Familiar Spirit

( Myth.) One of those demons or evil spirits which were supposed to attend and be at the service of a magician, or other favored person. The belief in familiar spirits is very ancient, and by the law of Moses, such as had familiar spirits were to be put to death. Where So crates speaks of his attendant demon, he is generally understood to refer to the inner feelings and promptings of his nature, and not to any familiar spirit. In Eastern countries, the belief in familiar spirits is very general; and it was widely diffused over Europe in the Middle Ages. A favorite form a umed by a familiar spirit was that of a black dog. Jovius says that Cornel i us Agrippa was always accompanied by a devil in the form of a black dog; and Goethe makes Me phis top heles first appear to Faust in this shape. Para cels us was believed to carry about with him a familiar spirit in the hilt of his sword.