +(Deut. +XVIII) of which we speak in a later chapter. +The Delphic oracles (more than 600 B. C.) +are claimed by Spiritists and we believe with good +reason, and the same may be said of the lives of +seers and clairvoyants and the facts of witchcraft +in all ages. +"Never would that oracle at Delphi +have been so celebrated nor stored with so many +gifts from all kinds of peoples and kings, unless + +----- + +18 +_Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +every age had experienced the truth of its utter- +ances" (Cicero, De Divinatione 19). +To +come +to the +Christian period, +the early +Church +fathers +assume +as +unquestionable +the +agency of evil spirits in the pagan oracles and rites, +showing +themselves by +divinations, +cures +and +dreams. +The +records of the +Roman +Catholic +Church also speak of phenomena which bear a close +resemblance to present-day Spiritism. +During the +Reformation Luther published +a treatise against +"The Celestial Prophets", so-called, of Germany, +whom he charged with exercising the imitative +powers of Satan. +There were +occurrences in the Wesley family +ascribed to Spiritism (1716), and it is commonly +believed to explain much in Swedenborg's +alleged +full and open communication with the spirit world. +In America, David Brainerd, in his work among +the Indians, declared that one of his greatest dii- +culties was the conviction they held that their di- +viners had supernatural power, +a conviction lie +himself shared. +In 1843, the Shakers at New Lebanon, N. Y., +became the subjects of strange experiences, and in- +fluences purporting to be spirits who had lived in +the world in difierent ages, took possession of their +bodies and spoke through their vocal organs. +111 +What is known +as the "spirit-rapping" +plie- + +----- + +Modern History of Spiritism +19 +nomenon began in March, 1848, in the family of +John D. Fox in Hydeville, N. Y., whose daughters +a few years afterwards began to give public per- +formances. +The alleged spiritist manifestations of +these +young +women became the subject of +extensive +newspaper discussion with the result that "med- +iums", through whom they +were said to occur, +were multiplied in different parts of the country +by hundreds and thousands. +The séances of the Fox girls before the Civil +War were attended by some of the most prominent +men of the country, and when they visited Europe +they had the nobility and royalty for their audi- +tors. +Societies were organized, and disciples and +imitators came forward in great numbers. +IV +This brings us to the scientific epoch in Spirit- +ism, when such men as Sir William Crookes, the +English chemist and physicist, who died recently, +became actively interested in it. +In the London Quarterly Journal of January, +1874, he classified the phenomena under some ten +or a dozen heads, and also conducted exhibitions in +his own house, mostly in the light, when it is said +that the existence of +an unexplained force +was +accura-tely tested by +means of +an ingenious +ap- +paratus. + +----- + +20 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +In other words, with Sir William Crookes' +in- +vestigations it began to be felt that the phenomena +of Spiritism +were not all fraud, and while the +scientists +were unable +to explain the +source of +some of them, their ignorance in the premises +went so far to confirm the teaching of the Bible +that the +source +was to be found in the +super- +human realm. +Sir William testified that +it +was +a +common +thing for seven or eight of us in the laboratory to +see Miss Cook (the medium) +and 'Katie' +(the +spirit) at_the same time under the full blaze of the +electric light." +On +one occasion, the electrician +showed to the satisfaction of the spectators that +the medium was inside the cabinet while the sup- +posed spirit form was visible and moving outside. +Quoting Nelson's Encyclopedia, it was the or- +ganization of the Society of Psychical Research +(England, +1882; America, +1888) +that revived +recent interest in the doctrine. +Its work +has +tended to put limits to the claims which have been +made +for +communication +with +the +discarnate, +though it has at the same time strengthened the +belief in it by giving it better scientific credentials. +Reports +on the remarkable +case of Mrs. Piper +were published in five different volumes of the +Proceedings of this Society, and it is said that they +offer the best mass of scientific evidence extant in +support of possible spirit communication. +It was the evidence derived from this woman's +4111. + +----- + +Modern History of Spiritism +21 +case when she crossed the Atlantic in 1889, that +finally convinced Sir Oliver Lodge that deceased +relatives spoke or sent messages through her or- +ganism informing him both of known +and +un- +known +facts +subsequently +verified. +In +other +words, to quote him exactly, it convinced him "that +the brain and organism of +a living person might +be utilized by deceased personalities whose +own +bodies had ceased to work." +To avoid an erroneous supposition in the light +of some things which we have already said, let it +be stated clearly at this point that the Bible is +against the conclusion of Sir Oliver. +It reveals, as +we shall subsequently discover, the possibility of +materializations, but not the actual talking with +the dead. +By materialization in this case we mean +the assumption of a material and bodily form by +evil angels or demons who wickedly personate the +dead and deceive the living, but nothing +more. +The proof of this will follow, but to avoid any pos~ +sible misunderstanding at the outset, the fact it- +self is here stated. +V +The current revival of Spiritism, or "the Spirit- +ist intrusion", +as'Life +called it, dates from the +recent war, and was predicted by close and earnest +students of the Bible. +It is "due +to the bereave- +ments of the war and to the longing of broken + +----- + +22 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +hearts to find out something concerning the des- +tiny of those who have been taken from them." +Instead of turning "to +the law and to the testi- +mony" +as the inspired prophet exhorts, they have +taken up with spirits "that peep and that mutter" +(Isaiah VIII. 19, zo). +"There +is hardly a home in England," +we are +told, "from which some boy has not gone forever +during these last two years. +Can they be reached? +Can one have communion with them? +Can they +break through the wall between their world and +ours? +"Then, +one by +one, +such +men +as Sir Oliver +Lodge and Sir A. Conan Doyle published books +saying, 'We +have had communications from our +boys, and have spoken with them and with their +comrades who perished on the field of battle." +"Thousands of parents responded, 'If they, why +not we ?' +And the result has been an almost over- +whelming rush to mediums, and long lists of sé- +ances are now advertised in the papers." +(Edi- +torial in The Christian Work). +In our opinion the campaign of the powers of +darkness gained its greatest headway up until that +date during the fighting from Mons to Ypres. +Readers will recall +a fantastic story of that +period published +at first in +a London evening +paper, and entitled, "The Bowman", which pur- +ported to tell how St. George and the old Agin- +court bowmen appeared during the retreat from +_._-;¢.i. + +----- + +p +Modern History of Spiritism +23 +Mons and fought with the British against the foe. +The author frankly declared it was pure fiction, +but so heated was the British imagination at the +time and so psychologically ready for the recep- +tion of the occult, that he was not believed by +many who seriously entertained the opinion that +angels appeared to the soldiers. +Nor +were these in all +cases the intellectually +weak, but in +some instances intelligent and edu- +cated men and women, including a Christian scholar +whom +we personally know, and who is honored +throughout +Christendom. +Indeed +an +eminent +clergyman of London is reported to have said that +such +a +case of spiritual intervention +was "emi- +nently creditable. +_Ioan of Arc saved her country +owing to the vision of an angel, and why should +not the phenomenon be repeated in this case?" +Immediately people began to hold intercourse +with their beloved dead, +as was supposed. +The +Christian scholar, in a private letter to the writer, +said: +"My wife saw her boy in his spiritual body +permitted to come once to comfort her. +We know. +It is the same with many. +This war is given for +the convincing of many that the future life is a real +thing, and that God Himself speaks to man. +This +is the +one consolation that remains out of this +hideous and horrible time of trial. +My wife was +permitted to talk to her boy. +He was even more +radiant than in life, but otherwise the same. +He +told her of his death and the manner of it. +We + +----- + +24 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +learned after a month that this was true. +Some +people call it +a dream. +I know it was +a vision +granted +to soothe her sorrow and her longing. +This has nothing to do with magic. +The spiritual +eye saw the spiritual body." +VI +It would not be the part of wisdom for the +writer to delay warning the unwary until our con- +sideration of this subject approached its conclu- +sion. +Hence a pause is made here to say that the +experiences above recorded are very diiierent from +those of Bible saints. +Let a brief reference be made again to Isaiah's +words (VIII. I9~22). +He sees Israel in the lat- +ter days in great distress, doubtless far beyond +anything known in the late war. +They are "hardly +bestead and hungry", "behold trouble, darkness, +dimness of anguish". +They +are seeking "unto +them that have familiar spirits and unto wizards +that peep and that mutter", and he rebukes them, +saying, "Should not a people seek unto their God? +On behalf of the living should they seek unto the +dead? +To the law and to the testimony; if they +speak not according to this word, it is because there +is no light in them." +A +In other words, are not the Word and the Spirit +of God the source, and the suflicient source, of the +,Christian's +comfort in this age? +Does he need + +----- + +Modern History of Spiritism +25 +such visions to convince him of the future life +and that God speaks to men? +The rich man in +our Lord's +story in Luke 16 thought well of that +kind of evidence, but we remember how fruitless +"father Abraham" thought it would be. +If such +things are the only, or the strongest, consolation +remaining for God's people in such a time of trial, +what of the millions of them to whom they do not +come? +Let the Christian ever keep in mind that there +are such beings as evil spirits, of whom we shall +leam considerable by and by, and let him +con- +sider further that fundamentally only these +are +in evidence in this modern outbreak of Spirit- +asm. +In proof of this it may be mentioned that in all +the accounts of the angels at Mons which +came +to our attention, not once was Jesus Christ so much +as named. +St. George was named, and _Ioan of +Arc, and Socrates, and Swedenborg, and the Virgin +Mary. +God was referred to a few times, but our +Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ never. +Even the +private correspondence mentioned above, and from +a Christian source, alludes to Him but once, and +then indirectly, and by His human and family +name, ]esus. +"What place do you give to Christ in Spiritual- +ism?" was asked of a votary by a London editor. +"Is He to you the Son of God, and do you wor- +ship Him as such?" + +----- + +26 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +"Oh, no," came the reply. +"He is to us simply +the Master Medium." +In the words of the editor, (The Life of Faith, +London), "that confession is fatal. +No creed, no +cult, +no religion that dethrones +our Lord and +places Him on a level with men and mediums has +any right to claim +a Christian connection. +And +men and women who profess to be followers of +Christ are putting Him to open shame when they +join hands with those who would, if they could, +rob Him of His deity and His matchless glory." + +----- + +III +SATAN-OR SPIRITISM AT ITS SOURCE +I +» +ATAN is the source of Spiritism, and since +the Bible is the only place in which we can +learn anything reliable about him, we now +open its pages for that purpose. +As we +are writing for Christians chiefly, it is +assumed that the Bible is the revelation of God +and not only credible as to its statements of fact +but an inspired record of them. +The evidence of +this is convincing and never more so than in the +twentieth century, as could easily be demonstrated +if circumstances permitted or required it. +Even the casual reader of the Bible will recall +the outstanding occasions when Satan appears on +its scenes. +First, as the "serpent" +in the Garden +of Eden tempting and overcoming our first parents, +for twice in the New Testament the serpent is +identified with the devil and Satan (Rev. XII. 9; +XX. 2). +Next, in the history of job (chapters +I and II) ; then, later, in vision, in the Old Testa- +27 + +----- + +28 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +ment +as the +accuser of Israel after their rctum +from Babylon (Zech. III). +In the New Testament he first comes before us +as Christ's tempter in the wilderness (Matthew IV +and its parallels); he entered into Judas to be- +tray Christ (]ohn XIII. 27), and into Ananias +and Sapphira to lie to the Holy Ghost (Acts V. 3). +He hindered Paul in his missionary work (I Thess. +II. 18) ; he is said to walk about as a roaring lion +seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. V. 8), and +in the end of this age he will give his power to +the Lawless one to deceive, if possible, the very +elect (Matthew XXIV. 24; 2 Thess. II. 8-Io); +Rev. XIII. I, 2). +Satan has many +names in Scripture, +each of +which +reveals +some +feature +of +his +character. +"Satan" +itself +means +the Adversary; +"devil," +(slanderer); "Apollyon," (destroyer); "Beelze- +bub," (prince of the demons) ; "Belial," +(low, ab- +ject) ; "the wicked one"; "the god of this world"; +"the +prince of darkness"; +"the +dragon," +"tor- +mentor," +"accuser," +"deceiver," +"liar," +"murder- +er," +"he +that hath the power of death." +This +suiliciently reveals the kind of being he is and fur- +nishes a reason why we should beware of him. +II +As to the origin of Satan, those who class the +cherubim as angels, think he was one of them, and + +----- + +Spiritism at its Source +29 +anointed probably for a position of great author- +ity. +This authority may have been over primitive +creation, i.e., heaven and earth as at first created, +and before the earth became without form and +void (Gen. I. 1). +He +fell through pride +(Isa. +XIV. +I2-14). +Some think he was then cast out of heaven accord- +ing to Christ's words in Luke X. +1 8, on which sup- +position, he then made the earth and the air the +scene of his activity (Eph. II. 2; I. Pet. V. 8). +A scriptural basis for this conjecture is in Ezek- +iel XXVIII. II-15. +The chapter is +a rebuke of +the King of Tyre, but at the verses named the lan- +guage goes beyond him to Satan described in his +unfallen state. +If this interpretation +is +correct, +the +chapter +teaches much about Satan, which is summed up by +Dr. R. A. Torrey in "What the Bible Teaches," +thus: +1. +He was the sum of created perfection, v. 12. +2. +He was in the garden of God, v. 13. +This +does not mean the Eden of Adam, but an earlier +one. +The Eden of Adam was remarkable for +its vegetable glory, but this for its mineral glory. +Cf. Revelation XXI. +10-21. +3. +He was the anointed cherub that covereth, +v. 14. +First, he was a "cherub", +the highest rank +in the angelic world. +Second, +"the +anointed" +cherub, i.e., one who was set apart for +a formal +work. Third, the anointed cherub that_"co'vereth." + +----- + +30 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +The meaning of this word is not given, though it +suggests Exodus XXXVII. 9. +4. +He was upon the holy mountain of God, +v. 14, which may mean the place where God mani- +fested His personal glory. +1 +5. +He walked up and down in the midst of the +stones of fire, v. 14. +This suggests Exodus XXIV. +Io, 17, R.V., and Ezekiel I. 15, 22, 25, 26, R.V. +In the former the seventy elders saw the Lord of +Israel, and "there was under His feet as it were a +paved walk of sapphire stone", and "the +appear- +ance of the glory of the Lord was like devouring +fire on the top of the mount." +This may afford an +idea of what the "stones of fire" +were, and indi- +cate how near Satan may have been to God. +6. +His heart +was lifted up because of his +beauty, v. 17. +Cf. I Timothy III. 6 R.V. +7. +He was cast out of the mountain of God, +and destroyed from the midst of the stones of +fire, v. 16. +8. +He shall be cast to the earth and be made +a spectacle, vv. 17, 18. +Cf. with 2 Thessalonians +II. 8; Revelation XII. 9, ro, and XIX. 20. +III +To go a. little further into the nature and char- +acter of Satan: +` +(1) +He is a person, i.e., he possesses self-con- +sciousness and free-will, because the facts stated in + +----- + +Spiritism at its Source +31 +the preceding paragraphs could not be predicted +of an influence or a principle of evil. +(2) +He has great dignity, since he is styled +the "prince," +"the god of this world," and "prince +of the power of the air," and it is said that Michael +the Archangel "durst not bring against him a rail- +ing judgment," (John XII. 31; 2 Cor. IV. 4; Eph. +II. 2; Jude 8, 9, R.V.). +(3) +He has great power, since he is able to +control the forces of nature, human property and +life, demons, the world-rulers of darkness, +and +the whole world of men out of Christ, (Job I. +Io-12; Luke XI. I4-I8; I John V. I9 R.V.; Acts +XXVI. 1.8; Eph. VI. II, 12). +(4) +He has great cunning and deceit, since he +transforms himself into +an angel of light, +uses +wiles and devices, signs and lying wonders (Mat- +thew XXIV. 24; +2 Cor. II. +11; +2 Cor. XI. 14; +Eph. VI. I 1, I2 R.V.; 2 Thess. II. 9, R.V.). +(5) +He has great malignity, being called the +evil one, a liar, +a murderer,-and +a sinner from +the beginning (Matthew V. 37; Luke VIII. 12; +John VIII. 44; 2 Cor. IV. 4; I John III. 8). +(6) +He has great fear, for if we resist him +he will flee from us (James IV. 7). +IV +As to Satan's present location and his work, he +is referred to as being in the heavenly places, and + +----- + +32 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +also as going to and fro in the earth. +As in the +age to come, Christ and His Church, though abid- +ing in the heavenly places, will rule +an earthly +people, so now Satan and his hosts abiding in the +heavenly places are ruling an earthly people. (Job +I. 6, 7; Eph. VI. 11, 12; I Peter V. 8; Rev. XII. +9)- +As to his work: +(1) +He is the author of sin and tempts to sin +(Gen. III. x-6; I Chron. XXI. 1; Matt. IV); +(2) +He produces sickness and has the power +of death (Luke XIII. 16; Acts X. 38; Heb. II. +14) : +(3) +He lays snares for men (I Tim. III. 7); +(4) +He takes the Word of God out of their +hearts (Matt. XIII. 19); +(5) +He puts wicked purposes into their hearts +(EPh- IV- 27): + +(6) +He blinds "their +minds (2 Cor. IV. 4, +R.V.) ; +45° + +.' +(7) +He harasses and +accuses them (2 Cor. +XII. 7; Rev. XIII. 9, IO); +(8) +He enters into them (John XIII. 27) ; +(9) +He does all this and more by means of +the angelic messengers' who carry on his work (2 +Cor. XI. 14, 15; Rev. III. 9). +Happily however, there are certain limitations +of his work and power. +For example, being +a +finite and created being he can be only in one place +at +one time, though what is done by his agents + +----- + +Spiritism at its Source +33 +being attributed to him, he is practically ubiqui- +tous. +In the second place, it is reassuring to know +that his influence over the bodies of +men is +en- +tirely subject to God's +control (Job II. 7; Luke +XIII. 16; Acts X. 38) , and that his influence over +the souls of men is simply moral. +That is to say, +he may offer suggestions and deceive or persuade +men, but he is absolutely unable to change their +hearts or coerce their wills. +"Every +man is tempt- +ed, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and +enticed" +(Jas. I. 14). +Our responsibility in regard to Satan therefore, +is threefold: +We +are to watch against him (I +Peter V. 8); to give no place to him (Eph. IV. +27) ; and to resist him (Jas. IV. 7). +We watch against him +as the context of the +passage shows, by humbling ourselves under the +mighty hand of God and casting all our anxiety +upon Him. +We give no place to him by restrain- +ing wrath and eschewing falsehood; and we resist +him by the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word +of God. +V +It remains to say that there +are two ways in +which Satan is particularly manifesting himself +today in the lives and affairs of men. +The Sunday +School Times recently called it "the devills world- + +----- + +34 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +wide revival." +One is in the form of demonism +and the other spiritism, though the two are closely +allied. +I. +By demonism is meant just now the Wor- +ship of demons and human possession by demons. +We learn from the Bible that the apostate Israel- +ites sacrificed to demons, and that the gods of the +heathen were demons. +Paul charged the Athen- +ians with being too much addicted to demon wor- +ship, which is the real meaning of the word "super- +stitious" in Acts XVII. +22. +He also adds that +the things which the Gentiles sacrificed they sacri- +ficed to demons and not to God. +It is true that the Bible teaching about demonia- +cal possession has been denied by some, who ex- +plain the symptoms referred to as those of physical +disease simply. +They admit that Christ taught +the contrary, but meet this by saying that He con- +formed His language to the vulgar notions of the +times, the same argument as they use with refer- +ence to other subjects of His teaching, the Mosaic +authorship of the Pentateuch, for example. +Nevertheless, the New Testament puts it beyond +question that demoniacs were possessed by demons. +For example: +(1) +They evinced superhuman strength and +Iinowledge, even recognizing Jesus +as the Son of +God, as well as His power and purpose to punish +the ungodly. +(2) +In addressing Him, +the demons distin- + +----- + +Spiritism at its Source +35 +guished themselves from the +persons they +tor- +mented, saying in +the +case +of the Gadarenes, +"What have we to do with Thee, Jesus ?" and "If +Thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the +deep" (Matt. VIII. 28-31). +(3) +In delivering those who were possessed, +Christ spoke not to the persons themselves, but to +their tormentors, saying to the latter, "Go" +or +"Come out". +In other instances also the demons +are expressly distinguished from the diseases they +created, +as when +we +read of Christ that they +brought unto Him all sick people, and those that +were possessed with demons, and those that were +lunatic. +` +Nor is demoniacal possession limited to the time +of Christ. +It existed before Christ came, because +the _Iews of His day professed to cast out demons, +showing that the phenomenon was not new to them; +and it existed after He departed, because He com- +missioned His disciples to cast out demons, a com- +mission upon which they acted. +Early church fathers testify to the casting out +of demons in their day, +and the Reformation +fathers do the same. +It exists now as seen in our +Missionary annals, especially that recent volume, +Demons and Demon Possession, by Dr. Nevius, +and in current discussions on Theosophy and Spirit- +ism and Speaking with Tongues. +Finally, +demoniacal possession will +constitute +one of the awful features of the tribulation at the + +----- + +36 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +end of this age, as is clearly indicated, in the book +of Revelation. +The battle of Armageddon for +example, is to be brought about by the spirits of +demons working miracles (Rev. XVI. 14). +VI +2. +The other way in which Satan is manifest- +ing himself and is likely to do so until the end of +the age is in Spiritism. +The dictionary defines it +as the belief that the spirits of the dead communi- +cate with and manifest their presence to men. +It +is supposed that they usually do this through the +agency of a human person called a medium. +As +was stated before, we deny that the spirits of the +dead do this, but we ailirm that there is a counter- +feit materialization of the dead by demons. That +is, demons assume a material and bodily form to +deceive the living into the belief that they are com- +municating with the dead. +In other words, we believe that certain facts of +Spiritism are true. +There are some things which +pass for facts that are not facts, for Satan has no +desire that his work should become too apparent, +but nevertheless there is a basis of fact underlying +the pretensions of Spiritism, which we must not +only admit but insist upon as a testimony against it. +The scientists bear witness that while there is +a large element of fraud in Spiritism, there is still +a residuum of facts demanding explanation. +They + +----- + +Spiritism at its Source +37 +would refer some of these to the powers of the +human mind, the "subliminal consciousness," just +below the level of the normal waking life, but there +are still other manifestations for which that +ex- +planation will not suflice, and to which such men +testify +as +Alfred +Russell +Wallace, +Sir +Wm. +Crookes, Sir Oliver Lodge and the late Professor +William James +of +Harvard. +It +is +Sir Wm. +Crookes who, in his Evidences of Spiritualism, said +"that certain phenomena occur under circumstances +in which they can not be explained by any physical +law at present known, is a fact of which I am as +certain +as I +am of the most elementary fact in +chemistry." +Coming to the Bible however, and it is upon +that we stand, we find God legislating for Israel, +and saying, "A +man also, or woman, that hath a +familiar spirit, or one that is a wizard, shall surely +be put to death (Lev. XX. 27)." +This +means +those who are instructed in the art of intercourse +with demons, and the warning it expresses is +re- +peated in one form or another in the Old Testa- +ment very frequently as we shall see. +Moreover, take such illustrations as the story of +Saul and the Witch of Endor, or that of Paul and +the Philippian damsel. +The latter was what is now +called a medium, and according to the Greek was +possessed by the spirit of Pytho, the +same that +guided the Delphic oracle. +Her testimony to Paul +and his companions proves that the messengers of + +----- + +38 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +Satan sometimes speak truth, when it is to their +advantage to do so, but more of this later. +Finally, 'the Bible +asserts the continuance of +such Satanic agency throughout this dispensation +(Gal. V. 20, 21 ; Rev. IX. 21 ; Rev. XVI. 14; Rev. +XVIII. 23; and Rev. XXI. 8). +Whether it will +continue in the form and under the name of Spirit- +ism or not, it is impossible to say, but neverthe- +less as the end of the age approaches Satan's emis- +saries will act more and more without disguise, +and "show great signs and wonders insomuch that +if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect" +(Matt. XXIV. 24), +' + +----- + +~ +IV +ANGELS AND DEMONS, OR SPIRITISM'S +PERSONNEL +' +` +I +NE can not be very intelligent in Spiritism +without knowing something about angels +of which the Bible says so much. +The Old Testament or Hebrew word for angel +is "Malek", +and the New Testament or Greek +word, "angellus", +both of them meaning "mes- +senger" +or "agent". +The words are sometimes +used of men and even of God Himself, but in the +latter case always in the form of "The Angel of +the Lord", +an expression signifying the presence +of the Deity in angelic form. +The words are used +impersonally in some instances also, but for our +present purpose these need not be enumerated. +Angels are spirits, superior to men and inferior +to God (Ps. VIII. 4, 5; Heb. I. 7, 8) +_ They would +seem to have bodies of some kind (Luke XX. 36), +and they have appeared in human form (always +as men, not women), and have eaten food and +lodged in houses (Gen. XVIII. 8; XIX. 3). +39 + +----- + +40 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +The number of angels is very great (Dan. VII. +IO; Ps. LXVIII. 17; Matt. XXVI. 53), and their +power likewise, whether exercised in the material +or spiritual world (Ps. CIII. 20; +2 Kings XIX. +35; +2 Thess. I. 7). +And yet their power and +knowledge are both limited (Dan. X. 13; Matt. +XXIV. 36; Eph. III. 9, 10). +Angels +are employed both in heaven and +on +earth. +In heaven they +are worshippers (Matt. +XVIII. ro; Rev. V. 11), but on earth they are +associated with the afiairs of providence, doing +good to God's people and executing judgment on +God's enemies, the latter ministry to be intensified +at the end of the age (Ps. XC. I0-12; +2 Kings +XIX. 35? I Thess. IV. 17). +_ +There appear to be graded positions and author- +ity among them judging by the allusions to thrones, +dominions, principalities and powers (Eph. I. 21 ) , +and by the mention of Michael as the Archangel +(Dan. X. 13), and Gabriel as one who stands "in +the presence of God" (Luke I. 19). +There is a tendency towards speculation in con- +sidering these beings against which we +are +earn- +estly wamed in Paul's +letter to the. Colossians; +speculation that in the case of the Roman Catholic +Church especially leads to superstition and their +voluntary worship. +On the other hand however, +Protestantism may have thought too little about +them, and have thereby greatly impoverished her +experience of Divine providence and her sense of + +----- + +Angels and Demons +41 +succor and comfort in times of peril and sorrow, +that +succor and comfort which it is their oHice +under God to freely and graciously supply. +II +But up until this point we have been dealing +entirely with good +or holy angels, while +alasl +there is another class of them, evil as well as good. +And the evil angels are again divided into two +classes. +One consists of those that are in chains +of darkness reserved unto judgment (2 Peter II. +4) +and the other of those that are actively +en- +gaged in evil, with Satan at their head. +The latter +are those of which Paul speaks in Eph. VI. +1 1, 12, +where believers are exhorted to "put +on the whole +armor of God" that they "may be able to stand +against the wiles of the devil," because they wrestle +"against principalities, against powers, against the +world-rulers of this darkness, and spiritual hosts +of wickedness in the heavenly places." +(See also +Matthew XXV. 41; Rev. XII. 9). +A +It is these that are in evidence, it is believed, in +the present "spiritist invasion." +Of their origin +we know nothing more than we do of the. good +angels, which is simply that they were created by +God (Col. I. 16). +It is assumed also that all were created good, +but that some fell +as did Satan himself, though +just when, or why they fell, God is not pleased to + +----- + +Q +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +reveal. +The following named Scriptures tell us +about all we can know of the matter, John VIII. +44; I Tim. III. 6, 7; +2 Peter II. 4; Jude 6, 7. +From these we surmise that they abode not in the +knowledge and worship of God, but fell into con.. +demnation through pride. +They kept not their +first estate +or principality, +so to speak, but left +their proper habitation. +They +are described sometimes +as evil spirits +'(]udges IX. 23; Luke VII. 21), unclean spirits +Matt. X. I), and demons (Deut. XXXII. +17; +Matt. VII. 22). +This last word is erroneously +rendered "devils" +in the King James Version, as +there is but one devil, who is identical with Satan, +but there are many demons. +So many indeed as to +compose a kingdom with a leader, or prince (Luke +VIII. 30; Matt. XII. 24-26; Eph. VI. 12). +These demons are called Satan's agents in Matt. +XII. 26, 27 and XXV. 41, and as such they seem +able_ to inflict physical maladies +on men (Matt. +XII. 22; XVII. 15-18;Luke XIII. 16; and even +enter and control their bodies and those of beasts +also (Mark V. 13; Acts XVI. 16) ;while from the +moral point of view they are able to seduce men +'from the truth and lead them into all unclearmess +`(1 Kings XXII. 22; +1 Tim. IV. +1; +2 Peter II. +iI0-12). +It is especially important to note that tliese de- +mons maintain a conflict with Christian believers +(Eph. VI. 12), and that God Himself sometimes + +----- + +Angels and Demons +43 +uses +them +in judgment +upon +unbelievers +and +wicked men (]udges IX. 23; +1 Sam. XVI. 14). +They are to be used in the awful judgments upon +the earth in the Tribulation period (Rev. IX. +I-II; XVI. +13, 14); but their own eternal fate, +like that of their mighty but unholy leader, is one +of torment (Matt. VIII. 29; Luke VIII. 31). +A deeply interesting question, and a very prac- +tical one also, is that of the present abode of these +evil spirits or demons. +Keep in mind in the reply +that there +are two-classes of them, the +one +re- +served in chains of darkness of which we shall +learn more by and by, and whose abode is hell or +"'I`artarus" +(Greek) ; +and the +other occupying +the air considered as one of the "heavenly places" +so frequently mentioned in the New Testament. +From this place however, they will be cast down to +earth prior to the Millenium, and then at length +go into the lake of fire and brimstone "prepared +for the devil and his angels" +(Rev. XII. 7-9; +Matt. XXV. 41). +f +III +In the preceding chapter we discussed the topic +of demon worship and demon possession sufiicient- +ly for our present purpose, and only allude to it +again +as leading up to +an eamest warning and +appeal. +- +- +Remember that which +was previously stated, + +----- + +44 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +(I), that demon possession is distinct from phys- +ical disease; (2), that it was and is not limited +to the time of Christ; and (3) that it is in evidence +today and is predicted as one of the awful features +of the Tribulation at the end of this age. +Quoting from the Rev. F. B. Meyer, D.D., of +London, in his booklet just from the press: +"They hate to be unclothed, and would rather +inhabit swine than have no covering (Matt. VIII. +31). +The nakedness of an evil spirit is torment +before the time (Matt. VIII. 29; Mark V. 7). +"Their +one object is to reduce the human race +and drag it to their own degraded condition. Just +as the Divine Spirit can only achieve His end by +and through our instrumentality-and therefore, +we are called to present our bodies to Him-so the +great adversary can only achieve his end by and +through human instruments, and therefore steals +gradually over the consciousness of his victims un- +til they are taken captive by the devil at his will +1(2 Tim. II. 26). +"Apparently the Almighty has locked and bolted +our human nature against the intrusion of the +demon-world, and it is at our peril that we open +the door from within or allow it to be broken in +from without. +The angels will not attempt to help +us unless at the express command of the Almighty; +but demon-spirits are disobedient and recalcitrant. +They defy the Divine prohibition; and°if they fail +to break in by force, they can at least induce the + +----- + +Angels and Demons +45 +human soul to connive at their entrance by open- +ing the door from within; and when the door has +been opened once it can be opened repeatedly, and +each time more easily, until the power of resistance +is gone, and the demon can go and come at will, +or introduce +seven companions worse than him- +self. +"A +man of high repute told me recently that a +lady had come to him complaining that her life +was made a perfect torment by the suggestion of +unclean spirits, of which she could not rid herself. +She had been an habitue of séances, and now was +held by a kind of obsession. +He entreated her to +promise to tear herself from their fatal spell, and +she promised to go to but one more, +on the fol- +lowing day. +But that day she became raving mad, +rushed in an almost nude condition into the public +thoroughfare, and has been for the last two years +in an asylum. +"If +there +has been any tampering with the +demon-world, the urgency for immediate arrest is +imperative, lest the current become too swift to be +arrested by the oarsman, though he pull against +it with the +agony of despair."-The +Modem +Craze of Spiritualism, pp. Io, +11. + +----- + +NT +SPIRITISM BEFORE THE FLOOD +I +HE tasli we have set ourselves would be +inadequately rendered if attention were not +called +to the mysterious sixth chapter of +Genesis, whose record of the marriages of "the +sons of God" with "the daughters of men" +and +the issue of the same is intended to account for +the catastrophe of the Hood. +The text follows: +"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the +face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, +"That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they +were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. +"And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with +man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred +and twenty years. +"There +were giants in the earth in those days; and also after +that, when the +sons of God +came in unto the daughters of +men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty +men which were of old, +men of renown." +The question arises, Who were these "sons of +God" and these "daughters of men" whose union +produced the powerful and wicked race the iniquity +46 + +----- + +Spiritism Before the Flood +47 +of which resulted thus and necessitated this judg- +ment? +We who are familiar with the use of the first- +named phrase in the New Testament might at first +_interpret it to mean men of faith, true believers, +godly saints; while the second would logically ap- +ply to women of the opposite character. +But reflection would recall that Moses was un- +likely to be using New Testament terms, and that +such phraseology would be foreign to conditions +ante-dating the flood. +Also, it might be asked, would godly men con- +tract such marriages and in such a way, inasmuch +as a plurality of wives and force in obtaining them +seem to be implied? +And even if they did, what +would further explain the gigantic +stature +and +colossal +wickedness of their offspring bringing +about so terrible a penalty as the flood? +In searching for a diiierent explanation we find +that "sons of God" +is used everywhere else in +the Old Testament to designate angels, and why +should it not be +so used here? +Moreover if it +were so used, it would carry with it a confounding +of two distinct orders of creatures and the pro- +duction of +a mixed +race, partly human, partly +super-human, which would be just such a derange- +ment of the Divine plan as to warrant that which +occurred, namely, the almost total extermination +of all who were upon the the earth. +Indeed this was the prevailing view of the pas- + +----- + +48 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +sage in the ancient synagogue of the ]ews and +among Christian theologians for the first three or +four centuries of the Church. +And there is reason +to believe it would not have changed in the latter +case, had it not been for certain erroneous opin- +ions and practices of Christendom, to which ref- +erence will be made later, and with which it was +not in harmony. +But naturally there exists +a prejudice against +such a view. +How could such intercourse be pos- +sible between the visible and invisible worlds, such +an unnatural connection between beings so widely +dillerent from each other? +It is our purpose to deal with this question be- +fore we conclude, but a more important one pre- +cedes it. +It is not, as Nicodemus said, "How +can +these things be P" but rather, Is it true that they +are? +However inconceivable or inexplicable the +fact may be, it is first necessary to show that it is +a fact. +In doing this we now address ourselves to two +theories that have been +most persistently main- +tained in opposition to it. +The first, +a Jewish +interpretation which holds the "sons of God" +to +mean men of authority or rank who married wom- +en of inferior station; and the second, the Church +interpretation already mentioned, which holds that +godly men, the descendants of Seth for example, +chose for wives women of godless life belonging +to the line of Cain. +_l_ + +----- + +Spiritism Before the Flood +49 +II +The Jewish interpretation has been paraphrased +thus: +"When men began to multiply on the earth +the chief men took wives of all the handsome poor +women they chose. +They +were tyrants in the +earth of those days. +Also, after the antediluvian +days, powerful men had unlawful connexions with +the inferior women, and the children which sprang +from this illi_cit intercourse +were the renowned +heroes of antiquity, of whom the heathen made +their gods." +The ground +on which this interpretation +was +founded +is that +the +Hebrew +word +for +God, +Elohim, is sometimes used in the Old Testament +to denote judges or princes, hence "sons of God" +might +mean +sons of judges +or +sons of princes. +And the Hebrew word for man, Adam, is occas- +ionally used to denote +one whose station in the +world is lowly or poor, hence "daughters of men" +might mean daughters of the lowly or the poor. +It is admitted that Elohim (gods) is, in a few +instances, applied in the Old Testament to Israel- +itish magistrates acting representatively for _Ie- +hovah, but there is nothing in this passage of that +character. +Moreover this word is not Elohim +simply, but Bne-ha-Elohim, +a very dillerent +ex- +pression, which means "sons of God", +and which +in every other instance stands, not for men of any + +----- + +50 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +grade or distinction, but for angels. +Therefore, +the inference is fair that if in this place, Moses +had intended men however great, he would not +have used that word but some other, of which there +were several from which to choose. +_ +It is admitted also that Adam is, in some places, +applied to human beings of low degree, but when +women of low degree are meant the word is al- +ways used in connection with the word Ish, which +is not the case here. +Otherwise the word simply +means a man, or mankind in general, without dis- +tinction of class or condition. +Moreover the par- +ticular word now under discussion is not Adam +simply, but Bnoth-ha-Adam, "daughters of Men," +which occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament, +so that no argument can be founded upon its usage. +"In short," +to quote another, "women of high +station +as well as low are Bnoth-ha-Adam," +and +the title simply means Adam's +daughters, female +descendants, womankind without distinction. +Indeed it is diHicult to understand how such an +interpretation of the passage ever found accept- +ance considering its extreme improbability. +How +unlikely, to continue quoting, "that all the great +men of the day, or even a large proportion of them, +should, at the +same time and with +one consent, +contract such alliances? +And how unlikely that +female beauty should just then have appeared, and +only or chiefly, in women of the lower rank; and +that it should have possessed such strongly attrac- + +----- + +Spiritism Before the Flood +51 +tive power in the case of all these "sons of God"? +And stranger still, how improbable the results +that followed? +Why should it have come about +that the marriage of the judges, or princes, of that +age with women of low degree but of great beauty, +should have issued in mighty men of renown, +a +heroic race of gigantic size, celebrated for their +exploits through succeeding time? +And strangest of all, the Hebrew word for +"giants" +in verse four is Nephilim, which means +"fallen ones," +as to whom there can be little doubt +that they were more than human beings and de- +rived their origin in part from +a superhuman +source. +A word of explanation seems necessary before +leaving the Jewish interpretation, by which of +course is not meant that of the ancient Jewish +synagogue mentioned above, but that of _Iewish +teachers of a later time, say, the early centuries of +the Christian era. +The _Iewish synagogue, as was +said, held to the angel interpretation. +Just what prompted the change of interpetation +from that of angels to that of great men is not +known except that it could not have been on ex- +egetical grounds. +Fleming, from whose work on +The Fallen Angels and the Heroes of Mythology +we are quoting, thinks it may have been dogmatic +considerations concerning the nature of angels of +which we shall speak by and by; but sufhce for +the present to re-aflirm that the angelic interpeta- + +----- + +52 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +tion was the first which suggested itself, and that +it was very anciently received both by _Iews and +Christians. +III +A fair and clear statement of the later Christian, +or Church, interpretation is given by Dr. John +Gill in his Exposition of the Old Testament, pub- +lished in the middle of the 18th century. +He says: +"Those +sons of God +were +not angels, +because +angels are incorporeal beings, and can not be af- +fected with Heshly lusts, or marry and be given +in marriage, or generate and be generated. +Nor +were they the sons of judges, magistrates and great +personages; but rather is the phrase to be under- +stood of the posterity of Seth, who from the time +of Enos, when men began to be called by the Name +of the Lord (Gen. IV. 26), had the title of 'sons +of God' +in distinction from the children of men." +All this is pure assumption on Dr. Gill's +part, +and was to be expected, since no serious attempt +seems to have been made by him to ascertain the +real meaning of the words in their place whatever +the consequences might be. +For example, what +ground outside of his +own opinion, had he for +saying that angels +are incorporeal, +etc.? +And +similarly, what ground for saying all that he does +say about the posterity of Seth? +However, he has plenty of company among com- +l + +----- + +Spiritism Before the Flood +53 +mentators and others, including some of the poets, +Milton as an illustration, in Paradise Lost. +And +yet, that great poet, in Paradise Regained Book +II, returns to the angel interpretation, where he +makes Satan, after the failure of his first tempta- +tion of Christ, in addressing the infemal council, +say to Belialz +"Before the flood, thou with thy lusty crew, +False titled sons of God, roaming the earth, +Cast wanton eyes on the daughters of men, +And coupled with them, and begot a race." +What, however, explains the abandonment of +the earlier angel interpretation for this of the sons +of Seth? +The most likely answer is that of Iohn +Henry Kurtz, D.D., professor of theology at Dor- +pat, quoted at some length by Fleming, who at- +tributes it to the rise of certain superstitions and +unwarrantable practices in the church growing out +of false ideas as to the nature of angels. +In other words, it was the coming in of angel +worship that drove it out. +Angel worship raised +its head gradually, but its progress tended to re- +move everything that might shake confidence in +the holiness of angels, +or mar the gratification +which their worship afforded. +There was also a second cause which was almost +equally influential with the first, namely the spread +of celibacy, or monkery, as Kurtz calls it, and the +reverence with which it came to be regarded in + +----- + +54 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +the early centuries. +If Genesis VI. +I-4 taught +that although the angels in heaven marry not, yet +at +one time +a portion of them, seduced by the +beauty of women, came down to earth for the pur- +pose of gratifying amorous propensities, then +a +weakness of the like kind on the part of "earthly +angels" +might be +more readily excused. +As +a +matter of fact such an apology was pleaded for +monkish transgressions, at the time, and it there- +fore became a pretext for changing angelic "sons +of God" into human "sons of God." +It was not until the last century that the angel +interpretation began again +to +find +favor with +Christian theologians. +And for its revival by the +way, we are, in a sense, indebted to the destructive +critics. +Their attacks upon the Bible necessitated +a return to the old-fashioned way of studying it +with the aid of the grammar and lexicon. +Exegesis +thus has been restored to its rightful place, and +exegesis never attempts to explain away uncommon +or supernatural occurrences just because it does not +understand them. +g +We have spoken of Fleming's work on The Fal- +len Angels, but he, in turn, is indebted to Kurtz +above named, and to Maitland's +essays +on the +same subject and on False Worship, as well as to +Kitto's Daily Bible Illustrations. +Following these +authorities he goes on to deal at length with collat- +eral aspects of the question for which we have not +the space or time except to mention them. +They + +----- + +Spiritism Before the Flood +55 +include the suppositions and assumptions that are +involved in the Sethite interpretation, an examina- +tion of Genesis IV. 26, which speaks of Seth's +descendants, +a careful inquiry into the +use of a +phrase analogous to "the +sons of God" wherever +it occurs either in the Old or New Testament, and +the antithesis of the "sons of God" and "daughters +of men." +We have studied him with care, and feel con- +vinced that the improbabilities +involved in the +Sethite, or as we have called it, the Church inter- +pretation, are so serious as to put it out of court. +IV +In the next chapter we deal with the angel in- +terpretation and the objections to it growing out +of the supposed nature of angels. +But we +con- +clude this with some general observations in antici- +pation of it: +I. It has already been suggested that while +angels are immaterial beings, yet they appear to +possess, or at least are able to assume, some kind +of an ethereal, corporeal form. +At the same time +it is to be remembered that the human race is com- +posed of immaterial beings, clothed at present with +gross bodies akin to beasts, but hereafter, in the +case of the redeemed at least, to be clothed with +spiritual bodies +not unlike that of angels. +If, +therefore, there is in our nature +a capability of + +----- + +'ef +56 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +becoming like angels in some degree, is it so cer- +tain that they +are +as dissimilar to us in all +re- +spects +as many people believe? +2. We have +seen also that angels, both good +and bad, are interested in the aliairs of men, and +have communicated with men. +How much more +intimate that communication might have been had +not sin entered the human family, who can say? +And if there is a possibility of greater communica- +tion if God willed it so, is it unlikely that evil +angels, should it suit their propensities, would en- +deavor to make it so whether it was His will or +not? +"We +can not hold it to be an absurdproposi- +tion," writes Kurtz, quoted by Fleming, "that +an- +gels Who, in their state of holiness, desire to loolé +into the deepest mystery of grace +on earth (I +Peter I. 12), should, in their apostasy from holi- +ness, have desired to look into the deepest mystery +of nature on earth; and, transgressing the limits +of their own nature, participate in that mystery +themselves." +, + +----- + +YI +"SONS OF GOD" MARRYING THE +"DAUGHTERS OF MEN" +I +N the preceding chapter +we have +seen that +Spiritism in one of its forms was directly re- +sponsible for the Hood. +The "sons of God" +who took to themselves wives of "the daughters +of men" +(Genesis VI), were evil angels, who en- +tered upon that intercourse the oiispring of which +were +the "Nephilim," +"the +fallen +ones," +the +mighty heroes of antiquity. +These in their turn, +presumably, furnished the ground for the stories +of the loves of the gods and demigods of classic +lore. +The proof of this being presented, +as well +as +its corroboration by the ancient Jewish synagogue +and the early Christian writers, it remains to more +fully consider objections raised against it +on the +ground of the +nature of angels +as well +as the +teaching of our Lord in Matthew XXII. 30. +It is said for example, that +an angel is alto- +57 + +----- + +58 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +gether spiritual and immaterial, and hence such +implied intercourse is impossible. +To this it might only be necessary to reply, +.