Go To Hell: A
Brief Treatise on the Fire & Brimstone of Demonology By
Brian Schill
Recently my team and I
were on a follow-up paranormal investigation and, as I always do before
we begin, I briefed the team on the environmental factors such as solar
flares, geomagnetic activity and so forth. Shortly afterward one of our
three guests, who were from another local paranormal investigation
group, told me that he was a “demonologist.” I found that interesting
and decided to ask some questions, but, to my dismay I found that this
individual had as little knowledge about “demonology” as most of the
other people I have encountered who profess the same. In the past, both
on investigations and in the classroom I have had people ask me about
“demonology” so; I find that this is an appropriate time and medium to
address the subject. I suppose we can start off with some negatives
which, by the end of the text, we will be able to turn into positives.
In my experience with
“demonologists,” I have found that this is a self-appointed title as
there are no courses offered in any legitimate seminary or theological
academy that is considered to be a stand alone “demonologist” course
conferring this title upon an individual. Additionally, all of the
self-declared “demonologists” that I have spoken to could not name ANY
of the 4 kings, 12 princes or 72 sub-princes of Hell – a basic point
that someone who supposedly is an expert on the subject of demons should
be able to do – even if it were just one or two of them. An even more
depressing statistic is that these individuals, who seem to have
obtained most of their “demonology” training via the TV, have never
actually dealt with a so called demonic presence and are ready to assign
the direct influence of Satan himself to anything that seems out of the
ordinary. Ok, for those who fall into the latter category, please,
believe me when I say that the Judeo-Christian devil – supposedly the
all powerful embodiment of evil – has better things to do at 2 a.m. on a
Saturday morning than to interrupt your late night viewing of Jerry
Springer reruns. Granted, I do not profess to be a “demonologist,” a
demon hunter, an exorcist or anything of the like, but, if experience is
an indicator it seems I know more than most.
What is Demonology?
As the obvious might
suggest, demonology is the study of demons (Greek: daimon[1] , Latin:
dæmon) and demonic entities, their stations, aspects, powers, etc. What
many people, including most “demonologists,” do not acknowledge is that
although some of the writings about demonology professes to be for the
good of the Christian community the bulk of the knowledge that has been
obtained about demonic lore actually comes from volumes of archaic
medieval grimoires that were primarily written for practitioners of
ritual magic who wished to make use of the supernatural powers of
demons. The practitioners of these systems of medieval magic did not
overlook the origins of the demons: they understood that, according to
the Bible, these entities were once angels and that just about anything
that applies to angels, in a sense of power or ability, applies equally
to demons.
[1]A supernatural spirit of an
inferior sort, not a God or deity
Today, however,
demonology is mainly pursued by those who share a credulous belief in
the supernatural with a parallel acceptance of Christian traditions.
Even so, it should be noted that one of the most curious things about
demonology is that it is full of facts, incredibly detailed ones, with
no basis whatsoever. Where, then, did all those names, portraits,
descriptions, chains of command, offices, abilities and so forth come
from? Most works focusing on “demonology” did not appear until the
Middle Ages and even then much of it was nearly equal parts of each
writer borrowing from and embellishing his predecessors work and some of
it was simply re-interpreting various beliefs of the pagans and heathens
within an inherited schema. Even if you don’t believe in the Goetic[2]
spirits due to lack of Biblical evidence there are many who believe in
various esoteric systems of faith and, even some scientists who work
with theoretical physics, who believe that the energies invested in
ideas such as the Goetic entities over the last 1500 years have allowed
these thought-forms to take on an existence of sentient self-awareness.
[2]
The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula
Salomonis Regis) as translated by Samuel Liddell Macgregor Mathers gives
detailed accounts of demonic entities, their stations, offices, powers,
etc. Published by Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1995
Modern Origins
During the early Middle
Ages the attitude of the church towards those who practiced “ritual
magic” was far different than the church of today. Initially, while not
in outright denial of the existence of demons the church did tend to
look critically at anyone who claimed to have supernatural powers or the
ability to deal with demons since these people were on the borderline of
infringing upon God’s powers over good and evil. As time went on,
though, this attitude began to drift and, as the Middle Ages gave way to
the Renaissance, the Spanish Inquisition and other authorities in Europe
who were already familiar with the traditions of ritual magic began to
take a different approach to those who were now infringing on the
rights, not of God, but of the church.
