FOREWORD

   I have spent more than 30 years dealing with the shadow side of the paranormal, including negative hauntings and demonic cases. I never actually intended to become so deeply involved, but as most of us in this field are, I was drawn in and called to it.

   The first sign of calling came in my teens. I was about 15 years old when I awoke one night and saw my first apparition, my deceased grandfather standing at the foot of my bed. Actually, I did not know him; he had died when I was three years old. But my mother verified my description of him.

   Perhaps you could say my calling was “in the blood,” as my mother was a twin, and twins have been known to be more psychically sensitive than the average person. Plus, I was related by blood to one of the most prominent investigators of the demonic: Ed Warren, my mother’s twin brother and my uncle. Ed and his wife, Lorraine Warren, a clairvoyant, became household names in the paranormal and were in media headlines on some of the most famous modern cases on record. Ed has passed on now, and Lorraine still works in the field. As a kid I was always fascinated by the work Ed and Lorraine did in the paranormal. I wanted to be part of it too. But Ed was a stickler for the proper education. He refused to allow me to go along on cases before I turned 18, and he spent a lot of time transmitting his knowledge to me. I was impatient back then, but Ed, in his wisdom, knew what he was doing. Dealing with the paranormal, especially the dark side, is not child’s play and requires grounding, education, and discernment. I had to have a base in all of those in order to be properly prepared.

   I learned a great deal from my uncle and aunt and eventually went out on my own. I have been privileged to work with some of the best names in the field, both laypersons, like me, and clergy. I have worked on more than 7,000 cases: Many of them have had natural explanations (that is, not paranormal or demonic), and many others have been resolved with intervention. A few of them have been full-blown demonic infestations and possessions. I do not perform exorcisms—that is a role for clergy—but I have assisted at dozens of these rites.

   One of the demonic cases brought me face to face with genuine evil: a reptile-like entity that manifested in an infested home, a former funeral parlor in Southington, Connecticut, and came at me down a staircase. The intensity of the evil was astonishing. I had never before experienced anything like it, and I have to admit, I was so shaken that it was several days before I could return to the case. I know from my own experience on this case and others that evil is real, the demonic exists, and dark forces are at work in the world.

   As Rosemary Ellen Guiley states in her introduction to this book, the demonic—always fascinating—has acquired a media glamour that has encouraged people to want to become involved as “demonologists.” Many of them jump in not properly prepared, not having much understanding of what they are dealing with or the rami- fications and consequences of this kind of work. The work is never easy, and there is the constant danger of repercussions. The forces of evil know who you are and will try to prevent you from interfering in their activities. You, your home, your family, and your friends all become targets.

   I mentioned earlier the importance of education, how Ed did his best to make sure I was armed with information, knowledge, and insight in addition to experience. If I had had a book like The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology when I was getting started, I guarantee you that it would have been well thumbed in a hurry. Rosemary Ellen Guiley has gained a well-earned reputation in the paranormal for her thorough research and investigation. I have all of her encyclopedias, refer to them frequently, and recommend them to others. I welcome the addition of this one to my set, and I can tell you that it will be one of my most valuable resources.

   I met Rosemary several years ago at a conference in New Jersey hosted by L’Aura Hladik, founder of the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society. I was already quite familiar with her work. We became good friends and colleagues, assisting each other in our work in whatever ways possible and collaborating on projects. We sometimes have different viewpoints, which add dimension to the overall picture.

   Beyond paranormal investigation, there is a need for the average person to become more informed about the demonic. As a whole we are undereducated on the topic. Many of us get our ideas from Hollywood, maybe combined with a few religious teachings. Rosemary points out that many people ignore the topic altogether, hoping that the demonic will just “go away.” I assure you, the forces of evil have no intention of disappearing. In fact, we in the field are seeing an increase in intensity and frequency of activity. That is why education is so important. The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology covers an amazing amount of material and from different perspectives. That is one of the many things I appreciate so much about Rosemary’s work: She looks at everything from different angles. Whether you are serious about paranormal investigation or are a casual reader intrigued by a fascinating subject, this book will broaden your knowledge. Everyone who picks up this book will learn something new.