(I) +Even if it were true, even if the angelic +nature +were such, it could not change the +fact +stated in the text, that "the +sons of God" +took +to themselves wives of "the daughters of men," +the ofispring of which were +as described. +Nor +could it change the fact that "sons of God" +is +a +phrase everywhere in the Old Testament used of +angels, and not men. +That is to say, faith does not wait to leam the +possibility of +a thing before it believes it. +It +believes it on the evidence presented, assuming its +possibility until the opposite has been shown. +In this case, however, "impossibility +never can +be shown until +an exhaustive knowledge is pos- +sessed of all that is possible to angels in the line +of sinful degeneracy within the powers bestowed +upon them at creation." (Kurtz, quoted by Flem- +ins, P. 89~) +(2) This leads to the remark that no one is +qualified to say just what the angelic nature may +be, because +no one really knows. +On the other +hand, the implications are against the spiritual and +immaterial idea +as shown in +our former chap- +ters dealing with Satan, angels and demons. +An- +gels have appeared to men in human form, and +have been taken for men, and have partaken of +food like human beings. +_.nl + +----- + +"Sons of God" +59 +It may be said that these were instances where +God wrought miracles to produce the phenomenon, +and hence that they fumish no standard for judg- +ing of what angels in rebellion might do. +But what right have we to suppose ia miracle? +The Bible being silent on the question of +a mir- +acle in such instances, why should we introduce it? +Especially, why should we do so when we know +that the working of miracles on God's part is re- +served for great emergencies? +Moreover, angels themselves may work mir- +acles, as we have already seen. +What about Sa- +tan's assumption of the body of a serpent in Eden? +What about the magicians withstanding Moses in +Egypt? +What about the beast with the two homs +in the book of Revelation (XIII, +1141 5), +and +"the spirits of demons working miracles which go +forth unto thekings of the whole world to gather +them to the battle of that great day of God A1- +mighty?" +(Rev. XVI, 13, 14.) +Angels do not possess power to create something +out of nothing, which is alone the prerogative of +God, but they may be able so to combine existing +elements as to form_ for themselves bodies similar +to the human. +(3) It may be questioned whether there is any +being in the universe who is simply spiritual and +immaterial, except the Infinite Himself, Who is +above and beyond all time and space. +Isaac Tay- +lor in his Physical Theory of Another Life, takes +L + +----- + +60 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +the position that the idea of an absolutely incor- +poreal being is irreconcilable with that of a, finite +creature, because anything created can subsist and +work only within the limits of time and space, +and corporeality +confines +the +creature +to +such +limits. +It is God only Who exists above and be- +yond these limits. +' +In other words, +an embodied +state of +some +kind is indispensable to a finite mind, whose fac- +ulties +can not otherwise +come into play or pro- +duce effects. +(4) +As Fleming reminds us, should all these +views still be unsatisfactory, there remains +the +fact that human bodies have been possessed by +evil spirits, which may have been the +case here. +Through the medium of such bodies thus +pos- +sessed, "the +sons of God" +may have had the in- +tercourse referred to. +_ +Indeed this has been the opinion of +some of +the older commentators, and is suggested as early +as the Clementine Homilies (Hom. IX). +It is +a very simple, and yet suflicient, solution of the +difhculty, for we +are taught in the Gospels that +the powers and faculties of the human being thus +possessed were completely controlled, intensified +and directed by the demon, or else that the two na- +tures, in some incomprehensible manner were inter- +fused and the weaker overbome by the stronger# +The remarkable physical proportions, the super- +human strength and the evil disposition of the + +----- + +"Sons of God" +61 +Nephilim would be the natural eliects of such +a +power imparted to human beings by fallen spirits. +Nor would such possession necessarily involve the +suffering of physical and mental evils +to which +demoniacs of +the +Gospels +were +subjected, +for +Satan can transform himself into an angel of light, +and no doubt his emissaries would conduct them- +selves in a way to accomplish the object they had +in view. +(The Fallen Angels, p. 95.) +(5) +One +more supposition is still to be +con- +sidered, namely, that "the +sons of God" +in their +spiritual natufe, or at the most in some kind of +subtle, ethereal body, or with the appearance of +a human body, might in +some incomprehensible +way ellect what the text in Genesis declares to +have been the fact. +Augustine +in +the City of +God, book 15, thinks this possible; and +so also +does Dr. Henry More, +an English divine +and +philosopher of the seventeenth century (Mystery +of Godliness, book III, +C. 18), +and the Rev. +Theo. Campbell in the Irish Ecclesiastical Ga- +zette, 1867, all quoted by Fleming. +Of course this involves diiliculties of its own, +and is not presented as a solution, but merely as +a supposition worthy of consideration. Those who +wish to consider it further will find a good deal +of information in a book easily accessible, known +as Earth's +Earliest Ages, by G. H. Pember, pp. +205-213, 375-391, edition of 1885, Armstrong, +New York. + +----- + +62 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +We quote a paragraph or two from this work: +"Spiritualists +teach that all will marry in the +next world, if they do not in this; and that true +marriage lasts through etemity. +The natural in- +ference is that the true spouses of some are already +in the spirit-land. +And to such an extent is this +inference followed out that many are reported to +be receiving visits and communications from those +spiritual beings with whom they are to be united +forever. +The ceremonious marriage of a woman +to a demon is a thing not unknown in the United +States." +He mentions a book called "An Angel's +Mes- +sage," claiming to be communications from a spirit +to an English lady, his destined bride for eternity. +The demon-lover describes himself +as the spirit +of a man of deep religious feeling, who, during +his sojourn in the flesh was accustomed to visit +the house of the lady's +father, though +at that +time he found no attraction in her. +In the course +of years he died, +as did also the mother of the +lady. +Soon after the decease of the latter her +daughter began to receive communications under- +stood to come from the mother, in the course of +fivhich the demon-lover is introduced, and there- +after inspires the medium, (i.e., the lady in the +case) himself. +It is she who, under his inspira- +tion and control now pens the following: +"She who writes these lines is my wife more +than may be thought possible by those who have + +----- + +' +"Sons of God +" +63 +not had a similar state opened in themselves. +She +is not so as to her natural body, but she is soas to +her spiritual body. +For 'there +is a natural body, +and there is a spiritual body.' +The one is within +the other as a kernel within a shell. +"But this state can come to the outward percep- +tion of those only who +are open to spirit-inter- +course. +No others can perceive, during their life +in the world of nature, that which belongs to the +spirit alone. +This state constitutes mediumship; +for she who is mine is not only a writing medium, +but she is also susceptible of very palpable im- +pressions of my presence with her. +We are one; +and she has received the assurance of that truth +by other means than the merely being told so in +these writings." +There is much more to the +same eiiect; but +that which we have quoted is suflicient to unveil +the danger which may be threatening many. +ll +It remains to speak of +our Lord's +words in +Matthew XXII, 30, and the parallels, where in +rebuking the Sadducees, He says: +"Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of +God. +For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in +marriage, but are the angels of God in heaven." +Two ways of meeting this objection in harmony + +----- + +64 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +with the foregoing have been suggested. +One is, +to say that Christ is speaking of the holy angels +only, from which no inference is to be drawn as to +that of which the same beings might be capable if +fallen from their original state. +, +The other is, that He is stressing the word +"heaven", +meaning that they do +not marry +in +heaven, but saying nothing as to what they might +do under other circumstances or in a dillerent en- +vironment. +The first is the view of Kurtz the +theologian, +and the second that of Nagelsbach, +the commentator, in the Lange series. +But is either hypothesis a necessity? +It is true +that angels always appear in the Bible +as mascu- +line, never feminine, the former being the gender +used of beings in whom 'sexual distinctions do not +exist; but is it inconceivable that the +germ of +such distinction may be latent in their nature? +Man, for example, was not created to sin, and +yet he had in his constitution the capability of +sinning, a capability which came into operation in +his departing from the ordinance of the Creator. +In like manner it is thought, the germ spoken of +as +a possibility in the angelic nature might be +unfolded as a result of wilful departure from the +original condition of existence, +and the sinking +to +a lower and unnatural state in apostasy from +God. +Our author quotes Paradise Lost, Book I, where +Milton names the chiefs of the fallen angels after + +----- + +"Sons of God" +65 +the idols of the Canaanites and others, and of +some he says, they bore the names +"Of Baalim and Ashtaroth, those male, +These feminine, for spirits, when they please, +Can either sex assume, or both; so soft +And uncompounded is their essence pure." +Finally, following Kurtz again, there is an an- +alogy +seen in the resurrection life of +man. +In +this world he has the distinction of sex, but in +that which is beyond, i.e., in heaven, he will neither +marry nor be given in marriage, but in that re- +spect be equal to the angels. +"Therefore, is it unlawful to infer that, in the +event of the angels falling, by their own wilful act, +from the higher to the lower sphere of existence, +a degradation of their nature, analogous to the ele- +vation in the other case, may take place, and that +thus might be developed that power which be- +longed to the lower grade, but of which the prin- +ciple always existed in the upper?" + +----- + +VII +ABOMINATIONS OF THE CANAANITES +I +N introducing the theme of this chapter we +return for the moment to Genesis VI, 4, which +was under consideration in the two immediate- +ly preceding. +That verse read, +' +"There +were giants in the earth in those days; and also +after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters +of men, and they bare children to them, -the _same became +mighty men which were of old, men of renown." +We have seen that "giants" +is in the Hebrew, +"Nephilim," which +means the "fallen +ones," +or +the "fallen angels," identifying them, as we think +correctly, with the "sons" of God." +Others indeed +would identify them with the "mighty men," the +"men of renown" +also mentioned in the verse as +the offspring of the marriages of the "sons +of~ +God" with the "daughters of men." +But for our +present purpose it is not essential which applica- +66 + +----- + +Abominations of the Canaanites +67 +tion is made +as we +are chiefly interested in the +phrase, "and also, after that." +Some would limit this phrase to the antediluv- +ian age, and interpret it +as meaning that after +the first irruption of the fallen angels and the +warning of God concerning it, others also occur- +red with like results during the +120 years of re- +spite, until it repented the Lord that He had +made 'man on the earth and He determined to +destroy him. +Others, however, would say that it had a post- +diluvian application, and that the word and the +fact for which it stands come to light again in the +history of the Canaanities whom Israel dispos- +sessed, +as illustrated in Numbers XIII, 33. +At +that chapter and verse some of the spies whom +Moses dispatched to bring a report of the land +returned with the story that all the people were +men of great stature; "and there we saw the giants +(Nephilim) +the +sons of Anak, which +come of +the giants (Nephilim); and we were in our own +sight +as grasshoppers, and +so we were in their +sight." +. +In this instance the same word seems to be used +for the "fallen ones" +and their offspring both of +which were "giants" +or "nephilim"; +and the cir- +cumstance of their presence in that land seems to +account for God's +command to extirpate the Ca- +naanites much as the greater judgment had fallen +upon the whole race at the flood. + +----- + +68 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +II +The above, however, is merely introductory to +a consideration of the general teaching of 'the +Old Testament on the subject of Spiritism and its +related phenomena following the flood. +To quote the author of The Vital Choice: En- +dor or Calvary, "the existence of mediumséindi- +viduals who, having discovered that they had cer- +tain gifts, made a practice of communicating with +the spirit world-is taken for granted in the Bible, +where they +are referred to +as wizards, witches, +necromancers, etc. +The details of their methods +are not given to any extent, but what we do know +about them leads us to suppose that, with the pos- +sible exception of automatic writing, there is no +material difference in their methods from those +now in vogue." +' +Indeed, even this excepton may be unnecessary. +For example, a certain class of the magicians both +in Egypt and Babylon +were known +as "sacred +scribes" +(Genesis XLI, 8, margin), the root He- +brew word meaning a "style" +or pen, and signify- +ing those members of the priestly +caste whose +magic was somewhat concerned with writing. +Pember thinks they may have been identical with +the writing mediums of our day, whom he speaks +of as divided into five classes: +_( I) +Those whose passive hand is moved by the + +----- + +Abominations of the Canaanites +69 +spirit +without +any +mental +volition +of +their +own; +- +(2) +Those into whose mind each word is sep- +arately insinuated at the moment of its inscrip- +tion; +(3) +Those who write from the dictation of +spirit-voices ; +(4) +Those who copy words and sentences pro- +jected before them in letters of light; and +(5) Those in whose presence spirit-hands, visi- +ble, or invisible, take up the pen and write the +words. +Of course the attitude of the Bible, or rather +the attitude of God, for the Bible is the revelation +of His mind and will, is that of absolute and un- +sparing condemnation of all these things, not only +because the glory of His Name is involved, but +also the highest and eternal welfare of the race +which He has created and redeemed. +A few illustrations of this attitude are given: +Take for example, the command at Sinai, "Thou +shalt not suffer +a witch to live" +(Exodus XXII. +18). +This can not be concerned with mere super- +stition or deception, there must be reality behind +it, real and wilful fellowship with the powers of +evil, or such a penalty would not follow. +And this suggestion is strengthened by the repe- +tition of the command in Leviticus (XX. 27) "A +man also, or a woman, that hath a familar spirit, +or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death; + +----- + +70 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +they shall stone them with stones; their blood shall +be upon them." +' +The Hebrew word for "familiar spirit" is pro- +nounced "ob" +or "ohv", +and means the same +as +"necromancer", +one who professes to talk with the +dead or with Satan. +This shows conclusively that +the inhabitation of any one with +an "ohv" +must +have been the result of voluntary acquiescence, +since God would not thus punish that which was +involuntary. +"Wizard" +is a different word, but its significance +is not essentially dissimilar, viz., a knowing person, +one instructed in the art of holding intercourse +with demons. +It may be of interest to explain that the word +"ohv" originally signified a skin bottle, i.e., a skin +filled with wine, and hence inflated and tumid. +This tumidity being a characteristic of those in +whom a demon or an "ohv" +dwelt, the word came +to be applied both to the person thus afiected and +to the spirit that caused it. +Parkhurst, in his He- +brew and Chaldee Lexicon, quotes +a passage in +Virgil which +describes the swollen and altered +form of the Pythoness or demon~possessed woman, +and adds, "this shows what the heathen meant in +speaking of their diviners being pleni deo, full of +the god." +III +We now come to the remarkable passage in the + +----- + +Abominations of the Canaanites +71 +eighteenth of Deuteronomy which gives the title to +this chapter. +It is part of Moses' +farewell to +Israel before his departure out of this life, and +just prior to their entrance upon Canaan, under +Joshua: +"VVhen thou art +come into the land which the Lord thy +God giveth thee, thou shalt not leam to do after the abom- +inations of those nations. +There shall not be found among +you any +one that maketh his +son +or his daughter to +pass +through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of +times, or an enchanter, or a witch. +Or charmer, or a consulter +with familiar spirits or a wizard, or a necromancer." +I. Let us study the meaning 'of these terms: +Passing "through +the fire" has been taken by +some to mean the worship of Moloch referred to +in Leviticus XVIII. +21. +Moloch was +a god of +the Phenicians, whose worship embraced human +sacrifice of the most terrible nature, for example, +the passing of live infants through the folded arms +of the image heated to a white heat. +But that application in the present case is now +considered incorrect, and it is thought that the +words really mean "a sort of purification by fire, +or, a fire baptism, by which the worshippers were +consecrated to the god, and supposed to be freed +from the fear of +a violent death." +It +was +a +kind of chami or spell, and hence classed here with +sorcery or witchcraft. +Occasion has been taken in the earlier chap- +ters to warn readers against playing with the sem- +; + +----- + +72 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +blance of these wicked things because of their +subtle and alluring power, and another occasion +oliers itself at this point. +It is suggested in +a. +'footnote of Pember's, +Earth's +Earliest Ages (p. +258), where he afiirms that this practice is still +kept up in parts of Christendom by the midsum- +mer fires of St. ]ohn's +eve. +He quotes a Wesleyan +minister as saying that, at Midsummer, on many +of the hills of Herefordshire, England, fires were +burning, while the peasantry danced around them; +and the ceremony was not completed until some of +the +young +people +had +passed +"through +the +fire." +A second command is against using "divination", +which the Revised Version renders "practising aug- +ury." +This, however, does not clear up the mean- +ing of the word very much, since "augury" +is de- +fined as the art of foretelling by signs or omens, +a species of modern fortune-telling in which alas! +not a few professing Christians are guilty of in- +dulging. +"An observer of times." +The English render- +ing of this would indicate a diviner by the clouds, +but the Hebrew simply suggests such observation +as requires the use of the eye in minute inspection, +and might apply to the entrails of victims. +Pem- +ber however finds in it the meaning of a fascinator +with the eyes, or in modern language, a mesmerist, +one who throws another into a magnetic sleep and +obtains oracular sayings from him. + +----- + +Abominations of the Canaanites +73 +"Enchanter" +is +not regarded +as +an +accurate +translation of the Hebrew, which simply seems to +denote quick observation of some kind, either of +the eye or ear, and then of divining. +The ob- +servation may be that of the singing or the flight of +birds or other aerial phenomena. +"Witch" +or "wizard" +is translated elsewhere +"sorcerer", +and means "to pray", but its applica- +tion shows that the prayer is directed to false gods +or demons. +"Charmer", +"consulter +with 'familiar spirits", +"wizard", "necromancer", +are the words used in +verse 11, on which Benjamin Wills Newton, an- +other +English +author, +remarks: +"Comparing +verse II with verse Io, the last-named treats of +those kinds of divination in which demons +are +not immediately addressed, but consulted by the +intervention of signs or enchantments, while verse +II implies a more direct appeal to evil spirits." +Thus the first word "charmer", literally means +to bind or join together, and applies to one who +by incantations and invocations seeks to bring de- +mons into association with himself. +Some séances +are opened with the chanting or singing of hymns +for this object, which leads Mr. Newton to say, +very properly, "let +no +one who sings hymns +_in +spiritualistic seances and thus invokes demons ever +dare to sing unto God, for he is not a worshipper +of God, but of Satan." +The remainder of the words in this verse +so +'I + +----- + +74 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +approximate the others in meaning as to make it +unnecessary to enlarge upon them. +IV +II. Let us give attention to the command and +the warning that follow the terms used: +"For all that do these things are an abomination unto the +Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God +doth drive them out from before thee. +"Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. +"For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto +observers of times, and unto ldiviners; but +as for thee, the +Lord thy God hath not suEered thee so to do." +An "abomination" +is that which God detests, +and which He must cast away or separate from +Himself. +just what this meant in the mundane +sphere, to the nation of the Canaanites, is revealed +in the book of Ioshua. +But what it meant to +them as individuals in the life to come, if unre- +pentant, who can appreciate or describe? +But if these things +were +an abomination +in +God's sight then, must they not be an abomination +still? +Has there been any change in His nature or +in their nature? +If He detested and cast them +away from Himself then, must He not detest and +cast them away from Himself now? +In other words, how can the Spiritist, and his +kind, expect God's +favor either in this world or +that which is to come? +Insanity multiplying as +f +/ + +----- + +Abominations of the Canaanites +75 +one of the results of this unholy intercourse is +only symptomatic after all. +A casting away from +God goes deeper and farther than that. +"Thou +shalt +be perfect with +the Lord thy +God." +Perfect" +in the margin reads, "upright +or sincere." +God is addressing only His chosen +people, +those +whom +He +had +redeemed +from +Egypt, and who, amid the thunders and lightnings +of Sinai had avowed, "All +that the Lord hath +spoken we will do" (Exodus XIX. 8). +To be "upright +or sincere" +meant that they +should keep that vow, and to keep it was incom- +patible with the worship and service of demons. +Worship and service is something more than +a +ceremonial or a prayer. +It implies trust, submis- +sion, obedience. +They who seek unto wizards, and +necromancers and diviners, do so for counsel and +advice, and for information concerning the +un- +known which iniluences both character and +con- +duct. +In other words, it begets trust and confi- +dence in, and commands submission and obedience +to the false gods represented by those unhappy +beings. +No wonder it should be written, "As for thee, +the Lord thy God hath not suliered thee so to do." +Israel might so do, but they must suffer for it. +If +not in all respects as the Canaanites suffered who +were not His chosen, yet so as to lead them to "see +it to be an evil thing and +a bitter that thou hast +forsaken the Lord thy God" +(Jeremiah II. 19). + +----- + +76 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +v +III. The command and the warning is followed +by a promise: +"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from +the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto him ye +shall hearken; +"According +to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God +in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear +again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this +great fire any more, that I die not. +"And +the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that +which they have spoken. +I will raise them up a Prophet from +among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words +in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall +command him. +"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken +unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require +it of him." +When the law was given Israel at Horeb, by +an audible voice, +so terrible +was the sight that +even Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and quake," +and the people "entreated that the word should +not be spoken to them any more" (Heb. XII. 19). +"Go thou near," +said they to Moses, "and +hear +all that the Lord our God shall say; and speak +thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak +unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it" +(Deu- +teronomy V. 27). +God took them at their word, and graciously ap- +pointed Moses to be their mediator; +And now + +----- + +Abominations of the Canaanites +77 +that he was about to be taken from them ere they +crossed the Jordan, a successor had already been +announced. +Joshua +was the prophet from the +midst of them like unto Moses whom God had +raised +up, +and +unto +whom +they +were +to +hearken. +They need not fear to follow Joshua just +as +they had followed Moses, and the secret of their +continued +blessing, +victory +and prosperity +de- +pended on their obeying the one +as they had the +other. +Whoso would not hearken unto Joshua's +words +as +unto Moses, +words which would +be +put "in his mouth" by God, and which he would +speak +in His Name, +it would +be required of +him. +Manifestly, Joshua was but the type of all the +other prophets and commanders of the people who +should follow him, and whom God sent to Israel +in the later days, "rising +up early and sending +them," +as is so often repeated in the language of +Jeremiah, +and +to whom, alas! they would +not +listen. +But very especially is Joshua the type of Christ +as the New Testament so definitely declares (John +I. 17; Acts III. 19-26). +And it is this last-men- +tioned fact that brings the command and the warn- +ing, as well as the promise, up to date. +Here God +brings us face to face with His Son in whose mouth +His words are, and concerning whom it comes to +us with cumulative force that God will require it + +----- + +78 +Spiritism and the Fallen 'Angels +of any one who fails to listen to and obey what He +says. +But it must not be supposed that Christ's words +are limited to the few He spake while present with +us in the flesh. +Christ is God. +The _Iesus of the +New Testament is the Jehovah of the Old Testa- +ment. +The Incamate Word is the inspirer of the +written word. +Peter tells +us distinctly that the +prophets who spake of the grace that should come +unto us, searched "what, +or what manner of time, +the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify +when He testified beforehand" +(1 +Peter I. +10, +11). +' +Christ's words are the words of the whole Bible, +and it is to them we must hearken, and them that +we must obey. +How clear, and rich and comfortable they are, +satisfying every human need, every yeaming and +every aspiration! +Is it a question of guidance in +our daily walk? +Is it the supply of our common +needs, what we shall eat and drink, and our body, +"what +we shall put on"? +Are +we longing for +solace and fellowship in sorrow? +Are we peering +into the darkness for some trace of departed foot- +steps, straining our ears for some echo of voices +that seem forever lost? +This is the answer to our need: +"In nothing +be anxious; but in everything by prayer and sup- +plication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be +made known unto God. +And the peace of God, + +----- + +Abominations of the Canaanites +79 +which passeth all understanding, shall guard your +hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." +(Phil- +ippians IV. 6, 7. +R.V.) + +----- + +VIII +SPIRITISM IN ISRAEL AND IUDAH +' +1 +N previous chapters it has been said that the +spiritistic medium +does +not bring back the +dead, but that the "familiar spirit" who con: +trols the medium appears able to personate the +dead. +Satan knows very much, +some would say +he knows all, about the life of every human being, +for he ever goes "about seeking whom he may +devour." +At least information could be procured +with lightning speed from the demons which had +watched the life of the person invoked, and then +communicated to the "control" +in any given case. +But while we say that the dead do not +come +back, it is known to readers of the Bible that some +apparent exceptions must be made. +Take the case +of the transfiguration of Christ, when "Behold, +two men talked with him, which were Moses and +Elias, who appeared in glory and spake of his de- +cease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem" +'(Luke IX. 30, 31). +Take the crucifixion, when "the +graves were +So +` + +----- + +Spiritism in Israel and Judah +81 +opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept +arose, and came out of the graves after his resur- +rection, and went into the holy city and appeared +unto many" (Matt. XXVII. 52, 53). +And then there were Lazarus and the +son of +the widow of Nain, but these are instances of the +raising of the dead where there was a second oc- +currence of death. +In the others the dead saints +appeared only for a little while and then immedi- +ately vanished, not appearing again. +With the exception of Samuel of whose +case +this chapter treats, there is no similar record of +the dead returning to this world. +And in no case +except his, did the dead speak to or in any other +way communicate with the living. +Moses and Elijah spake with Christ but did not +speak to the disciples. +The saints rising at His +resurrection was a special testimony to that fact. +As another expresses it, "When Christ died, the +graves were opened to show that there was power +in His death to open the graves of believers; and +when three days later, He arose, they arose with +Him to show that there was power in His resur- +rection to bring them forth." +They appeared unto many, but +so far +as we +know they did not speak to a single person. +II +Samuel's +case is unique. +Saul, the king of Is- + +----- + +82 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +rael at the time, had professedly put the necro- +mancers out of Israel at the Divine command, be- +ing urgedto do it doubtless, by Samuel himself. +But now the glittering helms and spears of an +invading army surrounded him, +and his heart +trembled with gloomy forebodings. +The Spirit +of the Lord no longer came upon him, and the +phantoms of past sins floated continually before his +eyes taking away rest and all steadfastness of pur- +pose. +Samuel who had so long bome with and +entreated for him was dead. +He tried to pray, but +iniquity was in his heart and the Lord would not +hear him. +He was answered no more neither by +dreams, nor by Urim, nor by the prophets. +No +voice answered to his despairing cry. +Then he yielded to the evil thought, and per~ +haps stifling his conscience with the plea that it was +a prophet of the Lord with whom he would con- +verse, he appeals to the powers of darkness. +'He asks his companions "if they knew of any +surviving dealer with demons." +Yes, they know +of one, proof doubtless, that they had been in +the habit of consulting her themselves, and in the +shelter of the night Saul goes forth with +two +of them to a slope of Mount Hermon. +Entering into the cavern, dimly lighted by +a +fire of wood, and addressing the medium, he says: +"I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, +and bring me him up whom I shall name unto +thee." + +----- + +Spiritism in Israel and Judah +83 +The medium, suspicious at first, is re-assured by +an oath that no harm would befall her, and being +requested to call up Samuel commenced her prepar- +ations. +' +But the usual procedure is cut short by a sudden +interference, and the medium`is affrighted by her +discovery, +communicated +through +the +familiar +spirit no doubt, that her inquirer is the king; and +still more alirighted by the apparition of a being +with whom she had neither part nor lot. +The ex- +planation of this last remark is that the real Samuel +had appeared instead of the personation which the +medium had expected, the real Samuel, whom God, +in wrath, had sent up +as the bearer of a fearful +message of doomto the wicked king (1 Samuel +XXVIII).* +The rest of the story we need not follow. +The +words of Samuel, the despair of Saul, his return +to camp, his suicidal death the next day, and very +especially the declaration in +1 Chron. X. 13, that +he "died for his transgression which he committed +against the Lord, +* +* +* +and for asking coun- +sel of one that had a familiar spirit to inquire +of it." +The view of Pember, thus quoted, that it was +indeed the real Samuel who came up, and not a +personated Samuel, is that of the present writer +*Pember's, +Earth's Earliest Ages. +° + +----- + +84 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +also, (Synthetic Studies page, 43, Christian Work- +er's Commentary, page 166). +But it is necessary to emphasize the point that +it was not the witch of Endor who brought up +Samuel. +Matters got out of her hands apparently, +as indicated in her +screams. +God brought +up +Samuel, and the fact that Saul saw and spoke di- +rectly to him is another feature which is uncom- +mon in Spiritistic lore. +The incident, therefore, is a special one, and af- +'fords no evidence as to the genuineness of other +communications purporting +to +come from indi- +viduals who have left this world. +It is no proof +whatever that the spirit of any particular indi- +vidual can be summoned by a medium or 'control', +or that the spirits which respond are those of the +individuals they purport to be. (The Vital Choice: +Endor or Calvary.) +And yet it is only right to say that there is an- +other view to be taken of this transaction. +It is +one that gives no more comfort, perhaps not even +as much, to the votaries of Spiritism, and would +not be mentioned here at all, except as +a matter +of additional interest. +- +The Rev. William H. Clagett in his brochure, +"Modern Spiritualism Exposed," +presents it cog- +ently in speaking of the +occurrence +as the lirst +séance of which the world has any record. +That record plainly shows, he says, that this +spirit was not Samuel's. +He thinks it came from + +----- + +Spiritism in Israel and Judah +85 +the wrong direction, "up" +not down. +Again the +spirit says, "Why hast thou disquieted me P" +He +does not think that any of God's +servants could +be disquieted by a witch. +Still further, the spirit +says, "'I`omorrow, thou shalt be with me." +Samuel +was a saved man, Saul a lost man, and between +the two a great impassable gulf was fixed. +How +could Saul be with Samuel? +Furthermore, Dr. Clagett believes that if this +spirit had been Samuel he would have told Saul to +repent and call upon God, instead of which he +makes an argument to drive Saul to despair, de- +claring that God had departed from him and be- +come his enemy, and that he would be defeated +and slain, etc. +Notwithstanding what Dr. Clagett says how. +ever, and though there are others who agree with +him, the simple reading of the record impresses +one that the real Samuel is before us. +An answer to one of Dr. Clagett's objections, +and the most serious one, is ready. +The jews re- +garded the place of the dead as composed of two +realms, +one for the righteous and +one for the +unrighteous. +Tomorrow Saul might have been +with Samuel in that he was in the realm of the +dead, and yet not with him in the sense that he +was in the company of the righteous dead. +_ +Yet omitting this particular factor, we have here +indeed, as Dr. Clagett says, a picture of modem +Spiritism +drawn by +the +finger of +God +three + +----- + +86 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +thousand years ago. +The whole thing is laid bare +before us, the medium and her character, the sup- +posed "control", the circle, Saul and two men with +him, the time, night, the claim, "whom +shall I +bring up ?", the supposed materialization, and the +same arrangement of things in the house, and the +same vagueness and uncanniness about the whole +proceeding. +After the period of Saul little is said of Spirit- +ism in Israel until we reach the defection of Baal- +worship in the time of King Ahab and the prophet +Elijah +(1 +Kings XVII-XIX) ; where +the +sup- +position is a reasonable one that the false prophets +were mediums inspired by the agents of Satan. +For this cause, let the reader be duly impressed +with the awful story in I Kings XXII, especially +verses zo-23, where a lying spirit is permitted, in +Divine judgment, to seduce the king so that he is +led away to a disgraceful death. +Later comes the story of Naaman the leper (2 +Kings V), who was indignant because God's +serv- +ant Elisha did not "wave his hand over the place +and recover the leper." +Was he thinking of the +mesmeric healing of the pagan priests? +If so, it +enables us to appreciate why Elisha bade him in- +stead, to go "wash in Jordan seven times and thy +flesh shall come again to thee and thou shalt be +clean." + +----- + +Spiritism in Israel and Judah +87 +These are instances of the coupling of sorcery +and idolatry in the history of the ten tribes, but +the same is found in Judah too. +Was it in Jotham +or +Ahaz' +day, +that +Israel +cried +to +Jehovah: +"Therefore Thou hast forsaken Thy people, the +house of Jacob, because they be replenished from +the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines" +(II. 6) ? +When +a century afterwards, Manasseh is +on +the throne, "he did that which was evil in the sight +of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen +whom the Lord cast out before the children of +Israel. +* +* +* +And he made his son to pass +through the fire, and observed times, and used +enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and +wizards" (2 Kings XXI). +In consequence of these practices there follows +a fearful prophecy of woe. +Such evil would be +brought on Jerusalem and Judah as would cause +the ears of him that heard of it to tingle. +The +city would be wiped "as +a man wipeth a dish, wip- +ing it and turning it upside down." +Moreover +Manasseh himself +was permitted of God to be +taken in chains by the king of Assyria and carried +to Babylon. +Happily however, Manasseh offers +an +answer +to the question +as to whether it is ever possible +for a soul entangled in Spiritism to be delivered +and restored, for we read in 2 Chronicles XXIII. +12, 13, that when he was in allliction he besought +¢ + +----- + +88 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly +before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto +Him. +As +a result he was heard of Him Who +brought him again to Jerusalem into his Kingdom. +"Then +Manasseh knew that the Lord He +was +&d +if +Manasseh's +godly successor, Josiah, put away +the abominations and removed the mediums from +Judah, but they +soon +were permitted to _return +alasl +as we judge by ]eremiah's +denunciation of +them up to the very moment almost of the Baby- +Ionian captivity. +"Hearken not ye to your prophets," he exclaims, +"nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor +to your mesmerizers, nor to your enchanters, which +speak unto you, saying, ye shall not serve the king +of Babylon. +For they prophesy +a lie unto you, +to +remove you far from your land, and that I +should +drive +you +out, +and +ye +should perish" +(XXVII. 