With this shift in
attitude the four periods of the Inquisition were inaugurated in order
to “defend” the Christian church from the perceived incursions and
influence of the Jews, Muslims and pagans. This shameful and murderous
episode in history ultimately cost, according to some sources, as many
as nine million lives – all in the name of Christ. It was during this
period of social hysteria and religious poisoning, turning brother
against brother, that the golden era of witch hunting and demonology was
born. Church authorities, royalty, witch hunters and scholars alike all
discoursed, at great length, upon the nature of the devil and his
followers. These individuals elaborated medieval magical grimoires into
vast treatises intended to aid the faithful in rooting out all sorts of
evils brought about by the devils in their lives. And so it remained
this way, more or less, until the beginning of the eighteenth century.
With the revival of
interest in magic that was brought about by the Victorian (Romantic)
period occult belief was on the upswing and in vogue until the early
1900s. Interest faded during the early part of the 20th century, but
experienced another period of brief revival in the 1920s. Again interest
waned and lay dormant for the most part in the mind of the public until
the New Age fad that swept the U.S. in the mid and late 1990s. More
recently the public eye has been tuned to the television where
self-proclaimed “demonologists” make frequent appearances on reality
television paranormal investigation crocumentaries. These demonologists
channel spirits, feel “evil” all around them bless, banish and exorcise
everything in sight – all with a Christian flavor, but is that all there
is to it?
Types of Demonology
Since the most widely
recognized rite to get rid of demonic influence is the Catholic exorcism
I did a little research and found that the belief in demonic influence
in the Catholic community and, thusly the need for exorcisms, is rapidly
shrinking. Quoting from a Catholic website (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04713a.htm)
it would appear that even traditional followers of Catholicism believe
that “A daemonibus docetur, de daemonibus docet, et ad daemones ducit.”
Translated, this means “It [demonology] is taught by the demons, it
teaches about the demons, and it leads to the demons.” The website goes
on to say: “For very much of the literature that comes under this head
of demonology is tainted with errors that may well owe their origin to
the father of falsehood, and much of it again, especially those portions
which seem to have a practical purpose is designed to lead men to give
themselves to the service of Satan. These beings, because of pride, did
not return God's love. God did not destroy them, but permits them a
limited scope of activity. Their condition is permanent for no creature
can turn away from the perfect good of the beatific vision once he has
come to enjoy it, and no additional reflection could change the mind of
a purely spiritual being who has turned away.” Although the official
modern Catholic theology decries the position of demonology the question
that is now raised is this: Since most Christians acknowledge demons as
sentient agents of evil operating of their own will is Christian
demonology the only type of demonology doctrine in existence?
Unfortunately, for the
aspiring demonologist, there are literally hundreds of systems of belief
with tens of thousands of demonic entities which would require a
voluminous exposition so expansive that it would easily fill innumerable
amounts of books. Because of this we will have to settle for a brief
review of the 5 systems of belief that have had the most influential
impact on the Western world.
Egyptian Demonology
Egyptian demonology,
should I even be able to call it that, is not as overrun with all of the
evil and dangerous spirits that other systems of belief tend to be
interspersed with. According the ancient Egyptians demons lived at the
edges of creation, both in the world of the living and the world the
dead; however, in the world of the living, demons known as the
“Messengers of Sekhmet” fulfilled their traditionally assigned role by
bringing disease, famine, misfortune and other calamity to humankind.
Eventually, the roles of some of these demons changed and, over time, a
few became minor gods and were given places in local divine hierarchies.
Assyrian and Babylonian Demonology
With the deciphering of
cuneiform symbolism on several important religious clay tablets and
cylinders there were some discoveries made in the late 19th and early
20th century that were intrinsic to obtaining a better overall picture
of the role of religion and, thusly, demons in the times that predated
Christ. Beyond the fragments of the clay tablets and cylinders there
were also some Assyrian monuments that were assigned special importance
such as that of “The Cult of the Twelve Gods.” The texts inscribed on
these monuments described instructions for the creation of talismans,
amulets and other charms for warding off the influence of demonic
forces. Within the realm of these demonic forces there was a vast horde
of wicked spirits who continually sought to bring ruin to mankind. The
importance of the battle between good and evil, with man caught in the
middle, can be easily be understood from the fact that, by order of King
Assurbanipal, the scribes in his royal court made several copies of a
magical codice, the original of which had been preserved from antiquity.
