In religion, folklore, and mythology a demon or demoness is a supernatural being that has generally been described as a malevolent spirit but outside Christian circles was viewed as a sort of elemental spirit: compare daemon and djinn. A demon is frequently depicted as a force that may be conjured and insecurely controlled. The "good" demon in recent use is largely a literary device (eg: Maxwell's demon). In common language, "demonizing" one's opponent is an aspersion. As the Indo-Iranian Avestan and Vedic traditions and also other branches of Indo-European mythologies show, the not ...

Including:

• Demon - Etymology
• Demon - Demons in ancient Persia
• Demon - Demons in the Hebrew Bible
• Demon - Influences from Chaldean mythology
• Demon - In Jewish rabbinic literature
• Demon - The King and Queen of Demons
• Demon - In the New Testament and Christianity
• Demon - In Christian myth and legend
• Demon - War in Heaven
• Demon - Demonologies
• Demon - In pre-Islamic Arab culture
• Demon - In Islam
• Demon - In Hinduism
• Demon - Demons in other cultures and religions
• Demon - Demons in Hellenistic Neopaganism
• Demon - In art literature and television
• Demon - In science
• Demon - In games
• Demon - External link

Read more here: » Demon: Encyclopedia - Demon

See also:

Demon, Demon - Etymology, Demon - Demons in the Hebrew Bible, Demon - Influences from Chaldean mythology, Demon - In Jewish rabbinic literature, Demon - The King and Queen of Demons, Demon - In the New Testament and Christianity, Demon - In Christian myth and legend, Demon - War in Heaven, Demon - Demonologies, Demon - In pre-Islamic Arab culture, Demon - In Islam, Demon - In Hinduism, Demon - Demons in other cultures and religions, Demon - Demons in Hellenistic Neopaganism, Demon - In art literature and television, Demon - In science, Demon - In games, Demon - External link

Read more here: » Demon: Encyclopedia II - Demon - In Christian myth and legend

"Demon" has a number of meanings, all related to the idea of a spirit that inhabited a place, or that accompanied a person. Whether such a daemon was benevolent or malevolent, the Greek word meant something different from the later medieval notions of 'demon', and scholars debate the time in which first century usage by Jews and Christians in its original Greek sense became transformed to the later medieval sense. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus casts out many demons, or evil spirits, from those who are afflicted with vario ...

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Demon, Demon - Etymology, Demon - Demons in the Hebrew Bible, Demon - Influences from Chaldean mythology, Demon - In Jewish rabbinic literature, Demon - The King and Queen of Demons, Demon - In the New Testament and Christianity, Demon - In Christian myth and legend, Demon - War in Heaven, Demon - Demonologies, Demon - In pre-Islamic Arab culture, Demon - In Islam, Demon - In Hinduism, Demon - Demons in other cultures and religions, Demon - Demons in Hellenistic Neopaganism, Demon - In art literature and television, Demon - In science, Demon - In games, Demon - External link

Read more here: » Demon: Encyclopedia II - Demon - In the New Testament and Christianity

Catalan myths and legends are the traditional myths and legends of the Catalan-speaking world, especially Catalonia itself, passed down for generations as part of that region's popular culture. Among the figures of Catalan mythology are: Aloja Catalan mythology about witches Dip Dona d'aigua Donyet Dragons Drac (generally male) Víbria (specifically female) Encantaria Follet Gambutzí Goja Home de ...

Read more here: » Catalan myths and legends: Encyclopedia - Catalan myths and legends

The papacy has been surrounded by numerous myths and legends. Among the most famous are the claims that: The Papal Tiara contains a set of words that when numerised produce the total 666, the 'number of the beast' (ie., Satan), in the bible; A woman—Pope Joan—was once elected pope, and that because of this, subsequent popes underwent an examination to ascertain their sex. Both these claims have been independently verified as being myths. Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - P ...

Including:

• Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Popes who died during sex
• Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - The Vicarius Filii Dei myth
• Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Pope Joan
• Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Documents of Jesus Christ
• Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Additional reading

Read more here: » Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy: Encyclopedia - Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy

There have been many attempts throughout the history of Christianity to classify demons into categories. These systems of classification of demons are a part of Christian demonology. Classification systems are based on the nature of the demon, the sin with which they tempt humans, the month in which their power was strongest, the saints that were their adversaries, or other characteristics. Classification of demons - Classification by domain. It can be noted that according to each author listed below, the d ...

