Throughout history demons have been depicted in many forms or artwork around the world, such as paintings, sculptures, sketches, and more recently in cartoons. This essay will attempt to define what a ‘demon’ is supposed to be, their myths and supposed origins, and why we as humans are so enamored by them. Also being discussed will be how demons are represented in art, and the reasons as to why it is so difficult to pin down a definite idea of what a demon is meant to look like. Are demons truly ‘evil’, or are they just as diverse as humans are? What do they represent to us as humans, and to artists? Throughout the essay, the conclusions that will be reached speak of a lack of grounding evidence or facts regarding demons, and how superstition, speculation, and hearsay are the foundations for how humans regard demons and what they supposedly look like.
First of all it would be prudent to define what a ‘demon’ actually is, as it differs slightly depending on the culture or religion. Many believe demons to be evil spirits; it is derived from the Greek daimon, and the term originally meant a spiritual being that influenced a person’s character. “…a spirit which might be good or bad: the Christians condemned all pagan spirits as evil beings under the sway of the Devil, which gave the word ‘demon’ its invariably evil modern connotation.”[1] Many Christians believe that demons are fallen angels, and they are frequently depicted as something that may be conjured and controlled by magic. However, even though the general consensus portrays demons as evil and malevolent, there have been references to ‘good’ demons (agathos daimon), such as those found in Hesiod and Shakespeare.[2] For example, Socrates explained his daimon as a spirit that inspired him to seek and speak the truth. Over time though, the dominant interpretation of a ‘demon’ has become associated with evil, misfortune, and mischief.[3] Are demons truly ‘evil’, or are they just ‘dark’ as opposed to the ‘light’ of angels?
Throughout history, demons have been depicted in various form of media all around the world; art, movies, television, music, literature. They are not chained to any one particular religion. Where do demons come from? What is their purpose? What is their history? How did they come to be? There are no definite answers to these questions, as the information is thin and debatable. However, there are myths which tell of their origins, though they alter and change depending on the culture and the viewpoint of the people.
In Jewish literature, Lilith is depicted as the mother of Adam’s demonic offspring.[4] Lilith is often said to have been Adam’s first wife, made of mud and filth, and considered herself to be equal to Adam. Adam attempted to force her into a subordinate position, but she flew away, and so Adam complained to God who then sent three angels to bring her back. She refused to return, however, she promised that should she see the names of those three angels (Sanvi, Sansanvi, and Semangelaf) written near a newborn child, she would spare them. Only after Lilith refused to return to Adam did God create Eve.[5] Lilith has been also been called the Mother of all demons. However, if the fallen angels were considered demons first, then how could Lilith be called the ‘Mother’? It seems illogical, however, it is possible that Lilith is indeed one story on how some demons came to exist.
Another demonic myth involves Lucifer the “morning star”, or “Light Bearer”, one of the favored archangels of God. He was also known in Greek as Phosphorus or Eosphorus and in classical mythology he had almost no legend, though he was often herald of the dawn. It was not until Christian times that Lucifer began being named Satan or the Devil.[6] Early Christian theologians identified Lucifer with the falling star of Isaiah’s famous rant against the ruler of Babylon: ‘How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning.’[7] The story claims that Lucifer attempted to exalt himself above others and become equal with God, and therefore he was hurled from heaven in punishment. The passage was the foundation of the doctrine that states the Devil was a great archangel who rebelled against God, and Christians connected this with the statement in Luke (10.18), ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.’ In the Old Testament, Satan’s task is to roam through the earth seeking out acts or persons to be reported unfavorably. “Satan is cynical about disinterested human goodness and is permitted to test it under God’s authority and control and within the limits that God sets.”[8] It isn’t until the New Testament that Satan is spoken of as the prince of evil and darkness, and the enemy of God. Fallen angels are considered demons, and Lucifer was considered the first by Christian standards and they dubbed him the Devil, or Satan. There are many holes and debatable information regarding this theory, and the information on Lucifer, Satan, and the Devil don’t always corroborate. The Old Testament does not mention the notion of the fallen angels whatsoever; it is not until the New Testament that they show up. It begs the question, were there really any fallen angels? Or are they just symbolic representatives used in order to explain what happens to those who defy their God? It wasn’t until the 3rd – 7th centuries CE that Lucifer began being seen as a deformed human figure, and in the Middle Ages he began being seen as a monstrous foul-smelling beast most likely in response to the plague, or wars of the time.[9]
Wherever you care to look, you will find artwork featuring demons; paintings, carvings, statues, and even digital artwork among the modern artists. Such as “The Fall of Satan/Lucifer” by Gustave Dore, the statue “Lucifer” by Guillaume Geefs at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Belgium, “Sin Demon” by Sandrine Replat, and “Lucifer” by an artist known as feimo from China. The way that demons are portrayed vary greatly, so much so that it makes it difficult most times in order to pinpoint something specific, as different artists will have different ideas of what a demon should or should not look like. There are however, a few main ways in which demons are portrayed in artwork. As depicted in “Lucifer” by feimo (digitally painted in 2007) and the statue “Lucifer” by Guillaume Geefs, sometimes demons and fallen angels are depicted as beautiful humanoid creatures. Sometimes they have feathered wings, but most often than not, they have wings similar to those of a bat or dragon. The wings are shown to be different either in color or style, so that the viewers are able to understand that these beautiful creatures are not in fact angels.
