THE CAULDRON
Stirring the pot with Angeline Hawkes


Hell is empty and all the devils are here.
--William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act I Scene II


Monsters in Horror: Why They Will Never Die
Part 5: Devils & Demons

There are many types of monsters: the ones we classify as supernatural, to the human monster in the news. Monsters are with us whether we like it or not. When researching the origins of typical monsters, one can find similar creatures in nearly every culture. Sometimes used for religious purposes, sometimes for entertainment, or sometimes to take the place of scientific knowledge, monsters are used as explanations or as controls. And, what better control to have in place than a spiritual monster that represents evil in all forms: devils & demons. The two are often used interchangeably, but in fact, they are separate entities.

Demons and Devils, the representation of evil, are seen in every religion in various forms. It is hard to present good without an opposing force representing evil. Afterall, one must fight against something in order for good to triumph. In Jewish and Christian beliefs there is only one devil: Satan, Lucifer, and Beelzebub. Lucifer was once a glorious angel, one of the few that had free choice. He got a little too big for his britches and started a heavenly civil war. His side lost. As a result, he and the angels that hadn't thought things through so carefully were chucked out of heaven and made ugly: demons. So now demons run around freely on the earth tormenting and tempting people to do evil. In Christianity they also are the keepers and workers of Hell. Stoking the fiery furnaces for all eternity so men who have followed the path of the dark side can have some form of punishment. Whether or not they're red, chubby, and with pointy horns and tails is a matter of theological debate.

The Hebrew bible provides names for the classes of demons: (Text) se'irim and the shedim . The se'irim provide us with the Satyr, goat-like imagery that is also represented by the Middle Eastern Jinn. Hebrew demons are often attributed with characteristics such as diseases, etc. that plague mankind. Whereas demons in Christianity are simply malevolent beings that want to see humans sin. The image of the little red demon on one shoulder and the angel on the other comes to mind when thinking of demons as tempters.

In Babylonian mythologies, demons behave more like the Hebrew demons. They are forces to be reckoned with such as storm-demons, or wind-demons. Often chaotic acts of nature are attributed to the activities of these demons: storms are caused by demons; earthquakes are caused by demons. The demons become a way to explain natural occurrences that otherwise wouldn't have an explanation within the limited scientific knowledge of the days. As in the mythologies of Babylon, Hinduism also has its share of demons.

Hindu demons are bound by constraints however. Some are demons of the air, some of the land. They cannot come and go freely. Another difference of Hindu demons is these demons are not responsible for the evil-doing of men, however if a human is extra sinful and commits horrible acts, that human's spirit upon death can return as an evil demon.

Demons figure more into horror fiction and movies than does the Devil. It is much easier to incorporate a multitude of beings into a horrific situation than just one deformed half-goat. Demon possession, attack, and hauntings are a trademark of horror because religion figures into much horror so prominently. In order to have a character triumph over an evil force, something evil must manifest in order to be fought. However the evil is shown, it is often in the form of a being that can and will cause physical harm to a human or other living creature. Children, animals, and even inanimate objects have been the subjects of possessions throughout fiction. The Exorcist, Pet Sematary, and Christine all come instantly to mind. For every one I mention, I'm sure you can add a few more.

Because demons and devils figure so prominently in most religions, and most people at some time or another have had some influence upon their lives by a religion, it is safe to assume that demons and devils will continue to horrify and terrify us through words and images.