9, xo). +The _Iews leamed many things as the result of +their Babylonian captivity, but one thing they did +not learn, and that was to put the false prophets +and the diviners away from them forever. +We +are assured of this because of the warnings they +receive in the post-captivity prophets. +It is clear also from the same source, that Spirit- +ism will prevail among them when they return in +unbelief to their own land in the day that is yet +ahead. +But when their King comes a second time + +----- + +Spiritism in Israel and Judah +89 +to Zion then will He turn ungodliness away from +Jacob, and they shall be freed forever from its +curse. +"It +shall come to pass in that day, saith +the Lord of hosts, that I will cut oil the name of +the idols out of the land, and they shall no more +be remembered; and also I will cause the prophets +and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land" +(Zechariah XIII. 2). +' + +----- + +IX +EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND THE_ +' +BLACK ART +I +. +O far as the Gospels are concerned, perhaps +as much has been said already as our pres- +ent treatment of the subject will permit. +See +the preceding chapters +on "Satan-His +Origin, +History and Doom," and "Angels and Demons." +But there is much in the Acts and the Epistles, and +especially in the book of Revelation, that calls for +particular attention. +Conybeare and Howson, and more recently, Sir +William Ramsay* are good authority for saying +that a marked fact in the society of paganism dur- +ing the period covered by the Acts was the in- +lluence of magicians and soothsayers. +They were extraordinarily numerous the latter +tells us, there being but few cities in the Greeco- +*The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness +of the New Testament. +90 +, + +----- + +Early Christianity +91 +Roman world that did not possess several of them +who catered to a large part of ordinary society. +The more educated and thoughtful of the people +believed them to be disreputable and maleficent +and they warned young people against them, but +this only went to prove their belief in the power +they could exert. +And just as today, the people in those days re- +sorted to magicians in the hope of procuring what +they were unwilling to seek, or what they could not +obtain, through prayer and acts of +a purely re- +ligious character. +Religion was open and fair, but they preferred +darkness and secrecy. +Lovers sought charms or +the means of enslaving the minds and possessing +the persons of those they desired. +Others sought +the recovery of lost property, the cure of disease, +business success or any of the thousand and one +things that humanity covets. +"There +was a wide- +spread and deep-seated feeling in the pagan mind, +that the divine power was always ready and even +desirous to communicate its will to men," and that +the signs revealing that intention were visible all +about for those who had eyes to see, i.e., through +divination; or would be revealed to men through +prophecy, i.e., +oracles located +at certain places +which were ever ready to serve in that capacity for +a given fee. +There was no class of opponents, Sir William +assures us, with whom the earliest Christian apos- +Q + +----- + +92 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +tles and missionaries were brought into collision +so frequently, and whose antagonism was +so ob- +stinate and determined as the magicians. +At Samaria, +at Paphos, +at Philippi, +and +re- +peatedly at Ephesus, wizards of various kinds meet +and are overcome by Peter and Paul. +They had +power, but the apostles are exhibited as always pos- +sessing more power. +C +A +Not that this is the only explanation of the at- +tention given to such matters by the inspired his- +torian, but rather is it for the purpose of refuting +an +accusation +commonly +brought +against +the +Christians. +The accusation +was that they also, +like the wizards and magicians, +were maleficent +and haters of the human race, practising secret +rites and abominable hidden crimes (I Peter II. +12) . "There is no presbyter of the Christians that +is not an astrologer, +a diviner and a professional +carer for people's +physical condition," +is the tes- +timony of the supposed letter of Emperor Had- +rian to a Roman Consul, A.D. I 34. +We thus have a point of similarity with the way +in which spiritists of today compare their doings +and their beliefs with Christ and the Christians of +the first and second centuries. +As we have pre- +viously pointed out, they commit the blasphemy +of speaking of Christ as a Master Medium, and +allirm that the phenomena of the séances are not +different in origin, in character and in their objec- +tive from the marvels which Christians know to +L + +----- + +Early Christianity +93 +have been wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit +at the hands of the first disciples. +Whereas the authorities of that day sought to +dishonor those marvels by reducing them to the +level of unlawful arts, so the practitioners of those +arts today are seeking to elevate them to the plane +of the holy and divine religion of _Iesus Christ. +II +As we come to consider the record of the Acts, +let the reader refresh his recollection by a perusal +of the text. +Take the story of Simon Magus for example, +VIII. 5-24. +Still following Ramsay who has an +original way of looking at the matter, it is to be +home in mind that Simon was not an impostor or +a quack, just as we have seen that some, +a very +few perhaps, of the modern mediums are not to +be so designated. +He possessed real power, +as +do some of these, though it may be of a diiierent +kind from that which he possessed. +The Samaritans said, "This +man is that power +of God, which is called Great" (R.V.). +"Power" +(Greek, dunamis) +was what the pagan devotees +worshipped as divine. +"Great" +also had a strong +religious +characteristic. +Hence +in +Simon they +thought they had "an epiphany of that Supreme +power of which even the rods themselves are only +partial embodiments." + +----- + +94 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +But Simon saw in Philip greater and dillerent +power from any that he possessed. +The powers of +this world always recognize the trllc power of +God (James II. 19). +Struck with astonishment +at the position and inlluence acquired by Philip, he +joined his company to leam more about it; and +on discovering through Peter and John that it was +to be procured and even passed on to others by +the laying on of hands, he would pay for it if it +could be bought. +As Ramsay carefully notes, in this first recorded +collision with a practiser of magic arts, the stress +is laid on his incapacity to understand the nature +and character of the Christian truth. +There is an +essential antagonism between him and it, just as +there is today between the exponents and the vot- +aries of revived Spiritism and they who are truly +witnessing for Jesus Christ. +We class Simon with +Spiritists, because "in such phenomena +as that of +Spiritism lay the powers of such magicians." +As a matter of fact not only is Simon's proposal +rejected by the Apostles, and with indignation and +contempt, but Simon himself is rejected. +And it was necessary thus to give strong expres- +sion to this antagonism on the first occasion, be- +cause of the analogy between certain phenomena +of the magician and those of Christianity on some +occasions. +Take the descent of the Holy Spirit +on the waiting and praying disciples, already men- +tioned, which took place on the day of Pentecost. + +----- + +Early Christianity +95 +The Spiritists of today do not hesitate to class +that sacred scene with a modern spiritist séance- +the disciples together with one accord, the sound +of the rushing mighty wind filling the house, the +appearance of cloven tongues! +It is characteristic of Luke's method of correct- +ing this erroneous idea in the book of Acts, that +he does not do +so by obtruding any opinion_ or +judgment of his own, but simply by setting forth +the +acts and words of the heaven-endued +and +heaven-guided apostles, which speak for them- +selves. +Happy are we if, learned in the contents +of Holy Writ, we are able to do the same against +the spiritists of today, and thus, if it please God, +deliver +some who, without knowing it, +are like +Simon, "in the gall of bitterness and in the bond +of iniquity." +Ill +From the eighth chapter of the Acts, let the +reader pass if he will to the thirteenth and to the +story of "Elymas the Sorcerer." +Following further the author we have named, +here is the only +case in the New Testament in +which the natural antagonism between the Chris- +tian teacher and the magician is carried to a direct +conliict and trial of strength. +Bar-Jesus (Arabic, +Elymas) pits himself against Paul and forthwith +his strength is withered. +"The power of the Holy + +----- + +96 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +Spirit, looking through the eyes of Paul, pierces +him to the soul and temporarily paralyses the ner- +vous system so far as vision is concerned"; +or to +quote the inspired and less round-about language +of the Bible itself, "Immediately there fell on him +a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking +some one to lead him by the hand." +It is pertinent to observe that Sergius Paulus, +the Roman deputy +or pro-consul in this case, is +described as "a prudent man," i.e., a man of under- +standing. +His prudence and understanding were +exhibited surely, in calling for Barnabas and Saul +that he might_hear the Word of God; and after- +wards in judging that the results in the case of the +false prophet who withstood them, were suiiicient +to accredit the truth of their testimony. +"When +he saw what was done, he believed, being aston- +ished at the doctrine of the Lord." +Would to God that some of those now coming +under the power of the false teaching of mod- +ern Spiritism were governed by +a like prudence, +especially when we reilect that Paul, under the im- +pulse of the Spirit of God, rebuked this sorcerer +as one who was "full of all subtility and mischief," +a "child of the devil," and an "enemy of all right- +eousness" who was perverting "the right way of +the Lord." +It intensifies the realism of this transaction to +know that Sir William Ramsay has been able to +identify this deputy by the +monuments of Asia + +----- + +Early Christianity +97 +Minor, and also to corroborate in +a most fascin- +ating way the allusion to his conversion to the +Christian religion. +' +IV +Leaving the story of Bar~]esus we come to that +of the "damsel possessed with a spirit of divina- +tion" in Acts XVI. +A maid having "a spirit, a Python" +is the way +we find it in the margin of the Revised Version. +The King Iames' +Version is more of a comment +than +a translation, +and destroys the instruction +which the passage was intended to give. +That in- +struction is important as proving the supernatural +character of the influences that formed and guided +Paganism. +As Benjamin Wills Newton says in "Reflections +on the Character and Spread of Spiritualism," this +"damsel" +was what men now call +a medium, +an +intermediary between themselves and the powers +of darkness-a link connecting with hell whose +fires shall never be quenched (Mark IX. 43-48). +She had the spirit of "Pytho" +that guided the Del- +phic oracle, and that oracle was not human, but +superhuman and Satanic. +"This +authoritative connection of Spiritualism +with the ancient gods," +says Pember, "is +of pe- +culiar importance at a time when Apollo, the god +of Delphi, is re-appearing as a mighty angelic ex- + +----- + +98 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +istence in poems which claim to be demoniacally +inspired." +It is thus in part, that A. T. Schofield, M.D., +the London neurologist and author, describes this +scene: +"Look +at the setting of the story. +This was +the first entry of Christianity into Europe, the most +momentous event in its historyl +"Who +could discern the mighty importance of +the landing of these three obscure travellers? Only +two-God and the Prince of Darkness! +Mere +men were busy with weightier affairs-the gossip +of the +court +at Rome, the rising influence +of +Greece, and the like; and yet through the power +of the message of these three men both Empires +were soon to fall beneath th sway of the crucified +Nazarene! +The Prince of Darkness was an un- +seen witness of the whole occurrence, and his plans +were soon made. +"Probably the very next day, on their way to +the river, his emissary, suitably disguised +as +an +'angel of light' +met them, and gave the apostle a +most hearty and unexpected welcome. +She evi- +dently knew all about their arrival and their gos- +pel, and the part in the drama she had to play. +"Ancient Spiritism was too wise to seek to dis- +credit the Christian gospel, after the fashion of +the modern variety. +On the contrary, she lauded +it to the skies for days, declaring it to be 'the way +of salvation,' +and thus posed +as another and a + +----- + +Early Christianity +99 +greater 'Lydia'-the +true and the false were side +by side. +And yet the apostle was not taken inl +(for the spiritual man 'discerneth +all things' +(1 +Cor. II. 15). +"How diiierent in these timesl +Nowadays, if +the +name of God is but +so much +as heard at a +séance, even Christians feel it is all right. While, +if one of the 'soothsayers' +lauded the tenets of the +Christian faith after the fashion of this maid, +London would ring with the news the next day as +proof of the godliness of Modern Spiritisml +"It +is +written +that +the +apostle +was +'sore +troubled,' +and +no wonder, with this perplexing +masterpiece of the enemy, masquerading before +him and undeniably preaching day after day the +truth of Godl +"But 'in vain is the net spread in the sight of +any bird,' +and Paul, instructed by the Holy Spirit +and 'discerning +all things,' +like his Master before +him (Mark I. 25, 34), refused praise from the +unclean source. +He saw clearly the devil that 'pos- +sessed' +this pseudo-evangelist, and said to it, 'I +charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come +out of her.' +He never addressed one word to the +poor victim, but spoke to the real power within +her. +"Are +not these things written for our instruc- +tion? +And is there +one single soul who reads +these lines so blind as not to see the parallel, or so +deaf as not to hear the warning?" +, +gwssras, + +----- + +100 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +Y +One more incident from the Acts will suice, +the story of the Diana worshippers at Ephesus, +recorded in the nineteenth chapter. +Ephesus +was renowned throughout the world +for the worship of Diana +and the practice of +magic. +Mysterious symbols engraved on the im- +age of the goddess were regarded as a charm when +pronounced, and their study was an elaborate sci- +ence taught in books numerous and costly. +This circumstance throws light on the peculiar +character of the miracles wrought by Paul in that +city, though we are not to suppose that the apostles +were always able to work miracles at will, +any +more than we know that their miracles were not +always the same. +Here he was in the face of magicians like Moses +and Aaron in Egypt, and it is expressly said that +his miracles were "special" +or extraordinary (Acts +XIX. II ). +A profound eliect was produced on those who +practised curious arts in the city, and especially +certain travelling exorcists who, influenced by what +they had seen and heard in Paul's work, and judg- +ing also by precedent in the +case of the Diana +worship, supposed that the Name of Jesus acted +as a charm, and attempted by such means to cast +out evil spirits as the Apostle had done. +"But He + +----- + +Early Christianity +101 +to whom demons were subject and Who had given +to His servants power and authority over them +(Luke IX. 1) had shame and terror in store for +those who thus presumed to take His holy Name +in vain." +Among those who thus presumed, "were +seven +sons of one Sceva, a Jew," "and the man in whom +the evil spirit was, leaped on them +so that they +lled out of the house naked and wounded." +The news spread, and fear fell on the people +"and the Name of the Lord Iesus was magnified," +by their confession of sin and the forsaking of +their evil ways, even to the extent in many cases +of the burning of their costly books whose loss +amounted to as much as ten thousand dollars of +our money. +"So mightily grew the Word of God and pre- +vailed" _(XIX. 20). + +----- + +X +TEACHING OF THE PAULINE EPISTLES +HE previous chapter showed us something +of the obstinate and determined antagonism +of the spiritists, the sorcerers and the ma- +gicians toward the Christian apostles. +But the +latter met it- by their inspired writings, as well as +by their spoken words and the wonders and signs +they wrought in the power of the Holy Spirit. +One of the first in the order of the books of the +New Testament and one of the best known of the +written words of Paul, is that in the tenth chapter +of his first epistle to the Corinthians, where he +says: +"The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to +demons and not to God; and I would not that ye should have +fellowship with demons. +p +~ +"Ye +can not drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of +demons; ye can not be partakers of the Lord's +table, and the +table of demons. +"Do +we provoke the Lord to jealousy? +Are we stronger +than He?" +I02 + +----- + +The Apostolic Epistles +103 +The actual existence of demons is here implied +if not positively stated, as well as their actual wor- +ship by the benighted pagans. +But what is more +to the point so far as Christian believers are con- +cerned, +is the temptation to aiiliate with such +worshippers, +an afhliation cutting off from +com- +munication with the true God. +And more than that, it not only +severs +com- +munion, but exposes believers to the divine chas- +tisement as implied in the words, "Do +we provoke +the Lord to jealousy? +Are we stronger than He ?" +That is, will we attempt to resist His will and +openly bring His honor into contempt? +The words denote the strong displeasure in con- +sequence of adulterous love. +The fiercest of all +human passions is used to illustrate the hatred of +God towards idolatry, and spiritist séances come +dangerously near idolatry. +There is a curious passage in the eleventh chap- +ter of the +same epistle which has puzzled +com- +mentators. +It is where Paul is instructing women +how to behave themselves in the assemblies of +worship: +"Neither +was the +man +created +for the woman; but the +woman for the man._ +"For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head +bemuse of the angels." +One of the +commentators +consulted +in +the +preparation of this chapter, added, "for +some re- + +----- + +104 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +markable Oriental illustrations of the interpre».a~ +tion that evil angels +are here meant, +see Dean +Stanley on this verse.'_' +An examination of Dean Stanley, with whose +commentary the present writer had not previously +been particularly +acquainted, +revealed +that +he +favored the view of Kurtz, Maitland, Fleming +and others as to the Angel interpretation of Gen- +esis VI. referred to in previous chapters; and that +he connected this admonition of Paul with the ex- +traordinary event there named. +His words, in part, follow, and are given some- +w-hat at length because of their bearing on what +has gone before: +"The apostle had dwelt on the necessity of this subordina- +-tion, +as shown in all the passages in the early chapters of +Genesis, where the relation of the sexes is described, viz. Gen. +1.26, ii. 18, 23, iii. 16. +"The mention of these passages may have carried +on his +thoughts to the next and only kindred passage in Gen. vi. 2, 4, +in which those relations +are described +as subverted by the +union of the daughters of men with the sons of God,-in the +version of the LXX. the angels. +"In this +case the +sense would be 'In +this subordination of +the woman to man, we find the reason of the custom, which, +in consequence of the sin of the angels, enjoins that the woman +ought not to part with the sign that she is subject, not to them, +but to her husband. +The authority of the husband is, +as it +were, enthroned visibly upon her head, in token that she belongs +to him alone, and that she' owes +no allegiance to +any +one +besides, not even to the angels who stand before the throne +of God.' +"The 'fall +of the angels' +thus spoken of is the same as that +indicated in Jude 6, 2 Pet. ii. 4, where the context shows that + +----- + +The Apostolic Epistles +105 +the fall there intended is supposed to be at the time not of +the creation, but of the Deluge, not from pride but lust. +"It +is possible that, if the words 'on +account of the angels' +be so taken, the word 'power' +might be understood, not as the +sign of the husband's +power +over the woman, but +(in the +sense most agreeable to the usage of the word itself) +as the +sign of the power or dignity of the woman over herself, pro- +tecting her from the intrusion of spirits, whether good or evil. +In that case compare its use in vii. 37. +"Finally, we must ask why a train of argument, otherwise +simple, should be thus abruptly interrupted by allusions diiii- +cult in themselves, and rendered still more so by their +oon~ +ciseness? +"The most natural explanation seems to be that he was led +by a train of association familiar to his readers, but lost to us. +Such is the allusion in 2 Thess. ii. 5, 6, 'Remember +ye not, +that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? +And +now ye know what withholdeth,' +etc. +"An argument in their letter, +a conversation, +a custom to +which he had before alluded, would account not only for the +introduction of the passage, but for allusions which, +as ad~ +dressed merely to a local or transitory occasion, might well +be couched in terms so obscure as to forbid in eEect, if not +in design, any certain or permanent inference from them for +future ages. +"The diiliculty of the text is, in fact, the safeguard against +its misuse." +This church to which it was necessary to say +so much about evil spirits, was one which, perhaps +more than any other, had abused the spiritual +gifts bestowed upon it by the Holy Spirit for the +propagation of the Gospel. +Hence the large place +given to spiritual gifts in this epistle, covering chp- +ters XII-XIV. +These chapters challenge the +most prayerful + +----- + +106 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +consideration in connection with our theme, touch- +ing as they do, the source of such gifts (XII. 4-6) ; +their nature (7-I I) ; their object and use (12-31) ; +the cause of their abuse (XIII. I-13) § the prefer- +ence among them, and why (XIV. I-25 ) S the man- +ner in which they +are +to be publicly exercised +(26-35) ; and indeed everything else required for +their wise and holy employment in the blessing +of men and the extension of the knowledge of the +true God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. +II +Galatians comes next in order after Corinthians +with its warning against idolatry and sorcery (V. +20) placing them alongside of adultery, fornica- +tion and all uncleanness in the catalogue of the +works of the ilesh. +"ldolatry is the open recog- +nition of false gods," +says Lightfoot, "and +sor- +cery the secret tampering with the powers of evil." +They are like the two halves of one whole. +"They +which do (practice R.V.) such things," the apostle +admonishes, "shall +not inherit the Kingdom of +God" (zx +It is not said, "they that do such things daily," +'for even though one docs any such thing even only +once, voluntarily, he forfeits the the kingdom of +God as long as he remains under the dominion of +that work of the flesh.-Starke. + +----- + +The Apostolic Epistles +1l)7 +A plainer and more fearful notice of danger to +the necromancers of the present day it would be +impossible to put into words. +_ +III +Paul's +letter to the Ephesians follows with +a +revelation of the conllict in which Christian believ- +ers +are engaged in this matter, together with +a +description of the protection to be taken and the +weapon to be used for victory and the assurance +of its attainment if the command be obeyed. +Beginning with the tenth verse of the sixth chap- +ter, he says: +"Finally, my-brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the +power of His might. +"Put +on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to +stand against the wiles of the devil. +"For +we wrestle not against iiesh and blood, but against +principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the dark- +ness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." +"Wrestle" indicates a personal encounter, a con- +test of life and death. +But it is not +one with +"flesh +and blood"; +it is +not against humanity +viewed +in +its palpable +characteristics +that +we +wrestle, but with spirits high~in rank and position. +As Dr. Eadie says, "it is no vulgar herd of fiends +we encounter, but such of them as are darkly emi- +nent in place and dignity." +Moreover they are "the rulers of the darkness + +----- + +108 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +of this world," those which in some way, and for +some reason, "have acquired a special domination +on earth, out of which they are loath to be dis- +lodged." +This "darkness," +to quote him further, +is that "spiritual obscurity which so painfully en- +virons the church--that zone which surrounds an +unbelieving world with an ominous and lowering +shadow." +No wonder +we should take unto +us +"the whole armour of God," +not a part, but the +whole. +Dropping the figures which Paul +uses in the +subsequent verses, the protection and the weapon +that he names and which we all need, are truth, +righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of +God and prayer. +"Truth" +here is subjective, it is "the +assured +conviction that we believe and that it is God's +truth that we believe." +The intimate dealing of +truth with the soul, "the aiiections and judgment +braced up to Christ and the things of Christ." +The "righteousness" +also is subjective. +It is not +the imputed righteousness of Christ, and which is +presupposed as the possession of the believer, but +the practical every day righteousness growing out +of it, the "good conscience" which Peter repeatedly +urges upon those to whom he writes. +The same is true of "peace". +It is peace as an +experience, the efiect of maintaining +a good con- +science. +The Christian warrior moves as the bat- +tle shifts, and his continued preparedness for ac- +lu + +----- + +The Apostolic Epistles +109 +tion, his feet shod, depends +on that serenity of +heart which nothing perplexes or disconcerts. +"Faith" +in God and His grace is needed also +to "guard the mind from aberration and despond- +ency, and ward off the +assaults that +are +made +upon it." +"Salvation" +in this instance means the conscious +possession, the knowledge of safety, the conviction +of pardon and sanctification. +He who thus knows +that he has passed from death unto life is +one +whose "head is covered in the day of battle." +As "the helmet of salvation" +crowns the various +parts of the armor, +so there +comes after it +no +reference to any further means of defence, which +is quite complete, but a revelation of the instru- +ment of offensive energy against the adversary, +"the sword of the Spirit whichis the Word of +God." +And then the hidden spring of power without +which nothing avails, "praying always." +But al- +ways in the Spirit, i.e. the Holy Spirit, in His ex- +citing and assisting influence (Romans VIII. 26, +Jude zo). +"And watching thereunto," watching +for these very things thus specified to be realized +in us, and in "all the saints." +' +rv +We pause in Colossians to point out its teach- +ing conceming evil spirits in their relation to the + +----- + +110 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +Person and work of Christ in +our redemption +(chapter II. I3-15). +We who were "dead in trespasses and sins" have +been quickened together with Him Who blotted +out the handwriting of ordinances that was against +us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His +Cross; +"And having spoiled principalities and powers He made a +show of them openly, triumphing over them in it", +i.e. in His cross. +Nicholson (Oneness With Christ) +renders it: +"Stripping oil and away from Himself the prin- +cipalities and powers, He made +a show of them +boldly, leading them in triumph in it." +The evil principalities +and powers +are +here +meant of course, the same.as in Ephesians VI. 12. +They seized +on +Christ's +human +nature, which, +though without sin, had infirmities, as we saw il- +lustrated in the wilderness temptation, and the +agony of Gethsemane +as well +as Calvary. +But +His victory was complete, for the powers of evil +which had thus clung to Him were tumed off and +Cast away forever by His death and resurrection. +And yet there is +a higher or, if you please, +as +deeper view to be taken of this truth. +The ¢vi1 +principalities and powers attacked +our Lord +on +His spiritual side as well. +Satan did this in the wildemess, in seeking to +keep Him from the +cross by offering Him "the + +----- + +The Apostolic Epistles +111 +kingdoms of the world and the glory of them" if +he would fall down and worship him (Matthew +IV). +And the same temptation came to Him from +the same source at other times and in other ways. +When Peter sought to dissuade Him from going +up to Jerusalem to be killed was such a time (Mat- +thew XVI. 21), and when the Greeks desired to +see Him at the feast, and learning of it, He ex- +claimed, "Now is My soul troubled, and what shall +I say? +Father, save me from this hour." +John +XII. 27.) +But He was not rebellious, neither tumed He +away backward. +He set His face like a flint and +He knew that He should not be ashamed (Isa. L). +He died, but He arose again. +So pleasing to His +Father was the substitution of Himself for sin- +ners and so absolute and glorious His defeat of +the dire purposes of Satan, sin, death and all the +powers of darkness, that the +cross itself became +the victor's +car. +To quote Bishop Wilson in his Lectures +on +Colossians, +"At the very moment when Satan and the ]ews +conceived that they had accomplished their hellish +purpose; when Christ and His new religion seemed +crushed at a blow; when the eEorts of the evil one +which had succeeded against the first Adam ap- +peared to succeed against the Second Adam; when +the +sun veiled in darkness might be thought to +symbolize the destruction of man's +expectations + +----- + +112 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +of redemption excited during 4,000 years-at that +very instant, behold the triumph! +"The +law fulfilled; +God's +moral government +vindicated; death robbed of its prey; Satan de- +throned from his usurped position; principalities +and powers led in procession +as captives, and +a +show openly +made of them +before +a +rescued +world!" +Where, then, are the inventions and follies of +men? +Where the worship of principalities and +powers? +Do not spiritists +see the peril of the +company they keep, and do not Christians rejoice +in the comfort and protection of that Mighty One +on Whom help +has +been laid, +and under the +shadow of Whose wings they have come to trust? +In his first epistle to the Thessalonians i(II. +1 8 )`, +Paul charges the devil by name as the opposer of +his work, in a passage parallel to that of the in- +spired Chronicler "and +Satan stood up against +Israel" (I Chron. XXI. I). +The Apostle had endeavored to go back from +Athens to visit the aiilicted brethren at Thessa- +lonica, "but Satan hindered us." +The hindrance +exhibits itself to the reader of Acts I7 as the per- +secuting ]ews, but the spiritually illumined Apostle +sees not "Hesh and blood," but "the rulers of the +darkness of this world," Satan and the evil angels + +----- + +The Apostolic Epistles +113 +whom he directs. +He also was the tempter of +the Thessalonian Christians themselves, in whom, +because of their tribulation, there was danger that +Pau1's labor might be in vain. +This leads up to the larger consideration of the +occult powers in the second epistle, where at the +second chapter, the writer is dealing with the apos- +tasy already at work in the Church, and the de- +velopment of that wicked +or lawless +one +(the +Antichrist). +This being is identified as one +"Whose coming is after the working of +Satan with all +power, and signs and lying wonders, and with all deeeivable- +ness of unrighteousness in them that are perishing because +they received not the love of the truth, that they might be +saved." +These "lying +wonders" +are +so called, not be- +cause they are not real wonders which Satan and +his emissaries are able to do, but because they are +done in the interest of and to bolster up +a lie. +Their seriousness lies in the fact that they +are +wrought "with all deceit of unrighteousness." +But +note that it is only "them +that +are perishing" +(R.V.) on whom the deceit works, them that have +"not +the love of the truth that they might be +saved." +The "truth" +means of course, the gospel of Jesus +Christ, and +as the present writer has sought to +show in his Antidote to Christian Science, there +; + +----- + +114 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +is +a difference between receiving the truth and +receiving the love of it. +A man who marries a +woman without loving her is soon seeking +a di- +vorce, and he who knows the truth in his head, +but has never given it lodgment in his heart, is not +diicult to lead into error. +But the momentous feature of this is that, +as +the subsequent verses in the chapter show, because +men receive not the love of the truth God sends +upon them as a judgment, +a "working of error," +a, "strong delusion that they should believe a lie." +It is not merely that 'God permits such a delusion +to come upon them, but that He sends it as the +mighty act of a Judge punishing evil by evil. +Not to believe the truth of the gospel is sin, and +not to receive the love of it after knowing it is +still deeper sin; but to be obliged to believe a lie +in consequence of it is retribution unspeakable. +The Greek in this case might be translated "THE +lie," +as the idea is not merely a single lie, but the +entire force of lies, the entire element of the devil- +ish perversion of all truth (Auberlen in loco). +YI +The last of the Pauline utterances on the sub- +ject of which we shall now treat is in I Timothy +IV., and is distinguished from all the preceding +as a prediction of the increase of demoniacal influ- +ence in the latter days, upon which many students + +----- + +The Apostolic Epistles +115 +of the Bible consider that we +are now entering. +The passage is part of that which concludes the +preceding chapter, and we quote it with that con- +text: +"And, without controversy, great is the mystery of godli- +ness; God (or 'He, +Who', +R.V.) +was manifest in the flesh, +justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gen- +tiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. +"Now +(or 'But', +R.V.) the Spirit speaketh expressly that +in the latter times +some shall depart from the faith, giving +heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons; +"Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared +with a hot iron; +"Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from +meats, which God hath created to be received with thanks- +giving of them which believe and know the truth." +The key to the interpretation of this remark- +able passage is the words, "depart from the faith." +The object, or more properly, the essence of the +faith is that great Mystery of the Lord Jesus +Christ spoken of in the first verse quoted, and +which is at once the source and the support of all +real godliness. +The departure from the faith, the apostasy as +it is described in II. Thessalonians 2, is to com- +mence with a waning faith in Christ, His Person +and His work, as set forth in the Scriptures. +As +Pember says, "it is not necessarily a total denial +of Him, but it begins with incredulity +as to the +miraculous circumstances of His past advent, and +so gradually obscures the only source and centre of +A: + +----- + +116 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +every godly aspiration." +In other words, it is pre- +cisely what we +are witnessing today throughout +Christendom, and which furnishes +a +reason, in +part, +for believing that +these +are +the +"latter +times." +The "latter times" do not mean the end of the +world by any means, but the end of the present +age, or dispensation, when God has been dealing +in grace with sinners, and oiiering them a free sal- +vation through His Son. +"The Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter +times +some shall depart from the faith." +The +Holy Spirit is meant in this case, Who spoke ex- +pressly, or plainly, in the Old Testament prophets, +through Jesus Christ Himself, and also by Paul +§(Daniel VII. 25; VIII. 23; Matthew XXIV. II- +24; z Thess. II. 3). +What the Spirit says is that in the latter times +some will "depart from the faith giving heed to +seducing spirits and doctrines of demons." +These +"spirits" +would be working in and through the +heretical teachers, and their doctrine, or teaching, +would be that of demons, Satan's ministers. +They would speak "lies in hypocrisy" or through +the hypocrisy of lying teachers, the feigned sanc- +tity of the seducers or deceivers, "having their own +conscience seared." +That is to +say, "austerity +would gain for them +a show of sanctity while +preaching false doctrine," they would professedly +be leading others to holiness while their own con- + +----- + +The Apostolic Epistles +117 +science was defiled. +It would be seared as witli +a hot iron, cauterized, the effect of which is to +produce insensibility. +In the words of Canon Faussett, "sensuality +leads to false spiritualism," hence these hypocrit- +ical teachers would make moral perfection +con- +sist in abstinence from outward things, chiefly two, +"forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain +from meats. +"From +these last particulars," +says Pember, +"many +have endeavored to fasten this prophecy +upon the Church of Rome, because she forbids her +priests to marry, and has set apart days for fast- +ing. +But Paul teaches that those of whom he +speaks would receive their doctrines from wander- +ing spirits, for the word "seducing" +is capable of +that rendering (compare Job I. 7; II. 2; Matthew +XII. 43)." +Moreover the prohibition of marriage in this +case is general, not limited to "priests" +or Chris- +tian ministers, apparently an entire repudiation of +God's +ordinance; while the command to abstain +from meats, likewise means +a total, not an occa- +sional or periodical, abstinence from certain kinds +of food, of which more later on. +Meanwhile, +a further remark of Canon Faus- +sett is pertinent, viz., that "Rome's +Judaizing ele- +ments will ultimately be combined with -the open, +worldly~wise anti-Christianity of the false prophet +or beast" +(VI. 20, 21; Rev. XIII. I2-15). +In + +----- + +118 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +Spiritism instructing demons are sometimes intro- +duced with flaming crosses in their hands, and its +doctrine of the +seven spheres closely approaches +the Romish teaching about Purgatory. +Indeed Spiritism is nothing but a revival of the +influence which originated Paganism, while +Ro- +manism as a system though it contains much truth, +is only Paganism under a veil, so that the ultimate +amalgamation of the two presents no insuperable +difliculty. +It remains to mention that Spiritism meets the +two-fold prediction, "forbidding +to +marry +and +commanding to abstain from meats." +It propa- +gates the first by the prohibition of marriage alto- +gether, and also by "strange doctrines of elective +adinities and spiritual alliances, which tend to an +utter rejection of marriage as ordained by God." +As to the second, it has always been recognized +that abstinence from a flesh diet is indispensable to +great mediumistic power, to say nothing of the +doctrine of transmigration of souls which, from +being a tenet of Theosophy, is now finding favor +with the Spiritistic school. +The limits of our present task forbid +an en- +largement on these points, but the interested reader +is directed +to +Pember's +Earth's +Earliest Ages, +Spiritualism, Part III., and to the Bibliography +on the subject which he names. +l + +----- + +y +XI +TEACHING OF THE GENERAL EP1sTLEs +I +HERE is an added attraction to the study +of our subject in the General Epistles be- +cause they bring before us again, and from +a different point of view, the mystery of the fallen +angels dealt with earlier. +This is done in I Peter III. 19, which speaks of +Christ preaching to "the spirits in prison." +At +that point the inspired writer is using the +ex- +ample of Christ to encourage and comfort Christ- +ian believers in their suffering for righteousness' +sake, saying: +"For Christ also hath once suEered for sins, the just for the +unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death as to +the flesh, but quickened as to the spirit: +"By +which also he went and preached unto the spirits in +prison." +, +The words "spirits in prison" have sometimes +been employed to teach the false doctrine of the +"second chance" +or a probation after death. +In +such cases the theory is advanced that Christ went +I I9 +- +_.__> + +----- + +120 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +into the place of the wicked dead and preached +the gospel to them giving them another opportunity +to believe and be saved. +If this were indeed the teaching of the passage, +every true Christian preacher surely, would wish to +proclaim it; but aside from the fact that it is taught +in no other place in the Bible it certainly is not +taught here. +For example, the Greek word for "preached" +in this instance is not that which the New Testa- +ment commonly employs for the preaching of the +Gospel, but a dilierent word. +It means to pro- +claim after the manner of a herald. +Grimm, the +philologist, quoted by E. W. Bullinger, says that +the word is always used with a suggestion of for- +mality and an authority which must be listened to +and obeyed. +~ +Moreover, if the subject of the proclamation is +not clearly implied in the context of this word +when it`is used, then it must be distinctly stated if +we are to know what it is. +That is to say, if it is +the proclamation of the Gospel that is intended, +then the word "Gospel" +must be used to insure +that application, which is not the case here. +In the next place, the word "spirits" +does not +apply to men. +It is never so applied in the Bible +when it stands alone and without any qualifying +words, +as it does here. +A possible exception is +Hebrews XII. 23, but there it is expressly said +that "the +spirits of just men" +are meant, "the + +----- + +The General Epistles +121 +spirits of just men made perfect." +As Bullinger +says, "man +was made, and up to the time of his +death he continues to be, a 'living +soul'." +It is so +also after death (Revelation VI. 9; XX. 4) and +until the resurrection, when the word "spirit" +is +used +as +a brief term for man's spiritual body (1 +Cor. XV. 45) . +But the word "spirits" by itself and without any +qualifying description is used always of supernat- +ural beings, higher than man and lower than God. +When there is any doubt as to the kind of spirit +referred to, some defining word is employed like +"unclean spirits," "evil spirits," etc. +The defining +words in this case are "spirits in prison," very evi- +dently therefore, evil spirits. +But do +we inquire just what evil spirits +are +meant, the nature of their offence and the time +of its perpetration? +The information is furnished +in the next verse, where +we +are told that they +were those +"Which aforetirne +were disobedient, when +once the long- +suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark +was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved +by water." +Very clearly this points back to the record in the +sixth chapter of Genesis, and recalls what was con- +sidered previously as to the fallen angels and the +"sons +of +God" +marrying +the +"daughters +of +men." +L. + +----- + +122 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +There remains therefore only the inquiry as to +what it was that Christ went thus and proclaimed +to them in prison? +The answer to which is found +in the particular purpose of this epistle, which is +to comfort Christian believers under persecution +for righteousness' +sake, +and to encourage +and +strengthen them in their witness bearing for Christ. +In other words, Peter is here using the example +of Christ in that connection. +He suliered and died +as to His Hesh, but He was quickened as to His +spirit, that is to say, He had a glorious resurrec- +tion in a spiri-tual body. +And He had more than +this, He had a glorious triumph also! +God raised +Him from the dead and gave Him glory (I. 21 ) . +So complete was this triumph, and so far-reach- +ing the proclamation of it, that it extended even +to the spirits in prison. +He "spoiled principalities +and powers and made +a show of them openly" +i(Col. II. 15) +_ +"And He is now gone into heaven, +and is on the right hand of God, angels and prin- +cipalities +and powers being made subject +unto +Him" (III. 22). +_ +II +The thought is carried forward in Peter's second +epistle at chapter two. +False prophets are there being warned against +"whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not +and their damnation (or destruction) slumbereth +not." + +----- + +The General Epistles +123 +"For if God spared not the angels that sinned but east them +down to hell, and delivered them in-to chains of darkness, to +be reserved unto judgment; +"And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth +person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the Hood upon +the world of the ungodly; +"And tuming the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes +condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample +unto those that after should live ungodly ; +"And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation +of the wicked. +4 +4 +4: +4 +1- +* +"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of tempta- +tion, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be +punished: +"But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uu- +cleanness, and despise government." +What angels are here referred to? +Are they +those who fell with Satan anterior to the creation +of man, or those spoken of, as we before showed, +in Genesis VI, just prior to the Hood? +If the former, why is not Satan mentioned with +them? +As Kurtz remarks, "whenever else allusion +is made to the tempter and those who were asso- +ciated with him in his fall, mention is expressly +made of Satan, and for the most part, of him +only." +That it should be otherwise in this place is the +more remarkable because it is Peter's +aim to show +that God punishes not only men who sin, like these +ffalse prophets, but beings who are the most em- +inent in rank. +If therefore he had in mind +a +reference to the angels who fell at the first with + +----- + +124 +Spiritism and the Fallen Hngels +Satan, would he not have named the latter, the +chiefest and the leader of the apostates? +But to quote Fleming once more, a still stronger +argument that the angels before +the +Hood +are +meant, is found in the fact that they have been +"cast down to hell (Tartarus) and delivered into +chains +of +darkness +to +be +reserved unto judg- +ment." +This is not the state of Satan and his angels +since the fall, for they are still permitted to move +through the world, and to tempt and +overcome +those men who are not arrayed in the armor of +God (Job I. 7; Eph. V. 12; I Pet. V. 8). +More- +over, as if to preclude all doubt upon the subject, +it is declared in Rev. XX. that Satan shall here- +after be chained, evidently therefore, he is not +chained now. +The argument might be pressed further; for +if the angels who sinned before the Hood are not +meant, why the allusion to the Hood and the sal- +vation of Noah in the next verse, the same as in +1 Pet. III. 19? +Nor should it escape the reader that there is +significance in the reference to Sodom and Gom- +orrah in verse 6, and "chieHy them that walk after +the Hesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise +govemment," +in +verse +Io. +The correspondence +between these illustrations or examples and the +conduct of the angels before the Hood is too strik- +ing to be overlooked. + +----- + +The General Epistles +125 +III +The subject is continued in Jude +verses 4-8, +which closely resemble +those just quoted +from +Peter, so closely indeed as to preclude "all idea of +entire independence." +Some +commentators +sup- +pose that Jude wrote the earlier of the two, and +that Peter copied from him, omitting or adding +under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as suited his +purpose. +However this may be, it is evident that both +writers refer to the same apostasy of angels, and +that it is the one identified as taking place just be- +fore the Hood. +To the arguments above stated in proof of this, +might be added one founded on the use by New +Testament writers of the term "angels," +which +word, when used by itself, is never employed to de- +note the spirits who fell at the beginning with +Satan. +These are spoken of as "demons," just as +their head is spoken of as "the devil" +or "Satan". +Kurtz, who +uses this argument, +admits that +there are some places which seem to contradict it, +but their critical examination +proves +otherwise. +It is his conclusion that "as the apostles have em- +ployed the naked term, neither they themselves in- +tended, +nor would their first readers have bieen +likely to perceive, an allusion to the fall of Satan +and his angels." +A close exegesis of ]ude confirms this opinion. + +----- + +126 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +His design was to guard believers against the cor- +rupt principles and the licentious practices of cer- +tain men whom he describes as "turning the grace +of God into lasciviousness," and, as one of the old +divines expresses it, "his whole discourse is point- +edly and especially directed against that particular +sin." +He therefore reminds them of the earlier in- +stances in which that sin had brought down divine +judgment. +In the case of Israel for example, the +angels, inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and +those of the cities round about them. +"In +like +manner," +or "in like manner to these" +had they +given "themselves +over to fornication going after +strange flesh." +The phrase "in like manner," or "in like manner +to these" does not refer to the ungodly men nor +to Sodom and Gomorrah, as some have supposed, +but to the angels, for which we have the strong +authority of Dean Alford, who says the manner of +the sin of these cities +was similar, "because +the +angels committed fornication with another +race +than themselves, +thus +also going after strange +flesh." +He +names several other Greek scholars +and Bible exegetes as holding the same view. +IV +We conclude this chapter with +a reference to +1 John IV. I-3,2 + +----- + +The General Epistles +127 +"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether +they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out +into the world. +"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: +Every spirit that con- +fesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: +"And +every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is +come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of +antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and +even now already is it in the world." +It may be doubted whether the word "spirits" +in verse +I has the objective application we have +heretofore given to it. +That is, we are not sure +that John is now speaking of evil spirits, or de- +mons, with an independent existence from the ex- +perience or thought of the prophets, but rather of +the mental state, +or the nature of the prophets +themselves. +Or to express it in another way, it is +not a "familiar spirit" who controls the "medium" +that is here in mind, but the medium's +own spirit. +And yet there is +a close relation between the +two, and what the inspired apostle has to teach us +about the spirits of the "false prophets" is to the +point. +In Neander's expository lectures on this book, +he observes that the point of transition at chapter +four lies in what John had just said about the in- +fluence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christian +believers, an influence which is the pledge of con- +tinued fellowship with Christ. +In ]ohn's day much +was falsely claimed to be from the Holy Spirit, just +as is the case today in the teaching of Spiritism, + +----- + +128 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +and hence the apostle directs attention to the dif- +ference between His operations and the deceptive +imitation of them. +Every spirit +was not to be believed, but the +spirits were to be tried as to whether they were +of God. +And the touchstone of the matter, the +criterion by which they were to be tried was the +Person and work of our Lord _Iesus Christ. +Did these false spirits confess Him, i.e., did +they openly acknowledge and proclaim Him? Did +they confess Him +as Jesus, the Christ? +Not +a +Christ, not one out of many, but the promised one +and the only one? +Did they confess Him as hav- +ing come in the flesh? +Was He to them "the +Eternal Logos in His humanization? +The Divine +Life-fountain letting itself down into human +na- +ture and revealing itself in visible human form- +the Divine and the human in harmonious union?" +Note particularly the words, "is come" in verse +20. +It is the Greek perfect, which implies not a +mere past historical fact, +as would be the +case +if another tense were used, but a present continu- +ance of the fact and its blessed eilects. +"Is +come in the flesh," +or "clothed with flesh." +Christ's +was not a mere seeming humanity, as some +have erroneously taught, but a real humanity. And +it is necessary to believe and confess this, in order +to express the truth of the +atonement for sin. +Only by assuming our flesh could Christ die "the +just for the unjust," to bring us to God. +"To deny +ll + +----- + +The 'General Epistles +129 +the reality of His flesh is to deny His love, and so +cast away the root which produces all true love on +the believer's part" +(see verses 9-11 of this same +chapter). +Now every spirit that does not so confess Jesus +_Christ is not of God, or as some authorities ren- +der verse 3, every spirit that "annulleth" +Jesus +Christ is not of God. +And that is just what Spirit- +ism does. +It "annu1leth" +Jesus Christ, the Jesus +.Christ of the Bible is Whom we mean. +Spiritism +may speak of Jesus and of Christ, but it is not +"Him of whom Moses in the law, and the pro- +phets, did write" (John I. 45). +In proof of this, we referred in our first chap- +ter to Basil King's book, and now we would add +something from Sir A. Conan Doyle's, +"The New +Revelation" : +"Let +us look at the light we get from the spirit guides on +this question of Christianity," he says. +"Opinion is not abso- +lutely uniform yonder any more than it is here, but reading a. +number of messages upon this subject. they amount to this: +"That there +are +many higher spirits with +our departed. +They vary in degree. +Call them 'ange1s', +and you are in touch +with the old religious thought. +"High +above all these is the greatest spirit of whom they +have cognizance-not God, since God is so infinite that He is +not within their ken-but one who is nearer God and to that +extent represents God. +'I`his is the Christ-spirit. +"His special care is the earth. +He came down upon it at +a time of great earthly depravity in order to give people the +lesson of +an ideal life. +Then he returned to his own high +station, having left +an example which is still occasionally +followed. + +----- + +130 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +"That is the story of Christ as the spirits have described +it. +'l`here is nothing here of Atonement or Redemption. +But +there is a perfectly feasible and reasonable scheme, which I +for one could readily believe." +(Pp. 74, 75). +Observe that according to this teaching Christ +is not God, but only represents Him +as being +nearer to Him than other spirits-the very error +with which Paul deals in his epistle to the Colos- +sians. +Observe also that Christ +came down +to the +earth not as a sacrifice for sin, in Spiritism there +is "nothing +of +atonement +or redemption," +but +simply as an example "to give people the lesson +of an ideal life." +"People +can see no justice in a vicarious sacri- +fice, nor in a God Who could be placated by such +means," +says Sir Arthur. +"Never +was there any +evidence for a fall. +But if there were no fall, then +what became of the +atonement, of redemption +from original sin, and of a large part of the Chris- +tian mystical philosophy? +"It is no uncommon thing to die for an idea," +he goes on to say. +"Men die continually for their +convictions. Therefore the death of Christ, beauti- +ful +as it is in the Gospel narrative, has assumed +an undue importance." +As to the life of Christ, Sir Nrthur tells us it +was lived simply in order to afford men an ideal. +"Christ," +he says, was "full of easy tolerance for +others." +He occasionally lost His temper indeed, + +----- + +The General Epistles +131 +but He was ever ready to sweep aside texts and +forms and "get at the spirit of religion" (p. 72). +What blasphemy! +To the +same purport, the transfiguration of +Christ, according to this same apostle of Spiritism, +was +a "story +of the materialization of the two +prophets upon the mountain"; and the three taber- +nacles suggested by Peter were three "cabinets," +in other words, +"the +ideal way of condensing +power and producing materializations"l +Such is the attitude of the New Revelation +towards Christ, and the apostle John says that +"this +is the spirit of Anti-Christ." +The Anti- +Christ when he comes will be +a person in human +flesh, a despot, political, ecclesiastical or both, who +will arise in Christendom, and whom +men will +worship instead of God. +But his spirit, the teach- +ing that prepares the way for his full development, +is already in the world, and Spiritism is an integral +part of it. +It is comforting indeed to hear John say further, +addressing true believers in the Lord: +"Ye +are of God, little children, and have overcome them: +because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the +world. +"They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, +and the world heareth them. +"We +are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that +is not of God heareth not us. +Hereby know we the spirit of +truth, and the spirit of error." + +----- + +132 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +They that are of God are those who have con- +fessed ]esus Christ in the manner John has indi- +cated; and they have overcome the false prophets, +or the lying spirits, in that they have not been +brought into spiritual bondage by them. +These +spirits are of the world, in harmony with its feel- +ings and opinions, therefore "the world heareth +them," +runs after them, and fills the air with its +din. +But they that are of God heareth us; and here- +by, i.e., by their confessing +or +not confessing +Jesus Christ, know we the Spirit that comes from +God and teaches truth, and the spirit that comes +from Satan and is error. + +----- + +XII +TEACHING OF THE APOCALYPSE +I +N another place the present writer has +men- +tioned twenty-five +reasons why "the +man of +God," the true believer on Jesus Christ, should +read and study the Apocalypse, or the book of +Revelation, with avidity. +Among the reasons are these: +(1), It describes +the judgments that shall be visited upon the earth +after the Church is translated; (2) it witnesses to +the deliverance of certain classes of people out +of those judgments; (3) +it mentions particular +wonders which the Church and the world shall be- +hold in those days; (4) it traces the rise and de- +velopment of the anti-christ; (5) it predicts and +describes the battle of Armageddon; (6) it dem- +onstrates the overthrow of the present world sys- +tems; +(7) +it portrays the +Second Coming of +Christ; (8) it reveals Satan's doom; (9) it gives +details of the last judgment; (Io) it opens the +vista of the eternal age. +133 + +----- + +134 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +The reader needs to make a distinction between +the end of the world and the end of the age. +The +end of the world, which synchronizes with the last +judgment, is doubtless +a long ways ofi. +If the +writer's conception of the teaching of the prophets +is correct, a whole Millennium of peace and bless- +ing on the earth shall intervene before it takes +place. +On the other hand, the end of the present age +or dispensation may be very near. +The Scofield +Reference Bible defines age or "dispensation" +as "a +period of time during which man is tested in re- +spect to obedience to some specific revelation of +the will of God," +and states that seven such dis- +pensations are distinguished in Scripture. +The present age or dispensation closes with the +Second Coming of Christ. +(See the +author's +Prophecy and the Lord's +Return.) +This event, +as we understand it, takes place in two stages, or +which may be represented by two scenes of a single +act. +In the first, our Lord comes for His Church, +which is His mystical body (Ephesians I. 22, 23), +and which is translated to meet Him in the air +(1 Thess. IV. I6-18) . +In the second, He descends +out of the air into the earth, or to quote the pre- +cise words of Scripture, "He +shall be revealed +from heaven with His mighty angels, in Haming +fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, +and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus +Christ" (2 Thess. I. 7, 8). +_ +l.. + +----- + +Teaching of the Apocalypse +135 +The culmination of wickedness at the end of this +age, it is predicted, will be marked by an outburst +of demonism or spiritism just as at the culmination +of the ante-diluvian age. +To such predictions the +attention of the reader has been called from time +to time and they approach a climax as we enter +on the study of the Apocalypse. +Prior to entering on that study however, it is +important°to be persuaded that, +as Pember puts +it, the great aim of°Satan in all the ages has not +been the spread of absolute skepticism, but the +subjugation of the world to demoniacal power. +His empire, in other'words, +can not be completely +organized till men are +as obedient to demons as +the latter are to the rebel principalities and pow- +ers, and these last again to their great prince. +"And +so the denizens of darkness are not merely +stirring up +an aimless revolt against God; but +would fain annex the whole of our world to their +orderly dominions." +Philip Mauro, in "The World and Its God," +puts it in another way, when he says that Satan's +plan is not the destruction or injury of the race, +but its well-being rather, that is, its well-being to +be achieved by the best possible results attainable +apart from God. +He is doing his best, in other +words, not to drag men down, but to lift them up, +but according to his own standards and ideals, and +for the advancement of his own interests +as op- +posed to God. + +----- + +136 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +Such being true, it may appear strange to read +of some things for which evil spirits are scheduled +in the history of mankind at the close of this age, +and in which Satan himself is to be engaged when +he learns that his time is short. +But the reason is that his time is short, and be- +cause he is tasting the bittemess of defeat. +It is +because also of his malignity and his lack of scruple +in subjugating the victims of his will. +Nor are +we to forget the plan and purpose of our right- +eous God, in using, or permitting the use, of these +wicked beings in retribution upon those who be- +ing reprobate, have "trodden under foot the Son +of God and done despite unto the Spirit of grace" +(Heb. X. 29). +II +Approaching the bool( of Revelation, we have +in the ninth chapter, beginning at the 13th verse, +an account of the sounding of the sixth trumpet +when the four angels are loosed "which +are bound +at the great river Euphrates." +These angels had +been "prepared for the hour, and day, and month +and year that they should kill the third part of +man," which seems to mean that they had been re- +served for a particularly appointed moment. +In other words, following Bullinger in The +Apocalypse, +or The Day of +the Lord, +these +periods do not imply the duration of the judg- + +----- + +Teaching of the Apocalypse +137 +ments; but point to the time when they shall take +place. +There is but one article and +one prepo- +sition between the four times named, which unites +them, whereas had they been repeated it would +have separated them and made +a period of thir- +teen months. +The very hour, of the very day, of +the very month, of the very year is thus appointed +by the Iudge. +Bullinger also thinks that there can be no doubt +that these angels are of those described by Peter +and Jude +as "delivered into chains of darkness, +to be reserved unto (or for) judgment." +And +the judgment for which they have been reserved +he regards +as that which takes place at the end +of this age. +Not only are they themselves to be +judged, but they are to be the executors of God's +judgments +upon +wicked +and unbelieving +men. +These are the "spirits in prison," +he believes, to +whom the Saviour proclaimed His triumph after +the resurrection (1 Peter III. 19). +Why they were bound at the river Euphrates +we do not know, except that there may be some +connection between the abyss whence they arise +and wicked old Babylon, the mother of harlots +and abominations of the earth (Rev. XVII. 5). +Satan began his earlier activities in the earth in +that region, and there may be a reason for bring- +ing them to a climax in the same locality. +(Com- +pare Jeremiah XLVI. 4-10 R.V.) +Suddenly there appear upon the scene armies of + +----- + +138 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +horsemen, +zoo,ooo,0oo, from which it may be in- +ferred that they are not human beings but spirits, +for spirits are legion. +In Isaiah XXXI. we have +a warning that the horses of Egypt in which Is- +rael would trust were "flesh and not spirit," which +leads to the supposition that there may be horses +that are spirit and not Hesh. +More than this con- +cerning them one is unable to say, but "when God +thus describes them nothing ought to be easier than +to believe what He says." +I +The Revelation goes +on to say that by these +three plagues, "lire, +smoke and brimstone" +was +the third part of men killed, but that the rest of +the men who were not killed, "repented +not of +the works of their hands, that they should not +worship demons, nor idols +* +* +* +which can +neither see, nor hear nor walk. +"Neither repented they of their murders, +nor +of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, +nor +of their thefts." +It is the final and full development of what is +called Spiritism which is here referred to, +con- +tinues Bullinger, and which calls for the plague +of the Sixth Trumpet. +"Sorceries of which men +did not repent," are the dealings of men with spirit +agencies. +No wonder that God has +so solemnly +warned us against them, and no wonder that such +awful judgments +are to be visited upon them. +It is anticipating somewhat, bu-t it may be well +to mention at this point that sorcerers shall have + +----- + +Teaching of the Apocalypse +139 +their part in the lake that burneth with fire and +brimstone, and they shall never walk in the streets +of the golden city. +(Rev. XXI. 8; XXII. 15.)_ +III +The twelfth chapter of Revelation furnishes +our next illustration, which tells us at verse 7 that +"there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels +fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought +and his angels." +There is more than +one place spoken of +as +heaven in Scripture. +Perhaps +as on earth there +are many countries and states, +so, +some think, +heaven may have its different spheres; and in +one of these mighty spiritual forces are here +re- +vealed as set in battle array. +Michael, described elsewhere +as "one +of the +chief princes" +and "the archangel," +is also said +to be the prince which standeth for the Jewish +people, Israel among the nations (Dan. X. 13, 21; +XII. I; Jude 9). +In this action he takes the in- +itiative against the dragon, +another +name for +Satan, whose dominion covers all the powers and +governments of the world. +The time has now come in the Divine counsels +for the great historical +event of the +ages, and +Satan, who hitherto has had some kind of access +to the heavens (Job I. and II.), is about to be +cast out, and "the kingdoms of the world' become + +----- + +140 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ, and +He shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation XI. +1 5). +But when Satan is thus cast down to the earth, +his angels are cast down with him, and they soon +cause men to feel the meaning of the awful utter- +ance that follows in the prophetic waming, "Woe +to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for +the devil is +come down unto you, having great +wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short +time." +Then not merely the demons, but the great an- +gels of darkness, the principalities, the powers, +and the spiritual rulers of the world maddened by +the thought that they have lost their fair realms +forever, and that the Lord is at hand to complete +their destruction, will in their rage break through +every restraint, and recklessly gratify their own +evil desires (Earth's +Earliest Ages, p. 391). +IV +A single illustration further will suffice, and we +find it in the prediction of the battle of Armaged- +don in chapter XVI. beginning at verse +12. +"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon +the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof +was dried up, that the way of the kings of the +cast might be prepared." +This gathering of the kings of the east is in +41; + +----- + +Teaching of the Apocalypse +141 +order to the great battle in which the heavenly +and the Satanic and earthly forcesarc about to be +engaged, an infernal crusade against the Lord and +His Anointed (Psalm II). +At the sounding of +the sixth trumpet we saw a vast supematural army +let loose to slay a third part of men; but here a +vast human army is gathered together, the whole +of which, as the context shows, will be destroyed +by God. +East and West are to be reckoned from the +standpoint of the prophecy and not that of the +reader, which standpoint is Palestine and Jeru- +salem. +"And I saw," says the revelator, "three unclean +spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the +dragon +(Satan), and +out of the mouth of the +beast (Antichrist), and out of the mouth of the +false prophet." +('For the further description and +identity of the false prophet, +see chapter XIII. +11-18.) +"For they are the spirits of demons, working +miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the +earth and of the whole world, to gather them to +the battle of that great day of God Almighty." +(Compare I Kings XXII. 19-38; Joel III. 9-17.) +"And they gather them together to a place in +the Hebrew tongue Armageddon (or Har-Ma# +gadon)." +The name means a Mount of Megiddo, +an eminence which rises up out of the plain Es- +draelon in northem Palestine, a natural battlefield, + +----- + +142 +Spiritism and the Fallen Angels +where many a contest was fought in the history of +Israel; a chosen place of encampment in every con- +test, from Nebuchadnezzar to the recent march of +Allenby into Syria. +Slaughter and lamentation +are associated with Megiddo (Zachariah XII. +11). +In Isaiah X. 28, which describes the in- +vasion of Palestine by the Antichrist, the Septua- +gint version reads "Megiddo." +Having gathered the hosts of the enemy thither, +the sixth vial ends, but the description of the events +to take place there will be found in connection +with the pouring out of the 7th vial as found in +Chapter XIX. II-18. +We conclude with the interjectional clause in +this vision, which +comes in as +a parenthesis. +It +is the voice of Christ Himself, who, while the +demon spirits are gathering the kings and their +armies for the last great crisis of the age, exclaims: +"Behold I come as a thief. +Blessed is he that watcheth, +and keepeth his garments, lest he wall: naked, and they see +his shame." +The words +are addressed not to the Church, +not to the true believers of this age, for, if our +interpretation of prophecy be correct, they will +ere this have been caught up to meet the Lord in +the air. +They are addressed to those then dwell- +ing on the earth and passing through its tribula- +tion, but who +have +not worhsipped the +beast +(Anti-christ) +nor his image, and who have not +received his mark in the foreheads. + +----- + +Teaching of the Apocalypse +143 +Christ does not come upon His Churdi as +a +thief. (I Thess. V. 4; compare also Matt. XXIV. +38-44; Luke XII. 35-40). +To His Church He +comes as a welcome and expected guest (I Cor. I. +7; Col. IV. 4; +1 Thess. I. 9, ro; 2 Tim. IV. 8; +Titus II. 13; Jas. V. 8; +1 Pet. V. 4; +1 Jno. III. +z, 3; Rev. XXII. zo). +"And now, little children, abide in Hirn-; that, +when He shall appear we may have confidence, +and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" +(1 John II. 28). + +----- + +INDEX +A +"Anousmwc or Dum," 10. +Acts, Book of, 90-101. +Alford, Dean, 126. +An els, good, 39-41; evil, 41- +45; called sons of God, 47- +52; +corporeal +form, +55; +communication +with +men, +56; objections to inter;>ret- +ing +Genesis VI of, +S -65; +104, 105; fallen, called de- +mons +in +New +Testament, +125. +A +1 +, 133-143. +11% 33321, 111, 140, 141. +Auberlen, 114. +' +ine 61 +August +_, +._ +_ +Automatic writing, 68, 69. +B +Bur.-wonsmr, 86. +Bohme, ]acob,_16._ +_ +Books +on +Spmtxsm, +made- +quacy of, 9-13. +"Bowman, The," 22. +Brainerd, David, 18. +Bullinger, Dr. E. W., 120, 136, +137, 138. +C +Canrm-zu., Tnnonou, 61. +Canaanites, +abominations +of +the, 66-79. +"Celestial +Prophets," +18. +Christ, +the +Master Medium, +26, 92. +Christian Science, 13-15. +"Christian Work, The," 14, 22. +Cicero, 18. +Clgbgett, +Rev. William H., 84- +' +144 +Colossians, Epistle to, 109-112. +Conibeare +and Howson, 90. +Coo +, Miss, 20. +Corinthians, Epistle to, +102- +106. +Crscéokes, +Sir William, 19, 20, +D +Dwcmus of men, 46-52. +Dead, return of the, 80-86. +Delphic oracle, 17, 18, 97. +Demonism, in Bible times, 34, +35, 42, 43; in recent times, +35, 36; Dr. F. B. Meyer on, +44, 45. +Deuteronomy XVIII., 71-79. +Doyle, Sir A. Conan, 9, 22, +129, 130. +E +Emu, Dn., 107. +"Earth's +Earliest Ages," 61, +83, 118, 140. +Elymas the sorcerer, 95-97. +End of the age, 134-136. +Endor, witch of +81-86. +Ephesians, Epistfe to, 107, 109. +Ephesus, 100, 101. +F +"FAu.zN +Axcns +Arm +'ral +Hznoms or MYTHMMIY," 51, +54, 61. +Familiar spirit, 70, H). +giusim' Iga"°"'11i1i§1 +ss 54 +em +, +ev. +o +, +, +, +56,u5§, 60, 164, 124. +Fox family, 19. +Fraud, 20, 21, 36. + +----- + +Index +145 +G +Gziré/;mNs, +Epistle +to, +106, +General Epistles, 119-132. +Genesis VI, 46, 54, 57, 66, 104, +121, 123. +Gill, Dr. John, 52. +Gnosticism, 17. +Gordon, Dr. A. J., 14, 15. +Guyon, Madame, 16. +H +Horan, 17. +J +].;;zs, +Pnonzsson Wlumu, +Joni of Arc, 23, zs. +K +KING, B/tsn., 9, 10, 129. +"King, Katie," 20. +Kitto, 54. +Kurtz, +Dr. john Henzig, +53, +56, 58, 64, 65, 104, 1 +, 125. +L +LAzAaUs, 81. +Lightfoot, Bishop, 106. +Lodge, Sir Oliver, 21, 22, 37. +Loves of the gods, S7. +Luther, 18. +Lying wonders, 113. +M +MMTLAND, 54, 104. +Manasseh, 87. +Materialization, 20, 21, 36, 86. +Melyer, +Dr. F. B., 44. +Mi ton, 53, 64. +"Modem +Craze of Spiritual- +ism," 45. +Mons, 22, 25. +More, Dr. Henry, 61. +Moses and Elijah, 81. +N +NA.uum, 86. +Nagelsbach, 64. +Nam, son of widow of, 81. +Neander, 127. +Nephilim, 51, 57, 66, 67. +Nevins, Dr., 35. +Newton, Benjamin Wills, 97. +Nicholson, Bishop, 110. +O +Os on Onv, 70. +P +Pnxnunsr, 70. +Pember, 61, 68, 83, 117, 118, +135. +Personation, 80. +Philippian damsel, 37, 97-99. +"Physical Theory of Another +Life," 59. +Piper, Mrs., 20. +Piychical +Research, +Society +or, 9, 20. +Pythoness, 37, 70, 97. +R +RAusAv, +Sm Wru.uu¢, +90, +91, 94, 96. +Revelation, 133-143. +S +Snwn., 81-86. +Satan, 27-38 ; names, 28; ori- +gin, 28-30; nature and char- +acter, 30, 31; present loca- +tion and work, 31-33; +spe- +cial +manifestations +today, +33-38; aim, 135. +Schofield, Dr. A. T., 98. +Shakers, 18. +Simon Magus, 93-95. +Society +for +Psychical +Re- +search, 9, 20. +Sons of God, 46-55; éewish +interpretation, 49-52 ; +hurch +interprleltagon, h52-55 ;f +mar- +e +aug terso +men, +§i'2§, +122. +Spiritism, books on, 9-13; bet- +ter term than spiritualism, +16, 17; from apostolic times + +----- + +146 +to Fox sister? +17-19° scien- +zine epoch °, 19-21; +eur- +rent revival of 21-24; warn- +ing against, 24126; Satan the +source of, 27, 36-38; certain +phenomena +genuine, 36; be- +ore +the +Flood, +46-56; +among the Canaanites, 66- +75; +in +Israel +and Judah, +80-89° +' +st lic +times +» +In +390 +0 +» +90-101; in the Pauline epis- +tles, 102-118; prohibition of +marriage, 118; in the Gen- +eral +Epistles, +119-132; +in +the Apocalypse, 133-143. +Spirit marriages, 62 63. +Spirit rapping, 18, 19. +Spirits in prison, 119-122. +Stanley, Dean, 104 +Starke, 106. +Strabo, 17. +"Sunday +School Times," +10, +33. +Swedenborg, 18, 25. +Index +T +Tnxnrcrou, Boom, 9. +Taylor, Isaac, 59. +Theodoret, 17. +Theossgmiphy, +35, 118. +Thes +onians, Epistle to, 112- +114. +¥imothy, Epistles to,_t1l145g18. +058993, $P¢3kll\8Wl +» +- +Torrey, Dr. R. A., 29. +Transtiguratiosr, +80. +"Vmu. +Quotes: +Eunoa +on +Cu.v.mv,".68. +W +WAu.ac¢, +Annan +Russzu., +37. +War and spiritism, 14, 21, 22. +Wesley family, 18. +Wilson, Bishop, 11. +Witch of Endor, 37. +Writing mediums, 68, 69. + +----- + +INDEX OF TEXTS +(The figure; in fannthesu refer to pages) +Genesis 1:1 (29) ; 1:26 (104) ; +2:18, 23 (104) ; 3:1-6 (32) ; +3:16 (l04); 4:26 (52, SS); +6:1-4 (46, 54, 57, 104, 123); +6:4 (66); 18:8 (39); 19:3 +(39); 41:8 (68). +Exodus +19:8 +(7S); +22:18 +(69); 24:10, 17 (30); 37:9 +(30)- +Leviticus 20:27 (37, 69). +Numbers 13:33 (67). +Deuteronomy 5:27 +(76); +18 +(17); 18:9-11 (71); 18:12- +14 +(74); +18:15-19 +(76); +32:17 (42). +Judges 23 (42, 43). +I Samuel 16:14 (43) ;28 (83). +I Kings 17-19 (86) ; 22 (86): +22:19-38 (141) ; 22:22 (42). +II Kings 5 (86) ; 19:35 (40); +21 +(87). +I Chronicles 21:1 (32, 112). +II Chronicles 2229, 10 (88); +23:12, 13 (87). +Job +1, +2 +(27, +139); +1:6, +7 +(32); 1:7 (117, 124); 1:10- +12 +(31); +2:2 +(117); +2:7 +(33). +Psalm 2 (141): 8:4, 5 (39); +68:17 (40) ; 90:10-12 (4o); +103:20 (40). +Isaiah 8:19, +20 (22); +10:28 +(142); +14:12-14 (29); +19- +22 +(24); +31 +(138); +so +(111). +Jeremiah 2:19 (7S); 46:4-10 +(137). +Ezekiel 1:15, 22, 25, 26 (30); +28:11-18 (29, 30). +Daniel 7:10 (40) ;7:25 (116) ; +8:23 (116); 10:13 (40, 139) +10:21 (139): 12:1 (139). +Joel 3 :9-17 (141). +Zechariah +3 +(28); +12:11 +(142); 13:2 (89). +Matthew +4 +(28, +32, +111); +5:37 (31) ; 7:22 (42) ; 8:28- +31 +(3S); +8:29 +(43, +44); +8:31 (44); 10:1 (42) ; 12:22 +(42): 12 :24-26 (42) ; 121% +27 (42) ; 12:43 (117); 13:1 +(32); +16:21 (1l1); 17:15- +18 (42) ; 18:10 (40) ; 22:30 +(57, 632; +24:11-24 (116): +24:24 +28, +31, 38); +24:36 +(40) +; 24:38-44 (143) ;25 :41 +41, 42 +43); 26=sa +(4o>; +28:52, +(81). +Mark +1:25, +34 +(99); +5:7 + +5:13 +(42); +9:43-48 +Luke 1:19 (40); 7:21 (42); +8:12 (31) ; 8:30 (42): 8:31 +(43); 9:1 (101); 9:30, 31 +(80); 10:18 (29): 11:14-18 +(31) ; 12:35-40 (143) ; 13:16 +232, +33, 42) ; 16 (25) ; 20:36 +39). +John 1:17 (72); 1:45 (129); +8:44 (31, 42) ; 12:27 (111); +12:31 (31); 13:27 (28, 32). +Acts 3:19-26 (77); 5:3 (28); +8 §95); +8:5-24 (93); 10:38 +(3 +, 33); +16 (97); +16:16 +147 + +----- + +148 +Index of Texts +(42) ; 17 (112) ;17:22 (34) ; +19:11 +(1111); 19:20 (101); +26:18 (31). +Romans 8:26 (109). +I Corinthians 1:7 (143) ; 2:15 +(99); 7:37 (105); 10 :20-22 +(102); 11:9, 10 (103); 12- +14 +(l05); +12:4-6 +(106); +12:7-11 +(1%); +12:12-31 +(106); 13:1-13 (106) ; 14:1- +25 (106): +14:26-35 (106): +15:45 (122). +II Corinthians 2:11 (31) ; 4:4 +(31, 32) ; 11:14 (31) ; 11:14, +15 (32); 12:7 (32). +Galatians +4:20, +21 +(l(b); +5:20, 21 (38). +Ephesians +1:21 +(40); +1:22, +23 +(134); +2:2 +(29, 31;; +3:9, 10 210) +; 4:27 (32, 33 +; +5:12 (1 +);6:10-12 (107) +° +6:11, 12 (31, 32, 41); 6:12 +(42, 110). +Philippians 4:6, 7 (78). +Colossians 1:16 (4132; +2:13-15 +(110); +2:15 +(1 +); +3:2 +(122); 4:4 (143). +I Thessalonians 1:9,10 (143) ; +2:18 +(28, +112); +4:16-18 +(134;; +4:17 +(40); +5:4 +(143 +. +II +Thessalonians +1:7 +(40); +1:7, 8 (134); 2 (115); 2:3 +(116); +225, 6 +(105); +2:8 +230); +2:8-10 +(B): +2:9 +31); 2:9, 10 (113). +I Timothy 3:6 (30) ; 3:6, 7 +(42); +3:7 +(32): 3:164:3 + +4:1 (42); 6:20, 21 +II Timothy 2:% (44); 4:8 +(143). +Titus 2:13 (143). +Hebrews +1:7, +8 +(39); 2:14 +SSZ); +10:29 +(136); +12:19 +76); 12:23 (121). +James 1:14 (33); 2:19 (94); +4:7 +(31, 33); 5:8 (143). +I Peter 1:10, +11 +(78); +1:12 +(56); 2:12 §92); +3:6, +10, +19 (124); 3: 9 (119, 137); +3:20 (121); 5:4 (143); 5:8 +(28, 29, 32, 33, 124). +II +Peter 2:4 +(41, 42, 104); +2:4-7, 9, 10 (123); 2:10-12 +(42). +I +ohn +2:28 +(143): +3:2, +3 +143 +; +3:8 +(31): +4:1-3 +126 +; +4:3 +(129); +4:4-6 +(131 +; 4:9-11 (129); 5:19 +(31). +Jude +(4-8 +(12S); +6 +(104); +6, +7 +( +(139), +Revelation +3:9 +(32) ; +5:11 +(40;; +6:9 +(121); +9:1-11 +(43 +; +9:13 +(136); +9:21 +(38): +11:15 +(140); +12:7 +(139); +12:7-9 +(43); +12:9 +(27, 32, 41); 12 :9, 10 (30) ; +1321, 2 (28); 13:9, 10 (32): +13:11-15 +(59); +13:11-18 +(141) ; +13:12-15 +(117); +16:12 (140); 16:13, 14 (43, +59, 141); +16:14 +(36, 38); +16:15 (l42); 16:16 (141); +17:5 +(137); +18:23 +(38): +19:11-18 (142) ; 19 :20 (30) ; +20 (124); 20:2 (27); 20:4 +2121); +21:8 (38) ; 21 :10-21 +29); 22:20 (143). +42); +8, +9 +(31): +9 +e +lb +- \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/md/The Demonology of King James I_ Includes the Original Text of Daemonologie and News from Scotland.md b/md/The Demonology of King James I_ Includes the Original Text of Daemonologie and News from Scotland.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..025b035 --- /dev/null +++ b/md/The Demonology of King James I_ Includes the Original Text of Daemonologie and News from Scotland.md @@ -0,0 +1,13112 @@ +# The Demonology of King James I_ Includes the Original Text of Daemonologie and News from Scotland + +> Source: `The Demonology of King James I_ Includes the Original Text of Daemonologie and News from Scotland.pdf` + +--- + +THE DEMONOLOGY + +OF KING JAMES I + + +#### DONALD TYSON + +## DEMONOLOGY +##### THE + +## KING I +##### OF +# JAMES + +Llewellyn Publications + +Woodbury, Minnesota + + +The Demonology of King james I: Includes the Original Text of Daemonologie and News from +Scotland© 2011 by Donald Tyson. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used + +or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written + +permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the case of brief quotations embod­ + +ied in critical articles and reviews. + + +First Edition + +First Printing, 2011 + + +Book design by Donna Burch + +Cover art © Dover Publishing + +Cover design by Kevin R. Brown + +Editing by Tom Bilstad + + +For a complete list of illustration sources, see page 328. + + +Llewellyn is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. + + +Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data (Pending) + +ISBN: 978-0-7387-2345-7 + + +Llewellyn Worldwide does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or respon­ + +sibility concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public. + +All mail addressed to the author is forwarded but the publisher cannot, unless specifi­ + +cally instructed by the author, give out an address or phone number. + +Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the + +publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained. Please + +refer to the publisher's website for links to authors' websites and other sources. + + +Llewellyn Publications +A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. +2143 Wooddale Drive + +Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 + +www.llewellyn.com + + +Printed in the United States of America + + +OTHER BOOKS BY DONALD TYSON +The Messenger +(Llewellyn, January 1990) + + +Ritual Magic: What It Is & How To Do It +(Llewellyn, January 199 2) + + +Three Books of Occult Philosophy +(Llewellyn, January 1 99 2) + + +Scrying For Beginners +(Llewellyn, February 1997) + + +Enoch ian Magic for Beginners: The Original System of Angel Magic +(Llewellyn, September 2002) + + +Familiar Spirits: A Practical Guide for Witches & Magicians +(Llewellyn, January 2004) + + +The Power of the Word: The Secret Code of Creation +(Llewellyn, March 2004) + + +1-2-3 Tarot: Answers In An Instant +(Llewellyn, October 2004) + + +Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred +(Llewellyn, December 2004) + + +Alhazred: Author of the Necronomicon +(Llewellyn, july 2006) + + +Portable Magic: Tarot Is the Only Tool You Need +(Llewellyn, October 2006) + + +Soul Flight: Astral Projection and the Magical Universe +(Llewellyn, March 2007) + + +Grimoire of the Necronomicon +(Llewellyn, August 2008) + + +Runic Astrology +(Llewellyn, July 2009) + + +The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy +(Llewellyn, November 2009) + + +The 13 Gates of the Necronomicon +(Llewellyn, July 201 0) + + +##### CONTENTS + +Illustration Captions . . . xi +Introduction: james and the Witches . . . 1 + + +DEMONOLOGY + + +The Preface: To the Reader . . . 45 + +The First Book . . . 53 +Chapter I . . . 55 +Chapter II . . . 63 +Chapter III . . . 67 +Chapter IV . . . 73 +Chapter V . . . 81 +Chapter VI . . . 89 +Chapter VII . . . 99 + + +The Second Book . . . 103 +Chapter I . . . 1 05 +Chapter II . . . 1 1 1 +Chapter III . . . 1 1 5 +Chapter IV . . . 1 2 1 +Chapter V . . . 127 +Chapter VI . . . 137 +Chapter VII . . . 1 43 + + +The Third Book . . . 147 +Chapter I . . . 149 +Chapter II . . . 157 + +Chapter III . . . 163 +Chapter IV . . . 1 69 +Chapter V . . . 1 73 +Chapter VI . . . 1 79 + + +X CONTENTS + + +NEWS FROM SCOTLAND + + +To the Reader . . . 187 +A True Discourse . . . 189 + + +Appendix A: Original text of Daemonologie . . . 221 +Appendix B: Original text of News From Scotland . . . 285 +Appendix C: Witchcraft Act and Tolbooth Speech of +james the First . . . 301 +Bibliography . . . 307 +Index . . . 313 + + +ILLUSTRATION CAPTIONS + + +Figure 1: Original title page of Daemonologie, 1597, reproduced in +the Bodley Head reprint. page xv + + +Figure 2: Turning the riddle, or sieve, from the Opera omnia of Cor­ +nelius Agrippa, sixteenth century. It is difficult to judge from the +illustration, but it may be that the oracle was given when the sieve +slipped down between the blades of the shears, causing it to ro­ +tate slightly. page 77 + +Figure 3: Knot magic was believed to be a favorite method of +witches. A sorcerer stands on a headland and sells two sailors +favorable winds bound up in three knots. In the background an­ +other ship has been driven into the rocks by adverse winds and +has foundered. From Olaus Magnus' Historia de gentibus septentri­ +onalibus, 1 555. page 78 + + +Figure 4: A complex magic circle from Reginald Scot's Discoverie of +Witchcraft, 1584. Below it is the descriptive text: "This is the circle +for the master to sit in, and his fellowe or fellowes, at the first call­ +ing, sit backe to backe, when he calleth the spirit; and for the fair­ +ies make this circle with chalke on the ground, as is said before." +page 87 + + +Figure 5: Four familiar demons perform tasks for witches. In the +center, one sweeps out a stable; left, another digs for treasure with +a pointed rod; top, a third draws four witches through the clouds +in a wagon; right, the fourth creates a wind to propel a ship. From +Olaus Magnus' Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, 1 555. page 93 + +Figure 6: Satan impresses his mark into the forehead of a young +male witch, from Francesco Maria Guazzo's Compendium Malefi­ +carum, 1626. page 1 13 + + +Figure 7: Witches kiss the Devil's buttocks, from Francesco Maria +Guazzo's Compendium Maleficarum, 1 626. page 1 19 + + +XI + + +XII ILLUSTRATION CAPTIONS + + +Figure 8: A winged demon supports a witch flying on a pitchfork, +from Ulrich Molitor's Hexen Meysterey, 1 545. Demons are often +depicted riding with witches through the air on their brooms or +staffs. The intention is to show that the Devil provides the occult +power that propels the witch through the air, not the witch her­ +self. page 125 + + +Figure 9: A female witch raises a storm to sink a ship by pouring liq­ +uid from a small kettle while brandishing a knife. Note the waning +crescent of the Moon. In the lower part of the panel, a male witch +with a skull-headed staff sits and bewitches livestock. From Olaus +Magnus' Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, 1 5 55. page 134 + + +Figure 10: A werewolf attacks a traveler just outside the gate of a +town. A woodcut from johann Geiler von Kaysersberg's Die +Emeis, 1 5 1 7. page 1 55 + + +Figure 11: An incubus seduces a witch in a secluded meeting place. +From Ulrich Molitor's Von den Unholden und Hexen. page 1 67 + + +Figure 12: A knight approaches in supplication the queen and king +of fairy and their court, who wait to greet him beneath a fairy +knoll. page 1 77 + + +Figure 13: Public execution by burning of three witches in Derne­ +burg, Germany, from a 1 555 broadsheet. At the right we see two +of the witches setting fire to a building, while a man lies appar­ +ently dead outside the door. The background shows an execution +by beheading with a sword, and three learned and prosperous +men who watch the burning of the witches and comment upon +it. At the top, a demon descends to catch the soul as it leaves the +mouth of one of the dying witches. Center, two men tend the +fire. When witches were burned alive, it sometimes happened +that their bindings burned off before they died, and they had to be +cast back into the fire when they tried to escape. page 1 84 + + +Figure 14: Original title page from a 1 592 edition of News From Scot­ +land, reproduced in the 1924 Bodley Head reprint. page 185 + + +ILLUSTRATION CAPTIONS XIII + + +Figure 15: This is one of two woodcuts in the Bodley Head reprint +of an early edition of News From Scotland that was not designed +specifically for the work. It may have been included to suggest +how the North Berwick witches were chastised with a rod before +Kingjames and the chief magistrate. page 191 + + +Figure 16: The initial of two woodcuts included in the first edition +of News From Scotland, designed to illustrate the material in the +text. In the Bodley Head reprint of a slightly different 1 592 edi­ +tion of the tract, this woodcut is reproduced twice-just after the +title page, and again in the body of the work. Clockwise from the +left, it depicts the Devil of the North Berwick witches preaching +from an outdoor pulpit to an audience of female witches while +john Pian sits at a table recording his words with pen and paper; a +ship foundering in a storm at sea; four female witches brewing a +potion in an iron kettle with a long-handled ladle, a peddler lying +upon his side; and finally, the same peddler lying in a similar pos­ +ture in a wine cellar in Bordeaux, France. page 197 + + +Figure 17: The second of two woodcuts made specifically for the +first edition of News From Scotland depicts the activities of john +Fian. Clockwise from the upper right, we see Pian attempting to +remove the bewitchment from an amorous cow; Pian riding on +an illuminated black horse behind a man clothed in a black cape +and hat; the church at North Berwick; and a gallows. The cow +refers to the story attributed to Fian that was borrowed from the +Golden Ass of Appuleius. As for the illuminated horse, part of the +charges read against Pian at his trial were that when he was rid­ +ing past Tranent on horseback with another man in the middle +of the night, he "by his devilish craft, raised up four candles upon +the horse's two legs, and another candle upon the staff which the +man had in his hand; and gave such light, as if it had been day­ +light; like as, the said candles returned with the said man, upon +his homecoming; and caused him to fall dead at his entry within +the house." The gallows, which appears to have been inserted + + +XIV ILLUSTRATION CAPTIONS + + +into the woodcut, shows that the artist was an Englishman, since +witches were burned in Scotland, not hanged. page 200 + + +Figure 18: This is the second of two woodcuts in the 1 924 Bodley +Head reprint of a 1 592 edition of News From Scotland that was not +created specifically for the tract. It is located at the end of the work, +after the text, and appears to show a man being led to prison be­ +tween a jailor with keys hanging at his waist and a nun who grasps +the man by the ear. page 203 + +Figure 19: Wedges are driven into the boots to shatter the bones in +the shins and ankles of the unfortunate man being tortured. At +the right, a standing inquisitor asks questions while one seated at +a desk records the man's confession. Although this is not a partic­ +ularly good illustration of the boots themselves, it does show the +type that were used in Scotland during the North Berwick affair. +A woodcut from the late sixteenth century. page 2 1 8 + + +Figure 20: Title page to the first edition of News From Scotland, pub­ +lished in 1 592. page 284 + + +## DAEMONOLO· fjiE� IS( _ FO�MB of a 'Dialogue� + +Diuidcd into threcB **o** kes. + + + +EDINIVJlOB +## by �bert . . +#### Printed Wa/Je grttlle.J + + + +Print« to the KingsMajdlic. An.1sn• + + +##### C I RI Pri'uiltgi l lgil. + + + +Figure 1 + + +DEMONOLOGY, +In the Form +of a Dialogue, +Divided into Three Books. +Edinburgh +Printed by Robert Waldegrave +Printer to the King's Majesty, anna 1597. +With Royal Privlege. + + +### INTRODUCTION +#### james and the Witches + +THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING + + +James Stuart was born on June 19, 1566, at Edinburgh, from the +union of Mary, Queen of Scots, with her second husband, Henry +Stewart Lord Darnley. When his mother was forced to abdicate her +throne by Queen Elizabeth, James was proclaimed King James the +Sixth of Scotland on July 24, 1567. For the first twelve years of his life +he was not permitted to participate in state affairs, but was kept for +his own security in Sterling Castle, safe from the constantly bickering +Scottish factions. +Physically he was weak and sickly, a misfortune of health that +played a significant part in his tendency in later life to achieve his +purposes by manipulation and deceit rather than the bold exercise +of power. For the first six or seven years of his life he was unable +to stand up or walk without aid. As a young man he developed a +love for horseback riding, but it was necessary that he be tied on +to his horse due to the weakness in his legs, and once when he fell +into a body of water while out riding he nearly drowned because he +was unable to help himself. Throughout his life he preferred to walk +leaning on the shoulder of an attendant. +Weakness of body was in part compensated for by keenness of +intellect. When Sir Henry Killigrew saw the boy in 1574 he was im­ +pressed by the skill of eight -year-old James in translating Latin and + + +2 INTRODUCTION + + +French texts. From an early age he was trained by his guardians in +the Protestant faith, and developed an aversion for Catholicism, al­ +though this did not prevent him from sending a letter to the pope in +1 584, hinting that he might be persuaded to change his faith if it for­ +warded his political goals. James was always ready to imply friend­ +ship and favor, provided there was no actual necessity of ever giving +them. +There seems little doubt that James was a coward. He fought +against this tendency throughout his life, but it was his nature and +he could never overcome it. In 1 582 he was kidnapped by a faction +of Scottish nobles during the Raid of Ruthven. Although he was +then old enough to shave, he was so terrified of his captors that he +cried like a child. Sir Thomas Lyon, one of the men keeping him +hostage, gruffly told the young king it were better 'bairns [children] +should greet [cry] than bearded men." James parted from his cap­ +tors in 1 583 and began to rule his kingdom, but always remained +timid. The Marquis de Fontenay, French ambassador to the Scottish +court during the early part of his reign, spoke of James as cowed by +the violence around him. When in 1 587 his mother was executed by +order of Elizabeth, he made little effort to prevent it. +His personal appearance and manners were not attractive. He +had a tendency to bluster and make promises he had no intention +of ever fulfilling. He talked too much in a very thick Scottish ac­ +cent, and was pedantic and put on airs of scholarship that he did not +merit. In dress he was slovenly and unclean. His physical caresses +and frequent gifts to male favorites in his court gave rise to gossip +that he was homosexual. A these tendencies were strongly despised +by the English people when he ascended to the throne of England in +1 603 at the death of Elizabeth, but they swallowed their distaste and +welcomed him in a practical spirit, as the only alternative to bitter +civil war. +In 1 589 James married Anne, second daughter of Frederick the +Second, king of Denmark. This union between the Protestant mon + +INTRODUCTION 3 + + +arch and the Protestant princess greatly alarmed the Catholic fac­ +tions in England and Scotland, who saw their hope for a restoration +of the papacy slipping away. Until this marriage, James had done +his best to maintain a cordial relationship with both the Vatican and +the royal family of Spain, but this choice of a bride left no question +about his religious leanings. Perhaps the only romantic and coura­ +geous action James ever took was to sail out to meet Anne after her +ship was driven by storm into the port of Oslo in Norway. It was +there that James enjoyed his first night of connubial bliss with his +fifteen-year-old bride. +The trials of the North Berwick witches (who received this title +because they were supposed to congregate in the kirk, or church, at +North Berwick near Edinburgh in the dead of night to meet with +the Devil and concoct their plots) took place mainly between the +years 1590 and 1592, although the fallout of the affair dragged on for +years. It marked a major turning point in the thinking of the young +king. The charges against the accused included numerous attempts by +magic on his life, and even one effort to kill the queen while she was +on her voyage from Denmark to England. Previously James had only +faced plots by the rebellious Scottish nobles that endangered his life by +physical means, but now he found himself and his new bride threat­ +ened by the supernatural. +James keenly interested himself in the trials, and was a direct par­ +ticipant in much of the questioning. He mentioned in his Tolbooth +speech of 1 591 (see Appendix C) that the proceedings against the ac­ +cused witches occupied him for a full nine months, and it would not +be excessive to say that he was the prime mover in the whole affair. +Undoubtedly he observed the torture of the accused, and heard the +confessions wrung from their own agonized mouths. He was grati­ +fied to learn from Agnes Sampson that the Devil considered him to +be his chief opponent, and it was for this reason that Satan hated +him and wished to bring about his death. She testified that when +the witches asked Satan why he hated the king so much, the Devil + + +4 INTRODUCTION + + +replied: "By reason the king is the greatest enemie hee hath in the +world." +By this extraordinary statement the Devil cast James into the role +of an avenging knight of the