What Is A Demon?
If one operates on the variety of definitions of a demon in the world, it would appear these malevolent spirits are having a massive identity crisis. They are often associated with the Judeo-Christian world as fallen angels from heaven that rebelled against God with Lucifer, but they have a long-standing place in many cultures and religious traditions. Ancient Greece had stories about them, Hesiod and Shakespeare included them in their stories, and Plato even referenced demons in his writings (though not in the same way we would think of – much of the evil references were nonexistent during his time).
Despite their close associations with hell and Satan, demons are often seen as a malevolent force than can be called upon or controlled – an interesting fact considering that slandering someone is often referred to as “demonizing” them for a specific purpose. For occultists like Aleister Crowley (“The Beast 666”) references to demonology are seen as a powerful metaphor for a number of psychological processes, but a large number of individuals still see demons as an objective and real force on Earth. Demons are not always considered evil, however. The ancient Greek concept of a daemon was very different from what we know today.
Often spelt “daemon” or “daimon” the literal translation of the word was actually in reference to the spirit, a connection that was used by author Phillip Pullman in the “His Dark Materials” trilogy. In his fictional world “daemons” are an external manifestation of the soul in the form of an animal. A daemon was a vital part of who an individual was and, in adulthood, said something about the individual depending on the associations their particular daemon’s shape had. For example, those with a tiger would be considered to be brave and strong; or, alternatively, those with a small and meek creature may be cowardly and avoid confrontation.