   -— John Zaffi's

   I am deeply indebted to John Zaffi's and Adam Blai, who have shared their knowledge and expertise on demons and demonology with me. I am also indebted to Philip J. Imbrogno, for sharing his expertise on djinn. Thanks also go to the very talented Richard Cook and Scott Brents for creating some original artwork in this book and especially for putting faces on some most unusual demons.

   Dealing with evil has occupied center stage in human affairs since our earliest times. Destruction, chaos, decay, and the ultimate darkness of death have often overshadowed the presence of goodness and light. Human beings have dealt with evil in three principal ways: by meeting it head on in battle, by warding it off before it strikes, and by trying to avoid it altogether through denial. The how and why of evil have been debated and discussed for centuries in religion, folklore, philosophy, art, literature, and pop culture, all of which attempt to explain why bad things happen, especially to good people. When evil strikes the wicked, we see it as the deserved consequence of evildoing. When evil strikes the righteous, we look for satisfactory explanations, often in vain. Everyone feels the touch of evil at some point in life, regardless of his or her moral striving.

   In myth, religion, and folklore the forces of both good and evil are personified. In the pantheons of deities there are gods and goddesses of benevolence and malevolence, and though some are mostly evil, they are seldom completely evil. Their job is to tear things down via disaster, ruination, disease, illness, and death. They are an essential part of the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Human beings, understandably, seek to avoid these torments as much as possible.

   Monotheism creates a sharper polarization between good and evil. The one Creator is all-good but permits evil to exist under the direction of an archfiend. We console ourselves with the explanation that evil serves to test and demonstrate our moral fiber and spiritual worthiness. Our fate in the afterlife—eternal heaven or eternal hell—hangs in the balance.

   In Christianity, Satan, the Devil, is the thoroughly evil counterpart to the all-good God. Concepts of the Devil developed over centuries, evolving from the neutral adversary, satan, of Hebrew lore, and the once-good angel Lucifer, who chose pride and fell from grace. Every army needs a wholly evil enemy, and Satan obliges Christianity in that sense.

   Demons, the lower agents of evil, have many guises and operate under many names and with many purposes. In the pagan view, they are a part of the natural order, entities of moral ambivalence who mostly deceive and interfere. In the Christian view, they are evil—fallen angels who, as Lucifer did, chose pride over obedience to God and were cast out of heaven. They are doomed to eternal hell and serve the Devil, making unending assaults on human beings in an attempt to subvert souls to the Devil’s domain.

   Outside monotheism, demons have a long history of interfering in the affairs of the physical world and the lives of people, though not always with the goal of subverting souls. They act as tricksters and create annoying disturbances. More seriously, they cause illnesses, insanity, disasters, and bad luck. Some hold long-standing grudges against humanity. The djinn of Arabian lore, for example, say they were the original inhabitants of Earth and were evicted by God in favor of humans. They want their homeland returned, and some of them carry out guerrilla warfare and terrorism against humans to that end.

   Whatever the guises, names, and agendas, demonic forces are constantly at play in the world. Thanks to the exaggerations of film and fiction, many Christians think, for example, that demonic attacks occur in the form of hideous beings assaulting people, possessing them, and making green slime run down walls and stairs. While such events do happen, they are relatively rare among all the ways the demonic forces operate. Evil is insidious, a Trojan horse that destroys from within, degrading people’s thoughts, intentions, and will to lead the righteous life. Evil often operates through people, in the murder, mayhem, oppression, and violence people wreak on one another.

   Several years ago, in my introduction to my Encyclopedia of Angels, I affirmed my belief in angels. I also believe in demons. One does not exist without the other. I have had personal experience of both. In my years of researching the paranormal, I have been puzzled by people who adamantly insist that demons do not exist. They readily believe in angels and other representatives of the forces of light and good, but they deny malevolent beings. They would rather not know anything about the demonic in order not to “dignify” it. Some of them naively think that if they do not believe in demons, they will not be bothered by them. “See no evil” means to them “avoiding all evil.” Ignorance is their protection.

