Where do demons come from?

Cultures throughout the ages have had their versions of demons. In most, demons are the personification of evil, pain, and suffering. They exploit weakness already in man and are said to have many powers that can torment or can allure men.

Ancient Akkadian texts alluded that evil spirits were sent by evil gods. In Persia, the prophet Zoroaster preached about the doctrine of evil. The world was split between an ultimate Good, named Ormazd, and an ultimate evil, Ahriman. Ahriman had 6 archdemons, known as Daevas, to fight Ormazd’s 6 archangels. And, of course, they controlled countless numbers of lower demons.

The Hebrews attributed the “false gods” of other religions to being demons. One particular favorite was Moloch, the devourer of children. Tales said that his follower would place their children on his burning idol and sacrifice them for protection, health, and long life. (Note: I think he will be used in a future book. *Rubs hands together with an evil laugh.*)

The term demon actually came from the Greek term daimon, which means spirit or lesser deity. Many of the spirits resided in the Greek Underworld, a place so frightening to man that they would not even speak the name of Hades, the god of the Underworld. The Romans did what they always did and added the Greek pantheon to their own. So the daimons became daemons.

When Christianity rose, it was in Rome. They incorporated other religions into their own to gain converts. Except, like the Hebrews (since Christianity started as an offshoot of the Hebrew religion), a lot of the deities became demons, especially the darker or “evil” gods. Now, we have a whole hierarchy of demons in hell associated with the Christian religion.

This is just touching the surface. You can find variations of demons in India, Africa, the middle East, Japan, and China. All come with their own special mythos. I guess, all around the world, we have something to name our fears after. Be sure to check out A Prescription for Delirium for some of the demons found in lore.

*This is a repost from my blog tour. The original post is found on Happy Tails and Tales.

Kiss of Death: Santa Muerte

Thanks to Jess Fortunato, I came across this wonderful piece of Mexican mythology. Let me introduce, Santa Muerte.

Santa Muerta. Picture by Yo.

Originally, she was Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the land of the dead, wife of Mictlantecahtli, Lord of Mictlan, land of the dead, and Lord of Darkness. Both were pre-Hispanic deities. She was believed to be the protector of souls that resided in the underworld. Mictecacihuatl was depicted as a woman dressed in traditional garb and adorned with flags that were put on corpses prepared for cremation. She wore a mask of a skull with a beak or blade protruding where the nose cavity was. Both the lord and the lady were given blood offerings in exchange for a favorable death. Because of this the color red is connected to Mictecacihuatl and Mictlantecahtli. The Lady of the Land of the Dead was connected to the Dia de los Muertos, or the Mexican Day of the Dead, which originally fell at the end of July and beginning of August.

Spanish priests moved the holiday to coincide with All Hallows Eve after the conquest of Mexico. This was an old trick that Catholics had in order to convert more to Christianity. They also changed Mictecacihuatl to Santa Muerte. Whatever the name, she has not faded into obscurity. In fact, she is becoming even more popular in the United States.

This article talks of how her following is spreading, especially among Mexican-American Catholics. She is even starting to rival St. Jude and La Virgen de Guadalupe.  Santa Muerte is depicted more like the Reaper, with a robe and a skeletal body. She is said to carry a scythe or a crystal ball, sometimes both.  She appeals to those seeking all kinds of otherworldly help, not just protection and vengeance, but help with getting a job you want.

Stautes of Santa Muerte. Picture by Maurice Marcellin

I really find Mictecacihuatl interesting and like Persephone once she became queen of the Greek Underworld. I love how I can find a similar religion across the world from each other. There are several is religions that exist today. Sometimes I wish other could see it and stop using their beliefs as a reason to fight.

So, do you have an interesting Saint of religious figure? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you’re interested in the occult and mythology, be sure to check out "A Prescription for Delirium" available NOW on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.