Including:

• Classification of demons - Classification by domain
• Classification of demons - The Testament of Solomon
• Classification of demons - Psellus' classification of demons
• Classification of demons - Spina's classification of demons
• Classification of demons - Binsfeld's classification of demons
• Classification of demons - Guazzo's classification of demons
• Classification of demons - Michaelis' classification of demons
• Classification of demons - Barrett's classification of demons
• Classification of demons - Classification by month
• Classification of demons - Classification by office
• Classification of demons - Le Dragon Rouge
• Classification of demons - Pseudomonarchia Daemonum
• Classification of demons - The Lesser Key of Solomon

Read more here: » Classification of demons: Encyclopedia - Classification of demons

Baal is a Christian demon. His name also refers to various gods and goddesses who are not demons. This is a potential source of confusion. In this article the name Baal is used only to refer to the demon Baal, unless stated otherwise. Other spellings: Bael, Baël (French), Baell. The idea of Baal as a demon was created when Christianity turned ancient gods into demons and demonology divided the demonic population of Hell in several hierarchies. Baal, the Semitic god, did not ...

Including:

• Baal demon - Baal in popular culture

Read more here: » Baal demon: Encyclopedia - Baal demon

Abaddon, in demonology, was chief of the demons of the seventh hierarchy. He was called The Destroyer and in the Book of Revelation St John called him the King of the Grasshoppers. The Thanksgiving Hymns (a copy was also found in the Dead Sea Scrolls) tells of "the Sheol of Abaddon" and of the "torrents of Belial [that] burst into Abaddon". The Biblical Antiquities of Philo mentions Abaddon as a place (sheol, hell), not as a spirit or demon or angel. In Paradise Regained, Milton also uses Abaddon as a place — th ...

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The Jesus-Myth is a sceptical position on the historicity of Jesus, claiming that Jesus did not exist as a historical character, but functioned instead as an abstract, symbolic, and metaphorical allusion to a higher knowledge. The theory has not found widespread acceptance among mainstream scholars and historians. Jesus-Myth - Background. The first scholarly proponent of the Jesus Myth idea was probably nineteenth century historian Bruno Bauer, who argued that the true founder of Christianity was the Alexan ...

Including:

• Jesus-Myth - Background
• Jesus-Myth - Arguments in support of the Jesus myth
• Jesus-Myth - Arguments against the Jesus myth

Read more here: » Jesus-Myth: Encyclopedia - Jesus-Myth

Angels and Demons (2000) is a mystery novel by Dan Brown, featuring the character Robert Langdon, who is also the principal character of his subsequent, better-known novel The Da Vinci Code. The story involves a conflict between an ancient group, the Illuminati, and the Catholic Church. It is credited with being the first novel to contain ambigrams. Angels and Demons - Main characters. Robert Langdon: Protagonist, symbologist, professor Vittoria Vetra: CERN physici ...

Including:

• Angels and Demons - Main characters
• Angels and Demons - Plot
• Angels and Demons - Similarities to Brown's other books
• Angels and Demons - Common to two books
• Angels and Demons - Elements that are common to all four of Brown's books
• Angels and Demons - Facts and mythology behind the book
• Angels and Demons - The Altars of Science
• Angels and Demons - Factual inaccuracies
• Angels and Demons - The All Seeing Eye

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Urban legends are a kind of folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them (see rumor). The term is often used in the meaning similar to the expression "apocryphal story". Urban legends are sometimes repeated in news stories and, in recent years, distributed by e-mail. People frequently say such tales happened to a "friend of a friend"—so often, in fact, that FOAF has become a commonly used acronym to describe ...

Including:

• Urban legend - Origins
• Urban legend - Structure
• Urban legend - Propagation and belief
• Urban legend - Urban legend versus urban myth
• Urban legend - Documenting urban legends
• Urban legend - Examples

Read more here: » Urban legend: Encyclopedia - Urban legend

A legend (Latin, legenda, "things to be read") is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. Legend, for its active and passive participants, includes no happenings that are outside the realm of "possibility", defined by a highly flexible set of parameters, which may include miracles that are perceived as actually having happened, within the specific tradition of indoctrination where th ...

Including:

• Legend - Some legends

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Christian demonology is the study of the demons from a "Christian" point of view. It is primarily based on the Bible (Old Testament and mainly New Testament), the exegesis of these scriptures, the scriptures of some Christian philosophers and hermits, tradition, and legends incorporated from other beliefs. Like theology, demonology is not a science, since it has not been proved by the scientific method. As is common in monotheistic religions, some deities of other religions were seen as demons, which in this particular case increased the number and names ...

Including:

• Christian demonology - Christian demonology studies

Read more here: » Christian demonology: Encyclopedia - Christian demonology

"Oppression" is a more accurate translation of the term used in Christian sctipture. Possession, like other mistranslations, has gained a life of its own. This is possibly due to the nature of the word as well as the many movies depicting weird and lengthly deliverance rituals. Biblical deliverance takes place in seconds or perhaps a minute at most. This is the type one will find throughout the world in churches and ministries of nearly every denomination today. The concept of demon possession in Christianity was similar to that of Je ...