This work consisted of three books, the first of which was entirely
dedicated to incantations, conjurations, and imprecations against the
demonic spirits.
Iranian & Sumerian Demonology
One of the most
remarkably similar demonology parallels to that which is found in
traditional Christian belief is presented in the Avesta, the sacred book
of the Mazdean, in the religion of Zoroastrianism. It tells of a
continual struggle that mounts between the God of Light, Ahura Mazda,
with his hierarchy of holy spirits and the dark kingdom of demons under
the authority of Anro Mainyus, the cruel spirit master of all that is
evil. The demons (Daevanam Daeva) are in an ever warring state against
Ahura Mazda and his faithful servants and, although there are marked
differences between the demons of the Avesta and the demons in Christian
Scripture the essential struggle between good and evil is still pretty
much the same in both cases.
Jewish Demonology
Within the canonical
scriptures of the Jews there is a surprising void, an absence if you
will, of the elaborate demonology such as that which found in the
traditions of the Persians and Assyrians. There is a great mass of
information concerning the hosts of heaven, the seraphim, the cherubim
and other spirits in the service of God but the mention of the spirits
in opposition to the latter is comparatively slight. Some of the few
examples of Old Testament demonic lore are found within the pages of the
Book of Tobias. Excluded from the traditional configuration of
scriptures in the Bible, the Book of Tobias mentions the name of
Asmodeus, a powerful demon and prominent figure in later Hebrew
demonology who, as it turns out, has some very unusual tales related
about him in the Talmud.
Christian Demonology
Christian demonology is
quite the enigma in that although several vivid parables recounting the
casting out of demons are mentioned in the Bible, the scriptures
themselves do not furnish any information regarding the origin or nature
of these demons aside from the mention that “they were cast down from
heaven.” One reason behind this thought may be that because the
first Christian converts and teachers of the Christian faith were, for
the most part, Jews or Greeks and many of them were living in the midst
of those who professed belief in some of the other pagan faiths that
were prominent at the time. Although this may have exposed these newly
converted individuals to a cornucopia of different ideas that they may
or may not have already been familiar these ideas did not intermesh with
the teachings of Christ and were thusly left by the wayside.
Demon Lore
Transitioning from the
five systems of demonology that have had the most influence on ideas
within the framework of Western theology about demons we will now take a
brief look at some of the most commonly known demonic lore that are
specific to alleged manifestations connected to demonic activity. As
demons are presupposed to be agents of evil and chaos there have been
certain quirks and attributions assigned to them by demonologists and
exorcists. Many of these traits, manifesting in a case or two here and
there, have come to be called “classical” signs of demonic manifestation
because of some uninformed and/or over zealous individual(s) who
believes that they are the all knowing authority on demonology. Let’s
have a look at some of these “classical” symptoms of demonic
manifestation and see how they stack up.
One of the most
misconstrued of these traits is the idea that 3 a.m. is the time that
demons manifest as it is purportedly an inversion of the Holy Trinity. I
am quite unsure how this idea was deduced but two things are certain:
(1) if demons are agents of evil and chaos why would they choose a
particular time, the same time – 3 a.m. – every night to manifest? This
goes against all that chaos stands for and (2) if demons are indeed the
powerful sentient supernatural entities that they are believed to be
they could choose to manifest when and where they want, not being
fettered by a time frame prescribed by a would-be demonologist.
Another common
misconception is that demonic manifestation is always immediately
preceded by the scent of burning sulpher. Again, this is yet another
mistruth, as it is something that does not occur frequently enough in
reported cases of potential demonic manifestation to warrant the idea
that it is a constant in actual demonic manifestation cases. The idea,
veiled in a religious backdrop, is transparent enough – that a demonic
entity comes from the burning pits of hell and thusly when the gates of
hell open and the demon comes through the portal the smells of sulpher
and brimstone that is believed to be constantly burning in its
surrounding environment preceded the actual manifestation.