   Ignorance, however, is no protection. Ignorance breeds fear, and fear is evil’s greatest weapon. One of the things I have found to be true in my paranormal research, investigation, and personal experience is that what you fear will find you. Demons are the front lines of evil. Denying their existence only makes human beings easier targets. Consequently, it is important to be informed about demons and evil. One conquers an enemy by knowing it inside and out. To know evil does not mean to embrace it, champion it, or glorify it.

   Information shines a powerful light, and it is important that we shine that light into the darkness. My purpose in writing this encyclopedia is to provide one of those lights. The content is not intended to validate any particular religious view. Rather, I have explored numerous avenues of thought on the demonic. There is much diversity but also some common threads and themes. Some common themes, for example, concern the origins and fate of evil. The world in its original state was pristine, perfect, and good. The forces of evil entered the world, often through the actions of humans. Since then, the forces of evil have been having their day, wreaking havoc. At some point, good will vanquish evil, and perfection will be restored. Meanwhile, there are many ways to counter evil, to minimize its impact in the world.

   The lore about demons is rich and varied, and the stories of human dealings with demons are colorful and mesmerizing. All of my encyclopedias emphasize the Western tradition, with the inclusion of some crosscultural entries for comparison. In this volume, I have included entries on many individual demons, including the heavyweights of hell; types and classes of demons; demonized pagan deities; examples of demonic and spirit possessions and exorcisms; expressions of the demonic in folklore, literature, and film; and personalities who have influenced our views on the demonic. The early church fathers of Christianity tackled the questions of the origins of evil, the existence of the Devil, and the operations of demons, but “demonology” as a study of the demonic did not gel until about the 15th century. By then, the Inquisition, established by the Roman Catholic Church to suppress heresy, was gathering momentum. For the next several centuries, religious and nonsecular authorities on demons wrote with great conviction on the diabolical and the relationship between witchcraft and demons. Thousands of people were accused of witchcraft, which automatically meant being in league with the Devil in order to harm people and destroy everything good. There was little or no evidence to support the claims, but public fears of the demonic were easily warped to believe in wild nights of demonic orgies and blasphemous activities. Some of these ideas linger today, as adherents to Wicca well know.

   One demonic activity that fascinates people most is possession. Beliefs about possession are universal and ancient, such as possession by the zar of Middle Eastern lore and the kitsune of Japanese lore, who demand attention and gifts. Everywhere in the ancient world, possessing demons caused illness and insanity. Jesus gained attention for his ability to heal these conditions by expelling the demons.

   The evolution of the Devil in Christianity narrowed the focus on possession; it became the instrument of the Devil’s subversion of souls, turning people away from God and the church. The Catholic Church developed formal rites of exorcism to combat this evil.

   The Protestant Reformation in the early 1500s was followed in Europe by a period in which Catholics and Protestants used possession as one of their battlegrounds on which to demonstrate religious superiority and sway the faithful. Some of the most famous possession cases on record concerned the alleged possession of nuns—such as at Loudun and Louviers, France—who put on displays of writhing, contorting, shouting obscenities, and other outrageous behavior, all for huge audiences. The exorcisms were more like circus acts than religious proceedings. Sexual repression, revenge, and outright fraud were part of many of these cases, though there were some genuine possessions.

   Genuine demonic possession, from a Christian perspective, still exists today. It is rare relative to other forms of demonic interference; however, both religious and lay authorities on the subject say it is on the increase. In the field of lay paranormal investigation, media attention on the demonic has prompted individuals to call themselves “demonologists” and offer their services, sometimes for a fee. Few of them are demonologists in the truest sense of the word. Regardless of religious perspective, becoming a spiritual warrior against evil is a calling, not a profession, occupation, or job description. Real exorcists and deliverance ministers know that battling evil on its own turf is perilous and rarely glamorous.

   Outside religion, demons play roles in occultism and magic. They are one of numerous types of entities with whom adepts can traffic. They are conjured, controlled, and assigned tasks. In magical lore, some demons have good dispositions and some do not. They offer humans gifts of wealth, knowledge, power, and pleasure—but always at a price. The greatest price is one’s soul.

   The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology is intended to open further avenues of inquiry on the subject of the dark side. In many respects, it is far more important to be informed about demons than it is about angels. The demonic are masters of deceit and disguise. If you know little or nothing about them, how will you recognize them?

   ---— Rosemary Ellen Guiley