Website

Website
Visit Noree's website

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

A-Z Blog Hop: Beelzebub


People often mistake Beelzebub as another name for Satan, or Lucifer. Actually they are three separate entities. We’re going to focus on Beelzebub for this post. He is a Prince of Demons. There is some contention to whether or not there are other princes.


Beelzebub is a distorted version of the Canaanite god “Baal-zebul” which means “Lord of the Divine Abode” or “Lord of the Heavens.”  His name got twisted to mean “Lord of the Flies” and he became a demon. The Prince of Demons had been depicted as a giant fly or a huge monstrous creature that sits upon a giant throne.
So, where did he get his title? According to Hebrew belief, he was the Prince of Demons during the time of Jesus. The Pharisees actually accuse Jesus of exorcizing demons in Beelzebub’s name. At the time, it was believed that the only way to expel unclean spirits was through pacts with demons.

Solomon supposedly bound Beelzebub at one point, with the help of his magical ring. It is from Beelzebub that Solomon learns that demons supposedly live in stars. Beelzebub claimed to be the chief angel in heaven and the last of the fallen ones.  Solomon told him to cut stone, to which the demon protested that it’s such a menial task for so great a demon. Solomon offered him his freedom if will tell of other heavenly things. Beelzebub told him he could strengthen his house by burning oil of frankincense, myrrh, and saffron and lighting seven lamps during an earthquake. Solomon didn't believe him and ordered him to cut marble.


The Gospel of Nicodemus, an apocryphal text, describes how Beelzebub came to rule over Satan. Supposedly, Satan bragged that he was going to take Jesus to Hell after his crucifixion.  Satan wanted revenge for all those embarrassing moment he lost to the Son of God.  You’d think he would have learned. Beelzebub knew that Jesus was too powerful and begged Satan not to do it. But, evil is arrogant. So, Jesus arrived. Beelzebub pushed Satan out and barricaded the gate. That didn't stop the Holy One.  He trampled Satan, broke the barricade and released the trapped saints with a word.  They immediately went to Heaven with him. Yes, Jesus pwnd Hell. Afterwards, Satan told Beelzebub that he would serve him forever.


Beelzebub was also popular in stories of witchcraft (the bad kind) and of witches having orgies with him.  Beelzebub is also said to rule over Gluttony, the fifth of the Seven Deadly Sins., which means he plays a pretty powerful role as a ruler of Hell in my mythos for A Prescription for Delirium. All in all, Beelzebub is a pretty powerful demon, but he did start out as a god.

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

14 comments:

  1. Beelzebub! Love seeing him featured here for the A-to-Z challenge. I always have too much fun reading about him when doing research for one of my projects...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting post. Enjoyed the read. I'm an A-Z fellow Challenger. Just checking other posts for B. Enjoy.
    Hugs,
    Kathy (794 on the list)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Kathy. I have more interesting posts for C and on.

      Delete
  3. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Interesting stuff. Where's the picture from?

    Will stop by again. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Sally. The picture is actually from Dictionnaire Infernal, a book on demonology written by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy in 1818.

      Delete
  4. Beelzebub! Gives me the creeps just reading about him! Thanks for the history lesson--interesting! Thanks for stopping by my blog.

    Marie (from the A to Z challenge)

    ReplyDelete
  5. There are some cracking stories in the Apocrypha. :) thanks very much for this one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Yes, Jesus pwnd Hell. " With that statement you just won the A to Z Challenge lmao. Love this post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, I had to fit my gaming humor in here somewhere. Now if only these lines would come to me for this draft I'm writing.

      Delete
  7. Wow, I can't wait to read the rest of these posts! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankd for stopping by and reading them I definitely have more to come this month.

      Delete