1) Origins & Definitions
A demon is a supernatural being often portrayed as malevolent, chaotic, or adversarial. The Greek daimon once meant a neutral spirit; only later, under Christian and Islamic theology, did “demon” become synonymous with evil.
2) Ancient Mesopotamia & Near East
- Lamashtu: Female demon harming mothers and infants.
- Pazuzu: Wind demon, protective against Lamashtu but dangerous in excess.
- Udug/Humhullu: Spirits of ambiguous alignment.
3) Biblical & Judaic Traditions
- Hebrew Bible: Se’irim (goat demons), Azazel.
- Second Temple Literature: Fallen angels in Book of Enoch.
- Rabbinic Lore: Asmodeus, Lilith, and daily demon encounters.
4) Greek & Roman Worlds
Greek daimones as guiding spirits; Roman Lares and Lemures as household and restless dead. Christian reinterpretation hardened “daemon” into malevolent.
5) Early Christianity & Patristics
Pagan gods reframed as demons. Demons became embodiments of temptation, possession, and sin.
6) Medieval Demonology
- Hierarchies of fallen angels.
- Incubi and succubi enter doctrine.
- Witch trials feature demons as familiars and sabbath attendees.
7) Islamic & Persian Traditions
- Jinn: Smokeless fire beings, morally varied.
- Iblis: Archetype of rebellion.
- Divs: Persian demonic adversaries.
8) Indian Demonologies
- Rakshasas: Shapeshifting demons of the Ramayana.
- Asuras: Initially divine beings later cast as anti-gods in Hinduism.
- Vetalas: Corpse-inhabiting spirits in Sanskrit lore.
9) East Asian Spirits
- China: Gui (ghosts) and yao (malignant spirits).
- Japan: Oni (ogres), yurei (vengeful ghosts).
- Korea: Gwisin, restless spirits tied to injustice.
10) African & Diaspora Traditions
- West Africa: Obayifo (witch-like vampiric demon).
- Ethiopia: Zar spirits, possession cults with ambivalent beings.
- Afro-Caribbean: Syncretic demonologies blending African, Catholic, and Indigenous spirits.
11) Mesoamerican & Indigenous Americas
- Aztec: Tzitzimimeh, star demons threatening during eclipses.
- Maya: Underworld lords of Xibalba.
- Andean: Supay, ruler of the dead, both feared and honored.
- Native North America: Trickster and cannibal spirits (e.g., Wendigo) interpreted demonically in colonial contact.
12) Renaissance Grimoires & Occultism
Texts like Ars Goetia codified named demons; ceremonial magic emphasized conjuration and control.
13) Enlightenment & Romanticism
Skepticism downplayed literal demons, yet Romanticism revived them as metaphors of rebellion and sublime terror.
14) 20th–21st Century Culture
- Psychology reframes demons as inner drives or shadows.
- Films like The Exorcist shape popular imagery.
- Games and literature codify elaborate demonologies for fantasy worlds.
15) Timeline
16) Glossary
- Daimon
- Greek neutral spirit; later demonized.
- Lamashtu
- Mesopotamian child-harming demoness.
- Pazuzu
- Wind demon invoked against evil.
- Rakshasa
- Shapeshifting demon in Indian epics.
- Oni
- Japanese ogre-like demon.
- Tzitzimimeh
- Aztec star demons attacking during eclipses.
17) Reflections
From Mesopotamian spirits to Hindu rakshasas, from Islamic jinn to Japanese oni, demons reflect universal fears: disease, death, temptation, and chaos. Across cultures they shift from feared predators to metaphors of inner conflict and archetypes in literature and media. The demon persists as humanity’s shadow companion through time.