Inside the Legend: Salvation

 

DEMONOLOGY

"If hunting this demon means you getting yourself killed - then I hope we never find the damn thing."

WHAT IS A DEMON?

A demon is stated as being a supernatural being, that does not have a body of flesh and blood, who has generally been described as a malevolent spirit that is frequently depicted as force that may be conjured and insecurely controlled. Demons are not usually subject to human visibility or our other senses. In the Dark Ages and Middle Ages, demons were thought able to travel on the earth invisibly, but to assume physical bodies at will. To manifest themselves among men, they must possess or control a physical body of a person or an animal.

In order to tempt human beings, demons need to remain invisible while they whisper seductive words or cause opportunities to commit sin to fall across the paths of their intended victims. The modern demon is thought to punish those who give in to its temptations by possessing the victim's body and using it against the victim and the loved ones of the victim. Frequently the possessing demon causes the victim to commit a horrible crime, such as the mass murder of elementary school children, before committing suicide.

ORIGINS OF DEMONOLOGY

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.

HEBREW DEMONOLOGY

Information concerning demonology is found in the Hebrew text Tanakh. Tanakh states that there are two classes of demons, the Se’irim and the Shedim. The Se’irim, “hairy beings,” were typically offered sacrifices in open fields and are described as being Satyr-like creatures that danced in the wilderness. The Shedim were used in kabbalistic ceremonies and often are responsible for cases of demonic possession.

NEW TESTAMENT DEMONOLOGY

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus casts out many demons, or evil spirits, from those who are afflicted with various ailments. In the Book of Acts a group of Judaistic exorcists known as the sons of Sceva try to cast out a very powerful spirit without believing in or knowing Jesus , but fail with disastrous consequences. The contemporary Roman Catholic Church unequivocally teaches that angels and demons are real personal beings, not just symbolic devices.

CHRISTIAN DEMONIC MYTHOLOGY

According to Christian mythology, when God created angels, he offered them the same choice he was to offer humanity: follow, or be cast apart from him. Some angels chose not to follow God, instead choosing the path of evil. These are not the fallen angels, but are the pre-human entities known as demons. The fallen angels are the host of angels who later rebelled against God, headed by Lucifer (who became known as Satan after his rebellion against God). And later the 200 angels known as the Grigori, led by Semyazza, Azazel and other angelic chiefs, some of whom became the demons that were conjured by King Solomon and imprisoned in the brass vessel, the Goetia demons, descended to Earth and cohabited with the daughters of men.

A DEMONIC APPEARANCE

Demons are more likely to appear in an attractive form so that even Christians are fooled by them. Paul warned them that even "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). In traditional black magic, demons have usually two shapes : a monstrous one and a pleasant one. The pleasant one can be a beautiful woman or an elegant good-looking man. When a demon is of high authority, it appears in human form. Demons in animal forms are of lesser importance. Still less in rank are demons that come in the shapes of insects or plants. And last in importance are demons that appear as objects, regardless of what is claimed for him.

SUPERNATURAL TERMS

HOLY WATER

Holy water is water that has been blessed, typically through the use of a rosary and various chants of religious importance. Holy water is chemically indistinguishable from ordinary water. Once consecrated, more ordinary water can be added to the supply of holy water, and the entire quantity of water remains consecrated provided that the amount added is less than the amount of water that was there. Holy water can in fact be consecrated upon any day in the liturgical calendar except Easter Sunday and Pentecost itself. Holy water is used in Orthodox rites of blessing and exorcism, and is the water normally used for baptisms.

The ritual of preparing holy water is itself in form an exorcism; the priest first exorcises the salt, and then the water itself; the traditional Latin formula for exorcising and blessing the water is:

Exorcizo te, creatura aquæ, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in nomine Jesu Christi, Filii ejus Domini nostri, et in virtute Spiritus Sancti: ut fias aqua exorcizata ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici, et ipsum inimicum eradicare et explantare valeas cum angelis suis apostaticis, per virtutem ejusdem Domini nostri Jesu Christ: qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos et sæculum per ignem.

(I exorcise thee in the name of God the Father almighty, and in the name of Jesus Christ His Son, our Lord, and in the power of the Holy Ghost, that you may be able to put to flight all the power of the enemy, and be able to root out and supplant that enemy and his apostate angels; through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.)

Deus, qui ad salutem humani generis maxima quæque sacramenta in aquarum substantia condidisti: adesto propitius invocationibus nostris, et elemento huic, multimodis purificationibus præparato, virtutem tuæ benedictionis infunde; ut creatura tua, mysteriis tuis serviens, ad abigendos dæmones morbosque pellendos divinæ gratiæ sumat effectum; ut quidquid in domibus vel in locis fidelium hæc unda resperserit careat omni immunditia, liberetur a noxa. Non illic resideat spiritus pestilens, non aura corrumpens: discedant omnes insidiæ latentis inimici; et si quid est quod aut incolumitati habitantium invidet aut quieti, aspersione hujus aquæ effugiat: ut salubritas, per invocationem sancti tui nominis expetita, ab omnibus sit impugnationibus defensa. Per Dominum, amen.

(God, Who for the salvation of the human race has built your greatest mysteries upon this substance, in your kindness hear our prayers and pour down the power of your blessing into this element, prepared by many purifications. May this your creation be a vessel of divine grace to dispel demons and sicknesses, so that everything that it is sprinkled on in the homes and buildings of the faithful will be rid of all unclean and harmful things. Let no pestilent spirit, no corrupting atmosphere, remain in those places: may all the schemes of the hidden enemy be dispelled. Let whatever might trouble the safety and peace of those who live here be put to flight by this water, so that health, gotten by calling Your holy name, may be made secure against all attacks. Through the Lord, amen.)

SALVATION

Salvation refers to the liberation from an undesirable state of evil. It can also refer to the source or means of deliverance.

MANDAIC AMULET

An amulet is an object worn, typically around one’s neck, to ward off evil or prevent injury

ROSARY

A string of prayer beads, most commonly used in the Catholic Church. A system of set prayers is said on the beads as devotion to the Virgin Mary.

LINK TO EARLIER EPISODES:

SHADOW: Zoroastrianism

Thanks to:

Wikipedia & monstrous.com