DEMON

(Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.) The existence of invisible beings of superior powers and intelligence to mankind, though inferior to the Deity, has been an article of belief among all heathen nations. They have varied, however, in the dispositions they have a igned to them. The Greeks, from whom we derive the term in Scriptural language, applied it originally to the deified spirits of departed heroes, whom they supposed to have some influence in promoting the good of mankind,, and considered therefore as objects of adoration. The manner, however, in which demons are represented in Scripture as evil spirits inflicting injury on men at the suggestion of the Father of Evil, is conformable to the oriental notion upon such points; except, indeed, that in the Scriptures the general supremacy of God, who suffers evil to exist, is maintained, in opposition to the eastern dogma of the eternal and equal conflict of the good and the evil principles. The early fathers indulged in much speculation upon these subjects; but in modern times the literal interpretation of the agency of demons as referred to in Scripture has been frequently called in question. The demons, like the fairies and goblins of other mythologies, are represented with various characters of beneficence, malice, and wanton mischief. They were sometimes distinguished by the names Cacodemon and Agathodemon (from xoixe;, bad, and otyotBof, good), according as their influence was evil or beneficent. [s. 338]