daimon

   In Greek mythology, a type of spirit or intelligence between gods and humans. Daimon means “divine being.” Daimones can be either good or evil in nature, though even good ones will act in a hostile fashion when angered. A good daimon is called an agathodaimon and an evil daimon is called a kakodaimon. Christianity assigned all daimones and pagan deities to the infernal ranks of DEMONs. Daimones include various classes of entities, such as guardian spirits of places, tutelary spirits, genii, ministering spirits and demigods. They also have been associated with the souls of the dead and ghosts, stars and planets, and plants and minerals of the earth. They are ministering spirits (resembling angels), godlike beings, and souls of dead persons. Daimones can take over human bodies in the form of POSSESSION (especially for oracular prophecy) and possess humans to cause physical and mental illness. Some are vampiric in nature.

   GRIMOIRES for ceremonial MAGIC include instructions for evoking and commanding daimones.

   FURTHER READING:

   - Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Angels. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2004.

   - Luck, Goerg. Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985.