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Emboldened by such happy and promising beginnings, these exiles, the evil
spirits, proceeded more violently and arrogantly against the principality of
this world, and they contrived many forms of worship, and various oracles,
in opposition to the divine. To these shrines they invited and enticed
wavering souls, and gradually, by a sort of siege, they brought virtually
the whole world into subjection and rendered it hostile to the divine law -
stubborn, and full of idolatry, contempt for legitimate authority, and every
form of vice.
Their insolent wiles finally
reached such a height of boldness and wanton pride that they wished to be
regarded as gods by the learned and unlearned alike, and to preside over
territories, peoples, islands, mountains, springs, local sites, cities,
villages, and households, as though they were ancestral tutelary gods with
specialized associations. Their names are surveyed in part by Sacred
History, in part by Origen, Tertullian, Apuleius, and Diodorus Siculus, and
in part by other historiographers and writers of renown.17 And
there is no doubt but that the special aims and interests of demons are
generally revealed by the explanation of those names. Thus Bel, which
signified "old," "nothing," "confused," was considered a god of the
Babylonians [Isaiah 4:5; Daniel 14].
Beelzebus is "lord of the
fly," who spreads his net for all and catches at least the fly, that is, the
weak individual.18 He is the foul idol of the Accaronites,
who dwell in the territory of Judea but are impious. After him the
Hebrews call the prince of evil spirits Beezebub [2 Kings 1; Matt. 10-12;
Luke 11]. The Greeks, like Trismegistus, said that Pluto was ruler of
the evil spirits [δαιμονάρχων]. Most of he Latin speakers called this
ruler Sumanus - "highest of the gods of the lower world" [summus deorum
manium] as it were; the [other] heathens called him Priapus.19
Porphyry calls Serapis and Proserpina foremost of the evil demons.20
Baal, the idol "dominating or
subjecting" or "possessing," is the name of an idol which proceeded from the
Sidonians to the Jews, a divinity of Samaria and the Moabites; the Greeks
equate him with Mars. Gedeon destroyed this idol [Num. 22; Romans 11;
Judges 6].
Beelphegor, "the lord who
gapes, who exposes, who is naked," or "the lord of gaping or nakedness," is
a god of the Moabites. Similarly Phegor.21 Some think
that he was Priapus "Archeus" who was celebrated amidst carnal laxity.
Adramelech, "robe of the
king" or "greatness or power of the king or the council," was an idol of
Sepharvaim, which was a city of the Assyrians [2 Kings 17].
Anamelech, "affliction or
response of the king," was a god of Sepharvaim. Succot Benoth, "the
tents or tabernacles of the daughters," was a divinity of the Babylonians.
Nergal, "the one who
explores" or "lantern of the tomb," was an idol of the people of Cutha, who
came from Persia to Media.22
Asima, "offense against the
law," was an idol of the men of Emath.
Nibhas, "the one who
prophesies" or, rather, "the one who relates a vision" or "the fruits of a
vision," was a god of the Hevites [or Avites].
Tartac, "the enchained," was
a divinity of the Hevites.
Nisroch, "alluring
temptation," was an idol adored by Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians [2
Kings 17, 19].
Chamos, as if signifying
"stroking, flattering" or "withdrawing or taking away," was a god of
the Moabites and of the Ammonites.23
Melchom, "their king" or
"their sorrow" or, finally, "their fish," was an idol of the Philistines
[Judges 16; Macc. 10(Douay)].
Dagon, "their grain" or
"their sorrow" or, finally, "their fish," was an idol of the Philistines
[Judges 16; Macc. 10 (Douay)].
Astarte, which seems to be
derived from "sheepfold" or "flock, herd," is the name of a goddess of the
Sidonians, who was worshipped by Solomon [1 Kings 11; 2 Kings 23].
Many think her to have been Sidonian Venus.
Furthermore, we find in
Sacred Scripture that these spirits sometimes took as their names the names
of very evil men or of the dwelling places of very evil men. For
example, Astaroth was a god of the Philistines, according to Josephus.24
This god was banished by the Jews at the command of Solomon, but was also a
god adored by Solomon [1 Sam. 7; 2 Kings 23]. And notwithstanding the
fact that the name signifies "flocks" or even "wealth," "the one making an
exploration" or "the worm or moth [the eroder] of the law," it was the name,
in time past, of the city of Og, king of Bashan, where the Giants dwelled.
It was also the name of a city of the Amorites.
There are other names also
for these divinities in the Bible such as the plural Baalim [1 Sam. 7; 2
Chron, 28; Jerem. 2].
Ballberity, "lord of the
covenant."
Rempha.
Remmon, that is to say
"loftiness."
Adonis, in Hebrew Thamus,
that is, "the one consumed" or "a burning," is a god of the Syrians.25
Philo relates that the
Amorites had seven golden images which they called the sacred Nymphs.26
When invoked they displayed their works hourly to the Amorites and revealed
their names - names of women who were the wives of seven sinful men who
consecrated them as deities after the deluge. The men were Chanaan,
Phut, Selath, Nembroth, Abiron, Elat, and Defuat.
A god Vualdat is recorded by
Abdias, bishop of Babylon.27
Also adored were golden
calves, the host of heaven, and the queen of heaven (which you may interpret
as the frame and fabric of heaven) [1 Kings 12; 2 Kings 17; Jerem. 44].
So too the Pomeranians long ago accorded divine honors to a large nut and
the people of Stetin took the omens for war from a certain noble horse of
black color.28 (w)
Resource List - Entry taken verbatim
from the original source:
(w) "Witches, Devils, and
Doctors in the Renaissance. Johann Weyer, De praestigiis daemonum"
General Editor: George Mora, M.D. Translated by: John Shea.
Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies. Binghamton, New York.
©1991 Original text written in 1583.
***I made photocopies of
portions of this text but neglected to photocopy the footnotes. If I
can find another copy of the book I will add the footnotes.*****
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