What is a Demon?

Answer 1

Demon
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For other uses, see Demon (disambiguation).

St. Anthony plagued by demons, as imagined by Martin Schongauer, in the 1480sIn religion, folklore, and mythology a demon is a supernatural being that has generally been described as a malevolent spirit, or daemon and djinn. A demon is frequently depicted as a force that may be conjured and insecurely controlled. The "good" demon in recent use is largely a literary device (eg: Maxwell's demon). In common language, "demonizing" one's opponent is an aspersion.

Most scholars acknowledge that Judeo-Christianity owes a great debt to Zoroastrianism in regards to the introduction of angelology and demonology, as well as Satan (Ahriman) as the ultimate agent of evil. As the Iranian Avestan and Vedic traditions and also other branches of Indo-European mythologies show, the notion of demon has existed for many centuries.

Ancient Egyptians also believed in demonic like monsters that devoured the human soul, while it traveled towards afterlife, although, certainly demons per se did not exist specifically in Ancient Egypt.

The Greek conception of a daemon (δαίμων daímon) appears in the works of Plato and many other ancient authors, but without the evil connotations which are apparent in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible and in the Greek originals of the New Testament. The medieval and neo-medieval conception of a "demon" in Western civilization (see the Medieval grimoire called the Ars Goetia) derives seamlessly from the ambient popular culture of Late (Roman) Antiquity: Greco-Roman concepts of daemons that passed into Christian culture are discussed in the entry daemon. The Hellenistic "Demon" eventually came to include many Semitic and Near Eastern gods as evaluated by Christianity.

In some present-day cultures, demons are still feared in popular superstition, largely due to their alleged power to possess humans, and they are an important concept in many modern religions and occultist traditions.

In the contemporary Western occultist tradition (perhaps epitomized by the work of Aleister Crowley) a demon, such as Choronzon, the "Demon of the Abyss", is a useful metaphor for certain inner psychological processes, though some may also regard it as an objectively real phenomenon.

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Answer 2

A Demon is a car made by Dodge Motor Company in the early 70's. A real bad*ss car.

Answer 3

The bible says it's some sort of hell-demon. In my experience, there are as many different kinds as there are races of people. Some are evil, others are just out to cause trouble. Some bring bad luck, others are there to test you in multiple ways.

If you want an opinion, my info is listed for a reason.

Answer 4

Well, since you posted the Q in "Mythology and Folklore", I will kinda assume you want a bit more of a deeper answer than "a spawn of D. Evil", so to speak, *lol* . ;)

Even in the presence of an evidence-and-results driven society, people use myths and folklore to bond together socially and to explain things that are tough to wrap your noggin around (like Fried Ice Cream! I mean, come on...Fried...Ice...Cream?? HOW??). The concepts of "angels" to represent our nobler, higher or more devout natures, and of "demons" to represent our more debased, diseased and broken-free natures is no different.

People talk about "Demons" when someone is out of control, usually the control of others, of law, of faith, when they are decadent and debauched and willing (if not always able), to do *anything*. Corruption empowers, and Absolute corrpution empowers Absolutely. For this reason, folks have attacked works like Machiavelli's _The Prince_ or anything by Nietzche as "demonic", and in a sociological sense, they are right.

A demon, you see, is what happens when someone stops thinking, stops believing, stops respecting boundaries or the will of others, stops obeying the laws and the teachers and the preachers and the parents, and *becomes* the animal. When a thinking human being descends into being utterly of the moment to the point of losing perspective and lucidity. Think stimulus/response as psychosis: people *with* demons don't think or believe so much as they *do*, and *defy* those who don't do...they act as if waking life is a dream, over which *nothing* is in their grasp or control, least of all *themselves*.

It can be empowering to give in to that, but it is a madness for sure, and ultimately leads to anarchy and emotional loss at a *bare minimum* if you don't wind up dead, in prison, addicted to drugs, infected with HIV, something....

It's like a fella named Legion once put it (roughly translated of course):

"Yes, I know of Ieshua of the Nazarene, Son of God, and I have heard of his loyal disciple Paul....but who the **** are YOU?"

Meaning: this is not something enter into lightly.

Just my three cents, take it with as big a grain of salt as you like.

Answer 5

a demon could be anyone who tries to defy the laws or will of God. for instance if you say that you don't believe in God , then you are a demon, if you are envious of those who believe in God and serve God, then you are a Demon. In other words a demon is someone who wants to be God, but who simply can't.

Answer 6

Lol. i like questions like this. D = Demon, for writing purposes. D + D / D - D * D = ? 2d / D - D^2 = ? D - D^2 = ? -D^2 = -D D = sqrt(D) So Demon = a million...it is the only variety that suits.

Answer 7

Well Ive always been taught that when satan was kicked out of heaven, Angels who were on his side were kicked out there for they became demons. They are Evil Spirits who do satans work here on earth.

Answer 8

Fallen Angel. Evil spirit.

Answer 9

DENON is another name 4 devil.Often times they say the devil has little demons running around. I was reading where they were fallen angels just like Satan.

Answer 10

Cliff Claven