Demons (Benevolent and Malevolent) (original) (raw)
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Religion Compass, 2009
While much has been written on the topic of deities and the dead in Ancient Egypt, the systematic study of demons has only recently come to the fore of scholarly studies. Preliminary typologies based on surviving spells, prescriptions, and apotropaic devices suggests the theory that these hostile entities were divided into sub-types in the Egyptian worldview, distinguished from each other by the specific illnesses and conditions they caused, and as well as by the prescribed means of repulsion and protection. Along with hostile demons, a related category of benevolent genii can be discerned. This paper presents an overview of demons and genii in Pharaonic Egypt based primarily on sources from the Middle Kingdom through the New Kingdom.
Demons in Ancient Egypt : An Introduction
There has been much research in the field of mythology and religion in ancient Egypt. However, the realm of demonology has become the topic of much debate in recent times only ). Whatever information is available today can only be considered as the tip of the iceberg with much of the topic remaining unexplored. Besides, one of the major concerns in the study of Egyptian demonology is the lack of a proper term for the class of demons. This essay aims at summarising previous investigations into the field of Egyptian demonology and suggesting further perspectives.
Shifting Alignments: the Dichotomy of Benevolent and Malevolent Demons in Mesopotamia.
Demons and Illness: Theory and Practice from Antiquity to the Early Modern Period, edited by Siam Bhayro and Catherine Rider. Vol. 5 of Magic and Religious Literature of Late Antiquity. Leiden: Brill, 2017
When set against the more defined positions occupied by demons and monsters in other religions and cultures, the demons found in Mesopotamian texts may seem, at first glance, to exist in a perpetual state of disarray, defying attempts at a definitive categorization.1 Much of the time, these supernatural figures serve in malevolent positions, fulfilling their duties as carriers and causes of physical or mental illness, injury or disease. Despite this, demons may also fulfill benevolent roles, often coming to the aid of the exorcist, or āšipu, in his battle to remove a malevolent demon from the afflicted patient. From an initial, cursory analysis, we can easily see how demons may appear to shift from one role to another. Of the three demons, the udug, the lama, and the šedu, all of which switch from one category of acts-or one alignment, we could say-to another, the first two will form the focus of this study; as they are by far the most prevalent of the three to appear in Mesopotamian texts.2
2014
The ancient Egyptians came into contact with a wide range of supernatural beings in daily life and in the afterlife, some of which are described in the texts and images decorating the coffins of the Middle Kingdom. This paper will examine the demonic beings encountered in a section of the Coffin Texts known as the Book of Two Ways, focusing on their varied and often terrifying names, which range from 'He whose face and tongue are dreadful' to 'Aggressive one'. These entities acted as gatekeepers to the afterlife, protecting the deities and spirits that existed within it by destroying any inimical or ignoble beings they encountered. Previously, all guardian demons in the Coffin Texts have been assumed to have this same function and their role has not been examined further. This paper will provide a new perspective on how the guardian demons protected the afterlife individually and as a collective. It will develop our understanding of the function of these demons by analysing how they performed this role. The descriptive names given to the demons highlight the key characteristics of each being. These names provide an insight into how each being behaved and the method with which they enacted their function.
The Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception, 2012
Demons, Demonology [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64]. However, even with the above caveats, archaeology has done much to bring real-world controls to studies previously based only on texts.