Flies and their larvae,
maggots, seem to be another superstitious belief connected to demonic
manifestation. Although maggots are representative of physical death and
decay, as they eat dead and rotting flesh, flies have a more Biblical
connotation as they are believed to be manifested representatives of the
presence of Ba’al-zebub (also Baelzebub, Baalzebud, Belzebud, Beelzebub)
whose name, when translated from Hebrew, literally means “Lord of the
Flies.” In 2 Kings 1:2, 3 the scriptures are quoted as: (2) And A-ha-zi’-ah
fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Sa-ma’-ri-a,
and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of
Ba’-al-ze’-bub the God of Ek’-ron. (3) But the angel of the lord
said to E-li’-jah the Tish’-bite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of
the king of Sa-ma’-ri-a, and say unto them, Is it not because there is
not a God in Is’-ra-el, that ye go to enquire of Ba’-al-ze’-bub the god
of Ek’ron[3]?”
Staying within the vein
of Biblical “signs” of demonic manifestation some demonologists have
stated that when a demonic manifestation occurs there are sounds like
that of squealing pigs that have accompanied the occurrence. This also
has the theme of a religious backdrop to it, reminiscent of the parable
in Matthew 8; 28-32 where Jesus drove the demons out of the possessed
men. (28) “And when he was come to the other side into the country of
Ger’-ge-senes, there met him two [men] possessed with devils, coming out
of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
(29) And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with
thee, Je’-sus, thou son of God? Art thou hither to torment us before the
time? (30) And there was a good way off from them an herd of many
swine feeding. (31) So the devils besought him, saying, If thou
cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. (32)
And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into
the herd of swine; and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently
down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.[4]”
[3]
Scriptures excerpted from the King James translation of the Bible. [4]
Scriptures excerpted from the King James translation of the Bible.
Another misguided idea is
that there is some sort of “demonic language” that consists of clicks,
hisses and other sounds. Firstly, there has never been any documented
evidence of this type of language in any case of demonic manifestation
that I or any of my colleagues are aware of. Secondly, if we look at
some of the previous passages in the latter paragraph we see that the
demons spoke to Jesus in his native tongue of Hebrew. The inference by
some demonologists is that there is a language that is specific to
demons and, that through this knowledge of the language, it has been
documented, studied and successfully translated. Were this actually the
case someone somewhere would have to produce manuscripts pertaining to
this demonic language, then, there would have to be some way to
translate the sounds into intelligible words in a known language. Since
this “language” is a purely fictional departure from all known ideas
common to demon lore I would like to welcome you to demonology
linguistics 101 a-la Hollywood, meaning that the only “documented” place
any of these languages exist is in the movies.
Some other
characteristics that are purported to be associated with demonic
manifestations, but not exclusive to them, is the feeling of a dark mood
or heavy atmosphere, semi-human bipedal shadows that move about of their
own accord, feelings of being constantly drained of energy physically
and/or psychologically, strange sounds such as maniacal laughing,
banging or scratching on walls, feelings of fear or that someone is
watching you, occupants of the structure not acting like “themselves” or
having uncharacteristic thoughts of violence or suicide, telekinetic
activity[5], apports[6], movement of larger objects such as chairs,
dishes, furniture, etc., physical assault and ultimately, possession[7].
Know Your Demons
A great deal of popular
culture has been infused into “demonology,” and this culture, purveyed
by the mass media, has made inferences to the manner in which demons can
be summoned, banished, controlled, etc. by anyone who claims to be both
Christian and a “demonologist.” Movies such as The Exorcism of Emily
Rose, The Omen, Constantine, The Exorcist, Poltergeist and The
Amityville Horror have all presented different angles on how demons
manifest, how they possess people and the havoc that they leave in their
wake. Obviously movies, fiction novels and comic books are all for
entertainment and generally tend to paint a very strange, illogical and
non-linear fusion of imagination and personal belief onto the canvas of
“demonology,” but where can someone serious about the subject find a
good source of information to learn about demons? Could it be found in a
RPG (role playing game)? Reality television based paranormal
investigation crocumentaries? Perhaps the Necronomicon? Surrrrrre, all
of the evil in the universe can be yours in paperback form for only
$5.95!! Um, no, not really, you will have to look farther than that.