See also:

Demonic possession, Demonic possession - Demon possession in history, Demonic possession - Demon possession in Christianity, Demonic possession - Cases of demon possession in the Bible, Demonic possession - Demon possession in medicine, Demonic possession - External link

Read more here: » Demonic possession: Encyclopedia II - Demonic possession - Demon possession in Christianity

Tales of mermaids are nearly universal. The first known mermaid stories appeared in Assyria, ca. 1000 BCE. Atargatis, the mother of Assyrian queen Semiramis, was a goddess who loved a mortal shepherd and in the process killed him. Ashamed, she jumped into a lake to take the form of a fish, but the waters would not conceal her divine nature. Thereafter, she took the form of a mermaid - human above the waist, fish below, though the earliest representations of Atargatis showed her as being a fish with a human head and legs, similar to the Babylonian Ea. The Greeks recognized Atargatis under the name Derketo, wh ...

See also:

Mermaid, Mermaid - The Truth behind The Mermaid Myth?, Mermaid - Legend and myth, Mermaid - Fiction, Mermaid - Sirenomelia, Mermaid - Hoaxes, Mermaid - Heraldry

Read more here: » Mermaid: Encyclopedia II - Mermaid - Legend and myth

Main article: Vicarius Filii Dei One common myth surrounding the papal tiara suggests that the words Vicarius Filii Dei exist on the side of one of the tiaras. This myth is believed by many conservative Seventh-day Adventist church members (and was once officially taught), but is now contrary to the official belief of that church. The myth centres on the widely made claim that, when numerised (i.e., when those letters in the 'title' that have roman numeral value are added together), they produce the number '666', ...

See also:

Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Popes who died during sex, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - The Vicarius Filii Dei myth, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Pope Joan, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Documents of Jesus Christ, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Additional reading

Read more here: » Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy: Encyclopedia II - Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - The Vicarius Filii Dei myth

Tales of mermaids are nearly universal. The first known mermaid stories appeared in Assyria, ca. 1000 BCE. Atargatis, the mother of Assyrian queen Semiramis, was a goddess who loved a mortal shepherd and in the process killed him. Ashamed, she jumped into a lake to take the form of a fish, but the waters would not conceal her divine nature. Thereafter, she took the form of a mermaid - human above the waist, fish below, though the earliest representations of Atargatis showed her as being a fish with a human head and legs, similar to the Babylonian Ea. The Greeks recognized Atargatis under the name Derketo, wh ...

See also:

Mermaid, Mermaid - Legend and myth, Mermaid - Fiction, Mermaid - Sirenomelia, Mermaid - Hoaxes, Mermaid - Heraldry

Read more here: » Mermaid: Encyclopedia II - Mermaid - Legend and myth

A snake-eating bird of prey appears in a legend of the Mexica people, who gave rise to the Aztec empire, and it is represented in the Mexican flag: The Mexicas, guided by their god Huitzilopochtli, sought a place where the bird landed on a prickly pear cactus, devouring a snake. They found the sign on a island in Lake Texcoco, where they erected the city of Tenochtitlan ("Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus" – present-day Mexico City) in 1325. (In the Coat of Arms of Mexico this bird is depicted as a Golden Eagle, though it's often said to be ...

See also:

Ophiophagy, Ophiophagy - Ophiophagy in myth and legend, Ophiophagy - Practical use, Ophiophagy - Immunity

Read more here: » Ophiophagy: Encyclopedia II - Ophiophagy - Ophiophagy in myth and legend

Another legend of the Vatican is that, buried in the archives beneath St. Peter's Basilica, there exists a collection of documents that directly refer to, or were in fact personally written by, Jesus. One such document is said to be the execution order for Jesus, signed by Pontius Pilate, while another is said to be a series of letters, hand-written by Jesus, explaining to his followers how to conduct the formation of the Catholic Church after his death. Still other legends speak of Christ havi ...

See also:

Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Popes who died during sex, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - The Vicarius Filii Dei myth, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Pope Joan, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Documents of Jesus Christ, Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Additional reading

Read more here: » Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy: Encyclopedia II - Myths and legends surrounding the Papacy - Documents of Jesus Christ

Amaranth, or Amarant (from the Greek amarantos, unwithering), a name chiefly used in poetry, and applied to Amaranth and other plants which, from not soon fading, typified immortality. Thus, in Milton's Paradise Lost, iii. 353: "Immortal amarant, a flower which once In paradise, fast by the tree of life, Began to bloom; but soon for man's offence To heaven removed, where first it grew, there grows, And flowers aloft, shading the fount of life, And where the river of blis ...

See also:

Amaranth, Amaranth - Cultivation and uses, Amaranth - Myth Legend and Poetry, Amaranth - Selected species

Read more here: » Amaranth: Encyclopedia II - Amaranth - Myth Legend and Poetry