Christian faith. James was fond of mak­ +ing reference to the warrior mounted upon a white horse (Revela­ +tion 1 9: 1 1-16) who is prophesied to descend to Earth to punish the +wicked in the latter days, which James believed to already have ar­ +rived. As an intensely religious man, and as the leader of his nation +in matters military, spiritual, and judicial, it would have been difficult +for James to decline the role of Satan's chief adversary. He accepted +it as a challenge and spent the better part of the next four decades +trying to do it honor. +Since this mythic figure upon his white horse is so central to the +view James held of his own crusade against witchcraft, it is worth +quoting the relevant verses from the King James Bible version of the +text: + + +And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he +that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righ­ +teousness he doth judge and make war. +His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were +many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew +but he himself: +And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and +his name is called The Word of God. +And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon +white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. +And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he +should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod +of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and +wrath of Almighty God. + + +Can there be any doubt that James saw in the brave knight on the +white horse with "many crowns" a reflection of himself? Or that the + + +INTRODUCTION 5 + + +sharp sword that proceeds from his mouth was for james the book +Demonology and the 1 604 Witchcraft Statute of England? He viewed +himself as a general in the army of Christ, "clothed in fine linen, +white and clean." It must have struck James as significant, in light of +this biblical passage, that the accused North Berwick witches sought +to bring about his death by procuring a piece of linen that he had +soiled, so as to use his bodily excretions in their magic against him. +James was a strong believer in the supernatural and the power of +magic, but he ascribed all working of magic to the Devil. He did not +recognize what Cornelius Agrippa called "natural magic," or what +was sometimes termed "white magic," as a lawful activity. The ef­ +ficacy of herbs and stones was either an inherent part of their com­ +position, and so a matter of medicine and science, or it was infused +into them by the power of Satan in order to deceive those who used +them for healing or other purposes. For James, there was no such +thing as occult forces that could be used for benevolent purposes. +On the one hand there was the power of God, which had ceased to +produce prophecies or miracles since the time of Christ, and on the +other hand there was the power of Satan, which waxed stronger in +the modern age than at any other time in history due to the immi­ +nence of the end of the world, and was responsible for all marvelous +effects that were other than natural. +The supernatural must have terrified him at least as much as the +political intimidations used by his Scottish nobles. In an effort to +know his spiritual enemies as well as he knew his temporal foes, he +made an extensive study of the available literature on the subjects +of magic, witchcraft, and demons. It is tempting to assume that his +reading was wider than it was deep. Summers wrote disparagingly +about the degree of learning he displayed in his treatise on witch­ +craft: "In many passages King james has borrowed from the Conti­ +nental demonologists, whom he read with more diligence than acu­ +men. For all his zeal and dexterous learning one feels that there is +something just a little superficial in his grasp of the more scholarly + + +6 INTRODUCTION + + +writers and theologians" (Summers, Geography of Witchcraft, page + +224). +In the king's defense, he had been present during the actual ques­ +tioning of the accused North Berwick witches, and had heard their +testimony, so James' knowledge of the subject was not entirely the­ +oretical, as was the knowledge of his critic Summers. In any case, +James was hardly about to instruct his readers in the finer points +of practical necromancy and witchcraft, regardless of how much +theoretical knowledge he might himself possess. The purpose of +his book, which arose as a direct visceral reaction to the North Ber­ +wick trials and the supposed plots against his life by magic, was to +increase the persecution of witches in Scotland and England. Every­ +thing in the work is tailored to achieve this end. +Shortly after assuming the English throne in 1603, James ordered +a new edition of his book published in London so that he could ex­ +tend his crusade against witchcraft into England. A Dutch transla­ +tion was published in 1 604, and Latin editions came off the presses +in Hanover in 1604 and 1 607. A year after his coronation, James suc­ +ceeded in getting the 1563 witchcraft statute that had been enforced +during most of the long reign of Elizabeth abolished, and a new +statute erected in its place that contains harsher and broader punish­ +ments for witches and practitioners of magic. So keen was James on +this matter that his reinterpretation of the witchcraft laws went to +the House of Lords for consideration only eight days after the first +sitting of parliament of his reign as the English king, and passed on +first reading. +The main difference between the law of Elizabeth and that +of James concerned what should be the focus of the punishment. +Under Elizabeth, those who practiced witchcraft and sorcery were +subject to the most severe punishment only if they were found to +have used these arts to commit murder or other injuries. It was the +crimes in which witchcraft had been employed that were the pri­ +mary object of punishment, not the practice of witchcraft itself, + + +INTRODUCTION 7 + + +which was of secondary concern. James wanted the practice of any +form of magic punished severely, regardless of whether it was used +to commit injuries to others, because he held all such practice to be +trafficking with the Devil, whom he believed to be the source of the +efficacy for all magic. +Under the law of Elizabeth, anyone who bewitched another +without causing his death was subject to a penalty of one year in +prison; the law of James made the same crime punishable by hang­ +ing. Minor infractions, such as using divination to locate stolen prop­ +erty, making love potions, or damaging property such as laming a +cow or causing hail to flatten a crop in the field were still punishable +by a year in prison and a term in the pillory, as they had been under +the old law. James caused it to become a felony to invoke any evil +spirit, or to have any dealings with an evil spirit. This meant that to +keep a familiar spirit in the form of a cat, dog, rabbit, or other pet +was punishable by death. The Devil was thought to mark those with +whom he made a pact. To be found to have a witch mark anywhere +on the body was also enough evidence of consultation with an evil +spirit to be punishable by death, hence the vigorous questioning by +the courts about familiars, and the intensity of the search for the +witch mark. +The statute of James made it a crime punishable by hanging to: + + +1) invoke, consult, covenant with, entertain, employ, feed, or re­ +ward any evil spirit for any purpose + + +2) take any dead body, or any part of a dead body, for use in any +witchcraft, sorcery, charm, or enchantment + + +3) practice any form of witchcraft, enchantment, charm, or sor­ +cery in which any person is killed, destroyed, wasted, con­ +sumed, pined, or lamed in the body, or any part of the body + + +4) aid, abet, or counsel others in any of the above acts + + +The statute also made it a crime punishable by one year in prison +to use witchcraft, enchantment, charms, or sorcery to: + + +8 INTRODUCTION + + +1 ) locate any treasure of gold or silver in the earth or other hiding places + + +2) locate any lost or stolen goods or things + + +3) intend to provoke any person to unlawful love + + +4) destroy, waste, or impair any chattel or goods of another +person + + +5) attempt without success to hurt or destroy any person in the +body + + +All of the offences punishable by a year in prison on the first of­ +fence were felonies on the second commission, and punishable by +hanging. + +On the matter of capital punishment for witchcraft, in England +it was hanging, the same as for other more common felonies such +as murder. In Scotland, witchcraft was punished by burning, but the +custom was to strangle the condemned witch at the stake before +lighting the fire, and in this way to lessen the suffering of the witch. +This was done as an act of mercy when the witch confessed to her +supposed crimes, and did not recant the confession once the torture +used to extract the confession had been halted. If the witch retracted +the confession, the mercy of strangulation might be withdrawn and +she might be burned alive, though this barbarity was uncommon. +In practice, the English courts carried on much as they had before +the passage of the witch statute of James in meting out the death +penalty. It was usually only given to those who had been convicted +of causing the death of another person with witchcraft or necro­ +mancy. For example, even though it was a capital offence under the +new law to dig up a corpse for use in magic, no one was ever put to +death for this crime. There were exceptions. In 1 645 seven women +were hanged at Chelmsford for entertaining evil spirits, which is to +say, for keeping familiars. What the law did accomplish was the more +frequent and vigorous prosecution of accusations of witchcraft in + + +INTRODUCTION 9 + + +England, and later in America. The Salem witch trials were carried +out under the statute of James, which was not abolished until 1 736. +During the early part of his reign as English monarch, James was +as rabid in his prosecution of witchcraft as he had been while living +in Scotland, but as the years passed, his fervor began to wane. He +was able to prove to his satisfaction that several of those who had +accused others of witchcraft had been lying. +In 1 605 James paid three hundred pounds to the Reverend Sam­ +uel Harsnett to question a fourteen-year-old girl, Anne Gunter, who +had accused three woman in Abingdon of witchcraft. The girl ad­ +mitted under the sharp questioning of Harsnett that she had only +been pretending to fall into fits, and had falsely accused the women. +While traveling north in 1 6 1 8, James stopped at Leicester when +six women were due to be hanged as witches on the evidence of a +twelve-year-old boy, John Smith, who claimed that his convulsions +were caused by their bewitchment of him. Nine other women had +already been executed on the lad's testimony. James examined the +boy and determined to his satisfaction that his fits were nothing but +fraud. The women were freed, and Chief Justice Sir Edward Coke, +who had presided over their trial, was disgraced. +In 1 621 James questioned yet another youthful accuser, a girl +of the town of Westham in Essex (now a part of greater London) +named Katherine Malpas, who pretended to be subject to fits of de­ +monic possession, and accused two women of bewitching her. Since +James had personally witnessed cases of possession, he was difficult +to fool. A woman was made to confess that she had taught the girl to +simulate the fits so that she could charge money of those who came +to watch her convulsions. +This and similar evidence of deception both enraged James and +shook his confidence in his beliefs. It is asserted by some historians +that James went so far in his later years as to completely repudiate +the reality of witchcraft. Robbins quoted Thomas Fuller as assert­ +ing in his Church History of Britain that James "grew first diffident + + +IO INTRODUCTION + + +of, and then flatly to deny, the workings of witches and devils as but +falsehoods and delusions" (Robbins, Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and +Demonology, page 279). This seems unlikely in view of the strength +of these convictions, particularly since the intensity of his religious +faith never wavered. Whether his own attitude changed or not, dur­ +ing his last nine years as king it is recorded that only five convicted +witches were executed. +Viewed as a whole, the prosecution of witches under his rule, +though more vigorous than it had been during the reign of Eliza­ +beth, was not so severe as might appear from the tenor of his book +and his statute. Montague Summers observed that there are only +fifty cases of witches having been executed in England during the + +entire reign of King James. Summers wrote: "It would appear that +the popular ideas concerning the holocausts in the reign of James +the I are anything but historically exact, and instead of shuddering at +the large numbers who perished, we may well be surprised that the +executions in England were so few" (Geography of Witchcraft, page + +132). +Only fifty executions in England, yet many more women were +tried, and even those who did not suffer imprisonment as a result +of a guilty verdict had to face the humiliation of having their bod­ +ies shaved of all hair and a search made of their private parts for the +witch mark, the censure and condemnation of their family, friends, +and neighbors, and worst of all the protracted ordeal of torture used +on them in an effort to extract a confession. It is probable that the +number of executions would have been much higher had James +been able to freely work his will during the early part of his reign, +but his personal crusade against witchcraft was in part inhibited by +the conservative nature of English common law, which is slow to +change its way of doing things, and perhaps also by the common +sense of many of the judges. +One more incident must be related of James before we leave his +life and proceed to a closer examination of the North Berwick affair. + + +INTRODUCTION II + + +Margaret Murray related in God of the Witches that as James lay on +his deathbed, an attempt was made in his bedchamber by his atten­ +dants to lessen his pain by transferring it into the body of an animal. +A young pig was for this purpose dressed in the clothing of a human +baby. One of the ladies of the court played the part of its mother, +and the Duchess of Buckingham assumed the role of midwife. A +gentleman who was dressed in the robes of a bishop read the ser­ +vice of baptism, while the Duke of Buckingham and other nobles +played the part of the pig's godfathers. The pig was baptized, and +then chased out of the room. +It may be assumed that James was in a very bad state at that +point, perhaps not even conscious of his surroundings. Yet if he did +retain any of his mental faculties, what must he have thought of the +performance of what was clearly a blasphemous ritual of witchcraft +for his personal benefit? Was he inwardly horrified by what his con­ +cerned attendants were doing in their effort to lessen his suffering, +or was he hypocritical enough to justify it in some way in his own +mind, even though it was opposed to everything he had ever writ­ +ten or said concerning witchcraft? History has not recorded his last +thoughts, only the incredible irony of the performance of a magic +ritual over the deathbed of a man who all his life was steadfast in his +loathing and rejection of anything remotely connected with the art +of magic. + + +THE NORTH BERWICK WITCHE S + + +The incidents that formed the basis for the North Berwick witch +trials, which are partially detailed in the tract News From Scotland, +may have been instigated, insofar as they have any factual basis, by +the determination of James to wed Anne of Denmark. Among the +charges against the witches is that they tried to sink the ship carrying +James to Denmark to meet with his future bride, and also the ship +bringing Anne to England. Two of the items filed against john Fian, +one of the supposed leaders of the plot, read as follows: + + +12 INTRODUCTION + + +(7) ITEM, for the raising of winds at the King's passing to +Denmark, and for the sending of a letter to Marian Linkup +in Leith, to that effect, bidding her to meet him and the rest +on the sea within five days; where Satan delivering a cat out +of his hand to Robert Grierson, and gave the word to "Cast +the same in the sea, hola!" And thereafter, being mounted in a +ship and drunk like unto others, where Satan said, "You shall +sink the ship;" like as they thought that did. + + +(8) ITEM, for assembling himself with Satan, at the King's re­ +turning from Denmark, where Satan promised to raise a mist, +and cast the King's Majesty in England: and for performing + +thereof, he took a thing like to a soot -ball, which appeared to +the said John like a wisp, and cast the same in the sea; which +caused a vapor and a reek to rise. + + +A charge against Agnes Sampson accused her of sending a letter to +another witch ordering her to "warne the rest of the sisteris, to raise +the wind this day, att eleavin houris, to stay the Quenis cuming in Scot­ +land." +At the same time that women and men were being accused in +Scotland of trying to prevent the union of James and Anne, similar +accusations were being made in Denmark. The spy of Lord Burghley +in Copenhagen wrote to him in a letter dated July 23, 1 590, that the +admiral Peter Munk in Denmark "hathe caused five or six witches +to be taken in Coupnahaven, upon suspicion that by their witche +craft they had staied the Queen of Scottes voiage into Scotland, and +sought to have staied likewise the King's retorne." A woman named +Anna Koldings was interrogated, and under the fear of greater tor­ +tures was compelled to give the names of five other women, one of +them being the wife of the burgomaster of Copenhagen. Eventually +all were induced to confess to raising a storm to sink Anne's ship, +and of having sent demons to climb the keel of the vessel and pull it +under the waves. + + +INTRODUCTION 13 + + +It is a curious coincidence that the same storm that held back +Queen Anne from initially sailing to Scotland also sank a ferry trav­ +eling between Burntisland and Leith with Lady Mary Melville of +Garvock aboard. Burntisland is just west of Kinghorn on the oppo­ +site side of the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh. Lady Mary was the +wife of Sir Andrew Melville, the master of the household affairs of +King James, and was traveling to meet Anne upon her arrival in Scot­ +land. Concerning this tragedy of September, 1 589, Sir James Melville +wrote in his Memoirs, "She, being willing to mak diligence, wald not +stay for the storm, to sail the ferry; when the vehement storm drave +a ship upon the said boat, and drownit the gentlewoman and all the +persons except twa." +Why this sudden furor to prevent the king from bringing his new +bride back to Scotland? Margaret Murray, Montague Summers, and +others have speculated that the purported attempts by the accused +witches to kill James and Anne were motivated by the royal ambi­ +tions of Francis Stewart, the Earl of Bothwell. His title descended +through his mother Jane Hepburn, who was the sister of the for­ +mer Earl of Bothwell that had married Mary, Queen of Scots, but +his claim to the throne was from his father, Lord John Stewart, the +illegitimate son of James the Fifth of Scotland. For so long as James +remained without an heir, Bothwell could make a plausible claim +for the Scottish crown at his death, but once James married and had + +children, that claim was void. +There is some evidence to support this theory of Bothwell's +involvement with the North Berwick witches. In her confession, +Agnes Sampson revealed that she had constructed a wax image of + +James, saying: "This is Kingjames the sext, ordonit to be consumed +at the instance of a noble man Francis Erie Bodowell." Murray and +Summers both believed that Bothwell played the part of the Devil at +the sabbat meetings of the witches, and it is true that in later years +during his exile in Italy, Bothwell kept the reputation of being a pow­ +erful magician. + + +14 INTRODUCTION + + +This fanciful theory depends on a rather startling presupposi­ +tion-that prior to the exposure of the plots of the witches, Both­ +well was the active head of a large coven of witches accustomed to +meet at the North Berwick Kirk and elsewhere in the dead of night, +where he dressed up in costume and played the part of Satan. If such +nocturnal meetings took place, they must have been executed with +a mastery of stealth and guile since this considerable undertaking +of manpower and resources passed unnoticed in the small, closely +knit communities near the church, where the members of the coven +lived. +James despised Bothwell for his pretensions to the succession. In +a speech to the Scottish parliament in 1 592 he denounced Bothwell + +and said of him that he was 'but a bastard and could claim no title to +the crown" (Margaret Murray, Witch-cult in Western Europe, page 56). +Murray pointed out that this was not accurate-Bothwell's father +was a bastard, but Bothwell himself had been born of a legal mar­ +riage; and in any case, Bothwell's father had been granted a letter of +legitimacy by Mary, Queen of Scots. +Though he felt contempt for this upstart, James was deathly +afraid of him. When Bothwell came to Holyrood Castle in July of +1 593 seeking a pardon from the king for the crimes he stood ac­ +cused of, he was admitted directly and without warning into the +king's bedchamber by a lady of the court, where he caught James +in the middle of dressing. The terrified James tried to run and hide +in his wife's bedchamber, but the men who accompanied Bothwell +blocked his path of escape and locked the door to prevent him from +leaving before Bothwell had his say. James asked them their purpose: +"Came they to seek his life? Let them take it-they would not get his +soul" (Murray, Witch-cult in Western Europe, page 59). If James consid­ +ered Bothwell as the leader of the witches who conspired to bring +about his death and a powerful necromancer in league with Satan +against him, little wonder the sudden apparition of Bothwell in his +bedchamber gave James a nasty turn. + + +INTRODUCTION IS + + +The whole business of the North Berwick witches started inno­ +cently enough with the uncanny healing abilities of a maidservant +named Gilly Duncan. Although she had never been a healer before, +she began to go to those who were sick or infirm to try to help them. +Her neighbors took notice of this admirable charity when her efforts +suddenly began to succeed with astonishing frequency. Rather than +praise Duncan for her good works and count themselves fortunate +to know her, they began to murmur behind her back that she must +be accomplishing the miraculous cures with means that were other +than natural. +Duncan had the misfortune to work for David Seaton, the dep­ +uty-bailiff of the town. He decided to question his maid as to where +she had acquired the skill to work such amazing cures, and why she +was in the habit lately of stealing out of his house to sleep elsewhere +every other night. It is impossible not to speculate about the per­ +sonal motives that prompted Seaton to question Duncan. Did he +have some affection for her that was not returned, and did he take +this excuse to ferret out information about his imagined rival? Or +was Seaton upset with her because he thought her night wanderings +were bringing scandal upon his household? +Whatever his original suspicions, her stubborn silence enraged +him. He had her held down and applied a set of thumbscrews to her +fingers in an effort to compel her to speak. When she still did not +answer to his satisfaction, he bound her head and wrung it with a + +rope, a popular form of torture in the sixteenth century. Duncan still +refused to say what Seaton wanted her to say, so he decided to probe +her for a witch mark, which was considered to be a sure sign of a +witch. A witch mark is a small mole or other skin blemish insensi­ +tive to pain that is supposedly impressed on to the body of a witch +at the time of her initiation into the craft by Satan himself. The way +of locating it was to take a long, thick needle and thrust it deeply +and successively into all moles, scars, or other marks on the skin, +presumably with the unfortunate individual blindfolded, until one + + +16 INTRODUCTION + + +was located that did not produce a shriek of pain. He found what he +was looking for in the front of her throat, and this apparent evidence +broke her will and induced her to confess that she was a witch, and +that all her cures had been the work of Satan. +Duncan was cast into prison, where she shortly began to name +the names of her supposed accomplices in witchcraft. They were +not all of low station in life. Agnes Sampson, the key figure among +the women accused who was known locally as the Wise Wife of +Nether-Keith, was a mature, educated woman said to be grave in +her manner and settled in her answers to her inquisitors. Effie Mc­ +Calyan was the daughter of Lord Cliftonhall, and a woman of some +social stature. John Fian was a schoolmaster. Barbara Napier was de­ +scribed as a woman of good family. These four appear to have been +the leaders in the affair, or at least were nominated as its leaders by +James and the magistrates, and were not in a position to decline the +elevation. +As more individuals were implicated and questioned, two threads +emerged. One was the standard fantastic tale of malicious acts of +magic worked at the behest of the Devil against ordinary townsfolk +in the region around Edinburgh. The other was the plot to assas­ +sinate James and his wife. It is impossible to know how much truth +is contained in either thread of the confessions. Although the inter­ +rogations of the accused have provided boundless matter for specu­ +lation, it will probably never be definitively proven either that there +was any witchcraft going on or that there was ever a witch plot to +kill James. Since the confessions were extracted under torture, or +threat of torture, not a word of them can be trusted. +It may be useful to gain some notion of how local was the affair +of the North Berwick witches. Most of the communities involved +were on the same side of the Firth of Forth as Edinburgh and were +within walking distance of each other. The town of Tranent where +the unfortunate Gilly Duncan was tortured by her master was about +eight or nine miles from Edinburgh. Leith was only a mile or two + + +INTRODUCTION I7 + + +away. Saltpans, where John Fian taught school, also sometimes +called Saltpreston, was where Prestonpans is today, and some five or +six miles from the city. The notorious North Berwick Kirk occupied +a headland around twenty miles from Edinburgh. All these places +are on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. Kinghorn and Burn­ +tisland, from where the ferryboat sailed that was supposed to have +been sunk by the witches, with a loss of sixty lives, are both located +opposite Leith across the Firth. The whole affair might be said to +have occurred in the backyard of the king, which may be one reason +he took so active an interest. +The heart of the testimony concerned a sabbat meeting that +took place in 1590 on Halloween at around midnight at the North +Berwick Kirk. Here the witches, drunk and merry after riding down +the Firth on their sieves and dancing on the green outside the church +to the sound of a Jew's harp played by Gilly Duncan, entered the +church to convene with the Devil, who stood in the pulpit dressed +in a black hat and black gown, surrounded by burning black candles. +In Melville's Memoirs he is described as terrible in appearance, with +a nose like the beak of an eagle, great burning eyes, hairy hands and +legs, with claws upon his hands and feet like those of a griffon. +In a low voice the Devil called the roll, naming each witch by his +or her witch name, with the exception of one named Robert Grier­ +son, who was quite annoyed when the Devil addressed him by his +real name, since it had been agreed that they use only nicknames, his +being "Rob the Rower." The Devil asked the witches what evil they +had worked in his name, and after hearing their deeds, they discussed +their efforts to bewitch a wax image of Kingjames to bring about his +death. The Devil instructed them to dig up four corpses, two outside +the church in the graveyard and two that had been buried inside the +building in vaults. From the corpses they removed the joints of the +fingers, toes, and knees, and divided the parts up between them. The +Devil told them to let the joints dry, then powder them and use the +powder in works of evil magic. At one point during the evening they + + +I8 INTRODUCTION + + +all kissed the Devil's bared buttocks as a homage to him. His skin was +described as being cold and as hard as iron. +The account of this Halloween meeting, contained in the some­ +what disordered confessions of the accused, has provided the pro­ +totype for countless subsequent descriptions of the witches' sabbat. +Many of its elements are mentioned in earlier confessions of those +accused of witchcraft in different European nations, but the North +Berwick Kirk sabbat is perhaps the most complete and well-rounded +of the descriptions. +The judicial proceedings began in 1 590 and extended for three +years to the trial of the Earl of Bothwell in August 1 593. There is +some evidence that they dragged on even longer than this. In all +some seventy persons were implicated. Margaret Murray wrote that +thirty-nine persons were involved in the affair, a number she per­ +ceived as significant because it is three times thirteen, and thirteen +is sometimes supposed to be the number of members in a witch +coven. Murray also wrote that only four were ever tried (Witch-cult +in Western Europe, page 50). Neither of these numbers is accurate. +There were various gradations of involvement. Not all those ac­ +cused were arrested, and not all those arrested were convicted. The +exact numbers of persons arrested in the affair remain unknown, +but the initial round of arrests took place in the months of Novem­ +ber and December in 1 590, and the trials began in 1 59 1 . +The execution of justice was capricious. A few of the accused +fled to England, and the king instructed the same David Seaton +who had started the whole affair to follow after them and recapture +them. At least one woman was identified and imprisoned in Eng­ +land, causing james to go to great lengths to have her extradited to +Scotland, where she was tortured and gave the names of more sup­ +posed accomplices. John Pian also escaped for a brief time, and tried +to hide himself near his home in Saltpans, but was recaptured and +was executed on Castle Hill in Edinburgh in january 1 59 1, after the +most terrible tortures that James could conceive to use upon him. + + +INTRODUCTION 19 + + +Fian was killed in the usual way, by strangulation at the stake, im­ +mediately before his body was burned. John Grierson, who had his +name spoken aloud at the Halloween sabbat, died in prison. Agnes +Sampson, who undoubtedly was a witch in the more conventional +sense of one who predicts the future and makes magic charms, was +strangled and then burned to ashes on Castle Hill. +Barbara Napier may or may not have been a witch, but she cer­ +tainly led a charmed life. When her stake was prepared for her ex­ +ecution on May 11, 1591, and the townspeople had assembled to +watch her be strangled and burned, her friends made the claim that +she was pregnant, and her execution was delayed until this could be +demonstrated to be either true or false. Her jury had refused to find +her guilty of treason against the king, on grounds of insufficient evi­ +dence, which enraged James and led him to declare her verdict an +"assize of error." He called for a new trial against her, and started +legal proceedings against the jury members themselves. His strident +address to the jury has been preserved, and is known as his Tolbooth +speech, because it occurred at the Tolbooth building in Edinburgh +where the law courts were located (see Appendix C). There is no re­ +cord of Barbara Napier ever having been executed, so it may be that +after the elapse of time the wrath of the king cooled, or her friends +were able to provide reasons for him to mitigate his persecution of +this woman. +When Effie McCalyan discovered that her six lawyers were no + +help in her defense, she also tried the pregnancy ploy, but with less +success than Barbara Napier. McCalyan was due to be burned alive +on june 19, 159 1, but when she declared that she was with child, +her execution was delayed. She could not have been very convinc­ +ing, since she was executed on June 25, only a week after making her +plea. There may have been a last-minute mitigation in the severity of +her punishment, since contemporary records show that McCalyan +was not burned alive, but was strangled first in the usual manner +for executing witches. Just before being strangled, McCalyan made a + + +20 INTRODUCTION + + +statement to the spectators declaring that she was innocent of all the +crimes charged against her. +There can be little doubt, in view of the persecution of Bothwell +by James, that the king firmly believed Bothwell to be the leader in +the North Berwick affair. On April 1 7, 1 591, Bothwell confronted the +king and his council and demanded to know what james intended +to charge him with. Robert Bowes wrote of the meeting to Lord +Burghley, "The King answered, with practice to have taken his life. +Bothwell asked if he would lay any other matter than that only. The +King said it sufficed, and willed him to clear himself thereof." In +May of 1 59 1 the king began to actively work to have Bothwell tried +for witchcraft and high treason. On May 9, Bothwell was held in Ed­ +inburgh Castle for "conspyringe the King's death by sorcerye." On +June 25 a proclamation was issued against Bothwell accusing him of +"consultatioun with nygromancris, witcheis, and utheris wickit and +ungodlie prsonis, bayth without and within this cuntre for bereving +of his Hienes lyff." +The king was unable to muster enough support to have Both­ +well, who was a powerful man, put on trial, so he sent Bothwell out +of Scotland. In June he wrote to john Maitland: "Sen theire can na +present tryall be hadd of the Erl Bothuell, I thinke best he praepaire +him self to depairt uithin threttie or fourtie dayes, his absence to +be na neirairhande nor Germanie or Italie." His fear of Bothwell's +power of magic probably played a part in this decision, although it +may also have had political motives. +In the spring of 1 592 Bothwell sent a letter to the ministry de­ +fending himself against the rumors and charges gathering over his +head like a thundercloud, but the king was not to be denied. The +next year, in August, Bothwell was finally tried. Most of the evi­ +dence against him came from the accusations of a minor courtier +and would-be necromancer named Richard Graham. When the de­ +fense was able to demonstrate that Graham had never accused Both­ +well of anything until after threatened with torture and execution + + +INTRODUCTION 21 + + +for witchcraft, and that he was promised his release and continuing +protection if he spoke against his master, Graham's testimony was +discredited. This, coupled with the testimony of many accused of +witchcraft in the North Berwick affair that they knew nothing of +Bothwell other than his reputation as a man of noble character, pro­ +cured Bothwell's acquittal. +The North Berwick affair exerted a profound influence in shap­ +ing laws against witchcraft, and the attitudes of the general popu­ +lation of Scotland, England, and New England toward witches and +magic, for more than a century. Its influence was not finally lifted +until the repeal of the witch statute of james in 1 736. It is impos­ +sible to understand the character of james the First without know­ +ing how deeply shaken he was by the supposed magical plots on his +life at the time of his marriage. His reaction to the alleged statement +by the Devil in the North Berwick church that james was his great­ +est foe was to cast himself into the role of the white knight of God +who dispensed the wrath of heaven against the wicked, using as his +weapon the power of the word. + + +SEPARATING TRUTH FROM FICTION + + +Although it is not possible to know with any exactitude how much +of the testimony extracted under torture, or threat of torture, from +those accused in the North Berwick affair was true and how much a +mere fabrication to forestall further suffering, there is enough infor­ +mation available to construct a plausible scenario explaining the +principal motives and main events surrounding the trials. +In 1 589 James married Anne of Denmark by proxy. Hence when +she sailed to Scotland she was already queen, though the marriage +had not been consummated. On the way the Danish fleet encoun­ +tered a terrible storm that sprang a plank on Anne's own ship, so +that it began to take on water. The Danish admiral guiding Anne to +her new home, Peter Munk, put in at Oslo, Norway, for repairs. This +was the same storm that sank the ferryboat carrying Lady Mary + + +22 INTRODUCTION + + +Melvi e across the Firth of Forth from Burntisland to Leith to meet +with the Queen and present her with jewels and other gifts. +James must have regarded this storm with suspicion even as he +made the impetuous decision to sail to Oslo and remain with his +new bride over the winter. His voyage was uneventful, and his wed­ +ding night successful, but Peter Munk, a superstitious man who had +already in his own mind attributed the storm to the malicious magic +of witches in Denmark, must have filled the imagination of James +with frightening conjectures. He and Anne would have ample op­ +portunity to discuss the prevalence of witchcraft in her homeland +on the long and snowy nights that James spent in Denmark with his +wife. James himself may have been instrumental in initiating the +great witchhunt that took place in Copenhagen in the summer of +1590, although by that time he was back in Edinburgh with Anne. +Their return voyage was hindered by the same sort of unnatu­ +ral weather that had prevented Anne's initial coming into Scotland. +Even though the ships that accompanied James and Anne sailed as +a fleet, his ship was the only one that encountered contrary winds. +They also ran into dense fog, but with the help of the English navy, +they were safely guided into port without tragedy. Whatever suspi­ +cions had been aroused in the mind of the King by the first storm, +and by the superstitious opinions of Admiral Munk, were confirmed +by this foul wind and treacherous mist. Magic was afoot, and was +being worked against him specifically to prevent his union with +Anne. +Who would have a reason to want him to remain without a wife? +Someone who desired that he should not engender a child and suc­ +cessor. It would not have taken james long to narrow the list of can­ +didates. Among the nobility of Scotland, no one held him in lower +regard than the heroic warrior of the Border Marches, Francis, Earl +of Bothwell. James viewed Bothwell with contempt because of his +dubious birth and lack of refinement and learning. He probably also +envied Bothwell for his courage. Bothwell, for his part, regarded + + +INTRODUCTION 23 + + +james as a sniveling cleric with pretensions of scholarship and an ar­ + +rogant air of superiority that was unfounded on any virtue in his +nature. The two men truly despised each other. It is quite possible +that Bothwell had a reputation as a necromancer, whether merited +or not, and this would only have served to confirm the suspicions of +james. +These suspicions might never have born fruit had not the deputy­ +bailiff of Tranent, David Seaton, decided to torture his maid about +her nocturnal disappearances and her suddenly acquired skill as a +healer. It is significant that among those first named by Gilly Dun­ +can in her confession was Agnes Sampson, the renowned midwife +and healer known as the Wise Wife of Nether-Keith. Sampson was +indeed a witch. This is persuasively indicated by the content of the +numerous accusations made against her. However, she was not a +witch by the definition of james, who believed that all witches had +made a pact with Satan to work evil, and who met with the Devil +periodically for carnal unions. She was, as her rustic title indicates, +a wise woman, one who employed spoken prayers and natural ma­ +terials for use in midwifery, healing, divination, and such relatively +innocuous activities as the manufacture and sale of love charms. +It is not unreasonable to speculate that Gilly Duncan's sudden +skill in healing had been acquired through her friendship with Agnes +Sampson. Perhaps on some of the nights Duncan spent away from +the residence of her master, she was studying the art of witchcraft +from the elder Sampson. She must have been a gifted pupil, to judge +by her success in healing her neighbors, but it was inevitable that the +appearance of this gift, where none had been noticed to exist before, +should give rise to rumors and gossip about her doings at night. +If Gilly Duncan was an apprentice to magic, Agnes Sampson was +its mistress. She was the first of the accused in the North Berwick +affair to be extensively questioned, and the list of accusations against +her is longer and more varied than against any other. The accusa­ +tions also differ in quality. The majority of the crimes Sampson was + + +24 INTRODUCTION + + +charged with involved healing the sick or divining information of a +harmless or personal nature on behalf of her clients. These charges +have an air of plausibility that is lacking in the wild charges that con­ +cern conventions with the Devil and sailing over the sea in sieves. +Sampson was a professional witch. She made her living not only as +a midwife but as a healer and prognosticator. The testimony sur­ +rounding her activities shows that she was a shrewd judge of human +nature, able to play upon the superstitions and fears of her clients to +force them to pay their bills and to increase the fame of her powers +of witchcraft. +James became interested in the Sampson interrogation late in +1 590. We can only speculate about what may have attracted his at­ + +tention to the case. Probably Sampson was asked if she had been +responsible for the storms that hindered the union between the King +and Queen, which must still have been a topic of conversation only +a few months after the second storm. By this point, Sampson's will +had been broken. The humiliation of having her entire body shaved +and probed with a sharp instrument more like a dagger than a pin, +the probing having been concentrated in her genitals and other se­ +cret places of the body, must have overwhelmed her natural dignity. +Coupled with the ordeal of the witches' bridle she was made to wear +to prevent her uttering charms, and the deprival of her sleep, these +indignities rendered her willing to say anything at all in the hope of +shortening her ordeal. +Sampson was a clever woman and vain about her abilities. When +at one point James jumped up in fury and declared that she was a +liar, Sampson took him aside and convinced him of her power by +telling him secret matters he had whispered to his wife on their wed­ +ding night in Oslo. James was astounded, and from then onward +had no doubt as to the guilt of the accused. What Sampson did was +nothing that would have been beyond the ability of any competent +fortuneteller adept in the art of reading facial expressions, and who +knew how to present information acquired long ago through ordi + +INTRODUCTION 25 + + +nary channels as occult revelations. It is even possible that she did +indeed possess some degree of psychic ability. Why she did it is obvi­ +ous-as long as the King thought she was lying, he would continue +to have her tortured. Once he believed that she was telling the truth, +the torture would stop. +Much of the underlying structure of the events attributed to the +accused in the North Berwick affair was supplied by Agnes Sampson, +who as a true witch was able to provide details about magic prac­ +tices, such as the use of joints, or knucklebones, from corpses, and +the casting into the sea of a cat to cause a storm. She probably had +not employed either of these methods herself, but she would have +had knowledge of them. James, having read deeply in the works of +the Continental demonologists such as Weyer and the occult writ­ +ers such as Agrippa, was perfectly capable of supplying any material +that was lacking that concerned the association and allegiance of the +accused to the Devil. +The confession of Agnes Sampson was the evidence James had +been looking for that the storm that had almost taken the life of his +wife, and the contrary wind that had delayed his voyage home, were +the work of the Devil. As God's anointed upon the Earth, and as +the living embodiment of the brave knight of Revelation, mounted +upon the white horse, robed in white linen stained with the blood +of the wicked, wearing many crowns, who used as his weapon the +power of the word, James saw it as not only his duty, but his destiny, +to confront Satan and triumph over him. That is why he involved +himself personally in the interrogations and tortures of the accused. +When he suggested to Sampson that her magic was directed against +him, she was eager to agree as a way of stopping her torture. +As Agnes Sampson continued to name names, and more sus­ +pected witches were questioned, at some point the focus moved +beyond the small rural region around Saltpans and Tranent and en­ +larged to embrace Edinburgh. In the beginning only those of lower +social standing were implicated. However, Sampson in her capacity + + +26 INTRODUCTION + + +of midwife and healer had moved in higher circles, and had become +acquainted with those of wealth and title. That she ever knew Both­ +well is doubtful, but she testified that Bothwell had asked her to di­ +vine how long james should reign, and what would happen after his +death; and that he had induced her to send her familiar spirit to kill +the king, but that it had failed. +One of those arrested of higher social standing was Barbara Na­ +pier, a personal friend of the Earl of Bothwell. She wrote to him in +April 1 59 1, telling him to stand fast, that his enemies were conspir­ +ing against him, so it is clear that Napier was asked leading ques­ +tions about his involvement in the affair, though she refused to im­ +plicate Bothwell. The letter came open during transit, and was read +by many, and its contents found their way back to the King, who +was left in no doubt concerning a connection between the accused +witches and Bothwell. +Near the end of 1 590 a courtier of limited importance named +Richard Graham was taken into custody. Graham practiced some +form of magic, though it would be the height of charity to call him +a necromancer. Bothwell had felt sorry for the man, because Gra­ +ham had been excommunicated, and had given him shelter. Both­ +well only saw him a few times. He testified at his trial in 1 593 that +once, in an attempt to impress him, Graham had shown him "a +sticke with nickes in yt all wrapped about with lange haire eyther of +a man or a woman, and said yt was an enchanted stick." This may +have been a rune staff, and the nicks carved into its sides may have +been runes, though it is impossible to know either the details of the +stick's appearance or its intended function. Another time Graham +tried to sell Bothwell a ring with a familiar spirit inside it. Bothwell +paid scant attention to Graham, his stick, or his ring. Graham simply +was not important enough to occupy the attention of the Earl. +When he was taken in the North Berwick affair, having been im­ +plicated by the confession of those already arrested, Graham was +confronted with a simple choice. He could accuse Bothwell of being + + +INTRODUCTION 27 + + +the leader of the witches, and the instigator of their magical attacks +against the King, whereupon he would be released and given physi­ +cal protection for the rest of his life-which he would need, since +Bothwell had a great many friends-or Graham could remain silent +and suffer unimaginably agonizing tortures until his execution on +Castle Hill. At Bothwell's trial several defense witnesses testified that +Graham had