Another way demons are shown are in humanoid form with different colored skin and horns, sometimes they are smaller than a standard human, other times larger, depending on the whim of the artist. Most often than not, however, are the gruesome images of deformed beasts with jagged teeth and claws; their size depending on the artists interpretation. Sometimes images of demons are even used in children’s animations, such as “Inuyasha” by Rumiko Takahashi (1996)[10]; Inuyasha images portray demons (youki) as either humanoid with animal energy, or raging beast-like creatures. There is no definite source of information on how demons should look, and this makes it all the more interesting for artists to be able to explore their ideas and beliefs. “The issue of demons’ physical shape has long been debated.”[11] The general idea of demons though, is that they are unsightly and hideous; it is less common to find art of beautiful demons.
Why is it that humans are so enamored by demons? Why are they so intriguing to us? What do they represent to humans? Over time, there has been a growing interest in demons, as seen in literature, TV, movies, video games, art, and it is usually based on the eternal struggle between ‘good’ and ‘evil’.[12] It is quite obvious that it is entirely up to the artist as to how demons are portrayed in their artwork. It can be as diverse as someone creating an image of their own ideal creatures, to being as simple as staying to stereotypes. In many artworks, demons are depicted as being vengeful, full of hate, deadly, evil, dark, yet other such times they can be seen as good, helpful, and curious. Demons are not as feared today as they were centuries ago, and artwork of them do not incite horror and fear as they once did. Demons themselves are fairly dominant in literature and in art, such as “The Fall of Satan/Lucifer” by Gustave Dore for Milton’s Paradise Lost. Demons seem to appease the rebellious side of the human spirit. We are so intrigued by them for many reasons, some of which being unique to each individual. The eternal war between the angels and the demons, in Western culture, could have come about in response to the problem of evil. Demons are interesting, different, unique, though another reason they could be so popular is the fact that they represent things that are forbidden and mysterious, or are considered sinful. They tend to have most, if not all, of the human faults; this in itself tends to make humans think “well see, I’m not really that bad after all!”
It is a part of human nature to be attracted to things that, in hindsight, we should not be attracted to. Have you ever wished to be swept away by some dark and seductive person? That you could control the shadows? The darkness of the fallen angels and demons is quite appealing and alluring. “…we want that which we can’t have that we are constantly self improving so one day we will want something which is above of what we wanted, but already have.”[13] Always wanting more than what we have is a human trait that almost everyone has, and yet in regards to Lucifer and demons, this trait is supposedly one of the main ones. It is the supposed reason as to why, in the myth, Lucifer was thrown from heaven; he wanted more than what he had, and was not happy with what he already had. Does this mean that we, as humans, are the same as many of the fallen angels and demons? Do our human faults make us similar? It is appealing to want things which we cannot physically or mentally have; thus we end up with vivid imaginations in order to appease that feeling. Art depicting demons allows the artist to release their frustrations, their fears, and their anger in order to try and capture an image of something ‘demonic’ from their perspective. It is something similar to therapy of the mind.
