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Demons
exist in every crack and crevice of the globe. In Japan
the are called oni, in India devas, in England
bogies and in Scotland gyres; but by any
name, fiendish spirits are up to no good. Demonologists
throughout the ages have tried to sort out a hierarchy
of demons, leaving a morass of definitions in their wake.
It is generally agreed that, although certain similarities
exist, we pitiful humans have no way of knowing whether
we are dealing with a good spirit or an evil one. To be
on the safe side, one should expect the worst. According
to Guazzo's Compdenium Meleficarum (1608) there
are six families, or genera, of demons.
| Fiery |
The
first are demons who dwell in the upper air and will
not touch ground or cause trouble until the Last Judgment.
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| Aerial |
The
second are devils who stir up the atmosphere and cause
turbulence, storms, hurricanes, and thundering tempests
as they try to destroy mankind. These creatures may descend
into Hell and will make themselves visible to humans if
called upon to do so. |
| Terrestrial |
Living
in forests, glens and knolls, these hellions lay in wait
for unexpecting passersby. One is apt to find them in
a lonely field or behind a rocky outpost, giving false
directions to lost travelers. Off all the families, these
demons are the most common; they live secretly among people,
mimicking their habits and befriending them in order to
learn their darkest secrets and betray them. |
| Aqueous |
Living
in oceans, rivers, and streams, these powers of darkness
raise storms at sea, sink ships, and drown swimmers. Associated
with mermaids
and the sirens
from the Iliad, they frequently appear in seductive
female forms. Their leader is the ignominous beast Leviathan. |
| Subterranean |
This
batch of demons lives in caves and caverns and harasses
miners and other workers who toil beneath the earth.
They are the source of earthquakes, wildfire, and dry,
hot winds that scourge the earth.
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| Heliophobic |
The
final breed of demons are the most malicious. Homicidal
and merciless, these demons only appear at night and,
with one blast of their noixious, icy breath, will kill
a person who has the misfortune of running into them. |
Within
these families of demons are subcreatures who have populated
bad dreams and haunted human beings for centuries, some
of which serve a specific purpose.
Heathen activities such as dancing, blasphemy, promiscuity,
miserliness, tyranny, laziness, gambling, and pride all
have their patron demons. Diseases like asthma, croup,
insanity, and indigestion are also caused by particular
devils, as are phobias of heights, water, and flying.
In fact, almost ervery blight on the face of the earth
can be attributed to some sort of evil spirit of the same
name. Of the millions of demons, a few stand out in their
foul ignominy.
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