There are a lot of
questionable resources about “demonology” out there, most of which have
been published in more recent years by self-proclaimed experts, but I
have found that consulting some of the older texts – medieval texts
which you probably have not even heard of – such as The Book of the
Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, The Goetia, 777 (Seven-Seven-Seven)
and The Key of Solomon the King are better resources than many of these
more recent texts. The single most concise, direct-and-to-the-point of
these is The Goetia as translated by Samuel Liddell Macgregor Mathers,
but at the same time this book provides no instruction on how to work
with or get rid of these entities. The information that is provided in
The Goetia pertains to the qualities of the demons, their sigils, how
many legions they rule, their deaconates, etc. For information on
getting rid of, subjugating or working with these entities you will have
to consult The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage which in
itself is a huge undertaking as this is not a process that can be
mastered overnight and certainly is not something for the casual
practitioner.
[5]
Items that move about without any sort of physical contact to initiate
the movement. [6]
A small object or item that disappears and then reappears some time
later in a place other than where it was initially left, a place where
even a causal search would have revealed it. [7]
The act of a demon entering into a host’s body, overtaking and
subjugating the mind of the host, with the intended purpose of using the
host to perform acts in accordance with the will of the possessing
spirit.
Dark Origins
Unfortunately, because
many “demonologists” have received their title a-la reality TV
self-promotion they are usually ready to immediately bless, cleanse,
banish or exorcise anything they feel to be inherently evil, even if it
is not. The major problem with this is not the performing of an
unnecessary blessing or exorcism – the problem lies in the fact that the
rites are usually performed improperly by someone who is completely
unqualified to evoke the rituals. Improper performance and lack of
knowledge about the origin of the entity the “demonologist” is dealing
with are the two primary causes of exorcism failure, not lack of faith.
Origins are a key word
here. If you do not know with whom – or what – you are working you are
almost assured of failure. Most “demonologists” automatically jump to
the assumption that some sort of Christian rite, such as an exorcism, is
needed and will remedy everything. Ever hear about exorcisms that work
temporarily but inevitably the entities come back stronger than before
and are now really pissed off? What about exorcisms that don’t work at
all? The opening statements of this paragraph are one key, the other is
that if the entity does not recognize, and thusly validate the rites
within the system of faith that are being used to force it out, the
energies raised during the rite may only be enough to cause the entity
to flee temporarily. Additionally Christian rites may have no effect at
all on entities of a Mesopotamian, Sumerian, Asian or Egyptian origin,
for example, as they probably would not validate or be familiar with a
Christian system of faith.
As mentioned previously,
one of the most famous and well documented tomes about demons is called
The Goetia and within its pages there can be found a wealth of
information that, when put to use by a qualified practitioner, can yield
a substantial amount of information about demons. As an example we will
examine a Goetic Spirit which most people will be familiar with, at
least in name, Belial.
Spirit Number: 68[8]
Name: laylb (Belial) – also: Belhor, Ba’al’ial, Beliar, Belias , Beliall,
Beliel, Bilael
Etymology: From the Jewish Apocrypha, meaning “wicked one”
Rank: King[9]
Ruling Planet: Sun[10]
Astrological Deaconate: 2[11]
Zodiacal Element: Fire
Description: Belial, manifesting as two beautiful angels sitting in a
chariot, is a mighty and powerful king, who was created next after
Lucifer. He speaks with a comely voice and tells the magician (exorcist)
that he was the first to fall[12] from heaven. Belial, however, will not
give the magician true answers to his questions unless he is constrained
within the Triangle[13] by both divine power and the power that is held
within his seal. He governs 80 legions of spirits, gives excellent
familiars and his office is to give presentations and senatorships[14]
and to cause the favor of friends and of foes. His seal is that,
presented below:[15]
One of the first things
that the observant reader probably noted in the latter description of
the demon is that he manifests as “two beautiful angels in a chariot”
and that “He speaks with a comely voice…” which would contradict
much, if not all of the imagery that has been presented by various
sources concerning demons with horrible afflictions such as horns,
venomous serpent-tails, goat legs, forked tongues and other horrific
disfigurements.
Hell’s Hierarchy
“The other shape,
If shape it might be call’d, that shape had none,
Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb;
Or substance might be call’d that shadow seem’d;
For each seem’d either; black it stood as night,
Fierce as ten furies, terrible as Hell,
And shook a dreadful dart; what seem’d his head
The likeness of a kingly crown had on.
Satan was now at hand; and from his seat
The monster, moving onward, came as fast
With horrid strides; Hell trembled as he strode.”
