Demon (Greek: δαίμων, daimon) often denotes a malevolent entity in classical and modern cultures and religions. However, its Greek root, daimon, may not have necessarily carried any negative connotations.[5] Daimon originally implied a spirit or divine power, possibly an equivalent to the Latin word numen,[6] meaning "divinity", or a "divine presence", "divine will."[7] At the advent of Christianity, Greek and Latin concepts were paganized, or essentially, demonized.[8]
Origins[]
One of the most ancient written sources regarding a clash between good and evil is the Enuma Elis which recounts Mesopotamian cosmology. A great beast is described, known as Tiamat, who bears children to serve in her rebellion against Marduk (Babylonian), or EA (Sumerian). Tiamat was described as primordial chaos [9] and sometimes identified with images of a sea serpent or dragon.[10] The Enûma Elish states that Tiamat gave birth to dragons and serpents, among a more general list of monsters including scorpion men and merpeople.[11] Such iconography had impressed Greek mythology as well as eschatology in Judeo-Christian theology. It is also a deep study in demonology as well as for developing support for the ancient aliens hypothesis.
Ancient aliens[]
Zecharia Sitchin, an advocate of the ancient aliens hypothesis, ran with these early concepts to promote his Tiamat hypothesis which states that Nibiru collided catastrophically with a planet, Tiamat once located between Mars and Jupiter. This collision supposedly formed the planet Earth, the asteroid belt, and the comets.[12][13][14]
Popular culture[]
The Fall of the Rebel Angels by Gustave Doré
- "Blue Demons" from Galaxy Quest.
- The Caste, a.k.a. Demons, from Cowboys & Aliens.
- Daemons from Doctor Who.
- Demons from Blackstar.
- Demons from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
- Demons from Mortal Kombat.
- Devaronians from Star Wars are said to resemble demons.
- Demons from DOOM.
- Demons from Hellgate: London.
- Iconians, a.k.a. "Demons of Air and Darkness", from Star Trek.
- Maelibi, a.k.a. "Demons" from Star Wars.
- Parademons from DC.
- Queller Demons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- The Scourge from Doctor Who.
- Daemons from Warhammer 40,000.
See also[]
Sources[]
- ↑ California State University, The Enuma Elish (PDF) (short version)
- ↑ Hinduism: The Ideas of Heaven and Hell, by Swami Adiswarananda
- ↑ Giants Of Sumer, by Xavier Séguin, March 8, 2014
- ↑ Encyclopedia Judaica: Anthropomorphism
- ↑ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert. "δαιμόνιον". A Greek–English Lexicon. Perseus.
- ↑ "Demon". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ↑ Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary
- ↑ Arnold Angenendt, “The Christianization of Latin Europe”, Brill’s Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
- ↑ Dalley, Stephanie (1987). Myths from Mesopotamia. Oxford University Press. pp. 329.
- ↑ Jacobsen, Thorkild (1968). "The Battle between Marduk and Tiamat". Journal of the American Oriental Society 88 (1): 104–108. doi:10.2307/597902.
- ↑ King, Leonard William (1902). The Seven Tablets of Creation (Vol. II: Supplementary Texts). pp. 117.
- ↑ Wikipedia, Zecharia Sitchin, Ideas and works
- ↑ Sitchin, Zecharia (1990). "Chapter 2: It Came From Outer Space". Genesis Revisited. New York: Avon Books. ISBN 0380761599.
- ↑ Compare to Phaeton (hypothetical planet)
Resources[]
- UFO-Alien Database, Demons