Depictions of demons and the devil with extra faces, often on the groin, are common in medieval manuscripts. Some theorize that it represents their spiritual corruption, by emphasizing the senses that focus on the material world, others think it’s merely to make them monstrous.
The Compendium Of Demonology and Magic is a book full of bestiary illustrations and magical diagrams, written in German and Latin. It’s title page has the warning “Don’t Touch Me” and the year 1057, but it’s been dated to 1775. Likely the book was created to sell to collectors.⠀
Ezequiel or Chazaqiel is one of the fallen Watcher Angels, class of angels meant to be sentinels or messengers of Yahweh. He taught forbidden knowledge to humans, including how to identify omens the clouds. He was also known to lust after women. ⠀
The Namahage Sedo Festival is a folk festival in the Oga Pennisula of Japan, held on New Year’s Eve. The festival welcomes demons for a good harvest. People wearing demon masks and straw clothing visit houses, only leaving when given rice cakes and sake. ⠀
Ammit or Ammut is an Egyptian demon, who holds the titles “Devourer of the Dead” and “Eater of Hearts”. If Anubis determined a deceased’s heart was impure, Ammit would devour it, causing the soul to be restless forever. She was also known to cast hearts into a lake of fire.⠀
Demonic imagery from different books of hours. A Book of Hours was a type of Christian book popular in the Middle Ages that contained prayers, psalms, hymns and lessons that were meant to be read at certain hours of the day, everyday.
In the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, the hero Rama and his army of monkey and bears fight and slay many demons, including the demon king Ravana, who had 10 heads and 20 arms. The Ramayana (Tales of Rama; The Freer Ramayana), Volume 2, 1597 ⠀
Hepoth is demon named in The Keys of Solomon that has the power to make any person seem to appear, even if they are a great distance away. He’s servant to the spirit Sirachi, who serves under Lucifer. Composite art by Eve Harms
Jinns harassing humans and causing mischief. Source: The Book of Wonders and Creatures, 1921
Though jinn are normally thought of spirits of the desert, some types have been found lurking in the forest too. In the forests of Yemen, one might come across the nisnas or nasnas, a jinn that resembles a man split in half. Reportedly, their flesh tastes sweet.
Alleborith: a demon from The Testament of Solomon. While most demons have many powers to inflict horrid ills upon humans, Alleborith has only one: he can cause people to choke on fish bones. No angel is assigned to banish him, perhaps because of how minor & specific his power is. Art by Eve Harms⠀
Gamigin is a marquis who rules thirty legions of lesser demons. With his necromantic powers, he revives the souls of the dead who were drowned at sea or stuck in purgatory. The souls appear into airy, non-physical bodies, where they can be questioned. ⠀
