Demonology: A-Z List of Demon Names, Devils, & Evil Spirits

List of Demons, Devils, Tricksters and other Evil Spirits

This section is a study in the world of perceptions of "evil beings." Throughout these pages, you'll find descriptions of different "demons" and names of demons.

I realize that some of these "names of demons" can be considered gods or mythological beings. I've chosen those I found to demonstrate the trickster archetype or have been described as possessing "evil" traits in a predominant belief system.

Throughout religion, folklore, mythology and occultism, a demon is a supernatural being described as something not quite human.

Eastern / Christian Demonology

In ancient Near Easter religions and Christian demonology, a demon is believed to be an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession.

Therefore, an act of exorcism would be necessary to draw the spirit out.

Western / Christian Demonology

In Western occultism, a demon is a supernatural being with the ability to be conjured and controlled.

Literature

In literature, many demons were once fallen angels, while others were said to be forged in Hell itself.

Beliefs

Some believe a demon refers to superhuman beings who are not gods.

It deals both with good beings who have no worshippers or limited to a rank below the gods, and with evil beings of all kinds.

The original sense of "demon," from the time of Homer onward was that of a good being; but in English the name now holds the distaste of evil beings.

What is Demonology?

Demonology is the study of demons or of beliefs about demons.

Classes of Demons

Demons, when regarded as spirits, may belong to either of the classes of spirits recognized as human, non-human, separable souls or discarnate spirits which have never inhabited a body.

A sharp distinction is often drawn between these two classes, notably by the Melanesians, the West Africans, and others.

Arab Demons

The Arab djinn, for example, are not reduced to modified human souls; at the same time these classes are often thought as producing diseases.

Demonology Meaning is Derived from Divinity / God?

Demonology, though often referred to with negative feelings, was not always seen as evil or devilish as the term would have one believe. The word demonology is derived from daimon meaning "divinity, divine power, god."

Demons in Society

Some societies believe that all affairs of life are under the control of spirits, each with their own "element" or even object and even themselves in subjection to a greater spirit.

Demon Types

Often souls dwelling in another world are not counted in the demon list.

Gods are often not necessarily seen as being entirely spiritual and may come in fleshly bodies.

Demons are often seen the same as both spiritual and corporeal.

Are Vampires / Incubi / Succubi Demons?

Vampires are often seen as another form of said demons along with incubi and Succubi.

Incubi and Succubi have been noted to produce offspring; though often deformed.

Belief in Demons

Belief in demons, demonology, goes back many millennia and may be as old as man andd often older.

The Zoroastrian faith teaches that there are 3,333 Demons that live among us and are responsible for such things such as war, starvation, sickness etc.

Believed to take the form of "demons" in many forms of religion are:

Demons in Judaism

The Talmud; the central text of mainstream Judaism which pertains to the Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history; declares that there are 7,405,926 demons that have been divided into 72 companies.

While most people believe Lucifer and Satan are the same being, scholars believe they are in fact separate beings.

Are Fallen Angels Demons?

Demons are said to have come from many instances including the sins of the Watchers and the Grigori; the fallen angels told of in Biblical apocrypha who mated with human females thus giving rise to a new race known as the Neplilim.

The split of Adam and Lilith in which Lilith refused to become subservient to Adam and then would not return to the Garden of Eden after she mated with archangel Samael.

Vampires are also mentioned as demons, impure spirits in Jewish folklore known as the dybbuk and wicked humans that have become demons.

At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.

Genesis 6:4

Demons in Christianity

Christian Demonology in The Old Testaments / New Testaments

Christian demonology bases its point of view on the Old and New Testaments presented in the Bible.

The critical explanation of these scriptures, as well as the scriptures of early Christian philosophers, tradition and legends incorporated from other beliefs composite the Christian demonology perspective.

Christian Writings of Demonology

Christian authors throughout history have written about demons for many reasons.

Witch hunters Jacob Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer wrote about how to identify people involved with demons and the actions to take in dealing with these individuals.

Theologian Thomas Aquinas wrote about the demon behaviors Christians should be aware of.

Summoning Demons Texts

Texts were written about how to summon demons in the name of God.

Other texts were written categorizing and describing different types of demons complete with names and ranks.

These texts were mostly rejected as either diabolical or fictitious by the Christian community.

Newer Christian Demonology Writings

The modern day writers more like Aquinas explain how demons affect the world and how strong faith in God can lessen or vanquish the damage caused by them.

There are still Christian authors who proclaim demons and their human agents are present throughout the world today, although these claims are far from mainstream.

Christian Doubt in Demons

Most Christians don't believe demons exist in the world in the literal sense; rather, many believe the exorcisms in the New Testament describe the healing of what today would be classified as mental illness, epilepsy or other diseases.

Demonology: List of Demons, Devils, Tricksters and other Evil Spirits.

More About Demons

Scary demon names in this section include dozens of demons found in a variety of myths and traditions from around the globe. Demons are common in the mythology of just about every culture on earth and have been since ancient times. Some of the evil names listed here date back many thousands of years and live on in the cultural or religious traditions that still exist to this day.

Demonology is the process by which demon names are classified using modern interpretations of the language of the region where the demon originated. Some are difficult to categorize based on the limited source material, but the following demon names/deamon names are the commonly-agreed to versions used today.

Many demons are integral characters in various religious creation myths or holy books. For instance, the demon Akatash is a prominent figure in the ancient Iranian myths about Zoroaster or Zarathustra. Akatash was the creator of evil itself and attempts to destroy Zarathustra with the help of other demons.

Evil names of demons range from Banshees and Baal to Wraiths and Zombies. The Banshee was said by the Irish to be the female bringer of death, who unleashes terrible wails and screams when a person is close to death. Gaelic accounts of the Banshee date back to pre-Christian times and sightings have been reported as recently as 1948. The demon Baal was first described by the ancient Phoenicians and later Semitic cultures as one of the chief rulers in hell. Baal was considered by some Christians during the Puritan period in England to be the main assistant to Satan and commander of 66 legions of demons.

Demons' evil names can be found in modern language - the word "Wrath" has possible roots in "wraith," the ancient Scottish word for "ghost." Wraiths were similar to Banshees: when sighted, their appearance was considered an omen of impending death. Several demons have then-evil names starting with "A" which are commonplace in our own time, such as Ariel and Amy (although both were male beings).

A common theme in demonology is the adoption of demons and their purposes from other cultures. Historical, religious, and cultural traditions led to the swapping and interchange of demons from one culture to the next, after that developing distinct characteristics and legends in context with other mythological figures. For instance, early Judaism borrows extensively from the demons of Persia, Phoenicia, Syria, the Akkadian Empire, and many others. Indeed, the word "demon" itself has evolved over the thousands of years - in the days of Homer; a demon was not necessarily considered an evil name. The Greeks used the word to denote the supernatural and the divine. As it has come down to us, the word has changed meanings substantially, and will surely continue to do so.

In more recent times, demons were usually cast as malevolent beings working to undermine a hero or god. Frequently portrayed as "unclean spirits," demons could possess the body of a victim, either by necessity for survival or to interact with the human world. Although varying across different traditions, typically names of demons were considered non-divine, non-human entities who were either separable or discarnate souls. Most demons were said not to have inhabited a body.

Christian demonology has a long history dating back centuries. Based on scripture, writers throughout the years have described various spirits or entities who have possessed adults or children and severely affected their behavior. Exorcism is the Church-sanctioned practice of removing the demon from the body and is strictly overseen by the Church hierarchy. Other religious traditions have similar methods by which a demon is expelled from the afflicted person.

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