told them "tht he must eyther accuse the Erle Both­ +well falselye, or els endure such tormentes as no man were able to +abyde." Graham's own brother testified that Graham had "protested +to him that he was forced to accuse the Erle Bothwell for feare of +maymynge with the bootes and other tortures." +It is easy to see why Bothwell was acquitted. Yet these testimo­ +nies had no effect on James, who continued to believe that Bothwell +was his enemy, had tried to murder him numerous times by magic, +and was a great necromancer. James was convinced that the more +vigorously he persecuted those he viewed as the servants of the +Devil, the less power the Devil would have to harm him or anything +that was his. This included not only his wife and household but the +entire nation of Scotland. By using the utmost severity against the +accused witches, James was defending his realm against the power +of Satan. +John Fian, who figures so prominently in the tract News From +Scotland, seems to have had very little to do with anything. There +is no plausible evidence that he knew magic, or had ever practiced +magic. He was simply an easy target, a well-known young man who +through his work as a teacher came into contact with a large num­ +ber of local people, and through his strong sexual appetites had car­ +nal knowledge of a great many women, some of whom were mar­ +ried. In the sixteenth century anyone who could read and write, and +who had much to do with books written in Latin or Greek, was apt +to be suspected by the uneducated people around him of possessing +forbidden knowledge. + + +28 INTRODUCTION + + +The only two accused in the affair who can be demonstrated to +have had both knowledge and practice of magic are Agnes Samp­ +son and Richard Graham. Sampson's magic, though extensive, was +confined mostly to good works. The testimony that she used her +arts to cause harm and death, having been extracted by torture, is +worthless. Graham was a dabbler trying to impress his betters with +his arcane knowledge. Gilly Duncan and Bothwell may or may not +have had some slight acquaintance with magic. In my opinion, no +significant evidence exists to show that there ever was a plot to kill +King james, or that there was any form of organized witchcraft in +the North Berwick area. The only devil in the affair wore the crown +of Scotland. + + +DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTENTS + +OF DEMONOLOGY + + +Demonology is in the form of a dialogue between two men, +Philomathes and Epistemon. They meet and begin to talk about +the "strange news" that is the only subject of conversation lately, +the doings of witches. Philomathes is a bit skeptical about the real­ +ity of witches and witchcraft, but Epistemon, who is obviously the +alter ego of King James himself, uses his powers of logical argu­ +ment and his depth of learning to convince his friend that witchcraft +does exist, and that every form it takes is a serious crime because all +witchcraft involves dealings with the Devil. Many of his examples +are drawn from the Bible. +In Book One of the work, after arguing that there is indeed such +a thing as witchcraft, and that its practice is sin, Philomathes divides +the arts of magic into two branches, one that he calls magic or nec­ +romancy, and the other sorcery or witchcraft. Magicians or necro­ +mancers are those who are allured to this sin by a curiosity after +obscure and deep learning; sorcerers or witches are motivated by +either a thirst for revenge against others or a desire for gain. Episte­ +mon ultimately rejects what he calls the vulgar distinction between + + +INTRODUCTION 29 + + +these two types of occult practices, although there is much to be +said for the brevity and clarity of the popular definitions: "Surely, the +difference the vulgar put between them is very merry, and in a man­ +ner true; for they say, that the witches are servants only, and slaves to +the Devil; but the necromancers are his masters and commanders." +Epistemon divides the occult arts into what he terms the Devil's +school and the Devil's rudiments. The first is the study of the ma­ +gicians and necromancers, who are often men of great learning. It +involves complex circles, conjurations, numerous types of spiritual +beings, and divine words of power. The second, the rudiments, is +the study of the unlearned sorcerers and witches, and involves the +manipulation of common words, herbs, and stones for the making +of what Epistemon terms "unlawful charms" that operate without +natural causes. +Philomathes, the skeptic, objects that many of the practices that +fall under these definitions have always been regarded as lawful and +harmless, such as the practice of astrology. Epistemon divides astrol­ +ogy proper into two branches, the observation of the natural effects +of the heavenly bodies on the seasons and the weather, which he re­ +gards as not strictly unlawful when used in moderation, and the use +of such observations to foretell the future, which is always unlaw­ +ful in his opinion, even though such practices are widely condoned. +From this unlawful type of astrology spring many other pernicious +forms of divination, such as palm reading and numerology, all of +which he condemns on the grounds that foretelling the future by the +planets and stars is forbidden in the Bible. +The study of necromancy is said not in itself to be an offense, +although it is perilous, but the use of magic circles and conjurations +is always unlawful, in the opinion of Epistemon, since no one can +be a student in a school without being subject to the master of that +school, and the master of the school of magic is the Devil. Although +the magician may start out using magic circles and words of power +to bind the Devil and his servants, Epistemon asserts that he quickly + + +30 INTRODUCTION + + +moves toward the making of a pact with Satan. Philomathes is a bit +skeptical as to why a magician should give up the circles and other +aspects of his art that allow him to rule and control demons, and +instead voluntarily subject himself to the Devil's authority by means +of a contract. The answer of Epistemon seems a bit weak on this +point. He asserts that the conjuration of spirits by means of a magic +circle is long and arduous, and that if the magician has omitted or +spoiled even one detail in the process, he will immediately be seized +by the Devil and carried away to hell, whereas if he enters into a +pact with Satan, he can summon familiar spirits easily and safely to +do his bidding for the term of the contract. +The two enter into a discussion of what the pact with the Devil +entails, and what benefits it provides, and of the different types +of fallen angels. Epistemon denies that there are elemental spirits +on the grounds that the fallen angels did not fall by gradations of +weight, to be differentiated into the various elemental layers, but +fell all together according to their nature, and wander the world +as God's hangmen, ready to execute his wrath upon the wicked. +He also denies the complex hierarchies of fallen spirits such as are +printed in the grimoires, on the grounds that the order of heaven +was broken when these angels fell into hell; and in any case, we can­ +not know what their hellish hierarchies may be because God would +not permit this information to be conveyed by demons. The Devil +is not to be trusted. Some of his revelations are true, the better to +beguile humanity, but the rest are false. +Concerning the black pact itself, Epistemon states that it is ei­ +ther written out in the magician's own blood or is signified by a +mark which the Devil makes somewhere on the body of the magi­ +cian. Unlike the witch's mark, the magician's mark is not necessar­ +ily visible. +Philomathes asks why it is that whereas witches are universally +condemned and persecuted, many states not only allow magicians +to live untroubled, but rejoice in demonstrations of their skill. He + + +INTRODUCTION 31 + + +offers two possible justifications: first, that it is the long-held custom, +and second, that Moses was himself a magician. Epistemon counters +with the argument that an evil custom should never be considered a +good law. As to Moses working magic, he doubts that was ever the +case, but suggests that if Moses did study or even practice the magic +of Egypt, he did so before he was called upon by God. He asserts +that magicians should be punished with exactly the same severity as +witches. +In Book Two of the work, Philomathes raises three objections to +the existence of witchcraft. The first, which has a bearing on the lan­ +guage of the Kingjames version of the Bible, is that many scholars +believe that the references to magic in the Bible refer to magicians +and necromancers only, not to witches. The second is that those +who believe themselves to practice witchcraft are mentally ill and +self-deluded. The third objection is that if witches really possessed +all the powers that are claimed for them, there would be no godly +person left alive on the face of the Earth. +Epistemon agrees that many referred to in the Bible who used +magic were necromancers and magicians, but asserts that others +were witches, according to the vulgar definition of a witch being +one controlled or ruled by the Devil. As to the objection that witches +are afflicted with melancholy madness, he argues that they exhibit +none of the symptoms of melancholy. The answer to the third ob­ +jection is that the Devil himself is bridled by God in the amount of +harm he can work, so naturally his chosen instruments are similarly +limited. +Epistemon defines the term "sorcery," that it signifies the casting +of a lot, and divides sorcerers into two types according to their sta­ +tion in life. The rich are motivated to practice sorcery by a desire for +revenge against others, while the poor practice it in the hope that it +will lead to the acquisition of money or goods. +The Devil comes to the sorcerer or witch while they brood in sol­ +itude, either as a disembodied voice or in the form of a man, and he + + +32 INTRODUCTION + + +asks them what is troubling them. Then the Devil offers to remove +all their difficulties if they follow his advice and do all he requires of +them. So much for the first meeting. At the second encounter the +Devil persuades the candidate to pledge service to him, then reveals +himself to the witch, compels the witch to renounce God, and gives +the witch a mark on some hidden part of the body where it will not +be easily noticed. The mark remains unhealed and extremely painful +until the time of the third meeting, when the Devil heals it as a dem­ +onstration of his power. Forever thereafter it remains completely in­ +sensible to pain. At the third meeting the Devil also begins to teach +the new witch the art of witchcraft. +Philomathes inquires what are the practices of the witch, and +Epistemon divides them into two classes: actions pertaining to them­ +selves, and actions pertaining to others. The first consists mainly of +meeting in groups to worship Satan. The main form of adoration in­ +volves kissing the Devil on the buttocks. Epistemon lists some of the +supposed powers of witches employed in getting to these meetings, +such as flying through the air, making themselves invisible, trans­ +forming into small beasts so that they can find their way through the +smallest crack into a sealed house, and causing their souls to leave +their bodies while they lie in a trance. +Flying, Epistemon believes, is possible when the Devil carries the +witch, but the agency of a great wind could not be used for a longer +time than the witches could hold their breath, or they would suffo­ +cate. Invisibility is also possible in his view, by the Devil thickening +the air to conceal the witch from sight. He offers the opinion that +the transformation of witches into small animals to pass through +tiny cracks is implausible, but says the Devil can simulate the appear­ +ance of this change. He also rejects the concept of the soul leaving +the body, since surely this only occurs after death, and it is not in the +Devil's power to restore the dead to life. +Philomathes asks what the actions of witches are directed against +others. Epistemon answers that witches first gather in churches, and + + +INTRODUCTION 33 + + +at these gatherings propose their intended evil doings to the Devil, +who approves them and also instructs the witches on the meth­ +ods. His friend interrupts him, asking why there are twenty female +witches for every male witch. Epistemon's response is the stock an­ +swer of the demonologists-women are inherently weaker than +men, and ever since the Serpent deceived Eve, he has been more at +home tricking women than men. +The ways of witches for working evil are examined by Episte­ +mon. They are pictures of wax or clay bearing the name of the in­ +tended victim that are roasted over a fire, occult poisons that receive +their active virtues from the Devil, spells that cause love or hate, the +spreading of diseases, the raising of tempests, the inducing of mad­ +ness, the causing of spirits to haunt persons or houses, and the caus­ +ing of individuals to become possessed. +Philomathes wonders whether God would permit such misfor­ +tunes to befall men and women who believe in him, and Epistemon +assures him that witches can afflict both the godly and the wicked. Is +it ever lawful to seek out a witch for a cure to a disease that has been +caused by witchcraft? Never lawful, Epistemon assures his friend; the +only lawful remedy is prayer. +If all men are subject to the evil effects of witchcraft, Philomathes +asks how any man can be brave enough to punish them. His friend +rather stiffly replies that we should not refrain from virtue merely +because the way may be perilous; and in any case, no one is more +protected against witchcraft than those who zealously prosecute +witches. The magistrate who sits in judgment over a witch is pro­ +tected from her malice in proportion to the degree of his severity +toward her-the more lenient he is, the more he is in danger. On the +contrary, if the magistrate applies the just laws of God in a rigorous +way to the examination and punishment of witches, God will pro­ +tect him. +In response to the question, does the Devil visit witches while +they languish in prisons, Epistemon says that Satan only visits the + + +34 INTRODUCTION + + +unrepentant witch, in order to give false hope, but he never comes +to the witch who has repented and rejected him. When he does visit +a prison, the Devil comes to apprentice witches in the form they pre­ +viously agreed that he would adopt when coming to them, but to +master witches he comes in any form he pleases or deems best for +his purposes, which he can easily do since his body is composed of +air. +How can he be felt by witches if his body is of air, Philomathes +wonders. Epistemon admits that there is not much on this matter +contained in the confessions of witches, but he believes it is done ei­ +ther by the Devil animating and possessing a corpse, or by deluding +the witches' sense of touch. As to whether others can see the Devil +when he comes to witches in prison, Epistemon says sometimes yes, +sometimes no. The talk shifts to why spirits and ghosts were com­ +monly seen when Scotland was Catholic, but are very rare now that +it is Protestant; yet at the same time, witches were rare in past times, +but are now become common. Epistemon puts it down to the gross +ignorance of the papists, which caused God to punish them with +night terrors, whereas in the present the error is one of arrogance, +punished by God with an abounding of witchcraft. +Book Three opens with a consideration of the four main sorts of +spirits: spirits that haunt houses or deserted places, spirits that fol­ +low and trouble individuals, spirits that enter into and possess indi­ +viduals, and the spirits commonly known as fairies. Yet all these four +types are really only one type, asserts Epistemon, who take on vari­ +ous shapes and perform various offices to more efficiently plague +mankind. +Epistemon explains that the first type received different names +from the ancients depending on their works. Those that haunted +houses were called lemures, or specters, but if they appeared in the +form of a dead man to his friends, they were termed "shades of +the dead." They haunt deserted places rather than large gatherings +because God will not permit the Devil to dishonor the societies of + + +INTRODUCTION 35 + + +Christians, and besides, men are more apt to be frightened in lonely +places. When they haunt an inhabited house, it is a sure sign that +those who live there are ignorant of God's laws, or are wicked. +Philomathes wants to know how such a spirit can enter a house +the doors and windows of which are sealed. Epistemon is not en­ +tirely convincing in his answer. If the spirit possesses the body of a +dead person, it can easily open a door or window without any great +noise, he says, but does not explain how the spirit bypasses locks or +bolts. Philomathes wonders if God would allow a spirit to desecrate +a body. It is no desecration, says Epistemon, because the soul is ab­ +sent. The Devil can as easily cause the disinterment for his purposes +of the body of a godly man as one who is ungodly. What is the best +way to banish a spirit from a house? Two ways, says Epistemon, +prayer to God and the amending of a life of sin. +In response to Philomathes' query about the spirits that appear +to impersonate the newly dead to his friends, Epistemon says they +are called "wraiths" in English, and were very common among the +pagan nations, where they were believed to be good spirits sent to +forewarn them of the death of their friend or teach them the way +of his end, but all this was only the deception of the Devil. What +about werewolves, asks Philomathes. Are they not a form of this +kind of spirit? His learned friend agrees that this was the opinion +of the Greeks, but for his own part, he believes them nothing more +than men afflicted with a melancholy humor that has unhinged their +reason and made them run wild. +The next two types of spirits are those who either trouble men +by following them or by possessing their bodies. This only happens +to those of the worst sort who are guilty of serious offenses, as a +punishment of God; or to the best sort of persons, as a test of their +faith. Why should the Devil bother doing God's work for him in +this way, Philomathes wonders, and his friend replies that the Devil +has two goals: the lives and the souls of those he persecutes in this +manner. + + +36 INTRODUCTION + + +Considering the spirits that follow after men, Philomathes ob­ +serves that there are two sorts, those who trouble the individuals +they associate with, and another kind that does them good service +and warns them against future dangers. He asks whether the second +sort are what is known as guardian angels. Epistemon retorts that +the pagan belief that everyone has a good angel and an evil angel +is a gross error, but that in Christian times the Devil attempts the +same sort of fiction by sending spirits that are known as brownies +into houses to do necessary work, in order to make the inhabitants +believe that they are good spirits. But what possible reason could the +Devil, who is only interested in doing evil, have for sending spirits to +do good? Is it not reason enough, demands Epistemon, to deceive +the ignorant into believing the Devil to be their friend? +Another type of following spirit is treated, those called incubi or +succubi, who have sex with women or men. Philomathes wants to +know if they exist, and if there is any difference of sex among spirits. +Epistemon replies that this sort of spirit operates either by stealing +the sperm of dead men and injecting it into women, which caused +many nuns to be burnt, or else by animating a corpse. Either way, +the sperm used by the Devil is always icy cold. Epistemon denies +that spirits have any inherent sexual differentiation, since the division +of the sexes is confined to living things, or that such spirits can en­ +gender monsters. The seed of a dead man cannot impregnate, being +also dead, and if the seed of a living man is stolen and used, over­ +looking for the moment the fact that it would cool down and be­ +come infertile in transit, the child engendered will be normal, since +the seed is normal. However, the Devil can make a woman who is +not pregnant get a swollen belly, and appear to be pregnant, and on +such occasions the midwife may pretend that she has given birth to +something monstrous. +Philomathes raises the interesting question as to why incubi and +succubi are more common in northern lands, such as Lapland, Fin­ +land, or the islands of Orkney and Shetland. His learned friend sets + + +INTRODUCTION 37 + + +this down to the greater ignorance of their populations. Do any give +their willing consent to the lovemaking of this class of following +spirit? Some witches do, Epistemon admits, and they are to be pun­ +ished and detested, but as for those women who suffer this indignity +unwillingly, they are only to be pitied and prayed for. +Philomathes wonders if what is called "the mare" is this type of +sexual spirit, but he is answered that the mare is only a kind of natu­ +ral sickness caused by thick phlegm lying over the heart, and giving +the impression that a weight is holding the body down while at the +same time sapping the body of its strength to move. +Two matters interest Philomathes concerning the class of pos­ +sessing spirits: how can the possessed be distinguished from the in­ +sane, and how can the priests of the Catholic church, being heretics, +cast these spirits out? There are various ways to tell a person pos­ +sessed from one who is insane, Epistemon tells him. The possessed +fear the cross and the name of God, have unnatural strength and +agility, and have the power to speak in languages they never learned, +which they do in a hollow voice that seems to emanate from the +breast rather than the mouth. As for how the priests can cure the +possessed, usually the cure is not permanent but only temporary, +and when it is permanent, as it sometimes is, the cure proceeds not +from any virtue of the priests but from the virtue of Christ, when +the priests follow his instructions for exorcism, which are fasting, +prayer, and that the action be done in his name. +Progressing to the last class of spirits, the fairies, Epistemon de­ +clares that stories about them were much more common under the +papists, but that for his part, he does not believe in their existence, +except on occasions when they are mere deceptions of the Devil. +Philomathes objects that many men have gone to their deaths swear­ +ing that they were transported by the fairies into a hill, where they +met the fairy queen and received from her a magic stone that they +were able to produce in evidence. His friend responds that in the +same way the Devil can make men believe that their soul can leave + + +38 INTRODUCTION + + +their body, so can he deceive them into thinking they have visited +fairyland while they lie senseless in a trance, and can convey a com­ +mon stone into their hand. And when they see those they know +among the fairies, and take this for an omen of the imminent deaths +of those persons, it is only another trick of the Devil. +Philomathes wonders if fairies only appear to witches, or can +appear to others also? To both, says Epistemon. They come to oth­ +ers either to frighten them or to impersonate a cleaner sort of spirit +than they really are, but to witches they serve as a way of persuading +gullible magistrates that they ought to be punished with less severity. +The first group should be pitied, but those who use these spirits for + +divination deserve an even more severe punishment than the aver­ + +age witch, because they are less honest. +The two discuss briefly the question of the multitude of names +of spirits. Epistemon dismisses this as just another knavery of the +Devil, used for the purpose of deception. +As they approach the end of their conversation, they consider +the matter of suitable punishment for magicians and witches. Epis­ +temon states flatly that they should be put to death. In what way, he +is asked. Commonly it is done by fire, but any form of execution +accepted by the laws of the nation will serve as well. Should any +sex, age, or rank be exempted from this punishment? None at all, +says Epistemon. Not even children, asks Philomathes. Yes, but only +because they are not yet capable of reason. All the rest, those who +consult, or trust in, or turn a blind eye to, or entertain, or incite to +magic are just as guilty as those who practice it, and should be put to +death. May the prince or chief magistrate spare the life of one guilty +of witchcraft? He may delay the punishment, says Epistemon, if he +has good reason for doing so, but must not shirk to apply it in the +end. +Philomathes observes that judges ought to beware condemning +any unless they are sure the accused is guilty, and his friend agrees +that no one should be condemned on the testimony of only one + + +INTRODUCTION 39 + + +man of poor reputation. How much weight is to be given to the +multiple confessions of the guilty in finding against the accused? +Epistemon gives his opinion that since in cases of treason defamed +persons may act as witnesses, their testimony should also be suffi­ +cient in cases of witchcraft, which is treason against God; for who +but witches can prove the doings of witches? +What if witches accuse others of having been present at their +imaginary conventions, while their physical bodies lie in trance, +Philomathes wants to know. In the view of Epistemon, such persons +are not a hair the less guilty, since the Devil would never dare to bor­ +row their image to place at the witches' convention without their +consent. And consent in these matters is death under the law. Think­ +ing to score debating points with his learned friend, Philomathes +quickly answers, then Samuel must have been a witch, since the +Devil borrowed his shape to appear before Saul. But his friend is +ready for this argument-Samuel was already dead at the time and +for this reason could not be slandered by the Devil. God never per­ +mits innocent persons to be slandered in this way, says Epistemon, +and as proof of this, those who are carried away by the fairies never +see the shade of anyone in the fairy court who is not involved in +some way with witchcraft. Indeed, those whom witches accuse, +even when witchcraft cannot be actually proved against them, al­ +ways turn out to be of evil life and reputation. +There are two methods for determining a witch, according to +Epistemon. One is to find the witch mark and test that it is insensi­ +tive to pain. The other is the floating of the accused person on the +water. Those who have renounced the sacred water of baptism and +refused its benefits are themselves rejected by water, which will not +receive them into its depths; indeed, they cannot even shed tears +no matter how much you threaten or torture them, despite the fact +that women cry dissembling tears like crocodiles at the lightest of +occasions. + + +40 INTRODUCTION + + +The two friends, having exhausted their topic, say goodbye to +each other. Philomathes offers the hope with his final words that +God will purge Scotland of the scourge of witchcraft, which was +never before so common as it is now. Epistemon offers his last snip­ +pet of erudition by observing that the reasons for it are manifest. +On the one hand, the great wickedness of the people has procured +this punishment of God; while on the other hand, the approaching +end of the world causes Satan to be all the more anxious to work +as much evil as he can before his power is ended. And so ends the +discourse. + + +NOTE ON THE ORIGINAL TEXTS + + +This new edition of Demonology by James the Sixth of Scotland, who +would later go on to become James the First of England, is designed +to make this historically important book on witchcraft and magic +fully accessible to the modern reader. The original text was penned +during the late Elizabethan Age. Its spelling is archaic, and its para­ + +graphing and sentence construction irrational, rendering a complete +comprehension of the material an ordeal. Understanding is further +inhibited by the many obsolete Scottish terms that pepper the book. +These terms would not have been immediately familiar even to +educated individuals in the south of England in the same decade in +which the work was written, and to the average reader of today they +are incomprehensible. +While modernizing the work, I endeavored wherever possible to +retain the words and prose structure used by James. Where it was nec­ +essary to substitute a modern equivalent in place of an archaic Scottish +word, I tried to not only find the closest synonym but the word that +best preserved the sound and connotation of the original. Biblical refer­ +ences that appear as abbreviated marginal glosses in the original have +been expanded and inserted into the body of the text in parentheses. +In the few instances where words have been interjected into the text +to clarifY its meaning, they are enclosed in square brackets. Those who + + +INTRODUCTION 4 [I ] + + +wish to compare the modernized version with the original, or who + +need the original text for purposes of reference or quotation, will fmd +it in Appendix A. +Once the difficulty in comprehending the text itself is sur­ +mounted, there is still the problem of the numerous obscure refer­ + +ences to magic and witchcraft made by James throughout the work. + +The explanatory notes that appear at the end of each chapter will +help the reader to understand not only what James wrote but what +he meant. Woodcuts from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth +centuries have been inserted were applicable to further clarify topics + +mentioned by James. + +The modernized text of Demonology is based on the 1924 Bodley +Head reprint of the original 1 597 edition of the work. The Bodley +Head reprint also contains the full text of a 1 592 edition of the tract +News From Scotland and reproductions of its woodcuts. The title pages + +of the original editions of Demonology and News From Scotland included +with the present work, along with the woodcut illustrations of News +From Scotland, were derived from the Bodley Head edition. +News From Scotland has long accompanied Demonology, and for + +good reason. The events it details were the impulse that triggered +the lifelong battle waged by James against witchcraft, and inspired +him to write Demonology. James regarded witchcraft as a personal +threat because he believed that his death had been plotted by the + +accused men and women involved in the New Berwick witch affair, + +described in the tract. He looked upon Satan as a personal foe. In +the testimonies of these supposed witches, spoken in the presence +of the King, the Devil was reported to have identified James as his +greatest enemy. + +The authorship of News From Scotland is not know, but it may + +have been based on an account of the North Berwick affair written +by James Carmichael, the Minister of Haddington. Sir James Mel­ +ville recorded in his Memoirs that Carmichael had written "the his­ +tory whereof, with their whole depositions." The work itself was + + +42 INTRODUCTION + + +written in England rather than Scotland, to judge by the language +and other internal evidence. William Wright, the publisher, is un­ +likely to have been the author, but probably edited the work exten­ +sively. Although 1 591 appears on the title pages of early editions, +that date refers to the execution of John Fian. The work has been +dated at 1 592, though the document upon which it was based was +probably written in the latter half of 1 59 1 . +Copies of the first edition are extremely rare-only a handful sur­ +vive. Two other editions, also undated, were published shortly after +the first printing of the work, probably in 1 592, with slight variations +in the format of the title page. The original contained two wood­ +cuts. One of the other early editions duplicated the first of these il­ +lustrations at the start of the work. The 1 924 Bodley Head reprint was +based on this edition with the duplicate woodcut, and contains two +other woodcuts that obviously were not created for the work itself but +were added for decorative purposes. The early editions are in black +letter, except for the section To the Reader and the concluding section, +which are in Roman typeface. +News From Scotland is here treated as a natural companion to De­ +monology. Its text has been similarly modernized, and its matter illu­ +minated by a complete set of notes that provide information about +the larger context of the North Berwick witch trials not covered in +the tract. The original text appears in Appendix B for purposes of +comparison with the modernized version and quotation. +Appendix C is occupied by a modernized version of the full text +of the infamous witch act, or witchcraft statute, of 1 604, passed by +the English parliament shortly after the ascension of James to the +throne of England. Also in this appendix is a modernized version of +the Tolbooth Speech, which James uttered in 1 59 1 after overturning +the acquittal by an Edinburgh jury of one of the accused witches he +believed had plotted to kill him with magic. Both documents convey +very clearly the attitude of the king toward witchcraft and its legal +prosecution. + + +INTRODUCTION 43 + + +Modernization of the texts, coupled with the explanatory notes, +introductory essay, and additional period illustrations, make these +unique documents of the witch persecutions in Scotland fully ac­ +cessible to all readers, especially to modern Wiccans and pagans, for +whom the doings during the reigns of James are not mere historical +abstractions but matters of direct interest and concern. + + +#### T H E PR E FACE to the Reader + +The fearful abounding at this time, in this country, of these detest­ +able slaves of the Devil, the witches or enchanters, has moved me +(beloved reader) to dispatch in the post, this following treatise of +mine, not in any way (as I protest) to serve for a show of my learn­ +ing and ingenuity, but only (moved by conscience) to press thereby, +so far as I can, to resolve the doubting hearts of many both that such +assaults of Satan are most certainly practiced, and that the instru­ +ments thereof merit most severely to be punished, against the dam­ +nable opinions of two principally in our age. Whereof, the one +called Scot, 1 an Englishman, is not ashamed in public print to deny +that there can be such a thing as witchcraft, and so maintains the old +error of the Sadducees in denying spirits. The other called Wierus,Z a +German physician, sets out a public apology for all these craftsfolk/ +whereby, procuring for their impunity, he plainly betrays himself to +have been one of that profession. +And to make this treatise more pleasant and easy, I have put it in +the form of a dialogue, which I have divided into three books: the +first speaking of magic in general and necromancy in particular, the +second of sorcery and witchcraft, 4 the third containing a discourse +of all these kinds of spirits and specters that appear and trouble per­ +sons, together with a conclusion of the whole work. + + +4 [5 ] + + +46 DEMONOLOGY: PREFACE + + +My intention in this labor is only to prove two things, as I have +already said: the one, that such devilish arts have been and are; the +other, what exact trial and severe punishment they merit. And there­ +fore I reason what kind of things are possible to be performed in +these arts, and by what natural causes they may be: not that I touch +every particular thing of the Devil's power, for they are infinite, but +only, to speak scholastically (since this cannot be spoken in our lan­ +guage), I reason upon genus, leaving species and direntia to be com­ +prehended therein. 5 +As, for example, speaking of the power of magicians in the first +book, sixth chapter, I say that they can suddenly cause to be brought +unto them all kinds of dainty dishes by their familiar spirit, since as +a thief he delights to steal, and as a spirit he can subtly and suddenly +enough transport the same. Now, under this genus may be compre­ +hended all particulars, depending thereupon, such as bringing wine +out of a wall (as we have heard of to have been practiced) and such +things, which particulars are sufficiently proved by reasons of the +general. And similarly, in the second book of witchcraft in particular, +the fifth chapter, I say and prove by diverse arguments that witches +can, by the power of their Master, cure or cast on diseases. Now, by +these same reasons that prove their power by the Devil of diseases +in general, is as well proved their power in particular, as of weak­ +ening the nature of some men to make them unable for women, 6 +and making it to abound in others more than the ordinary course of +nature would permit, and such like in all other particular sicknesses. +But one thing I will pray you to observe in all these places where +I reason upon the Devil's power, which is the different ends and +scopes that God as the first cause, and the Devil as his instrument +and second cause, shoots at in all these actions of the Devil (as God's +hangman): for where the Devil's intention in them is ever to kill ei­ +ther the soul or the body, or both of them, that he is so permitted +to deal with, God by the contrary draws ever out of that evil, glory +to himself, either by the wreck of the wicked in his justice, or by the + + +DEMONOLOGY: PREFACE 47 + + +trial of the patient and amendment of the faithful, being wakened +up with that rod of correction. +Having thus declared to you then, my full intention in this trea­ +tise, you will easily excuse, I doubt not, as well my omitting to de­ +clare the whole particular rites and secrets of these unlawful arts, + +and also their infinite and wonderful practices, as being neither of +them pertinent to my purpose, the reason whereof is given in the +latter part of the first chapter of the third book. +He who likes to be curious of these things may read, if he will + +hear of their practices, Bodin's Demonomania/ collected with greater + +diligence than written with judgement, together with their confes­ +sions, that have been at this time apprehended. If he would know +what has been the opinion of the ancients concerning their power, +he shall see it well described by Hyperius8 and Hemmingius,9 two +late German writers, besides innumerable other modern theolo­ +gians that write at length upon that subject. And if he would know +what are the particular rites and curiosities of these black arts (which +is both unnecessary and perilous), he will find it in the Fourth Book10 + +of Cornelius Agrippa, and in Wierus who spoke of it. And so, wish­ + +ing my pains in this treatise (beloved reader) to be effectual in arm­ +ing all those that read the same against these above mentioned er­ +rors, and recommending my good will to your friendly acceptance, I +bid you hearty farewell. + +James, Regent + + +NOTE S ON THE PREFACE + + +Note 1 : Reginald Scot, author of The Discoverie of Witchcraft, a work + +first published in 1 5 84. Scot provoked the ire of King James not +only because he dared in his book to reveal details of the lore of +magic, such as the names and offices of demons, but also because +he maintained that those accused of witchcraft were deluded +and incapable of committing the crimes of which they stood ac­ + +cused. After James became king of England, he ordered all copies + + +48 DEMONOLOGY: PREFACE + + +of Scot's book gathered up and burned. Examining the work, it +is easy to see what troubled James so greatly. For example, Scot +wrote: +I am also well assured, that if all the old women in the world + +were witches; and all the priests, conjurers: we should not have + +a drop of raine, nor a blast of wind the more or the !esse for + +them. For the Lord hath bound the waters in the clouds, and + +hath set bounds about the waters, untill the daie and night come + +to an end: yea it is God that raiseth the winds and stilleth them: + +and he saith to the raine and snowe; Be upon the earth, and + +it falleth. The wind of the Lord, and not the wind of witches, + +shall destroie the treasures of their plesant vessels, and drie up + +the fountaines, saith Oseas. Let us also learne and confesse with + +the Prophet David, that we our selves are the causes of our af­ + +flictions; and not exclaime upon witches, when we should call + +upon God for mercie. (Scot, Discoverie of Witchcraft, page 2) + +Note 2: Johann Weyer, author of De praestigiis daemonum, first pub­ +lished in 1563. Weyer, whose last name is sometimes spelled "Wi­ +erus," annoyed James in a number of ways-by revealing practical +details of ceremonial magic, by defending the reputation of his +teacher Cornelius Agrippa, who was widely regarded as a sor­ +cerer, and by denying the powers of witchcraft, as shown by his +quotation from the Decretum of Gratian: + +This very phenomenon is confirmed by the Decretum: "Cer­ + +tain silly women who are devoted to Satan and who have been + +seduced by demonic illusions believe that they also commit + +other unspeakable deeds, such as tearing young children away + +from their mother's milk and roasting and eating them, or en­ + +tering into homes through chimneys and windows and disturb­ + +ing the inhabitants in various ways. But all of these things and + +others like them happen to them only in fantasy. Indeed, when + +the woman makes a small ditch and pours urine or water into it, + +and thinks that by moving a finger she is stirring up a storm, the + +demon acts in collusion with her, disturbing the air in order that + + +DEMONOLOGY: PREFACE 49 + + +he may keep her bound in service to him." (Weyer, On Witch­ + +craft [De praestig s daemonum], pages 91-92) + + +Note 3: james' use of the term "craft" for witchcraft and "craftsfolk" +for witches is worth noting because witchcraft is in modern times +often referred to simply as the Craft. Here, he was punning on +"craft" in the sense of slyness and deceit. + + +Note 4: james regarded magic as synonymous with necromancy, +and sorcery as synonymous with witchcraft. The best definition +of the distinction between these two branches of the occult arts +that James can find is what he refers to as "the difference vulgar +put betwixt them" (Bk. I, Ch. III): that magicians and necroman­ +cers are the Devil's masters, but sorcerers and witches are the +Devil's servants. He did not accept this definition, believing as he +did that all who work any form of magic will eventually fall under +the power of Satan, but he could not present a more concise or +meaningful alternative. +If we leave the Devil out of the mix, the distinction is very +similar to what we today call high magic and low magic. High +magic involves elaborate rituals, circles, pentacles, divine names, +and words of power; whereas low magic is more concerned with +intuitive healing, scrying, and the occult properties of natural +things such as herbs and stones. High magic tends to be some­ +what intellectual and abstract, low magic to be immediate and +intuitive. High magic has its roots in the wisdom teachings of +Egypt and Greece; low magic has arisen largely from the indig­ +enous practices of northern Europeans. +Neither branch of Western occultism can be said to exist +in a pure form in modern times, and even four centuries ago, +witches probably derived at least some of their methods from +the grimoires of high magic, especially when they were led and +instructed by educated individuals. Those who could read and +write were more likely to study high magic because its methods + + +50 DEMONOLOGY: PREFACE + + +were available in manuscripts and printed texts; the uneducated +were inclined to seek to acquire the folk wisdom of divinations +and charms directly, by observing and imitating the practices of +their elders. In the sixteenth century, the division between magi­ +cians and witches was based largely on social class, since stand­ +ing in society determined the level of education, or lack of it. As +Charles Leland put it, "it was only the aristocracy who consulted +Cornelius Agrippa, and could afford Ia haute magie" (Leland, +Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling, page x iii). + + +Note 5 : James was making the point that he has based his argument +on general principles that comprehend specific instances. + + +Note 6: The Malleus Maleficarum lists five ways that a man may be +rendered unable to copulate by the Devil, enumerated by Peter +of Palude: first, by physically preventing a man from approach­ +ing a woman; second, by freezing his desire with "secret things +of which he best knows the power;" third, by making the woman +appear loathsome; fourth, by directly preventing erection of the +penis; fifth, by preventing the emission of semen (Kramer and +Sprenger, Malleus Maleficarum, page 55). Witches were also sup­ +posed to have the power to take away the male genitals entirely +so that only a smooth patch of skin remained between the legs, +though it is argued in the Malleus Maleficarum that this is only a +type of glamour (ibid., page 58). + + +Note ?: Jean Bodin (1 530-1 590) was a professor of law at the Univer­ +sity of Toulouse and an active trial judge, as well as a member of +the Parlement de Paris. He had children tortured to extract confes­ +sions, and was reluctant to admit even the possibility that anyone +accused of witchcraft might be innocent. His book on witchcraft, +De la demonomanie des sorciers, more commonly known in English +as Demonomania, published in 1 580, may have offended the puri­ +tanical sensibilities of James with its explicit sexual references­ +for example, Bodin wrote that the Devil sexually seduces girls as +young as the age of six. This work opens with Bodin's famous + + +DEMONOLOGY: PREFACE 51 + + +definition of sorcery or witchcraft (the terms were used more or +less interchangeably): "A sorcerer is one who by commerce with +the Devil has a full intention of attaining his own ends." + +Note 8: A. Hyperius ( 1 5 1 1-1 564), also known as Gerhard of Ypres, +was a conciliatory Lutheran and a professor of theology at Mar­ +burg. In 1553 he wrote De Formandis Concionibus, a work that +earned him the honorary title of father of homiletics. His 1 556 +work Four Books on the Study of Theology is said to be the first ap­ +pearance in print of practical theology. + + +Note 9: Nicholas Hemmingius, also known as Niels Hemmingsen +( 1 5 1 3-1 600). A Danish Lutheran who traveled to Wittenberg +to study theology. He has been called one of the most learned +Protestant theologians of the sixteenth century. He wrote about +witchcraft and its use in curing illnesses. His work De lege naturae +apodictica methodus appeared in 1 566. In 1 575 his work Admonitio +de superstitionibus magicis vitandis was published at Copenhagen. + + +Note 1 0: Cornelius Agrippa (1446-1 535) was both famous and in­ +famous in the time of King James as the author of Three Books +of Occult Philosophy, first published in its complete form in 1533. +This is a practical encyclopedia of all aspects of Western magic. +A work known as the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy was often +attributed to Agrippa, and bound up with his other works, but +it was not written by Agrippa. It falls into the class of the anony­ +mous grimoires, or grammars, of practical magic, and contains +some interesting material. It was supposed to have been the key +to the true understanding of Agrippa's Occult Philosophy, but hav­ +ing studied the work, I can find little basis for this claim. + + +### TH E F IRST BOOK + +ARGUMENT +The exordium of the whole. The description of magic especially. + + +#### C HA P T E R I + +ARGUMENT: +Proven by the Scripture that these unlawful arts in general have been, +and may be, put into practice. + + +PHILOMATHES and EPISTEMON reason the matter. + + +Philomathes +I am surely very glad to have met you this day, for I am of the opin­ +ion that you can better resolve me of something, whereof I stand in +great doubt, than any other with whom I could have met. + + +Epistemon +In what I can, of that you like to speak to me, I will willingly and +freely tell my opinion, and if I prove it not sufficiently, I am heartily +content that a better reasoning carry it away. + + +Philomathes +What think you of this strange news1 which now furnishes the only +purpose to all men at their meeting, I mean of these witches? + + +Epistemon +Surely it is wonderful, and I think so clear and plain confessions in +that purpose have never fallen out in any age or country. + + +Philomathes +No question if they be true, but thereof the doctors doubt. + + +55 + + +56 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +Epistemon + +What part of it doubt you of? + + +Philomathes +Even of all, for aught I can yet perceive: and namely, that there +is such a thing as witchcraft or witches; and I would pray you to +resolve me thereof if you may, for I have reasoned with several in +that matter and yet could never be satisfied therein. + + +Epistemon +I shall with good will do the best I can. But I think it the more dif­ +ficult, since you deny the thing itself in general, for as it is said in the +logic schools, contra negantem principia non est disputandum.2 Always +for that part, that witchcraft and witches have been, and are, the +former part is clearly proved by the Scriptures, and the last by daily +experience and confessions. + + +Philomathes +I know you will produce as evidence Saul's Pythoness,3 but that, as +appears, will not make much for you. + + +Epistemon +Not only that place [in Scripture], but diverse others. But I marvel +why that should not make much for me? + + +Philomathes +The reasons are these: first, you may consider that Saul, being trou­ +bled in spirit and having fasted long before, as the text testifies (I +Samuel 28), and being come to a woman that was reputed to have +such knowledge, and that to inquire so important news, he having so +guilty a conscience for his heinous offences, and especially, for that +same unlawful curiosity and horrible defection, that the woman cry­ +ing out upon the sudden in great admiration for the uncouth sight +that she alleged to have seen, discovering him to be the king, though +disguised, and denied by him before, it was no wonder, I say, that his + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 57 + + +senses being thus distracted, he could not perceive her feigning of + +her voice, he being himself in another chamber and seeing nothing. +Next, what could be, or was, raised? The spirit of Samuel? Pro­ +fane and against all theology. The Devil in his likeness? As unappar­ +ent, that either God would permit him to come in the shape of his +saints (for then could never the prophets in those days have been +sure what spirit spoke to them in their visions), or then that he could +foretell what was to come thereafter; for prophecy proceeds only of +God, and the Devil hath no knowledge of things to come. + + +Epistemon +Yet if you will mark the words of the text, you will find clearly that +Saul saw that apparition; for, giving you that Saul was in another +chamber at the making of the circles and conjurations needful for +that purpose (as none of that craft will permit any others to behold +at that time), yet it is evident by the text that how soon that once +that unclean spirit was fully risen, she called in upon Saul. For it is +said in the text, that Saul knew him to be Samuel, which could not +have been by the hearing tell only of an old man with a mantle, since +there were many more old men dead in Israel than Samuel, and the +common dress of that whole country was mantles. +As to the next, that it was not the spirit of Samuel, I grant, in the +proving whereof you need not insist, since all Christians of whatso­ +ever religion4 agree upon that, and none but either mere ignorants +or necromancers or witches doubt thereof. And that the Devil is per­ +mitted at some times to put himself in the likeness of the saints, it +is plain in the Scriptures, where it is said that Satan can transform +himself into an angel of light (II Corinthians 1 1 : 14). Neither could +that cause any inconvenience with the visions of the prophets, since +it is most certain that God will not permit him so to deceive his own, +but only such as first willfully deceive themselves by running unto +him, whom God then suffers to fall into their own snares, and justly +permits them to be deluded with great efficacy of deceit, because +they would not believe the truth (as Paul says). + + +5 [8 ] DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +And as to the Devil's foretelling of things to come, it is true that +he knows not all things future, but yet that he knows part, the tragic +event of this history declares it (which the wit of woman could +never have forespoken5); not that he hath any prescience which is +only proper to God, or yet knows anything by looking upon God, as +in a mirror (as the good angels do), he being forever debarred from +the favorable presence and countenance of his creator, but only by +one of these two means: either, as being worldly wise, and taught by +continual experience ever since the creation, he judges by the like­ +lihood of things to come according to the like that has passed be­ +fore, and the natural causes in respect of the vicissitude of all things +worldly; or else, by God's employing of him in a turn, and so fore­ + +seen thereof, as appears to have been in this, whereof we find the +very like in Micaiah's prophetic discourse to King Ahab (I Kings 22). +But to prove this my first proposition, that there can be such a +thing as witchcraft and witches, there are many more places in the +Scriptures than this (as I said before). As first, in the law of God it is + +plainly prohibited (Exodus 22);6 but certain it is that the law of God +speaks nothing in vain, neither doth it lay curses or enjoin punish­ +ments upon shadows, condemning that to be ill which is not in es­ +sence, or being, as we call it. Secondly, it is plain, where wicked Pha­ +raoh's wise men imitated any number of Moses' miracles (Exodus +7-8) to harden the tyrant's heart thereby. Thirdly, said not Samuel to +Saul (I Samuel 1 5) that disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft?7 To +compare to a thing that were not, it were too too absurd. Fourthly, +was not Simon Magus (Acts 8) a man of their craft? And fifthly, what +was she that had the spirit of Python? (Acts 16: 16) Beside innumer­ +able other places that were irksome to recite. + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 59 + + +NOTES ON BOOK I, CHAPTER I + + +Note 1 : The allusion of James to "strange news" may be a pun­ +ning reference to the tract News From Scotland, published in 1592, +which describes the doings in the North Berwick witchcraft affair +of the year previous. + + +Note 2: 'There is no disputing a negative premise." + + +Note 3 : The Python was an enormous serpentine dragon that +guarded the oracle of Gaia at Delphi, on the slope of Mount Par­ +nassus. The god Apollo slew the Python and took over the oracle, +making it his own. The oracle was a woman who was known +as the Pythoness. She sat above a fissure of rising gases upon + +a tripod or three-legged seat, her body positioned so that the +steam from the fissure rose between her legs and was presumed +to enter her womb. Whether as a result of breathing this vapor, +or from some natural inclination of her nature, she fell into pro­ +phetic trances during which she uttered future events in the form +of enigmatic verses. The term "Pythoness" came to be applied +generally to any woman who uttered oracular information, and +is synonymous with "prophetess." To have a spirit of Pytho, or +spirit of Python, is to be possessed by a familiar spirit that speaks +oracular information. + + +Note 4: Catholic or Protestant. + + +Note 5: "To forespeak" has two meanings, "to prophesy" and "to +bewitch." Here, James employs the term in the first sense. + + +Note 6: In the King james Bible, Exodus 22: 1 8 reads: "Thou shalt +not suffer a witch to live." There has been considerable debate +among modern Wiccans and pagans as to what the word "witch" +actually represents in the original Hebrew text. In the Knox trans­ +lation of the Bible, which is considered to be one of the most ac­ +curate, the verse reads "Sorcerers must not be allowed to live." +However, Knox has added the footnote, "In the Hebrew the word +is feminine, 'witch."' The Hebrew word in question is MKShPH, + + +60 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +a feminine form of the word MKShP, which Gesenius translates +as "enchanter" or "magician." The Hebrew word is based upon +KShP, "to use enchantment" -to use magical songs, to mutter. +Hence the best translation would seem to be "enchantress." +In Isaiah 8: 19 reference is made to "wizards that peep and +that mutter." This quaintly worded description concerns the two +ways in which those who used magic were supposed to work evil +on their neighbors. The first way is through the use of the evil +eye, which is sometimes referred to as "overlooking." The sec­ +ond supposed manner of projecting evil was through verses or +charms spoken quietly under the breath, which James refers to +later in his book as "forespeaking." "To enchant" is to do magic + +through the use of spoken or sung words. +The Vulgate uses maleficus in place of "witch," which is to say, +one who does wickedness. It appears in the title of the most no­ +torious of all the books on witch persecution, the Malleus Malefi­ +carum, or Hammer of Witches. The Latin term maleficia was some­ +times employed for noxious creatures such as serpents. Since the +Latin is only an interpretation of the Hebrew and Greek verses, it +is not relevant in attempting to determine what the Hebrew orig­ +inal actually means, but it exerted a profound influence on the +interpretation of the verse over the centuries. The word "witch" +in the KingJames Bible has often been presumed, unjustly, to be +a mistranslation of the words "poisoner" or "murderer." +King James recognized no distinction between a sorcer­ +ess and a witch. Both terms held for him a connotation of one +who works magic for evil. For him, the translation of MKShPH +as "witch" seemed perfectly appropriate, particularly since he +believed that female witches outnumbered their male counter­ +parts by a ratio of twenty to one. It is only in the last century that +witch and witchcraft have been able to escape from under this +shadow of malice in the understanding of a minority of enlight + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 61 + + +ened individuals; however, for the greater portion of the world's + +population, the term "witch" still signifies an evildoer. + + +Note 7: In the King james Bible, the word "witchcraft" appearing in +I Samuel 15:23 is glossed as "divination." + + +### CHA PTE R II + +ARGUMENT: +What kind of sin the practitioners of these unlawful arts commit. +The division of these arts. And what are the means that allure +any to practice them. + + +Philomathes +But I think it very strange that God should permit any of mankind +(since they bear his own image) to fall into so gross and filthy a +defection. + + +Epistemon +Although man in his creation was made to the image of the Creator +(Genesis 1), yet through his fall having lost it, it is but restored again +in a part by grace only to the elect; so all the rest, falling away from +God, are given over into the hands of the Devil, that enemy, to bear +his image, 1 and being once so given over, the greatest and the gross­ +est impiety is the most pleasant and most delightful unto them. + + +Philomathes +But may it not suffice him to have indirectly the rule, and procure +the perdition, of so many souls, by alluring them to vices and to the +following of their own appetites, suppose he abuse not so many sim­ +ple souls in making them directly acknowledge him for their master? + + +64 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +Epistemon + +No, surely, for he uses every man, whom of he has the rule, accord­ +ing to their complexion and knowledge, and so whom he finds most +simple, he most plainly uncovers himself unto them. For he being +the enemy of man's salvation, uses all the means he can to entrap +them so far into his snares, as it may be impossible to them thereaf­ +ter (suppose they would) to rid themselves out of the same. + + +Philomathes +Then this sin is a sin against the Holy Ghost. + + +Epistemon +It is in some, but not in all. + + +Philomathes +How that? Are not all these that run directly to the Devil in one cat­ +egory? + + +Epistemon +God forbid, for the sin against the Holy Ghost has two branches. The +one, a falling back from the whole service of God, and a refusal of +all his precepts. The other is the doing of the first with knowledge, +knowing that they do wrong against their conscience, and the testi­ +mony of the Holy Spirit, having once had a taste of the sweetness +of God's mercies (Hebrews 6: 10). Now in the first of these two, all +sorts of necromancers, enchanters, or witches, are comprehended; +but in the last, none but such as err with this knowledge that I have +spoken of. + + +Philomathes +Then it appears that there are more sorts than one that are directly +professors of his service, and if so be, I pray you tell me how many, +and what are they? + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 65 + + +Epistemon + +There are principally two sorts, whereunto all the parts of that +unhappy art are redacted; whereof, the one is called magic or necro­ +mancy, and the other sorcery or witchcraft. + + +Philomathes +What, I pray you, and how many, are the means whereby the Devil +allures persons into any of these snares? + + +Epistemon +Even by these three passions that are within ourselves: curiosity at +great ingenuities; thirst of revenge for some offenses deeply held; or +greedy appetite of possessions, caused through great poverty. As to +the first of these, curiosity, it is only the enticement of magicians or +necromancers; and the other two are the allures of the sorcerers or +witches. For that old and crafty Serpent, being a spirit, he easily spies +our affections, 2 and so conforms himself thereto to deceive us to our +wreak. + + +NOTES ON BOOK I, CH APTER II + + +Note 1 : A reference to the mark of the Beast. See Revelation 13: 1 6, +where those who worship the image of the first Beast that has +seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 1 3 : 1 ) are given a mark +upon their foreheads or the palms of their right hands by the sec­ +ond Beast that has two horns like a lamb (Revelation 1 3 : 1 1). This +is obviously the basis for the belief that the Devil impressed each +witch with a mark as a symbol of his or her acceptance of Satan +as master. The shape of the mark is not described, nor is there +any reason to necessarily connect the mark with the number of +the Beast (Revelation 13:18). + + +Note 2: james seems to mean that the Devil, being a spirit, is able to +hide unseen and watch us to spy out our secret desires. He then +uses this knowledge to present to us the prospect of attaining those + + +66 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +things we desire, whether they be occult and forbidden learning in +the case of magicians and necromancers, or a way to exact revenge +and attain wealth in the case of sorcerers and witches. Elsewhere +James mentions that the Devil cannot read our thoughts, so he +must learn our desires by observing our actions. + + +### CHA P T E R I I I + +ARGUMENT : +The significance and etymology of the words magic and necromancy. +The dierence between necromancy and witchcraft. What are the +entrances and beginnings that bring any to the knowledge thereof + + +Philomathes +I would gladly first hear what thing is it that you call magic or neeromancy. + + +Epistemon +This word magic in the Persian tongue 1 imports as much as to be a +contemplator or interpreter of divine and heavenly sciences: which +being first used among the Chaldeans, through their ignorance of +the true divinity, was esteemed and reputed among them as a prin­ +cipal virtue, and therefore was named unjustly with an honorable +style; which name the Greeks imitated, generally importing all these +kinds of unlawful arts. And this word necromancy is a Greek word, +compounded of nekron and manteia, which is to say, the prophecy by +the dead. 2 This last name is given to this black and unlawful science +by the figure synecdoche,3 because it is a principal part of that art, to +serve themselves with dead carcasses in their divinations. + + +Philomathes +What difference is there between this art and witchcraft? + + +68 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +Epistemon + +Surely, the difference vulgar [persons] put between them is very +merry, and in a manner true; for they say that the witches are ser­ +vants only, and slaves, to the Devil, but the necromancers are his +masters and commanders. + + +Philomathes +How can that be true, that any men being specially addicted to his +service can be his commanders? + + +Epistemon +Yes, they may be, but it is only secundum quid, for it is not by any +power that they can have over him, but ex pacto4 all and only, +whereby he obliges himself in some trifles to them, that he may on +the other part obtain the fruition of their body and soul, which is the +only thing he hunts for. + + +Philomathes +A very inequitable contract, in truth. But I pray you discourse unto + +me, what is the effect and secrets of that art? + + +Epistemon +That is over large a field you give me, yet I shall do good will, the +most summarily that I can, to run through the principal points +thereof. As there are two sorts of folk that may be enticed to this art, +to wit, learned and unlearned, so is there two means which are the +first stirrers up and feeders of their curiosity, thereby to make them +to give themselves over to the same; which two I call the Devil's +school, and his rudiments. +The learned have their curiosity wakened upon, and fed by that +which I call his school: this is the astrology judicial.5 For diverse men, +having attained to a great perfection in learning, and yet remained +over bare (alas) of the spirit of regeneration and fruits thereof, find­ +ing all natural things common, as well to the stupid pedants as unto +them, they assay to vindicate unto them a greater name by not only + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 69 + + +knowing the course of things heavenly, but likewise to claim to the +knowledge of things to come thereby. Which, at the first face ap­ +pearing lawful unto them, in respect the ground thereof seems to +proceed of natural causes only, they are so allured thereby, that find­ +ing their practice to prove true in sundry things, they study to know +the cause thereof; and so mounting from degree to degree upon the +slippery and uncertain scale of curiosity, they are at last enticed, that +where lawful arts or sciences fail, to satisfy their restless minds, even +to seek to that black and unlawful science of magic. Where, finding +at the first that such diverse forms of circles and conjurations rightly +joined thereunto will raise such diverse forms of spirits, to resolve +them of their doubts, and attributing the doing thereof to the power +inseparably tied, or inherent, in the circles, and many words of God6 +confusedly wrapped in, they blindly glory of themselves, as if they +had by their quickness of ingenuity make a conquest of Pluto's +dominion, and were become emperors over the Stygian habitats.7 +Where, in the mean time (miserable wretches) they are become, +in very deed, bond slaves to their mortal enemy; and their knowl­ +edge, for all that they presume thereof, is nothing increased except +in knowing evil, and the horrors of hell for punishment thereof, as +Adam's was by the eating of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3). + + +NOTES ON BOOK I, CH APTER III + + +Note 1 : "Magic" is a word signifying the art of the magi, a priestly +cast of wise men in ancient Persia who may originally have come +from a single Median tribe. "Magus" is a Latin word, from the +Greek flayocr, which in turn is from the Old Persian magu. + + +Note 2: "Necromancy" is from the Greek word nekromanteia, a com­ +bining of nekros ("corpse") and manteia ("divination"). + + +Note 3 : Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used to +represent the whole, or the whole is used to represent its individ­ +ual parts. James' meaning is that the art of necromancy is called + + +70 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +necromancy, or corpse divination, because one of its principal ac­ +tivities is divination through the use of corpses. The name of the +part is applied to the whole. + + +Note 4: "From the pact." Magicians were supposed by King james +and his more credulous contemporaries to acquire their powers +by signing a pact with the Devil, who would then send them a +familiar demon to serve their needs. + + +Note 5: James used the term "judicial astrology" for all forms of +astrology that seek to interpret the occult or nonphysical influ­ +ences of the stars and planets upon human affairs. Since the sev­ +enteenth century, all astrology is judicial astrology in this broad +sense. James was distinguishing judicial astrology from natural +astrology, which in the sixteenth century was the observation of +the movements of the stars and planets in order to predict natural +events such as solar and lunar eclipses, and to establish the dates +of the equinoxes, solstices, and holy days such as Easter. We now +class natural astrology as a part of astronomy. + + +Note 6: Divine names play a central role in Western high magic. +Drawn from the Old Testament, they embody both the power +and the authority of God. The supreme name is i11i1", called by +the Greeks ''Tetragrammaton," a word that means "name of four +letters" (tetra: "four," gramma: "letter"). In the grimoires this is ei­ +ther found in the original Hebrew, or is written as "Tetragramma­ +ton." More rarely it occurs in the form "Jehovah." Other divine +names from the Bible are Adonai, Elohim, Shaddai, and Eheieh. +During the Renaissance the previously secret teachings of the +system of Jewish mysticism and magic known as the Kabbalah +became known to Europeans, and began to be employed by magi­ +cians. Cornelius Agrippa wrote extensively about the uses of the +Hebrew names of God in the third book of his Occult Philosophy. +In addition to divine and angelic names drawn from the Bible +and the Kabbalah, Western magic also makes use of what are +known as barbarous words of power. These are unrecognizable + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 71 + + +words or names held to convey occult energies, even though +their meanings have been forgotten. Many of the grimoires con­ +tain barbarous words in their invocations. Barbarous words found +their way into the grimoires from Egypt and Greece through the +teachings of the Gnostics, and also by a simple process of cor­ +ruption in which names were misspelled and misread repeatedly, +until their meanings were lost. Many barbarous words of power +were originally the names of pagan gods. + + +Note 7: The river Styx encircles the Greek underworld, which is +ruled by Hades (Pluto to the Romans), hence Stygian habitats are +the regions of hell. + + +### CHA PTE R IV + +ARGUMENT: +The description of the rudiments and school, which are the +entrances to the art of magic. And especially the dierences between +astronomy and astrology. Division of astrology into diverse parts. + + +Philomathes +But I pray you likewise, forget not to tell what are the Devil's rudi­ +ments. + + +Epistemon +His rudiments, I call first in general, all that which is called vul­ +garly the virtue of word, herb, and stone, which is used by unlaw­ +ful charms, without natural causes. As likewise all kind of practices, +freits, 1 or other extraordinary actions which cannot abide the true +touch of natural reason. + + +Philomathes +I would have you to make that plainer by some particular examples, +for your proposition is very general. + + +Epistemon +I mean either by such kind of charms as commonly daft wives use +for healing of forespoken2 goats, for preserving them from evil +eyes,3 by knitting rune-trees,4 or various kinds of herbs, to the hair +or tails of the goats; by curing the worm, by stemming of blood/ +by healing of horse-crooks, by turning of the riddle,6 or doing of + + +73 + + +74 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +such like innumerable things by words, without applying anything +meet to the part offended, as mediciners do; or else by stopping mar­ +ried folks to have naturally to do with [each] other (by knitting so +many knots7 upon a point at the time of their marriage), and such­ +like things, which men use to practice in their merriness. +For since unlearned men (being naturally curious, and lacking +the true knowledge of God) find these practices to prove true, as +some of them will do, by the power of the Devil for deceiving men, +and not by any inherent virtue in these vain words and freits; and +being desirous to win a reputation to themselves in suchlike turns, +they either (if they be of the shamefaced sort) seek to be taught by +some that are experienced in that art (not knowing it to be evil at the +first), or else being of the grosser sort, run directly to the Devil for +ambition or desire of gain, and plainly contract with him thereupon. + + +Philomathes +But I think these means which you call the school and rudiments of +the Devil are things lawful, and have been approved for such in all +times and ages: as especially, this science of astrology, which is one +of the special members of the mathematics. + + +Epistemon +There are two things which the learned have observed from the +beginning, in the science of the heavenly creatures, the planets, +stars, and such like. The one is their course and ordinary motions, +which for that cause is called astronomia, which word is a compound +of nomos and astron, that is to say, the law of the stars;8 and this art +indeed is one of the members of the mathematics and not only law­ +ful but most necessary and commendable. The other is called astro­ +logia, being compounded of astron and logos, which is to say, the +word and preaching of the stars,9 which is divided into two parts: +the first by knowing thereby the powers of simples, and sicknesses, +the course of the seasons and the weather, being ruled by their influ­ +ence, which part depending upon the former, although it be not of + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 75 + + +itself a part of mathematics, yet it is not unlawful, being moderately +used, though not so necessary and commendable as the former; +the second part is to trust so much to their influences, as thereby to +foretell what commonwealths shall flourish or decay, what persons +shall be fortunate or unfortunate, what side shall win in any battle, +what man shall obtain victory at singular combat, what way and +of what age shall men die, what horse shall win at match running, +and diverse suchlike incredible things, wherein Cardanus, 1° Corne­ +lius Agrippa, and diverse others have more curiously than profitably +written at large. +Of this root last spoken of spring innumerable branches, such +as the knowledge by the nativities, I I the chiromancy, 12 geomancy, 13 +hydromancy, 14 arithmancy, 15 physiognomy, 1 6 and a thousand others, +which were much practiced and held in great reverence by the pa­ +gans of old. And this last part of astrology whereof I have spoken, +which is the root of their branches, was called by them pars fortu­ +nae. This part now is utterly unlawful to be trusted in, or practiced +amongst Christians, as leaning to no ground of natural reason, and +it is this part which I called before the Devil's school. + + +Philomathes +But yet many of the learned are of the contrary opinion. + + +Epistemon +I grant, yet I could give my reasons to fortify and maintain my opin­ +ion, if to enter into this disputation it would not draw me quite off +the ground of our discourse, besides the misspending of the whole +day thereupon. One word only I wi answer to them, and that in the +Scriptures (which must be an infallible ground to all true Christians), +that in the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1 0) it is plainly forbidden to +believe or harken unto them that prophesy and forespeak by the +course of the planets and stars. + + +76 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +NOTE S ON BOOK I, CH APTER IV + + +Note 1 : A freit is an omen, augury, charm, or magical practice, espe­ +cially done with a religious significance. The word has no modern +equivalent. It comes from the Old Norse frett, meaning "inquiry" +or "augury." + + +Note 2: In this place, James uses the term "forespoken" to mean 'be­ +witched." A forespoken goat is one that has had a curse muttered +over it. + +Note 3: Since the time of the ancient Greeks, witches were supposed +to possess the power of the evil eye. It was thought that merely +with their glance they could cause misfortune or even death. The +effect of the evil eye was more potent when it was cast slantwise, +out of the corner of the eye, by the witch, and when it met the +gaze of the victim. It was also thought to be more virulent when +the eye of the witch was bloodshot. + + +Note 4: By rune-tree (or in the original, "roun-tree"), James prob­ +ably meant a small wooden wand incised with magic symbols, +which may or may not have been actual runes. + + +Note 5: Spoken charms for stopping the flow of bloQd from a +wound were common, as was the application of the bloodstone +to the injured part. Bloodstone is a type of rock with red flecks in +it that resemble spots of blood, and because of this association it +was thought to have the power of staunching open wounds. + +Note 6: A - - - : riddle is a type of coarse-screened sieve used to separate -- . + +chaff from grain. Turning the riddle was a form of divination that +resembled somewhat the use of the dowsing wand. Two indi­ +viduals would support by the handles on the tips of their middle +fingers a large pair of shears. Between the opened blades of the +shears a sieve was held in such a way that it was free to revolve +under variations of pressure on its sides. The sieve moved in the +same way that the planchette of the Ouija board moves, through + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 77 + + +minute and unconscious forces exerted by the hands of the par­ +ticipants. Grillot de Givry gives an explanation of the method +by Pietro d'Abano, drawn from Agrippa's Opera omnia (Collected +Works): + +[T]he sieve is suspended by tongs or pincers which are sup­ + +ported by the middle fingers of two assistants. So may be dis­ + +covered, by the help of the demons, those who have commit­ + +ted a crime or theft or inflicted some wound. The conjuration + +consists of six words-understood neither by those who speak + +them nor by others-which are Dies, Mies, Juschet, Benedoefet, + +Dowima, and Enitemaus; once these are uttered they compel + +the demon to cause the sieve, suspended by its pincers, to turn + +the moment the name of the guilty person is pronounced (for + +all the suspected persons must be named), and thus the culprit + +is instantly known. (de Givry, Witchcraft, Magic and Alchemy, + +page 300) + + +Figure 2 + + +78 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +Note 7: Knot magic is a form of magic believed to be especially +favored by witches. An intention was spoken through a loop of +thread as the thread was drawn tight into a knot. The belief was +that the knot captured and held the intention so that it would not +fade away, but would endure and fulfill itself. Knot magic involved +tying significant numbers of knots, such as three, or seven, or +nine, and using specific colored threads, for different purposes. + + +Figure 3 + + +Note 8: The word "astronomy" is from the Greek astronomia (astron: +"star," nomos: "law"). + + +Note 9: The word "astrology" is from the Greek astrologia (astron: +"star," logia: "to speak"). + + +Note 10: Girolamo Cardano (1501-1576) was an Italian mathemati­ +cian, astrologer, and physician. He was educated at the universities +of Pavia and Padua, where he received a degree in medicine, but +was excluded from the College of Physicians in Milan due to his +illegitimate birth. He attained celebrity as both a mathematician +and as an astrologer through his published writings, and in 1 547 + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 79 + + +was appointed professor of medicine at Pavia. In 1 5 5 1 he traveled +to Scotland to act as the medical advisor to Archbishop Hamilton +of St. Andrews, who he successfully treated for asthma. He cast +the horoscopes of important figures of the day such as Edward VI +of England and Martin Luther. So antagonistic were his feelings +about Luther, Cardano deliberately changed the time of Luther's +birth in order to make his horoscope unfavorable. In later life +Cardano's fortunes declined. He was arrested for heresy in Italy, +a charge that was dropped at the intercession of his friends, but he +was prohibited from teaching or publishing thereafter. He is best +remembered for his autobiography De Vita Propria. + + +Note 1 1 : A nativity is the birth chart or horoscope used in astrology +to examine and prognosticate the life of an individual. + + +Note 12: Divination by reading the lines in the palm of the hand. + + +Note 1 3 : Geomancy is a method of divination by means of sixteen +geomantic figures. Each figure is made up of four rows, each row +containing either one dot or two dots. They are somewhat simi­ +lar to the figures of the Chinese method of divination known as +the I Ching, save that the I Ching hexagrams consist of six rows, +not four, and each row is composed of either a broken or solid +line, rather than two or one dots. Selection of the geomantic +figures to be included in a divination is accomplished by poking +random number of holes in lines along the ground with a stick, +then counting the number of holes in each line to see whether it +is even or odd. An even number produces a row in a geomantic +figure with two dots, an odd number a row with one dot. Sixteen +horizontal lines of holes are poked one above the other in the +ground, and when reduced to even or odd summation, yield four +geomantic figures to take part in the divination. It is this method +of deriving the figures from holes poked in the ground that is re­ +sponsible for the name "geomancy," which means "earth divina­ +tion" (geo: "earth," manteia: "divination"). There are other forms + + +So DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +of geomancy, but it is likely that James refers to divination by the +sixteen geomantic figures, which were quite popular in his time. + + +Note 14: Hydromancy is divination by water. The method james +probably had in mind was that thought to have been used by Nos­ +tradamus, which involves gazing into a basin of water in order to +see visions, in a way similar to crystal gazing. + + +Note 1 5 : Arithmancy is what we would today call numerology-div­ +ination by interpreting numerical values associated with the let­ +ters in a person's name. + +Note 1 6 : Physiognomy is divination by interpreting the lines and +other features in the face, and is similar in its general principles to +palmistry. + + +### CHA PTE R V + +ARGUMENT: +How far the using of charms is lawful or unlawful. The description +of the forms of circles and conjurations. And what causes the +magicians themselves to weary thereof + + +Philomathes +Well, you have said far enough in that argument. But how prove you +now that these charms or unnatural practices are unlawful? For so +many honest and merry men and women have publicly practiced +some of them, that I think if you would accuse them all of witch­ +craft, you would affirm more than you will be believed in. + + +Epistemon + +I see if you had taken good attention (to the nature of that word, +whereby I name it) you would not have been in this doubt, nor mis­ +take me, so far as you have done. For although, as none can be schol­ +ars in a school and not be subject to the master thereof, so none +can study and put in practice (for the study alone, and knowledge, is +more perilous than offensive; and it is the practice only that makes +the greatness of the offence) the circles and art of magic, without +committing a horrible defection from God. 1 And yet, as they that +read and learn their rudiments are not the more subject to any +school master, if it please not their parents to put them to the school +thereafter, so they who ignorantly prove these practices, which I call +the Devil's rudiments, unknowing them to be baits cast out by him + + +S r + + +82 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +for trapping such as God will permit to fall into his hands, this kind +of folk I say, no doubt, are to be judged the best of, in respect they +use no invocation nor help of him (by their knowledge at least) in +these turns, and so have never entered themselves into Satan's ser­ +vice. Yet to speak truly for my own part (I speak but for myself), I +desire not to make so near riding, for in my opinion our enemy is +over-crafty, and we over-weak (except the greater grace of God) to +assay such hazards where he presses to trap us. + + +Philomathes +You have reason indeed, for as the common proverb says: They that +sup kettle with the Devil have need of long spoons. But now I pray +you, go forward in the describing of this art of magic. + + +Epistemon +After they be come once unto this perfection in evil, in having any +knowledge (whether learned or unlearned) of this black art, they +then begin to be weary of the raising of their Master by conjured +circles, being both so difficult and perilous, and so come plainly to +contract with him, wherein is specially contained forms and effects. + + +Philomathes +But I pray you before ever you go further, discourse [with] me some­ +what of their circles and conjurations, and what should be the cause +of their wearying thereof, for it should seem that that form should +be less fearful yet, than the direct haunting and society with that foul +and unclean spirit. + + +Epistemon +I think you take me to be a witch myself, or at the least would fain +swear yourself apprentice to that craft. All ways, as I may, I shall +shortly satisfy you in that kind of conjurations which are contained +in such books which I call the Devil's school. There are four princi­ +pal parts: the persons of the conjurers, the action of conjuration, the +words and rites used to that effect, and the spirits that are conjured. + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 83 + + +You must first remember to lay the ground, that I told you be­ +fore; which is, that it is no power inherent in the circles, or in the +holiness of the names of God blasphemously used, nor in what­ +soever rites or ceremonies at that time used, that either can raise +any infernal spirit or yet limit him perforce within or without these +circles. For it is he only, the father of all lies, who having first of all +prescribed that form of doing, feigning himself to be commanded +and restrained thereby, will be loath to pass the bounds of these in­ +junctions; as well thereby to make them glory in the empiring over +him (as I said before), as likewise to make himself so to be trusted in +these little things, that he may have the better commodity thereafter, +to deceive them in the end with a trick once and for all, I mean the +everlasting perdition of their soul and body. +Then, laying this ground, as I have said, these conjurations must +have few or more in number of the persons, conjurers (always pass­ +ing the singular number)2 according to the quality of the circle, and +form of apparition. Two principal things cannot well in that errand +be wanted: holy water (whereby the Devil mocks the Papists) and +some present of a living thing unto him.3 There are likewise cer­ +tain seasons, days, and hours, that they observe in this purpose.4 +These things being all ready, and prepared, circles are made trian­ +gular, quadrangular, round, double, or single, according to the form +of apparition that they crave.5 But to speak of the diverse forms of +the circles, of the innumerable characters and crosses that are within +and without, and throughout the same, of the diverse forms of ap­ +paritions that that crafty spirit deludes them with, and of all such +particulars in that action, I remit it to overmany that have busied +their heads in describing of the same, as being but curious, and alto­ +gether unprofitable. +And this far only I touch, that when the conjured spirit appears, +which will not be until after many circumstances, long prayers, and +much muttering and murmuring of the conjurors, like a Papist +priest dispatching a hunting Mass; how soon, I say, he appears, if + + +84 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +they have missed one iota of all their rites, or if any of their feet +once slide over the circle through terror of his fearful apparition, he +pays himself at that time in his own hand, of that due debt which +they own him; and otherwise would have delayed longer to have +paid him.6 I mean he carries them with him body and soul. If this be +not now a just cause to make them weary of these forms of conju­ +ration, I leave it to you to judge upon; considering the longness of +the labor, the precise keeping of days and hours (as I have said), the +terribleness of apparition, and the present peril that they stand in, in +missing the least circumstance or freit that they ought to observe. +And on the other part, the Devil is glad to move them to a plain and +square dealing with him, as I said before. + + +NOTES ON BOOK I, CH APTER V + +Note 1 : This is an important point. Someone like Cornelius Agrippa +or John Dee could publicly proclaim themselves well versed in the +techniques of necromancy or natural magic, and could even pub­ +lish books on the subject, without placing themselves at risk of +legal prosecution, provided they could prove that they had never +put their knowledge into practice. A danger always existed for +those who studied magic that their friends or neighbors would +accuse them of actually working it. +When John Dee was accused of being a magician during the +reign of James the First, he was eager to force a trial so that he +could prove his innocence and regain his reputation. On June 5, +1 604, just four days before the witchcraft statute of James was +passed into law by the English Parliament, Dee sent James a pe­ +tition in which he demanded that the king should "cause your +Highnesse said servant to be tryed and cleared of that horrible +and damnable, and to him most grievous and dammageable +sclaunder, generally, and for these many yeares last past, in this +kingdom raysed and continued, by report and Print against him, + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 85 + + +namely that he is or hath bin a conjurer or caller or invocator of +divels" (Smith,john Dee: 1527-1608, page 293). +In 1 592 Dee had been called in print "the conjuror of the +Queen's Privy Council." This still rankled with Dee, but presum­ +ably more recent gossip had impelled his petition to James. Dee's +audacity is quite breathtaking, since his own records of the com­ +munications he had years before conducted with a hierarchy of +spirits identifying themselves as the angels who had instructed +Enoch in a system of heavenly magic were evidence enough to +have had him hanged a thousands times. However, Dee's hand­ +written transcripts of the angelic communications were kept +carefully hidden by Dee, and did not come to light until after his +death. +Dee's petition was ignored. It may be that James saw noth­ +ing to be gained by putting on public trial one of the favorites of +Queen Elizabeth. Dee lived out the last years of his life widely +regarded as a magician, which, indeed, he was, and thoroughly +detested by James, who remained convinced that the gossip +about Dee was true. James refused to give Dee any financial aid +when he was in dire need, and there is no question that he would +have liked nothing better than to have watched Dee hanged as a +witch. Perhaps he respected Dee's legal knowledge and oratorical +skills enough to suspect that an accusation of witchcraft might +fail against him, or perhaps Dee had a friend or two left. In any +event, no formal accusation was ever made against him. + + +Note 2: It is sometimes specified in the grimoires that the magician +should have an assistant or assistants, though there is no obvious +reason for this directive. + + +Note 3 : james meant the blood sacrifice of a beast. Animal sacri­ +fice is mentioned in some of the grimoires, either directly or in­ +directly. For example, in the most celebrated of all the grimoires, +the Key of Solomon, the directions concerning animal sacrifice +read: + + +86 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +In many operations it is necessary to make some sort of sac­ + +rifice unto the Demons, and in various ways. Sometimes white + +animals are sacrificed to the good Spirits, and black to the evil. + +Such sacrifices consist of the blood and sometimes of the flesh. + +They who sacrifice animals, or whatsoever kind they be, + +should select those which are virgin, as being more agreeable + +unto the Spirits, and rendering them more obedient. + +When blood is to be sacrificed it should be drawn also from + +virgin quadrupeds or birds, but before offering the oblation, say: + +May this Sacrifice which we find it proper to offer unto ye, + +noble and lofty Beings, be agreeable and pleasing unto your de­ + +sires; be ye ready to obey us, and ye shall receive greater ones. + +(Mathers, The Key of Solomon the King, page 1 19). + + +Note 4: This was known as the observation of times, and was ex­ +pressly forbidden in the Old Testament. In Leviticus is written: +"Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood; neither shall ye use +enchantment, nor observe times" (Leviticus 1 9:26). In Deuter­ +onomy we read: "There shall not be found among you any one +that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or +that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, +or a witch . . . . For these nations, which thou shalt possess, har­ +kened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, +the Lord thy God has not suffered thee to do so" (Deuteronomy +18:10, 14). Operations in ritual magic were believed only to be ef­ +fective when done under auspicious aspects of the stars and plan­ +ets, and in the hours dedicated to spirits helpful to the work. It +was generally held that if rituals were performed at the wrong +time, they would fail. + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 87 + + +Figure 4 + + +Note 5 : Evil spirits considered dangerous to deal with were called +forth to visible appearance into a triangle, while the magician and +his assistants stood within the protective circle, or circles. Beside +a picture of such a triangle, the text of the Goetia reads: "This is +the Form of the Magical Triangle, into the which Solomon did +command the Evil Spirits. It is to be made at 2 feet distance from +the Magical Circle and it is 3 feet across. Note that this triangle is +to be placed toward that quarter whereunto the Spirit belongeth. +And the base of the triangle is to be nearest unto the Circle, the +apex pointing in the direction of the quarter of the Spirit. Ob­ +serve thou also the Moon in thy working" (Mathers, Goetia, pages +71-72). The image in Mathers' book shows an equilateral triangle +with a circle inside it, the letters of the angelic name Michael writ­ +ten in its three points ("Mi-cha-el") . Outside and along its base is + + +88 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +written the word of power "Primeumaton," outside and along its +left side the word and outside and along its right +side the word "Tetragrammaton." +Although the triangle of evocation lies flat on the floor, it is to +be conceived as upright upon the air, and as actively revolving so +that it creates a vortex shaped like an inverted tornado. The spirit +is induced to come into being within the triangle through the +point at the apex of this vortex. These matters were not spelled +out in the texts of the grimoires, but were details transmitted +from teacher to student, as indeed they still are today. The refer­ +ence in the Goetia to observing the Moon in the working is an +example of the observation of times. The waning phase of the +Moon is most appropriate for the evocation of evil spirits. + + +Note 6: The fanciful tale is told of the student of Cornelius Agrippa +who, one day when his master was away from home, took out +Agrippa's book of conjuration and summoned a demon. The +demon demanded of the student why he had been summoned, +and when the terrified youth was too overcome with dread to +respond, the demon immediately killed him. Upon returning +home, Agrippa was confronted with his corpse, which the magi­ +cian was forced to spirit away by magic lest he be implicated in +the student's death. It need hardly be added that this story has +not one shred of truth in it. However, it does illustrate the belief +that to step outside the magic circle during evocation, or to make +an error in the words spoken or procedures enacted, was to risk +death at the hands of the thing called. This belief is still held by +many practitioners of high magic in modern times. + + +### CHA P T E R V I + +ARGUMENT : +The Devil's contract with the magicians. The division thereof in two +parts. What the dirence is between God's miracles and the Devil 's. + + +Philomathes +Indeed there is cause enough, but rather to leave him at all, than to +run more plainly to him, if they were wise he dealt with. But go for­ +ward now I pray you to these turns, until they become once deacons +in this craft. + + +Epistemon +From the time that they once plainly begin to contract with him, the +effect of their contract consists of two things; in forms and effects, as +I began to tell already, were it not you interrupted me (for although +the contract be mutual, I speak first of that part wherein the Devil +obliges himself to them). By forms, I mean in what shape or fashion +he shall come unto them, when they call upon him. And by effects, +I understand, in what special sorts of services he binds himself to be +subject unto them. +The quality of these forms and effects is less or greater, accord­ +ing to the skill and art of the magician. 