[8]
Demonic spirits in The Goetia are numbered 1 – 72 in alphabetical order [9]
Ranks assigned to Goetic entities are King, Prince, Duke, Marquis,
President, Earl and Knight [10]
The sun, in scientific terms, is not a planet; however with
consideration to traditional esoteric wisdom it is viewed as one of the
classical astrological planets. [11]
Of the three classes of Astrological Deaconate 1 = Cardinal, 2 = Fixed,
3 = Mutable [12]
Ref. the Biblical account of the angelic fall from heaven, those angels
who joined in Lucifer’s rebellion against God.[13]
The Triangle of Solomon. [14]
Presentations and senatorships, meaning, it is within his jurisdiction
to give to persons positions of power and rank. [15]
Description paraphrased from The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the
King (Clavicula Salomonis Regis) as translated by Samuel Liddell
Macgregor Mathers. Published by Samuel Weiser, Inc.
-- John Milton, Paradise Lost
Many people who believe in a higher power also believe that there is a
hierarchy within the ranks of heaven. As above so below. As there is a
hierarchy in heaven there is one in Hell also. There are kings and
princes, dukes and presidents and these entities are not all created
equal. Each one has a particular office, a certain number of legions
that they govern and a chain of command that keeps a certain semblance
of controlled chaos within the demonic realms. Even with the knowledge
that we possess about demons, their hierarchy, etc. it must be
remembered that we are working with this information from a human
perception within the human mind and what we perceive may not always be
“reality.” In general, according to The Book of the Sacred Magic of
Abramelin the Mage, the hierarchy of the demonic realms is as follows:
The Four Kings*
Lucifer: From Latin meaning “Light Bearer” (Lux = light, Fero =
to bear) Levithan: From Hebrew LVIThN, meaning “crooked or piercing
serpent” Satan: From Hebrew ShTN, meaning “adversary” Belial: From Hebrew BLIOL, meaning “wicked one”
The Twelve Princes*
Ashtaroth: From Hebrew OShThRVTh, meaning “flocks,” “crowds” or
“assemblies” Magot: From Hebrew MOVTh, meaning “small stones” or “small
pebbles” Asmodeus: From Persian Azmonden, meaning “to tempt” Beelzebub: From Hebrew BOLZBVB, meaning “Lord of Flies” Oriens: From Latin Oriens, meaning “rising” or “Eastern” Paimon: From Hebrew PMON, meaning “agitator” Ariton: From Greek Arhreton, meaning “secret” or
“mysterious” Amaimon: From Greek Maimon, meaning “violence”
Above we have the names
and the basic etymologies of the four kings and the twelve princes of
the infernal hierarchy. Of the sixteen ranking demons named above they
directly govern a total of 316 legions divided unequally among them
according to rank. Beyond those 316 legions that are subservient to
these ranking demons there are 72 “sub-princes,” some who hold multiple
offices, which govern innumerable legions of lesser demons. By
discretion, out of respect for space, I must end the descriptions of the
ranking demons with the latter information.
* The names of the Kings and Princes have been transliterated from
Hebrew to English letters for the benefit of the reader.
Closing the Circle
Perhaps by now the astute
reader has noticed that the title of this section of the text is an
allusion to the 9th circle of Hell from Dante Aligheri’s Inferno
and that there are 9 titled sections to this text (including the main
title) which is not something I had intended at any level. Obviously,
within these scant few pages, a subject such as demonology could not be
covered very thoroughly and that, really, we have only looked just
beneath the surface. Of course, I’m sure I’ll get some dissenting
opinions about this or that but with all of the variations within the
multitudinous systems of demonology and religious belief any author
would be hard pressed to do more without dedicating a significant
portion of his life to penning a book that provides more information
than what has been presented here. It is safe to say that although there
are many widely varied systems of demonology there seems to be a few
threads that intertwine many of the commonalities within the general
lore of demons and that the universality of the belief in evil spirits
and any evidence adducible for actual influence on men can be found in
the eyes of the believers.
References:
Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, The, S. L. Macgregor
Mathers, Dover Publications, 1975
Cruden’s Concordance, Alexander Cruden, Crusade Bible Publishers, Inc.,
1957
Goetia, The, S. L. Macgregor Mathers, Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1995
Holy Bible, The, (King James Version) Thomas Nelson Bibles, 1977
