Demonology, as its name suggests, is the study of demons, which raises the question of what demons are. The word itself is derived from the Greek daimon and means “deceptive” (discretio spirituum) or “spirit of the devil,” which means the spirit of deception, the deception of the spirit and deception in general. Since the evil spirits were considered masters of deception, the studies of demonology were considered necessary to understand them.
The Jewish Kabbalistic tradition handed down by Adam, Noah and the Hebrew patriarchs has influenced Judaism’s doctrine of demons and angels. In Christianity, demons have traditionally been the demons of Satan, the devil, a demon who has the ability to curse with every conceivable cunning. According to the Rev. Joseph Campbell, one of the most famous theologians of all time, they were angels who fell from heaven when Satan decided to rebel against God.
Christian demons have tried to quantify demons, with 15th century Spaniard Alfonso Spina calculating a total of 133,316,666 demons and 16th century Dutchman Johann Weyer estimating 44,435,622, divided into 666 legions. Considering that Satan walks like a roaring lion, seeking what he can devour, and knowing that he is not omnipresent, it is logical to assume that he would send his demons to do his work in the world. It is believed that there are demons that possess, suppress, influence and cause harm to humans, animals, birds and other animals. In Genesis 6: 1-4 there are the Nephilim (fallen) and the giants, and in Genesis 7: 3-5 there is the Goliath (giant).
Satan and his demons are fallen angels, real personal beings who wage war against God’s holy angels and humanity. Although a person should not be possessed by demonology, a clear understanding of this demonology will help to calm their fears. Led by Satan, demons try to deceive the living world and cause harm to their fellow human beings. Some cultures have behaved in such a way in the history of demon culture that people believed they could invoke, summon and control demons.
Most people approach demonology as if they were familiar with the history of demons and their role in human history. They study demons by collecting stories about demons, consulting religious texts to read about the teachings associated with them, and contemplating the history of demons. Demons are also guardians in Buddhism, who are supposed to keep the righteous from God, and guardians of Buddhism, who are supposed to protect people. Understanding beliefs about demons can sometimes be useful in understanding the cultures in which they persist, and also in understanding why beliefs about demons persist in these cultures.
When belief in demons is widespread, demonology can focus on cataloging them, describing their effects, and investigating the other occult activities thought to be related to demons. Church officials and theologians have studied, cataloged and explored demons over the centuries, and their role in religious faith. The official religious doctrine in some regions of the world continues to support the existence of demons, but demons have been the subject of much research in many other fields, such as anthropology, philosophy, psychology, religion, sociology and philosophy of science, making them a very rich field of study.
Demons are defined as supernatural beings who do not enjoy the status of deities, but who can be benign or benevolent in addition to evil. Since demons themselves are often difficult to pin down for scientific investigation, demonology focuses on reading texts and stories about demons, recording the stories of people who claim to have interacted with them, and investigating the cultural context of demon teaching. Demonologists approach the field by using religious and scientific texts on demons and historical beliefs about them.
In religion, folklore and mythology, demons are described as supernatural beings, generally described as evil spirits, but also as benign or benevolent beings. For example, Iranian and Indo-European traditions accept that the Daewan demon has existed for thousands of years and that he or she has been present in the world for thousands of years.
The word daimon is Greek and means simply “supernatural being” or “lesser divinity.” The ancient Egyptians believed in demons that did exist in their faith, as demonic monsters that might have devoured living souls on their journey to the afterlife. The Greek concept of a demon as “demon” first appeared in ancient Egypt in the form of the “daimonus” (“the demon of death”) and the word “dua” in Greek. In ancient Greece, demons were perceived as both good and evil spirits that tried to influence the human psyche. Although angels were believed to be God’s messengers and agents, they were also considered evil.