1 For as to the forms, to some +of the baser sort of them he obliges himself to appear at their call­ +ing upon him, by such a proper name which he shows unto them, 2 +either in the likeness of a dog, a cat, an ape, or suchlike other beast; +or else to answer by a voice only. The effects are to answer to such + + +90 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +demands, as concerns curing of diseases, their own particular house­ +work, or such other base things as they require of him. +But to the most curious sort, in the forms he will oblige himself +to enter in a dead body, and there out of, to give such answers of +the event of battles, of matters concerning the estate of common­ +wealths, and such like other great questions;3 yea, to some he will be +a continual attender, in the form of a page;4 he will permit himself +to be conjured, for the space of so many years, either in a table5 or +a ring, 6 or suchlike thing, which they may easily carry about with +them. He gives them power to sell such wares to others, whereof +some will be dearer, and some better cheaper, according to the lying +or true speaking of the spirit that is conjured therein. +Not but that in very deed, all devils must be liars, but so they +abuse the simplicity of these wretches, that become their scholars, +that they make them believe that at the fall of Lucifer, some spir­ +its fell in the air, some in the fire, some in the water, some in the +land; in which elements they still remain. 7 Whereupon they build, +that such as fell in the fire, or in the air, are truer than they who fell +in the water or in the land; which is all but mere gossips, and forged +by the author of all deceit. For they fell not by weight, as a solid +substance, to stick in any one part; but the principal part of their fall, +consisting in quality, by the falling from the grace of God wherein +they were created, they continued still thereafter, and shall do until +the latter day, in wandering through the world, as God's hangmen, +to execute such turns as he employs them in. And when any of them +are not occupied in that, return they must to their prison in hell (as it +is plain in the miracle that Christ wrought at Gennesaret (Matthew +8)), therein at the latter day to be all enclosed forever. +And as they deceive their scholars in this, so do they in imprint­ +ing in them the opinion that there are so many princes, dukes, and +kings among them, every one commanding fewer or more legions, +and empiring in diverse arts, and quarters of the earth.8 For though +that I will not deny that there be a form of order among the angels + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 9I + + +in heaven, and consequently, was among them before their fall, yet + +either that they brook the same since then, or that God will permit +us to know by damned devils such heavenly mysteries of his, which +he would not reveal to us neither by Scripture nor prophets, I think +no Christian will once think it. But to the contrary, of all such mys­ +teries as he hath closed up with his seal of secrecy, it becomes us to +be contented with a humble ignorance, they being things not neces­ +sary for our salvation. +But to return to the purpose, as these forms wherein Satan +obliges himself to the greatest of the magicians are wonderful cu­ +rious, so are the effects correspondent unto the same. For he will +oblige himself to teach them arts and sciences, which he may easily +do, being so learned a knave as he is; to carry them news from any +part of the world, which the agility of a spirit may easily perform; +to reveal to them the secrets of any persons, so being they be once +spoken: for the thought, none knows but God, except so far as you +may guess by their countenance, as one who is doubtlessly learned +enough in the physiognomy. Yea, he will make his scholars to creep +in credit with princes, by foretelling them many great things, part +true, part false, for if all were false he would lose credit at all hands; +but always doubtsome, as his oracles were. For no man doubts but +he is a thief, and his agility (as I spoke before) makes him to come + +[with] such speed. +Likewise, he will guard his scholars with fair armies of horsemen +and footmen in appearance, castles and forts: which are all but impres­ +sions in the air, easily gathered by a spirit drawing so near to that sub­ +stance himself. As in like manner he will learn them many jugglery9 +tricks at cards, dice, and suchlike, to deceive men's senses thereby; and +in such innumerable false practices, which are proven by overmany +in this age, as they who are acquainted with that Italian called Scoto, +yet living, can report. And yet are all these things but deluding of +the senses, and nowise true in substance, as were the false miracles +wrought by King Pharaoh's magicians, for counterfeiting Moses's. For + + +92 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +this is the difference between God's miracles and the Devil's: God is +a creator, what he makes appear in miracle, it is so in effect, as Mo­ +ses's rod being cast down, was no doubt turned into a natural serpent; +whereas the Devil (as God's ape) counterfeiting that by his magicians, +made their wands to appear so, only to men's outward senses, as +shown in effect by their being devoured by the other. For it is no won­ +der that the Devil may delude our senses, since we see by common +proof, that simple jugglers will make a hundred things seem both to +our eyes and ears otherwise than they are. +Now as to the magician's part of the contract, it is in a word that +thing which, I said before, the Devil hunts for in all men. + + +Philomathes + +Surely you have said much to me in this art, if all that you have said +be as true as wonderful. + + +Epistemon +For the truth in these actions, it will be easily confirmed to any that +pleases to take pains upon the reading of diverse authentic histo­ +ries, and the inquiring of daily experiences. And as for the truth of +their possibility, that they may be, and in what manner, I trust I have +alleged nothing whereunto I have not joined such probable reasons, +as I leave to your discretion, to weigh and consider. One word only +I omitted, concerning the form of making of this contract, which is +either written with the magician's own blood, 10 or else being agreed +upon (in terms) his school master touches him in some part, though +1 1 +peradventure no mark remains, as it does with all witches. + + +NOTE S T O BOOK I, CH APTER VI + +Note 1 : Spirits of greater power and authority assume shapes that +are more refined and complex, whereas spirits of lesser power +take on the shapes of simpler and lower forms of life. For ex­ +ample, in the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy the particular forms +of the spirits of Saturday are listed as a bearded king riding on + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 93 + + +a dragon, an old man with a beard, an old woman leaning on a +staff, a hog, a dragon, an owl, a black garment, a hook or sickle, +and a juniper tree (Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, page 43). The +more skilled the magician, the more potent the spirits he is able +to summon and employ, and the more refined and complete their +manifestation. +Francis Barrett commented in a footnote concerning the +forms of the spirits of Saturday: "Those spirits who appear in a +kingly form have a much higher dignity than them who take an +inferior shape; and those who appear in a human shape, exceed +in authority and power them that come as animals; and again, +these latter surpass in dignity them who appear as trees or in­ +struments, and the like: so that you are to judge of the power, +government, and authority of spirits by their assuming a more +noble and dignified apparition" (Barrett, The Magus, Bk II, Part +III, page 1 27). + + +Figure 5 + + +94 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +Note 2: The first act of a magician after making contact with a spirit +is to demand of the spirit its true name, by which it may be sum­ +moned and controlled. Lower spirits are reluctant to divulge their +names, but may be compelled to do so by the authority of the +names of God or the names of the angels that rule over them. +This is why the purity of the magician is so often stressed in the +grimoires. In order to use a name of God or a name of an angel +to command a lower spirit that has been evoked, it is necessary +for the magician to invoke that aspect of God, or that angel, into +himself, so that he becomes the vessel of God or the angel. Only +then can he speak with the power and authority of the holy name +to command the lower spirit to reveal its true identity. Once the +name of the lower spirit is known, it can be effectively used to +command the spirit to appear and do whatever work the magi­ +cian requires of it. + + +Note 3: This is the primary activity of necromancy. john Dee's crys­ +tal scryer, the alchemist Edward Kelley, is reputed to have exhumed +the corpse of a pauper from his grave in the churchyard of Wal­ +ton-le-Dale, near Preston in Lancashire, with the help of a friend +named Peter Waring. This was done at the request of a young man +of wealth and social position, who wished Kelley to animate the +corpse with necromantic magic and compel it to reveal the young +man's term of life and future prospects. The success or failure of +the effort has not been recorded, but in my opinion the story itself +is very likely true. This instance of graverobbing took place before +Kelley entered into Dee's employ, and it is probable that Dee never +knew anything about it. Contrary to some reports, Dee was not +present at the time, since he and Kelley had yet to meet. Dee met +Kelley in the spring of 1 582. Kelley's experiment in necromancy +may have occurred around 1 580. Under the witchcraft statute of +Elizabeth in force at the time, he would not have been subject to +the death penalty for his crime, only a year in prison for a first of­ +fense, but under the statute of 1604 brought in by James he would + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 95 + + +theoretically have faced hanging, although in actuality no one was +ever executed in England solely for digging up a corpse and using it +in works of magic. + +Note 4: The Devil was supposed to appoint a demon to act as a fa­ +miliar to a magician with whom he had signed a pact. The most +famous example is that of Mephistopheles, the familiar serving +demon of the magician Faust. The relationship between Faust +and his familiar is examined in the play The Tragical History of Doc­ +tor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, and the play Faust by Johann +Wolfgang von Goethe. + + +Note 5 : The summoning of spirits into tables played a key part in +the spiritualist movement of the nineteenth century. Spirits of the +dead were supposed to enter into the table around which the me­ +dium and her clients were seated, then to respond to questions ei­ +ther with a series of raps from within the table, or by moving, lift­ +ing, or tipping the table so that its legs banged alternately against +the floor. + + +Note 6: Magicians commonly possessed rings containing familiar +spirits. For example, the Greek sage Apollonius of Tyana was +presented as a gift a set of seven rings containing spirits by the +leader of the Brahmans of India. His biographer Philostratus +wrote: "And Damis says that Iarchas gave seven rings to Apollo­ +nius named after the seven stars, and that Apollonius wore each +of these in turn on the day of the week which bore its name" +(Philostratus, Life of Apollonius, Bk III, Ch. XLI). A ring has the +advantage of being always on the person of the magician, allow­ +ing instant access to the familiar spirit when its services may be +required. + + +Note 7: James refers to the elemental spirits of Paracelsus, the Sala­ +manders of Fire, the Sylphs of Air, the Undines of Water, and the +Gnomes of Earth. Since the elements Fire and Air tend to rise +upward, their spirits might be considered more spiritual, but since + + +96 DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +Water and Earth tend to fall downward, their spirits might be +viewed as more earthy. The notion that spirits are divided into the +elements is quite old. It occurs in the Key of Solomon, but in a less +orderly form than that established by Paracelsus: + + +For when thou shalt have conjured any Spirits in any art or + +experiment, they will not come when the air is troubled or agi­ + +tated by winds, seeing that Spirits have neither flesh nor bones, + +and are created of different substances. + +Some are created from Water. + +Others from Wind, unto which they are like. + +Some from Earth. + +Some from Clouds. + + +Others from Solar Vapours. + + +Others from the keenness and strength of Fire; and when + +they are invoked or summoned, they come always with great + +noise, and with the terrible nature of fire. (Mathers, Key of Solo­ + +mon the King, page 82). + + +Note 8: The seventy-two infernal demons of the Goetia are each +given a rank and a certain number of legions of spirits under their +command. For example, the demon Foras is called a mighty Presi­ +dent, and said to rule twenty-nine legions of spirits; Asmoday is +said to be a great King, and to rule seventy-two legions. These +seventy-two demons are in turn ruled by four demon kings, each +presiding over one of the four quarters of the world: Amaymon +rules the east, Corson the west, Zimimay the north, Goap the +south (Mathers, The Goetia, page 67). + + +Note 9: jugglery was what we would today call stage magic, or +slight of hand. + + +Note 10: Written pacts signed by magicians and various demons ac­ +tually exist. For example, one of the contracts found in the pos­ +session of Urbain Grandier, the priest of Loudoun, was written in +blood, presumably his own, and reads in French: + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 97 + + +My Lord and Master, I own you for my God; I promise to + +serve you while I live, and from this hour I renounce all other + +gods and jesus Christ and Mary and all the Saints of Heaven + +and the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, and all the + +goodwill thereof and the prayers which might be made for me. + +I promise to adore you and do you homage at least three times + +a day and to do the most evil that I can and to lead into evil as + +many persons as shall be possible to me, and heartily I renounce + +the Chrism, Baptism, and all the merits of jesus Christ; and, in + +case I should desire to change, I give you my body and soul, and + +my life as holding it from you, having dedicated it for ever with­ + +out any will to repent. Signed Urbain Grandier in his blood. (de + +Givry, Witchcraft, Magic and Alchemy, pages 1 1 8-1 19). + + +Grandier was accused by the nuns at the Ursuline convent at +Loudun of causing them to become possessed by demons. He +was tortured by Capuchin monks, but refused to confess, and +was burned alive on August 1 8, 1634, "together with all compacts +and magical apparatus used by him" (Robbins, Encyclopedia of +Witchcraft and Demonology, page 3 1 5). Apparently some of his de­ +monic contracts escaped the fire. Another document of Urbain +Grandier is written in mirror script, and shows the highly distinc­ +tive signatures of six demons: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan, Elimi, +Leviathan, and Astaroth. Each signature is completely different +in style from all the others. Leviathan used a particularly heavy +hand with his pen, which is perhaps to be expected (Seligmann, +The History of Magic, page 242). + + +Note 1 1 : Because the mark of the pact supposed to be impressed on +magicians was not visible, they were not subject to pricking, as +were witches. + + +### CHA PTER V I I + +ARGUMENT : +The reason why the art of magic is unlawfUl. +What punishment it merits, and who may be accounted +guilty of that crime. + + +Philomathes +Surely you have made this art to appear very monstrous and detest­ +able. But what, I pray you, shall be said to such as maintain this art +to be lawful, for as evil as you have made it? + + +Epistemon + +I say they savor of the pan themselves, or at least little better; and yet + +I would be glad to hear their reasons. + + +Philomathes +There are two principally, that ever I heard used, beside that which +is founded upon the common proverb (that the necromancers +command the Devil, which you have already refuted). The one is +grounded upon a received custom, the other upon an authority +which some think infallible. Upon custom, we see that diverse Chris­ +tian princes and magistrates, severe punishers of witches, will not +only overlook magicians living within their dominions, but even +sometimes delight to see them prove some of their practices. The +other reason is, that Moses being brought up (as it is expressly said +in the Scriptures) in all the sciences of the Egyptians, 1 whereof no + + +99 + + +IOO DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK + + +doubt this was one of the principals, and he not withstanding of this +art, pleasing God, as he did, consequently that art professed by so +godly a man could not be unlawful. + + +Epistemon +As to the first of your reasons, grounded upon custom, I say, an +evil custom can never be accepted for a good law, for the over-great +ignorance of the word in some princes and magistrates, and the +contempt thereof in others, moves them to sin heavily against their +office in that point. As to the other reason, which seems to be of +greater weight, if it were formed in a syllogism, it behooves to be in +many terms and full of fallacies (to speak in terms of logic). +For first, that that general proposition affirming Moses to be +taught in all the sciences of the Egyptians, should [give cause to] +conclude that he was taught in magic, I see no necessity. For we +must understand that the spirit of God there, speaking of sciences, +understands them that are lawful; for except they be lawful, they are +but abusively called sciences, and are but ignorances indeed: nam +homo pictus, non est homo.2 +Secondly, giving that he had been taught in it, there is great dif­ +ference between knowledge and practicing of a thing (as I said be­ +fore), for God knows all things, being always good; and of our sin +and our infirmity proceeds our ignorance. +Thirdly, giving that he had both studied and practiced the same +(which is no less than monstrous to be believed by any Christian), yet +we know well enough that before that ever the spirit of God began +to call Moses, he was fled out of Egypt, being forty years of age, +due to the slaughter of an Egyptian; and in his good father Jethro's +land, first called at the fiery bush, having remained there another +forty years in exile: so that suppose he had been the wickedest man +in the world before, he then became a changed and regenerate man, +and very little of the old Moses remained in him. Abraham was an +idolater in Ur of the Chaldeans before he was called, and Paul, being + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE FIRST BOOK 101 + + +called Saul, was a most sharp persecutor of the saints of God, before +that name was changed. + + +Philomathes +What punishment then think you merits these magicians and necro­ +mancers? + + +Epistemon +The like, no doubt, that sorcerers and witches merit; and rather so +much greater, as their error proceeds of the greater knowledge, and +so draws nearer to the sin against the Holy Ghost.3 And as I say of +them, so say I the like of all such as consult, enquire, entertain, and +oversee them, which is seen by the miserable ends of many that ask +counsel of them: for the Devil has never better tidings to tell of any, +than he told to Saul; neither is it lawful to use so unlawful instru­ +ments, were it never for so good a purpose, for that axiom in theol­ +ogy is most certain and infallible: nunquam faciendum est malum ut +bonum inde eveniat 4 [marginal gloss: Ast 3.]. + + +NOTE S TO BOOK I, CH APTER VII + + +Note 1 : Acts 7:22, which reads, "And Moses was learned in all the +wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds." + + +Note 2: "For man embellished is not man." + + +Note 3 : The point made by James is that magicians and necroman­ +cers, being better educated than sorcerers and witches, are more +likely to commit the second branch of the sin against the Holy +Ghost defined in Chapter II: a falling back from the whole service +of God and a refusal of all his precepts, with full knowledge that +it is a sin. + + +Note 4: "Evil is never to be done so that therefrom good will hap­ +pen." This popular saying had its origin in Romans 3 :8. + + +### TH E S E CON D B O OK + +ARGUMENT : +The description of sorcery and witchcraft in particular. + + +### CHA P T E R I + +ARGUMENT : +Proved by the Scripture, that such a thing can be. And the reasons +refuted of all such as would call it but an imagination +and melancholy humor. + + +Philomathes +Now, since you have satisfied me now so fully concerning magic or +necromancy, I will pray you to do the like in sorcery or witchcraft. + + +Epistemon +That field is likewise very large; and although in the mouths and +pens of many, yet few know the truth thereof so well as they believe +themselves, as I shall so briefly as I can make you (God willing) as +easily to perceive. + + +Philomathes +But I pray you before you go further, let me interrupt you here with +a short digression, which is, that many can scarcely believe that there +is such a thing as witchcraft. Whose reasons I will briefly allege unto +you, that you may satisfy me as well in that as you have done in the +rest. +For first, whereas the Scripture seems to prove witchcraft to be, +by diverse examples, and specially by sundry of the same which you +have alleged, it is thought by some that these places speak of magi­ +cians and necromancers only, and not of witches. As in special, these + + +105 + + +I06 DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK + + +wise men of Pharaoh's that counterfeited Moses's miracles were +magicians, say they, and not witches; as likewise that Pythoness that +Saul consulted with; and so was Simon Magus in the New Testa­ +ment, as that very styling imports.1 +Secondly, where you would oppose the daily practice and confes­ +sion of so many, that is thought likewise to be but very melancholy +imaginations of simple raving creatures. +Thirdly, if witches have such power of witching of folks to death +(as they say they have), there had been none left alive long since in +the world but they; at least, no good or godly person of whatsoever +estate could have escaped their devilry. + + +Epistemon +Your three reasons, as I take, are grounded the first of them upon +Scripture; the second affirmative upon physic; and the third upon +the certain proof of existence. +As to your first, it is most true, indeed, that all these wise men +of Pharaoh were magicians of art; as likewise it appears well that +the Pythoness with whom Saul consulted was of that same profes­ +sion; and so was Simon Magus. But you omitted to speak of the law +of God wherein are all magicians, diviners, enchanters, sorcerers, +witches, and whatsoever of that kind that consult with the Devil, +plainly prohibited, and alike threatened against. 2 And besides that, +she who had the spirit of the Python in the Acts, whose spirit was +put to silence by the apostle (Acts 1 6), could be no other thing but +a very sorcerer or witch, if you admit the vulgar distinction to be in +a manner true, whereof I spoke in the beginning of our conference. +For that spirit whereby she acquired such gain to her master was not +at her raising or commanding, as she pleased to appoint, but spoke +by her tongue, as well publicly as privately; whereby she seemed to +draw nearer to the sort of demoniacs or possessed, if that conjunc­ +tion between them had not been of her own consent, as it appeared +by her not being tormented therewith, and by her acquiring of such +gain to her masters (as I have already said).3 + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK !07 + + +As to your second reason, grounded upon physic, in attributing +their confessions of apprehensions to a natural melancholic humor, +any that please medically to consider upon the natural humor of +melancholy, according to all the physicians that ever wrote there­ +upon, they shall find that that will be over-short a cloak to cover +their knavery with. For as the humor of melancholy in the self is +black, heavy, and earthy, so are the symptoms thereof, in any persons +that are subject thereunto, leanness, paleness, desire of solitude, and +if they come to the highest degree thereof, mere folly and mania. +Whereas, by the contrary, a great number of them that ever have +been convicted or confessors of witchcraft, as may be presently seen +by many that have at this time confessed, they are by the contrary, I +say, some of them rich and worldly wise, some of them fat or cor­ +pulent in their bodies, and most part of them altogether given over +to the pleasures of the flesh, continual haunting of company, and +all kinds of merriness, both lawful and unlawful, which are things +directly contrary to the symptoms of melancholy whereof I spoke.4 +And further experience daily proves how loath they are to confess +without torture, which witnesses their guiltiness; whereby the con­ +trary, the melancholies, never spare to betray themselves by their +continual discourses, feeding thereby their humor in that which they +think no crime. +As to your third reason, it scarcely merits an answer. For if the +Devil, their master, were not bridled, as the Scriptures teach us, sup­ +pose there were no men nor women to be his instruments, he could +find ways enough without any help of others to wreck all mankind; +whereunto he employs his whole study, and goes about like a roar­ +ing lion (as Peter says) to that effect (I Peter 5). But the limits of his +power were set down before the foundations of the world were laid, +which he hath not power in the least jot to transgress. +But beside all this, there is overgreat a certainty to prove that +they are [witches], by the daily experience of the harms that they +do, both to men and whatsoever thing men possess, whom God will + + +108 DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK + + +permit them to be the instruments so to trouble or visit, as in my +discourse of that art you shall hear clearly proved. + + +NOTE S TO BOOK II, CH APTER I + + +Note 1 : Refer to Acts 8:9-24. The name "Simon Magus" might be +translated "Simon the Magician," since magus is a Persian word +that signifies "magician." lrenaeus described a pre-Gnostic sect +called the Simonians that supposedly traced its beginning to the +teachings of Simon Magus. Simon was denounced by the Church +fathers as the founder of Gnosticism, the source of all Gnostic +doctrines, and the father of all heresy (Barnstone, The Other Bible, +page 603). Saint Clement of Alexandria related the fable that +when Simon was acting as court magician to Nero at Rome, Saint +Peter went to confront him. To demonstrate his power, Simon +flew out a window, whereupon Peter muttered a fervent prayer, +and Simon dropped to the ground, breaking both his legs, and +shortly thereafter died of his injuries. +If the story has any truth, it might be speculated that Simon +was a stage magician, that he flew out the window on wires, and +that while suspended high above the ground, something mal­ +functioned with his apparatus. It is difficult to see how the prayer +spoken by Paul at the time differs in any significant way in its in­ +tention from the malevolent forespeaking of a sorcerer resulting +in death, so strongly condemned by James. + + +Note 2: The condemnation in Deuteronomy 1 8 : 1 0-1 1 against all +forms of occult practice is quite sweeping, and reads a bit like the +all-inclusive language of James's own witchcraft statute of 1 604. +Prohibited are those who use divination, those who observe times +(astrologers), enchanters, witches, charmers, consulters with fa­ +miliar spirits, wizards, and necromancers. + + +Note 3: This passage is a bit convoluted, but what James is saying +is that the woman who was possessed by a spirit of divination + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK I09 + + +(Acts 16: 16-1 8) cannot be called a magician by the vulgar defini­ +tion of his day-that is, one who commands the Devil-because +she did not control the spirit that was using her voice. It might +be assumed that she was merely possessed, something that was +believed to happen to many innocent individuals, were it not that +her prophecies brought great profit to her masters, and were it +not that she obviously had consented to act as host for the spirit. +The implied conclusion of James is that the spirit was her familiar. + +Note 4: Ancient medicine recognized four humors, or subtle fluids, +flowing through the body. These humors took their prevailing +nature from the elements with which they corresponded. Choler +was hot and dry, like the element Fire. The humor of blood was +moist and hot, like Air. Phlegm was cold and moist, like Water. +Melancholy was dry and cold, like Earth. +When the humors of the body were in balance, the result was +physical and mental health. An imbalance of the humors resulted +in disease. The primary pursuit of physicians was to restore the +balance of the humors-hence, the practice of bleeding, which +was designed to allow a superabundant humor to flow out of the +body and restore a natural equipoise between the four. Imbal­ +ance in the humors not only produced sickness but eccentric and +socially unacceptable behavior, and served as a source of amuse­ +ment for the English playwrights of the late sixteenth century, +as the titles of the comic plays by Ben Jonson, Every Man in his +Humour (1 598) and Every Man out of his Humour (1 599), suggest. +Shakespeare made extensive use of the theory of humors in the +exaggeration of his characters, as did other Elizabethan and jaco­ +bean playwrights such as Marlowe and Webster. +An ordinary excess of the cold and dry humor of melancholy +results in what we call depression. It makes us sour, withdrawn, +sullen, brooding, sluggish, and sad. However, there is another type +of melancholy, sometimes called heroic melancholy, that creates a +kind of frantic intensity in the mind, giving rise to unrealistic + + +IIO DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK + + +ambitions, fantastic visions, irrational plans, cynical but brilliant +witticisms, intense periods of creativity, inspirations, emotional +outbursts, persistent delusions, and obsessions. Heroic melancholy +is what we might call manic depression . James referred to this sec­ +ond type of melancholy as the "highest degree thereof." +James was correct in asserting that witchcraft, as it is de­ +scribed in the testimonies of accused witches, does not corre­ +spond with common melancholy. Witches frequently testified +that they gathered together, sang, danced, drank, made love, and +otherwise enjoyed themselves in a manner quite out of keeping +with the low form of melancholy, which results in withdrawal +from society and inertia of mind and body. Whether witchcraft +corresponds with heroic melancholy is a more interesting matter +to consider. Some accused witches exhibited delusions of gran­ +deur, related wild and unrealistic plans, and reported fantastic vi­ +sions that are in harmony with the higher form of melancholy. +However, since not all witches were the same, there is no reason +to suppose that they all suffered from the same affliction. A mi­ +nority of them probably could be classed as melancholies of the +highest degree, but the majority does not appear to have shown +any signs of melancholy humor, either of the common or the +extreme kind. + + +### CHA P T E R I I + +ARGUMENT: +The etymology and signification of that word, sorcery. +The first entrance and apprenticeship of them that give +themselves to that craft. + + +Philomathes +Come on then, I pray you, and return where you left. + + +Epistemon +This word of sorcery is a Latin word, which is taken from casting +of the lot, and therefore he that uses it is called sortiarius, a sorte.1 +As to the word witchcraft, it is nothing but a proper name given in +our language.2 The cause wherefore they were called sortiarii pro­ +ceeded of their practices seeming to come of lot or chance: such +as the turning of the riddle, the knowing of the form of prayers or +such like tokens, if a person diseased would live or die. And in gen­ +eral, that name was given them for using of such charms and freits +as that craft teaches them. Many points of their craft and practices +are common between the magicians and them; for they serve both +one master, although in diverse fashions. +And as I divided the necromancers into two sorts, learned and +unlearned, so must I divide them in another two: rich and of bet­ +ter account, poor and of baser degree. These two degrees now of +persons that practice this craft answer to the passions in them, which +(I told you before) the Devil used as means to entice them to his + + +I I I + + +112 DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK + + +service. For such of them as are in great misery and poverty, he al­ +lures to follow him by promising unto them great riches and worldly +commodity. Such as, though rich, yet burn in desperate desire of re­ +venge, he allures them by promises to get their turn satisfied to their +heart's contentment. +It is to be noted now, that that old and crafty Enemy of ours as­ +sails none, though touched with any of these two extremes, except +he first find an entrance ready for him, either by the great ignorance +of the person he deals with, joined with an evil life, or else by their +carelessness and contempt of God. And finding them in utter de­ +spair from one of these two former causes that I have spoken of, he +prepares the way by feeding them craftily in their humor, and filling +them further and further with despair, until he finds the time proper +to reveal himself unto them. At which time, either upon their walk­ +ing solitary in the fields, or else lying brooding in their bed, but al­ +ways without the company of any other, he either by a voice or in +likeness of a man, inquires of them what troubles them; and prom­ +ises them a sudden and certain way of remedy upon condition on +the other part that they follow his advice, and do such things as he +will require of them. +Their minds being prepared beforehand, as I have already spoken, +they easily agree unto that demand of his, and soon set another tryst +where they may meet again. At which time, before he proceeds any +further with them, he first persuades them to addict themselves to his +service; which being easily obtained, he then reveals what he is unto +them, makes them renounce their God and baptism directly, and gives +them his mark upon some secret place of their body, which remains +sore unhealed until his next meeting with them, and thereafter ever +insensible, howsoever it be nipped or pricked in any way, as is daily +proved; to give them a proof thereby, that as in that doing he could +hurt and heal them, so all their ill and well doings thereafter must de­ +pend upon him. And besides that, the intolerable distress that they feel +in that place where he has marked them serves to waken them, and +not to let them rest until their next meeting again; fearing lest other + +DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK II3 + + +wise they might either forget him, being as new apprentices and not + +well enough founded yet in that fiendly folly: or else, remembering of + +that horrible promise they made him at their last meeting, they might + +balk at the same, and press to call it back. + +At their third meeting he makes a show to be careful to perform + +his promises, either by teaching them ways how to get themselves + +revenged, if they be of that sort, or else by teaching them lessons + +how, by most vile and unlawful means, they may obtain gain and + +worldly commodity, if they be of the other sort. + + +NOTES ON BOOK II, CHAPTER II + + +Note 1 : The word "sorcerer" is from the Latin sortiarius, "one who + +casts a lot" (sortis). + + +Note 2: James was mistaken about the word "witchcraft," but his + +error is understandable, in view of the difficulty we still have + +today in determining the origins of the word "witch." In Anglo­ + +Saxon, wicca is the term for a male witch, wicce for a female witch, +and wiccian for the verb "to witch or bewitch." Webster's Dictionary + +traces these forms back to the Indo-European root weiq, meaning + + +Figure 6 + + +II4 DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK + + +"violent strength." Skeat states that wicca is a corruption of the An­ +glo-Saxon witga, "prophet, soothsayer, or wizard." The word witga, +originally a seer, is from witan, "to see," and is allied to the Anglo­ +Saxon word witan, "to know" (Skeat, An Etymological Dictionary of +the English Language, page 714). If Skeat is correct, the word "witch" +signifies "someone who is knowing or wise," and witchcraft is the +craft of the wise. + + +### CHA PTER III + +ARGUMENT: +The witches' actions divided into two parts: the actions proper to +their own persons, their actions towards others. The form of their +conventions, and adoring of their master. + + +Philomathes +You have said now enough of their initiating into that order. It +remains then that you discourse upon their practices, before they be +passed apprentices: for I would fain hear what is possible to them to +perform in very deed. + + +Epistemon1 +Although they serve a common master with the necromancers (as +I have before said), yet serve they him in another form. For as the +means are diverse which allure them to these unlawful arts of serv­ +ing of the Devil, so by diverse ways use they their practices, answer­ +ing to these means which first the Devil used as instruments in +them; though all tending to one end, to wit, the enlarging of Satan's +tyranny, and crossing of the propagation of the Kingdom of Christ, +so far as lies in the possibility, either of the one or other sort, or of +the Devil their master. +For where the magicians, as allured by curiosity, in the most part +of their practices seek principally the satisfYing of the same, and to +win to themselves a popular honor and estimation, these witches on +the other part, being enticed either for the desire of revenge, or of + + +115 + + +II6 DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK + + +worldly riches, their whole practice is either to hurt men and their +goods, or what they possess, for satisfying of their cruel minds in the +former; or else by the wreck, in whatsoever sort, of any whom God +will permit them to have power of, to satisfy their greedy desire in +the last point. +In two parts their actions may be divided: the actions of their +own persons, and the actions proceeding from them towards any +other. And this division being well understood, will easily resolve + +[for] you what is possible to them to do. For although all that they +confess is no lie upon their part, yet doubtlessly, in my opinion, a +part of it is not indeed according as they take it to be: and in this I +mean by the actions of their own persons. For as I said before, speak­ +ing of magic, that the Devil deludes the senses of these scholars of +his in many things, so say I the like of these witches. + + +Philomathes +Then I pray you, first to speak of that part of their own persons, and +then you may come next to their actions toward others. + + +Epistemon +To the effect that they may perform such services of their false mas­ +ter as he employs them in, the Devil as God's ape counterfeits in +his servants this service and form of adoration, that God prescribed +and made his servants to practice. For as the servants of God pub­ +licly convene for serving of him, so makes him them in great num­ +bers to convene (though publicly they dare not) for his service. As +none convenes to the adoration and worshipping of God except +they be marked with his seal, the sacrament of baptism, so none +serves Satan and convenes to the adoring of him that are not marked +with that mark, whereof I already spoke. As the minister sent by +God teaches plainly at the time of their public conventions how to +serve him in spirit and truth, so that unclean spirit, in his own per­ +son teaches his disciples at the time of their convening how to work +all kinds of mischief; and craves accounting of all their horrible and + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK 1 17 + + +detestable proceeding past, for advancement of his service. Yea, that + +he may the more vilely counterfeit and scorn God, he often times +makes his slaves to convene in these very places which are destined +and ordained for the convening of the servants of God (I mean by +churches). +But this far, which I have yet said, I not only take it to be true in +their opinions, but even so to be in deed. For the form that he used +in counterfeiting God among the pagans makes me so to think: as +God spoke by his oracles, spoke he not so by his? As God had as well +bloody sacrifices, as others without blood, had not he the like? As +God had churches sanctified to his service, with altars, priests, sacri­ +fices, ceremonies, and prayers, had he not the like polluted to his ser­ +vice? As God gave responses by Urim and Thummim,2 gave he not +his responses by the entrails of beasts,3 by the singing of fowls, and +by their actions in the air?4 As God by visions, dreams, and ecstasies +revealed what was to come, and what was his will unto his servants, +used he not the like means to forewarn his slaves of things to come? +Yea, even as God loved cleanness, hated vice and impurity, and ap­ +pointed punishments therefore, used he not the like (though falsely +I grant, and but in eschewing the less inconvenient to drew them +upon a greater); yet dissembled he not, I say, so far as to appoint +his priests to keep their bodies clean and undefiled5 before their ask­ +ing responses of him? And feigned he not God, to be a protector of +every virtue, and a just revenger of the contrary? +This reason then moves me, that as he is that same Devil, and +as crafty now as he was then, so will he not spare openly in these +actions that I have spoken of concerning the witches' persons. But +further, witches oftentimes confess not only his convening in the +church with them, but his occupying of the pulpit; yea, their form +of adoration, to be the kissing of his hinder parts.6 Which, though +it seem ridiculous, yet may it likewise be true, seeing we read that +in Calicut/ he appearing in form of a goat-buck, had publicly that +dishonest homage done unto him by every one of the people. So + + +II8 DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK + + +ambitious is he, and greedy of honor (which procured his Fall) that +he will even imitate God in that part, where it is said that Moses +could see but the hinder parts of God, for the brightness of his glory +(Exodus 33); and yet that speech is spoken but anthropopathically.8 + + +NOTES TO BOOK II, CH APTER III + + +Note 1 : The text of the two paragraphs that follow is in the original +work attributed to Philomathes. This is an obvious error. I have +returned this section of text to Epistemon. + +Note 2: Urim and Thummim were two mysterious objects carried +by the high priest of Israel within the sacred breastplate bear­ + +ing the twelve stones of the tribes (see Leviticus 8:8). They were + +used as an instrument of divination on important matters. When +Joshua was publicly chosen to succeed Moses as leader of Israel, +he was confirmed by the oracle of Urim (Numbers 27:2 1). The +Hebrew word AVRIM means "lights"; the word ThMIM means +"truth." Both are plural forms. Philo Judaeus believed these ob­ +jects were two small images, the first representing revelation and +the second truth. However, the biblical commentator Rashi states +unequivocally that they were "the writing of the Divine Name," +that is, the four Hebrew letters of Tetragrammaton. + +In my book Tetragrammaton I speculate that the oracle con­ +sisted of two disks, one of gold (Urim) and the other of silver +(Thummim). I believe they represented the Sun and the Moon, +and each was engraved with two of the letters of the Divine +Name, a single letter on each side of the two disks (Tyson, Tetra­ +grammaton, pages 82-86). The manner of using the oracle is not +known, but one of the disks may have indicated a yes and the +other a no, when blindly drawn from within the breastplate; or +the letters may have been used to spell out one of the twelve pos­ +sible permutations of the letters of the Name, corresponding to +the twelve tribes of Israel. + + +DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK 1 19 + + +Note 3 : Divination by the inspection of the still-warm entrails of + +a sacrificed beast was the method favored by the Etruscans, and + +was later adopted by the Romans as their preferred method of of­ + +ficial divination. The Romans employed Etruscan priests to inter­ + +pret the oracle . The appearance of the liver was critical. A healthy + +liver was a good sign, but a liver that was discolored, misshaped, + +or diseased portended disaster. + +Note 4: The Romans placed great reliance on prognostication by the + +flight of birds. Of chief importance was the direction of their pas­ + +sage, but they also took note of the manner of their flight and + +their number, and of the species of the birds involved. The eagle + +was thought to give important oracles, since it was one of the pri­ + +mary symbols of the Roman state. + + +Figure 7 + + +!20 DEMONOLOGY: THE SECOND BOOK + + +Note 5: Many of the pagan priestly casts observed scrupulous physi­ +cal cleanliness. The Egyptian priests were particularly noted for it, +going so far as to shave their entire bodies. Some orders of priests +and priestesses also maintained a sexual cleanliness by remaining +virgin. The reason for physical cleanliness was to avoid dishon­ +oring the deities they served, but the reason for celibacy was to +accumulate sexual energy so that it could be devoted to esoteric +purposes. + + +Note 6: When James mentions the Devil occupying the pulpit of +the church, and causing the witches at the gathering to kiss his +buttocks in homage, he is referring to testimony that he heard +with his own ears during the interrogations of the North Berwick +witches six years earlier. These practices are described in the tract +News From Scotland. + + +Note 7: Calicut is a town in southern India, on the Malabar Coast. + + +Note 8: Anthropopathy (av8pwnona8Eta) is the ascription of +human emotions to God. The Greek word James was looking for +here was "anthropomorphic" (av8pw7tOilOp