Information on demons and fallen angels is sketchy and debatable at best; ‘what is a demon?’ and ‘what do demons look like?’ remain open to interpretation. The sources of information on demons changes and alters depending on the time in history, or the culture. However, none of the sources, such as the Bible or the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1583), are definite fact and therefore the information is not entirely reliable. No original copy of the Bible exists today, and information on demons from these sources are from the author or artists own viewpoint. The information comes from supposed ‘witnesses’, or stories passed from one person to the next with no known beginning; there are no known historical studies of a living (or non-living) demon. Information is hearsay, speculation, and is generally prejudiced. Artists of images featuring demons and fallen angels rely on their imaginations, or what their religious leaders believe, and so it leaves many things open for individual interpretation. “Others regard the Biblical Satan as an allegory that represents a crisis of faith, individualism, free will, wisdom and enlightenment.”[14] How demons are depicted in art, depends entirely on that individual artist and their beliefs; a demons’ physical shape, and their characteristics have long been debated and there is no definite answer to those debates.
Most of the artwork featuring demons are not scholarly and generally are illustrations for religious texts or are targeted toward popular culture, such as concept art for video games, cartoons, illustrations for books, or they are simply for decorative purposes. Some of the artists do refer to events from their religious texts, or myths, as a basis for their art involving demons and fallen angels, such as Satan as a brooding hero by Gustave Dore as an illustration for Milton’s Paradise Lost, and concept art for video games such as Devil May Cry where many of the demons are illustrated as monstrous beasts.
The intended viewer for art featuring demons is the general population. There is no age limit, or restrictions on who can view these particular artworks, illustrations, or sculptures. Art is designed to be appreciated by everyone. Much of the information used is opinion, propaganda, and personal interpretation; there are no concrete facts regarding demons or fallen angels. For example, some of the names regarding ‘the Devil’ come from different cultures that were adopted into Christian belief, such as the name “Beelzebub” as it was originally the name of a Philistine god.
There are no definite facts pertaining to demons being evil, as there are also references to ‘good’ demons, as explained by Socrates, Hesiod, and Shakespeare. Attempting to distinguish whether demons are either good or evil, seems just as difficult in trying to define whether humans are good or evil. Can you judge them all on the actions of just one? Angels themselves are difficult to define in these categories, and it seems demons are just as difficult. Demons seem to be put into either the ‘good’ or ‘evil’ category depending on what the artist or individual person wants. Demons are however, often an integral part of the human belief and religious systems. Are demons evil? Are they good? These are questions that cannot be answered definitely, just as their descriptions and characteristics cannot be definitely answered. There are no concrete facts or evidence; merely second-hand accounts, ‘witness’ accounts from delirious or ‘possessed’ people. There is no scientific information regarding demons, and it makes it difficult for one to make a definite picture of a demon when all the information is speculation, hearsay, and prejudiced propaganda.
[1] Eric Maple, ‘Demons’, Man Myth & Magic p.622, Purnell, BPC Publishing Ltd, 1970.
[2] Wikipedia, ‘Demon’, 5 June 2009. Online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon
[3] Encyclopaedia Britannica Standard Edition, ‘angel and demon’, 2005.
[4] Encyclopaedia Britannica, ‘Lilith’, 2005.
[5] Douglas Hill, ‘Lilith’, Man Myth & Magic p.1631, Purnell, 1970.
[6] Encyclopaedia Britannica, ‘Lucifer’, 2005.
[7] Richard Cavendish, ‘Lucifer’, Man Myth & Magic pp.1662-1663, Purnell, 1971.
[8] Encyclopaedia Britannica, ‘Satan’, 2005.
[9] Rick Strelan, ‘RELN2510 Lecture 5 Notes’, April 2009.
[10] Wikipedia, ‘Inuyasha’, 7 June 2009. Online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InuYasha
[11] Rick Strelan, ‘RELN2510 Lecture 5 Notes’, April 2009.
[12] Rick Strelan, ‘RELN2510 Lecture 4 Notes’, March 2009.
[13] Dragslaye, ‘You Always Want What You Can’t Have’, 5 October 2008. Online at http://www.sciencechatforum.com/bulletin/viewtopic.php?t=10528&sid=9af76f364f64627536ed6b9518d2c8e9
[14] Wikipedia, ‘Satan’, 8 June 2009. Online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan
