Ancient Egyptian fantasy demons. The meaning of spirits and demons in the ancient Egyptian dictionary-reference book

© Vasily Fomin, 2016

ISBN 978-5-4483-2935-7

Created in the intellectual publishing system Ridero

The author accepts the remarks that the ancient Egyptians, in everyday life, did not speak in ordinary speech, but exclusively in words from sacred hymns and prayers, as well as the statement that in the Soviet Union people communicated with each other exclusively in the words of slogans and posters about the leadership role of the party.

The assertion that the ancients did not have an informal vocabulary is not considered at all.

The heroes of this book sometimes speak almost in poetic form, only written down in a line, but they are normal people and, in a state of irritation, can even use foul language.

All lyrics and hymns are authentic ancient Egyptian texts.

This novel with the “Sacred Spouse” constitutes a duology.

Chapter first. Lost face

Mr. Nebku, the worthy caretaker of the royal lands, did not feel well, not very well. To be more precise, he felt very bad and felt (well, sorry, it just so happened) right on the blue faience slabs that covered the floor of Mr. Rajedef’s bedroom, among the tall and graceful green columns depicting dense bunches of papyrus and supporting the beams of the third floor.

For the sake of accuracy, it should be noted that this did not begin immediately with the worthy Mr. Nebku; it took several moments to comprehend what he had seen and a few more to put it into his mind, because this was very difficult to do. So that in the midst of all this luxury, among the armchairs Ivory, elegant lacquered tables, bruisers that decorated the walls and such... lewdness.

He, Mr. Nebku, had never seen anything like this, although it cannot be said that the worthy Nebku spent his whole life doing nothing but growing crocuses and hibiscuses and embroidering with satin stitch. Not at all. It was also a pretzel. Believe me

- Gods, what is this? Yes, as much as possible! - Nebku muttered. - Oh, Father Osiris, who could do this to a person. – Nebku glanced sideways at Rajedef’s face and completely in vain, because immediately his stomach twisted in spasms again. - Oh, Osiris!

– Osiris has nothing to do with it.

The doctor from the temple of Thoth finally finished examining the body and did not express any particular impressionability, but still there was a certain pallor in his concentrated face; the worthy servant of the god of wisdom and patron of crafts even brought some kind of wooden jar to his nose.

- Well? – Nebku squeezed out, wiping his appearance with a napkin. -What do you say, Holy Father?

- Disgusting! – the priest said calmly.

“Exactly,” Nebku couldn’t help but agree for the sake of fairness, “eh?” What's disgusting?

“Well, if you please see for yourself, worthy,” the doctor pointed to Mr. Rajedef, and Nebku turned sharply away, “the skin of the worthy nobleman was torn off his face, I did not find any other injuries on his body.”

- Well, in the sense that Mr. Rajedef got out of bed, walked around the bedroom, in particular went to the mirror, he didn’t like what he saw there...

– And I don’t like it. – Nebke interrupted the colorful description. - I swear by the god Inpu and Osiris. Yes, as much as possible! - Mr. Nebku, having caught his breath, honestly told the priest of Thoth. - Well, this hasn’t happened to me for a long time.

Well, we can’t disagree here – that was quite enough. Having rubbed off, in Once again, he, Mr. Nebku, asked with some hope:

- But the screams! He should have screamed!

- Must. Quite a long time and I should still be screaming.

- Why didn’t any of the servants hear? - the worthy caretaker of the royal lands asked a logical question, absent-mindedly not understanding the last phrase of the wise servant Thoth. But it was worth delving into.

– This, sir, is not a question for me. Inform the chief of police, or the chairman of the judicial chamber, or directly Mr. Uajar - let worthy nobles carry out the investigation. It's not about my medical competence. Here, perhaps, we will have to report to the great jati himself, “who contemplates the secrets of the sky and knows what is not and what is” and, probably, everything else. Personally, I don’t know anything like that.

- I agree here too. And we also need to report... to this... well, our mistress, life, health and strength, because the crime was committed against a government official, the caretaker of the White Chamber. Her Majesty should, should, well, I mean she should know, that is, he. Ugh, nasty!

- Who, dirty trick? – Priest Thoth asked somewhat too indifferently. – Who are you talking about now?

- Yes, no, I just wanted to say... uh... I wanted to ask when did this happen?

- Oh, and then suddenly I heard that our earthly goddess, life, health and strength! - a dirty trick?

- Yes, no, how could you think such a thing about our queen! How can one say such a thing, even think, about the Great House and the Powerful Ox.

“But I didn’t even think about her.” – the imperturbable priest looked point-blank at the nobleman.

- But, but, holy father! This is not necessary! It is not according to your rank that you are so zealous. I just wanted to ask - can you tell me when he was released from suffering?

-Who released? – the high priest looked at Mr. Nebka somewhat perplexedly. -Who was released? What are you talking about, worthy?!

- Death, who else? That’s for sure - “death will come to me as liberation from a serious illness”! - quoted ancient legend Nebku.

- You, worthy one, speak in a language I don’t understand - who was freed from illness? – Priest Thoth raised his eyebrow in confusion. - Would you like to smell it?

Priest Thoth handed the jar to the worthy Nebk.

- Yes Rajedefa, Seth take you, holy father!? When he died? You are so smart that you don’t even understand a single thing!

Priest Thoth looked at Nebka very carefully.

-Who told you that he died? Did I mention that worthy Rajedef is still dead? He's still very much alive.

- What? – Nebku went cold.

“You can talk to him, if you want, of course.” – the servant of the god of wisdom said rather indifferently. - Or if he wants. With a skinned face. Well, in the sense of skin torn off from the face.

Carefully squinting his eyes towards the bed, Nebku saw that the nobleman’s eyes were rotating and his lips were silently moving, but then Nebku’s gaze met the gaze of the unfortunate man, and from what he saw in him, Mr. Nebku, again covering his mouth with his palms, rushed out of the bedroom, like a demon of darkness who was caught by the ray of Khepri, reborn in the form of the scarab.

For some time he sat helplessly slumped in a chair, holding his throat, and shaking with chills. Then, seeing the servants looking out from behind the door and scared to death, he pointed his finger at the estate manager and beckoned him to him.

- That's it, it's over for you, mangy monkey. – he delighted the frightened servant.

- Mister, I...

- You, of course, you! You! You, and I'll tell you who you really are, you are a piece of donkey dung! You are the stench of a horny goat! Explain to me why you killed your master, disgusting, vile, and pregnant with meanness hyena?!

The manager, groaning and trembling, prostrated himself on the floor. Mr. Nebku watched with pleasure for some time the servant crawling at his feet. It was familiar, it was correct and seemed to put everything back in its place.

So it should have been, so it is, and so it will always be, but... but, there, in your own estate, within the walls of your own house and on your own bed... no, it’s impossible! And it’s not at all a matter of tender feelings for Rajedef. Yes, Osiris is with him, with Rajedef, it’s easier to say - yes, he saw him in the sarcophagus!

But, a nobleman killed in his own bed - that’s what matters. What is it - killed! If! Not even killed, but disgustingly mutilated. Who dared to touch a worthy nobleman?

“Now open your ears, hamadryas ass, and don’t miss a sound that comes out of my mouth.” It’s the end for all of you - it’s like a cow pancake, simple and clear,” Mr. Nebku pointed his finger at everyone, then raised it up, “but there is, there is for you, some, and very small, hope, if you do, everything is exactly right, as I say. Do you understand, a louse combed out by a hyena?

The manager stopped howling and froze, taking the stance of a cop who had scented a partridge.

- So, tie up all the slaves. Drive all the servants into the barn and lock them up. No one will leave the estate. Send a messenger to Mr. Uajar. And the guard! All around the estate!!! And so that no one and nowhere. With your worthless and worthless, albeit shaved, head you answer, maybe at least you can save it, to everyone else, as quickly as possible... well, in general, it’s clear, to the slaves, at least for sure - complete crap. The end of them all and all because of one creature. Unless there is a conspiracy here.

The worthy master clearly hinted at an ancient and strictly enforced law - for the murder of a master by his slave - death to all slaves without exception! That is, absolutely everyone, regardless of gender and age. Public opinion very often protested against such fanaticism, but judiciary never once public opinion, were not taken into account.

(Maybe someone felt funny because of this unexpected fact, that in 2184 before Christ there was public opinion? Nevertheless, it existed. Imagine how they, our ancestors, would laugh at our civil impotence if they knew what results society has achieved over five thousand years.

Well, oh well, all this is not soon, but for now we’ll see what happens next. Note Author.)

The worthy Uajar arrived not alone, but accompanied by Mr. Ahanakht, the treasurer of God, and Mr. Khnemrediu, the treasurer of the king.

Nebku was sitting in the hall in front of the bedroom, and two glossy black Kushites were fanning the worthy nobleman with huge fans. Gently fluttering, ostrich feathers sent a continuous stream of air, but Nebku waved his hand irritably, then again demanded coolness - worthy, then sweated heavily, then suddenly got a chill.

The nobles were dressed luxuriously, their hips were wrapped in a wide and long skirt-skhenti of the finest linen, tied with a wide belt, with the ends of the knot hanging almost to the ground; on their shoulders lay, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, five-seven-row necklaces-uskhas made of semi-precious stones and plates, wrists they were decorated with bracelets made of gold, silver and stone plate beads, numerous rings shone on their fingers, the stones in which were not classified as precious. Chalcedony, carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, agate, onyx and amber prevailed.

Rarity was not a value, but just an amusing absurdity. Corals and pearls? Well, this is for fashionistas. The Son of the Black Earth wears rings with stones and bracelets not to decorate a person, but to necessary security, for each stone has its own function of protection or attracting capricious luck.

All their heads were crowned with wigs, Khnemrediu’s was perhaps a bit long for a man, and his shenti was pleated and his shoulders were covered by a transparent cape, tied in a knot on his chest. Dandy! He also shot with his already slanted Egyptian eyes that the girl was of marriageable age.

The radiant gentlemen sat down in their chairs.

Several people arrived with Uajar, dressed modestly and discreetly - in short and narrow skhenti, or even loincloths. Without any decorations, just a couple of amulets and amulets, without which it is indecent for a self-respecting Roma (Egyptian) to appear in public.

- Well, what else do you have here? – the worthy Ahanakht, the tallest and broadest man, but already beginning to gain weight, asked with his lower lip.

– Death came to the worthy Rajedef, but not at all “as deliverance from a serious illness.” For now he just stands by his bed and looks and takes his time.

The nobles went into the bedroom and reacted differently to what they saw there. Akhanakht examined the murdered man almost indifferently, twirling the curls of his wig around his finger. Uajar, in the first moments, staggered back a little, but then walked around the bed and carefully examined the body. Nebku grabbed his throat again, but this time he restrained himself. Glory to Osiris! The tsar’s treasurer asked slightly capriciously, without understanding:

- Why is your face so red? Apparently he had a good time yesterday?

“He made a loud noise yesterday, and really loudly.” – Ahanakht chuckled.

Khnemrediu, having finally understood the situation, rolled his eyes, dramatically bent his knees and chose to temporarily leave this mortal and disgusting world. We just managed to grab the worthy poor guy under the arms, otherwise his crown would probably have cracked on the floor and the consequences would have been unpredictable, and for Egyptian society irreparable loss. And the Tsar’s treasurer is still very much needed. God knows Ptah what he is, but still.

One of the modest and inconspicuous people who came with Uajar came up from behind and said something quietly, leaning towards the nobleman’s ear. Uajar nodded and indicated the worthy gentlemen to the exit to the hall, and all the government officials entered the hall, sat down in chairs, and looked at each other.

- Here Seth take us all with his red paws! - said Nebku - I only saw him yesterday.

- And what? – the nobles stared at the worthy Nebka, and he immediately regretted opening his mouth.

The Bes was pulling his tongue!

- Yes, actually, nothing, - they drank wine, listened to songs and looked at the dancers, and, well... in general, they relaxed. Yes, as always! – the worthy nobleman added with some indignation. - Why are you looking like that?

- No, we’re okay too. You, worthy one, don't worry. – Uajar reassured him. - And then?

“Then,” Nebku looked straight into Uajar’s eyes, “and then he loaded himself into the stretcher and left.”

– Where – didn’t you say?

- Well, where, where, home, actually, I was going.

– As we see, he got home. - Mr. Uajar nodded his head, and Ahanakht smiled ironically. - Maybe he told you who he was going to meet?

- Said. – Nebku looked around at everyone gathered, and remembered something. - Yes, he was supposed to have a meeting.

- Oh well! And with whom?

– I was going to invite some dancers.

Ahanakht waved his hand dismissively.

- False trail. Nonsense. This was clearly not done by girls.

- Wait! – Khnemrediu perked up, opening his girlish eyes. – This is such a pain!! So he must have moaned when he was stripped of... oh, Osiris!

- No, my dear, he definitely didn’t moan. I give you my head to be cut off! What groans for hyenas! He screamed wildly. When skinned alive, they usually don’t moan. They scream in a bad voice, like a hamadryas during mating.

- This is clear to me! – the king’s treasurer said somewhat irritably. – That’s not what I’m talking about – slaves and servants! They couldn't help but hear. This is not at all clear! You are all so smart here, and who will explain this factor?

Everyone turned to Nebku.

- Well, of course, they should, but they claim that they haven’t heard a sound.

– A lie that is both very blatant and even more stupid! And the sounds of fighting? How can you skin someone alive and do it all in dead silence?

The nobles looked at each other.

- Collusion?

- Everything is possible.

- Are the slaves tied up? – Uajar turned to Nebk.

- Well, of course. – he waved his hand.

- Well, let's do it according to the law. For killing a master, all slaves are killed! Regardless of gender, and regardless of age.

- Well, I do not! Let's do the same with them. According to the law, the punishment is too lenient - for the death of a nobleman - death to all the nobleman's slaves without exception. But according to state laws, death is very little! Impale them and skin them alive! This is the punishment. This is the dignity of the crime.

- So, this... - Khnemrediu took the floor, - wait! Have you completely lost your mind?! – the king’s treasurer was indignant in a soft girlish voice, making wide eyes. - What do children have to do with it? Shall we impale both them and the girls? No, that's too much! As the king's treasurer, I object! To kill like it should be, according to the law, but at least somehow humanely - well, hang there, or... or something else... something... drown, cut off the head... who knows... well, finally, strangle, but what about the girls?….and these, well, what’s their name… also somehow… it’s not so simple.

– Let’s still wait for the results of the interrogation. – Uajar answered reasonably. - My man, believe me, knows his business.

Soon a quiet little man appeared with the attentive gaze of an adult rat looking out of a hole, however, he, for the most part, kept his eyes downcast and his hands modestly pressed to his stomach.

- Well? - Mr. Uajar demanded. - What? What did you manage to sniff?

The man shook his head.

- So far, almost nothing.

- Say everything that is almost, among all this, it seems like nothing.

“There are almost no signs of a struggle.” Not in the bedroom, not on the body. A jar of rubbing oil was knocked over on the floor next to the bed...

- It's me. – Nebku did not become modest.

- … and nothing more. There are no bruises, no abrasions, no scratches on the body. It seems that either Mr. Rajedef simply did not resist, or someone with enormous power did it.

– There’s no need to be so clever, my dear! This was not done by someone fabulously and incredibly strong, but by four or five ordinary people. – Ahanakht said contemptuously.

- Oh, my lord, you are of course right. For me, unworthy, all that remains is to answer why there are no signs of struggle on the body, and I am not ready to give an answer to this yet.

– Okay, that’s what the interrogation showed.

- The interrogation revealed the most amazing things - no one saw, no one heard, no one knows, no one will say. Almost like a sacred burial formula. That is, not a single suspicious sound.

“Y-y-y-uh...” came a terrible roar from the bedroom.

The nobles turned pale, and Khnemrediu almost fell out of his chair.

Mr. Rajedef flew out of the bedroom with a literally absent face, and, without stopping roaring, rushed across the entire hall and, without hitting the stairs with his body, threw himself over the railing, kicking his legs picturesquely and, a few moments later, the heartbreaking cry stopped, ending with a dull thud.

“Well, this...” said the pale Uajar, turning to his confidant, after a pause. .

The worthy Mr. Wajar, apparently, was a little confused when giving such an order, because what was wrong with Rajedef, in general, was already clear - he was probably not eating compote with jelly in the kitchen. The official went down to the first floor and, returning, solemnly reported:

– The servant of the earthly God and goddess, the caretaker of the White Chamber, Mr. Rajedef, has begun his journey beyond the hidden horizon of the West and will soon enter the halls of Amenti.

– Glory to the sacred nine. – Mr. Nebku said with relief. - I'm exhausted, poor fellow.

“Hmm,” Ahanakht said thoughtfully, “he didn’t have a face at all.”

All those present could not but agree with such a harsh but fair truth of life. The worthy nobleman, now deceased, was carefully carried into the bedroom.

“Why did he...” muttered, taking a completely unnatural tone for an Egyptian. White color, Mr. Khnemrediou, -... why only now...

- Yes, this is really interesting. – Mr. Ahanakht nodded his head. – Don’t you think so? – he turned to Mr. Uajar.

– I think, and I’m even going to find out this kind of miracle. So what were we talking about... ah, about the absence of suspicious sounds during the night. Don't you think this is nonsense? – Uajar looked demandingly at the official. “Here we are now, we heard everything perfectly.” Such screaming, such screaming. It's impossible not to hear them!

- Oh, yes, my lord, of course, this is nonsense. A longer and more detailed interrogation is required, but it requires time and special tools and all sorts of other devices to extract the truth.

- So carry on. With these, what do they call them, tools and devices. What are you waiting for?

- Of course, my lord, we will conduct such an interrogation, but...

“Even now I can say that interrogation will not yield anything - these people are telling the truth.”

“How do you know if you haven’t hung anyone on a rack or burned anyone with fire yet?”

The man bowed politely.

- Forgive me, worthy nobles, but for long years Through my work, the gods began to reveal to me the truth in people’s words and in their actions. A person who lies before torture and one who tells the truth look completely different. They have completely different feelings in their eyes, they compress their lips differently, hold their hands differently, and their fingers behave differently, and even more so their eyes and facial expressions. All this is because the one who lies musters the courage and will to endure suffering and not let it slip, while the other one is simply in despair for undeserved torment and is terribly afraid that he will suddenly incriminate himself. My Lords, it is simply impossible to confuse them! They differ like a lion and a hippopotamus, a crocodile and an elephant.

- And what do you want to say by this?

“All the slaves and servants of Mr. Rajedef are shaking in horror - they know very well what threatens them and many are afraid that they will not withstand the torture. But they are all innocent of their master's death. They really didn't hear a single suspicious sound. And even if they heard it, they had nothing to do with the master’s death. But... if you don’t need someone who is guilty, but just someone who is guilty, then... then I will find you a lot of them. With all my zeal. Just tell me. If you knew, worthy gentlemen, how many ways there are to make the truth out of a lie... and what out of a lie!... out of just nothing... you will be surprised, my gentlemen, in what amazing places I had to find the truth.

- Which ones? – Akhanakht became interested.

– The truth can be extracted even from... from anywhere, if you use special tools for this.

“That’s exactly where she belongs.” – Ahanakht concluded with satisfaction.

- So in what direction should I act?

– Okay, we’ll think about it, but what have we actually managed to find out now? How did everything really happen?

“Mr. Rajedef, may his life be easy and happy in the fields of Ialu, arrived in the evening slightly tipsy and immediately went to the bedroom.

– Absolutely, like the solar bark Ra, in the blue and azure sky.

Everyone straightened up in their chairs at once and looked at Nebka.

“Then the master ordered wine and food to be served, aromatic incense to be lit, and everyone to get out of the... well, in the sense of not being a nuisance.

“Then everyone on the estate just went to bed.” Mr. Rajedef did not call anyone until the morning.

- So? Who did this to him?

- Maybe he had girls after all? Maybe he brought them secretly?

- This is bullshit! How could the girls cope with a man, and even without making a sound? There were no screams!

– Or maybe these are traveling artists? Rajedef brought the girls, and they then let the men in and they... no, Seth take you, it doesn’t work again - he would have called the servants and guards for help.

“Worthy nobles,” the man with the eyes of a wise and cunning old rat reminded himself, “we can safely sweep away the wandering musicians - Mr. Rajedef has jewelry left, a considerable value, and there are even more of them on the tables around and nothing has been touched. I fall into the mud before your greatness, kiss the traces of your feet on the ground and ask permission to continue a detailed inspection of the room and for this you, my gentlemen, need to leave the bedroom and hall.

The nobles stared at the humbly bowed servant. He shot his burning eyes from under his brows, sank to his knees, and then prostrated himself.

“My dear Uajar, if I were you I would flog the insolent bastard.” – Mr. Ahanakht muttered.

- I flog, I flog, dear treasurer.

- More often.

– Very often, but now he speaks his mind, and in general he knows his business. So, really, let's go. This is a good bloodhound. One of the best. His scent and agility will rival any of your hunting brothers-in-law.

- Well, let me disagree, listen to what happened to me just now while hunting in the western desert. They informed me about the atrocities committed by the lions, and I took, that means, a pack of my brothers-in-law, you know, the one with the leader Akker and the most vicious bitch Mafdet, and, just in case, I grabbed two more packs of these vaunted sluggs, which I exchanged for falcons from the despised Chassu, and what do you think...

The nobles, shining with numerous bracelets, shining with golden shoulder straps, with many semi-precious stones, left, and the Egyptian began to inspect, hearing in the distance a lively discussion of the qualities of hunting dogs and laughter and groans from the barn where the slaves were kept.

He slowly and for a long time looked around the hall, looked at the tables with dishes, sniffed the goblets and glasses. He lowered his finger into each one, ran it along the wall, and smelled it and even licked it. He sat down in a chair and sat thinking for a while. Then he went into the bedroom and climbed every tile of the floor, but judging by his face that had not cleared up, there was no result. He moved to the bed, on which again, as if nothing had happened, lay the body of Mr. Rajedef, but it did not surprise him in any way and he, somewhat absent-mindedly, sat down next to the nobleman and rested his elbows on his knees in thought.

And then something alarmed him. He cocked his head to the side, then wiggled his nose, his nostrils flaring, and then he leaned over the bed, sniffing. At first he frowned in disgust, but did not stop examining and sniffing.

- Oh Gods. – he whispered straightening up.

He leaned towards the bed again and then something caught his attention. He lifted something weightless from the bed with two fingers and, looking at the light, was very surprised. His eyes flashed like those of a rat who had noticed a carefree chicken, he was about to get up, when he suddenly noticed something else and, having also carefully picked it up with his fingers, was even more surprised and muttered:

– Our mother Aset!

Then he went out into the hall and called for the manager. The manager who appeared stared at the official with some hesitation. On the one hand, of course, he’s not big enough to give him instructions, but on the other hand... Seth knows what’s on his other side, you can’t see it right away. The official did not pay attention to the manager’s doubts and in a quiet voice asked to call all the women serving Mr. Rajedef.

Taking one look at the women huddled together and scared to death, covering their mouths with their hands, he ordered to gather all the women present on the estate, which brought the unfortunate people into indescribable horror. Everyone covered their faces with their palms and fell to their knees, howling. Everyone understood perfectly well what the death of their owner and suspicion of murder meant. This, by law, means death for all slaves. Even if only one of all the slaves is guilty, death to all!

The people, of course, can come out in front of the High Gates and in front of the meeting of the Supreme College and ask for mercy, at least for children and women, because they understood that everyone should not answer for one, but... but, the fierce ancient law was usually strictly observed. And for more than one millennium. The state – master – and slave rested on this. The balance of dependence of the majority on the minority cannot be disturbed. Otherwise everything will collapse! You can kill one - you can kill them all - there are many more slaves. But when the master’s life is equal to thousands of lives... oho-ho-ho! Such an exchange is not beneficial for slaves.

However, when all the other women were brought in, he, a little official, just looked at the company howling at different voices and casually waved his hand, quietly said:

- Everybody's Free.

When the official was descending the stairs from the second floor, biting his finger and thinking, they called out to him:

- Mister... uh, sir...

- Senior scribe. – the official suggested without turning around.

“Mr. Senior Scribe, you...you are so kind to us.” We all owe our lives to you.

The official turned around - a dwarf with sad eyes was standing at the stairs.

- Empty, brother, especially since we don’t have to yet. Is this why you called me out?

- Of course not. That is, yes, and behind this too! You, our life... it was in your hands... Do you really need to know what happened there in the bedroom? Not your master, but you?

- Oh yeah! Exactly for me.

- And... won't this do us harm?

- No, my friend, there will be no harm to anyone who is innocent. Otherwise... you understand... a rack, a whip, a stake to the ribs. So? You don't have to tell me anything. Because if there was a crime, then I am obliged to bring the investigation to the end, otherwise, why do we need the state? But if you are guilty, then you don’t have to speak against yourself until I get evidence.

- I will say. I... well, in general, I...

– Did you see something? – the senior scribe asked softly.

- Oh, no, my good and fair lord!

- So, did you hear something, my friend?

- I heard.

- What? Screams, moans?

- Not at all.

- A song? – the official smiled.

- Yes, a song.

- And who sang this song?

- Goddess. – the dwarf lowered his eyes. “The goddess herself sang it.”

- Really a goddess? Which one is it, because there are a lot of goddesses and even just a lot. And many of them sing - Aset, Maat, Hathor, Neith, God forbid, of course, Khnum. Which of them, goddesses, sang a song to you?

-Are you laughing? Don't laugh, my lord. It wasn't funny at all. – the dwarf raised his eyes, and the senior scribe was surprised to see tears in them. - Her voice. – the little man’s breath stopped, and he even bit his lips. “Believe me, it was an amazingly wondrous voice; a mortal couldn’t have something like that, and that’s good, because an ordinary mortal shouldn’t listen to something like that.” I heard him in a dream, you see, my lord, I was sleeping at those moments, and woke up because I began to fall somewhere, and when I woke up, I could not move and only listened and tears flowed from my eyes, and when the singing ended, I burst into tears and never slept again. Why did I wake up, why did I hear him!

-And you didn’t hear anything else?

“No, my lord, but I knew something was going to happen.” Something terrible is about to happen. A mortal should not listen to such things. Never and not for anything in the world. A mortal cannot listen to the voice of the goddess. Oh gods, why did I wake up? Why did I hear you, earthly goddess! It sounds from the afterlife Duat.

SPIRITS AND DEMONS

in Egyptian religion and mythology, numerous spirits and demons that bring harm to humans were considered either “messengers of Sekhmet” or inhabitants of the afterlife. Among the servants of the formidable lion-headed goddess in her furious incarnation were a variety of spirits and creatures, and besides them - the unpacified souls of the dead, evil ghosts and even somnambulists. These creatures were especially dangerous for people at the end of the year and were driven out with the help of benevolent demons serving Osiris and his companions. Their dwellings were located on the edge of the created world, from where these forces of chaos sometimes visited the world of the living and the afterlife.

— Demons and spirits of the afterlife sometimes seem even more terrible. In illustrations to texts about the afterlife, preserved on the walls of the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings, especially in the tombs of Ramesses VI (KV9, 1143-1136 BC) and Ramesses IX (KV6, 1126-1198 BC). BC), depicts myriads of inhabitants of other worlds and spaces, who could be both merciful and hostile towards the living and the dead. On his journey through other spaces, the solar deity passed through twelve underground caves, inside each of which there was its own world with deserts, lakes of fire, rivers and islands. These caves were inhabited by the most incredible creatures; some of them were depicted with the heads of animals, birds, reptiles and insects, some with many heads, some with faces turned backwards, some with red-hot knives and torches of flame instead of faces. Their names contain vivid characteristics of their essence: “Bloodsucker, coming from the slaughterhouse,” “Backward-faced, coming from the abyss,” or “Eating excrement behind him.” Despite the fact that all these creatures are clearly demonic in nature, in no case can one correlate the areas of the Egyptian underworld and their inhabitants with descriptions of Christian hell, since all entities from the Egyptian beyond realities, no matter how terrible they may seem, are almost never serve evil forces, and, on the contrary, obeying the gods, contribute to the maintenance of Maat, punishing sinful souls.

— The great serpent Apep, a symbol of chaos, destruction and evil, the lord of all the most terrible demons, represents the main danger to the solar boat in the Duat. Its body length is 450 cubits, and its deafening hiss can terrify even the gods. One of his epithets, “earth-shaker,” indicates that it was in Apophis that the Egyptians saw the source of earthquakes. The solar deity and his retinue have to fight Apep on the water, and after he drinks the waters of Nun, on land. Only with the help of magic and with the support of all the gods of Ra’s retinue, the Rook continues its journey for millions of years, and the defeated serpent of chaos, cut into pieces, descends into the depths of the underworld. Many other demons. For example, the demon of darkness Nebej also appeared in the guise of snakes.

- On its long journey, the Sun passes through the most distant region of another world - Hetemit. Here, in the “Place of Destruction,” everything is immersed in endless and unchanging darkness; only the symbolic “hands” of this space indicate that it has extended its power right up to the visible parts of the Duat. In Hetemit, evil and destructive forces, enemies of the gods and the world, are subjected to endless execution. Their heads are cut off, their hearts are separated from their bodies, their bodies are burned, their souls are destroyed, their shadows are destroyed, and their names are consigned to oblivion. Illustrations for the Book of Gates show a gigantic serpent breathing fire that strangles them, previously bound; terrible spirits with knives in their hands cut them into pieces and throw them into lakes of fire, where they burn forever in an unquenchable flame. In the Book of Caves, demonic creatures “with a terrible face, who fear neither gods nor goddesses,” armed with fiery knives or snakes, again spewing flames, kindle coals under cauldrons in which the damned entities or their scattered parts float. This space, where neither a single ray of light nor the divine “breath of life” penetrates, is the state into which the world will plunge at the end of time, the symbol of which in hieroglyphics is the black disk - “non-existence”.

- From the text of the Book of the Dead and the accompanying vignettes, the demoness Amemit is well known - the “Eater” of hearts burdened with sins, seated in the guise of a fantastic creature with body parts of a lion, hippopotamus and crocodile under great scales standing in front of Osiris.

— Texts of the 2nd millennium BC. e. They call water the medium most populated by spirits. In "The Tale of the Doomed Prince", the son of the pharaoh has to fight a battle between a crocodile and a water spirit in the depths of a lake; many protective texts of the 1st millennium BC. e. were supposed to protect people from otherworldly entities living along the banks of rivers, canals, lakes and wells. These texts contain endless lists of spirits and demons, when confronted with which a person needed magical protection.

- Guardian spirits of home, family and hearth - Bes and Akha also joined the host of spirits and demons, protecting man, his life, his dreams and his destiny from the furious and evil creatures of the earthly world and the beyond.

— Ancient Egyptian ideas about spirits and demons had a significant influence on the formation of Arab folklore, dedicated to the race of genies and ifrits existing in underground caves, commanding rivers, canals and ponds, under the surface of which there was an entrance to another world.

Bibliography

W. Budge “Egyptian religion. Egyptian magic." - M., 1996.

J. Lipinskaya, M. Marciniak “Mythology of Ancient Egypt.” - M., 1983.

M. E. Mathieu “Selected works on the mythology and ideology of Ancient Egypt. - M., 1996.

V.V. Solkin “Egypt. The Universe of the Pharaohs." - M., 2001.

F. Lexa “La magie dans l’Egypte antique.” Vol. I-III. — Paris, 1925.

D. Meeks "G_nies, anges et d_mons en Egypte". // G_nies, anges et d_mons, Sources orientales, VIII. — Paris, 1971.

G. Pinch “Magic in Ancient Egypt”, London, 1994.

ATTENTION: This article cannot be used without reference to the author, as it forms part of the work being prepared for publication “Ancient Egypt. Encyclopedia".

V.V. Solkin

Ancient Egyptian dictionary-reference book. 2012

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what SPIRITS AND DEMONS are in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

• DEMONS
  According to Kabbalah, demons live in the world of Assia, the world of matter and the “shells” of the dead. They are the Qliphoth. There are Seven Hells, demonic inhabitants...
• PERFUME in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  
• PERFUME
  alcohol (or alcohol-water) solutions of mixtures of fragrant substances - perfume compositions and infusions, used as a flavoring agent. To prepare perfume compositions...
• PERFUME in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
  (French parfum) - is a mixture of aromatic essences, diluted with alcohol and used in the hostel to give an aromatic scent to parts of the dress and ...
• PERFUME in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  , -ov. Perfume is an aromatic liquid based on alcohol...
• PERFUME in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  PERFUME, a perfume in the form of liquid or solid compositions obtained by mixing in a certain amount. proportions diff. fragrant...
• PERFUME in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
  (French parfum) ? there is a mixture of aromatic essences, diluted with alcohol and used in the hostel to give an aromatic scent to parts of the dress and ...
• PERFUME in the Complete Accented Paradigm according to Zaliznyak:
  spirits", spirits" in, spirits "m, spirits", spirits "mi, ...
• PERFUME
  Perfume…
• PERFUME in the Dictionary for solving and composing scanwords:
  Perfume…
• PERFUME in the Russian Synonyms dictionary:
  patchouli,...
• PERFUME in the New Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
  pl. A solution of aromatic substances in alcohol, used as a perfume...
• PERFUME in Lopatin's Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  spirits...
• PERFUME in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  perfume, …
• PERFUME in the Spelling Dictionary:
  spirits...
• PERFUME in Ozhegov’s Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  perfume - aromatic liquid in alcohol...
• PERFUME in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
  perfume in the form of liquid or solid compositions obtained by mixing in certain proportions various fragrant ...
• PERFUME in Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  spirits, units No. A solution of aromatic essences in alcohol, used. like a perfume...
• PERFUME in Ephraim's Explanatory Dictionary:
  perfume pl. A solution of aromatic substances in alcohol, used as a perfume...
• PERFUME in the New Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
  I d'ukhi pl. decomposition the same as the Mujahideen II spirit` and many others. A solution of aromatic substances in alcohol, used as a perfume...
• PERFUME in the Large Modern Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  I d'ukhi pl. decomposition the same as dushmans II spirits and many others. A solution of aromatic substances in alcohol, used as a perfume...
• ANGELS AND DEMONS
  The actors playing the commander and lieutenant of the Swiss Guard in Angels and Demons would never have been accepted into the ranks of this noble army. ...
• Yuletide PERFUME in the Dictionary of Rites and Sacraments.
• THE USSR. LITERATURE AND ART in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
  and art Literature Multinational Soviet literature represents a qualitatively new stage in the development of literature. As a definite artistic whole, united by a single socio-ideological...
• DEMONOLOGY in Collier's Dictionary:
  (from the Greek daimon), science and religious practice, the object of which is supernatural beings called demons, demons, spirits or geniuses. Depending...
• UTGARD
  in old Scandinavian myths, the edge of the earth, the outlying zone where demons and giants live. In their research, modern scientists compare this...
• TABOO in the Directory of Miracles, unusual phenomena, UFOs and other things:
  the oldest unwritten code of prohibitions and human laws that has survived to this day. Among the TABOO, for example, are the following: “Do not break the mirror, otherwise...
• in the Directory of Secrets of games, programs, equipment, movies, Easter eggs:
  In the scene of interrogation by police officers, Ivan Vasilyevich, when asked about his year of birth, answers: “One thousand five hundred and thirty-third from the Nativity of Christ.”, although...
• AUTUMN SONATA in Wiki Quotebook:
  Data: 2009-09-06 Time: 10:55:16 * - I would just like to explain how you understand this thing. - Well, if you...
• SCIENCE in Wiki Quotebook:
  Data: 2009-05-28 Time: 13:58:21 Q|Quote=The only thing my long life has taught me is that all our science looks primitive in the face of reality...
• AT THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE in Quotation Wiki.
• IVAN VASILIEVICH CHANGES PROFESSION in the Wiki Quote Book.
• PISHACHI in the Dictionary Index of Theosophical Concepts to the Secret Doctrine, Theosophical Dictionary:
  (Sanskrit) In the Puranas - goblins or demons created by Brahma. In South Indian folklore - ghosts, demons, larvas and vampires (usually...
• DEMONS, DEMONS in the Bible Encyclopedia of Nikephoros:
  evil spirits, serving the devil and together with him making up the kingdom of darkness, the head of which is the devil (Matthew 12:24-29, etc.). Directions...
• SHAMANCE in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
  Open Orthodox encyclopedia"TREE". Shamanism (shamanism) is one of the earliest forms of paganism, which most likely arose in ...
• DAEMON
  In Greek mythology, a generalized idea of ​​​​a certain vague and unformed divine force, evil or (less often) beneficent, often determining the fate of life...
• GREEK MYTHOLOGY2 in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
  Subsequently, the idea of ​​the independence of these demons grew, which are not only different from things, but also capable of separating from them...
• GREEK MYTHOLOGY in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
  . The essence of G. m. becomes understandable only when taking into account the peculiarities of the primitive communal system of the Greeks, who perceived the world as the life of one huge clan...
• MOUNTAIN in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
  . The mythological functions of G. are diverse. G. acts as the most common variant of transformation of the world tree. T. is often perceived as an image...
• WENSHEN in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
  “spirits of epidemics”, a group of spirits in Chinese folk mythology. According to legend, during the Sui dynasty (581-618) during the reign of Emperor Wendi in ...
• VIETO-MUONG MYTHOLOGY in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
  the mythology of the Vietnamese (actually the Vietnamese), the main population of Vietnam, and the Muongs living in the majority in Vietnam, who are closest to the Vietnamese...
• BALTIC MYTHOLOGY in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology.

In Egyptian religion and mythology, numerous spirits and demons that bring harm to humans were considered either “messengers of Sekhmet” or inhabitants of the afterlife. Among the servants of the formidable lion-headed goddess in her furious incarnation were a variety of spirits and creatures, and besides them - the unpacified souls of the dead, evil ghosts and even somnambulists. These creatures were especially dangerous for people at the end of the year and were driven out with the help of benevolent demons serving Osiris and his companions. Their dwellings were located on the edge of the created world, from where these forces of chaos sometimes visited the world of the living and the afterlife.

Demons and spirits of the afterlife sometimes seem even more terrible. Illustrations to texts about the afterlife, preserved on the walls of the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings, especially in the tombs of Ramesses VI (KV9) and Ramesses IX (KV6), depict myriads of inhabitants of other worlds and spaces, which could be both merciful and hostile according to relation to the living and the dead. On his journey through other spaces, the solar deity passed through twelve underground caves, inside each of which there was its own world with deserts, lakes of fire, rivers and islands. These caves were inhabited by the most incredible creatures; some of them were depicted with the heads of animals, birds, reptiles and insects, some with many heads, some with faces turned backwards, some with red-hot knives and torches of flame instead of faces. Their names contain vivid characteristics of their essence: “Bloodsucker, coming from the slaughterhouse,” “Backward-faced, coming from the abyss,” or “Eating excrement behind him.” Despite the fact that all these creatures are clearly demonic in nature, in no case can one correlate the areas of the Egyptian underworld and their inhabitants with descriptions of Christian hell, since all entities from the Egyptian beyond realities, no matter how terrible they may seem, are almost never serve evil forces, and, on the contrary, obeying the gods, contribute to the maintenance of Maat, punishing sinful souls.

The great serpent Apep, a symbol of chaos, destruction and evil, the lord of all the most terrible demons, represents the main danger to the solar boat in the Duat. Its body length is 450 cubits, and its deafening hiss can terrify even the gods. One of his epithets, “earth-shaker,” indicates that it was in Apophis that the Egyptians saw the source of earthquakes. The solar deity and his retinue have to fight Apep on the water, and after he drinks the waters of Nun, on land. Only with the help of magic and with the support of all the gods of Ra’s retinue, the Rook continues its journey for millions of years, and the defeated serpent of chaos, cut into pieces, descends into the depths of the underworld. Many other demons. For example, the demon of darkness Nebej also appeared in the guise of snakes.

On its long journey, the Sun passes through the most distant region of the other world - Hetemit. Here, in the “Place of Destruction,” everything is immersed in endless and unchanging darkness; only the symbolic “hands” of this space indicate that it has extended its power right up to the visible parts of the Duat. In Hetemit, evil and destructive forces, enemies of the gods and the world, are subjected to endless execution. Their heads are cut off, their hearts are separated from their bodies, their bodies are burned, their souls are destroyed, their shadows are destroyed, and their names are consigned to oblivion. Illustrations for the Book of Gates show a gigantic serpent breathing fire that strangles them, previously bound; terrible spirits with knives in their hands cut them into pieces and throw them into lakes of fire, where they burn forever in an unquenchable flame. In the Book of Caves, demonic creatures “with a terrible face, who fear neither gods nor goddesses,” armed with fiery knives or snakes, again spewing flames, kindle coals under cauldrons in which cursed entities or their scattered parts float. This space, where neither a single ray of light nor the divine “breath of life” penetrates, is the state into which the world will plunge at the end of time, the symbol of which in hieroglyphs is the black disk - “non-existence”.

From the text of the “Book of the Dead” and the accompanying vignettes, the demoness Amemit is well known - the “Eater” of hearts burdened with sins, seated in the guise of a fantastic creature with body parts of a lion, hippopotamus and crocodile under great scales standing in front of Osiris.

Texts of the 2nd millennium BC They call water the medium most populated by spirits. In "The Tale of the Doomed Prince", the son of the pharaoh has to fight a battle between a crocodile and a water spirit in the depths of a lake; many protective texts of the 1st millennium BC. were supposed to protect people from otherworldly entities living along the banks of rivers, canals, lakes and wells. These texts contain endless lists of spirits and demons, when confronted with which a person needed magical protection.

The guardian spirits of home, family and hearth - Bes and Akha - also joined the host of spirits and demons, protecting man, his life, his dreams and his destiny from the furious and evil creatures of the earthly world and the world beyond.

Ancient Egyptian ideas about spirits and demons had a significant influence on the formation of Arab folklore, dedicated to the race of genies and ifrits existing in underground caves, commanding rivers, canals and ponds, under the surface of which there was an entrance to another world.

Budge W. Egyptian religion. Egyptian magic. – M., 1996.
Lipinskaya J., Marciniak M. Mythology of Ancient Egypt. – M., 1983.
Mathieu M.E. Selected works on the mythology and ideology of Ancient Egypt. - M., 1996.
Solkin V.V. Egypt. Universe of the Pharaohs. - M., 2001.
Lexa F., La magie dans l’Egypte antique. Vol. I-III. – Paris, 1925.
Meeks D. Génies, anges et démons en Egypte. // Génies, anges et démons, Sources orientales, VIII. – Paris, 1971.
Pinch G. Magic in Ancient Egypt, - London, 1994.

Quote by: Solkin V.V. Spirits and demons. // Ancient Egypt. Encyclopedia. M., 2005.
Ill: Spirits of another world and the transformation of the Sun. "Aker's Book". Painted relief of the wall of the burial chamber of the tomb of Ramesses VI in the Valley of the Kings. 12th century BC.

One of the most impressive characters of the ancient pantheon was the god of the dead in Egypt - Anubis. According to Egyptian mythology, Anubis is the son of Isis's sister, Nephthys, and the god of vegetation, Osiris. The mother hid the newborn Anubis from her husband Set in the swamps near the bend of the Nile. There Isis found the future god and raised him.

Later, Set kills Osiris, and Anubis wraps the body of the dead god in fabrics that are impregnated with a special composition. Thus, Anubis makes the first mummy. Therefore, he is considered the god of the dead in Egypt, as well as the founder of the embalming ritual. Anubis's main responsibility is to judge the dead and guide the righteous to the throne of Osiris. Anubis is depicted as a black wild dog, a jackal, or a man with the head of a jackal.

Sun God - Ra

This is the supreme deity in Egyptian mythology - the personification of the sun, life, positive creative energy. In a sense, Ra is opposed to the god of the dead in Egypt - Anubis. There are several versions of the birth of this deity. According to one of them, Ra was born from an egg laid by the bird “the great Gogotun”. According to another version, he appeared from Nefertum - a lotus flower.

Egyptian mythology suggests that people arose from the tears of the god Ra. Perhaps this allegory hints at the purpose of the human race, the role of people as mortal beings. According to legends, there once was a golden age on earth - a time when Ra reigned like a man - a pharaoh. Ra held power firmly in his hands, and the secret of his power lay in his name. But when Ra grew old and his bones turned to gold, his great-granddaughter Isis, by cunning, managed to extract his secret name from him. The consequence of this was the disobedience of the people. They couldn’t even appease the angry deity.

According to Egyptian mythology, Ra was very annoyed that people were disobedient. He decides to follow Nut's advice and completely destroy the human race. He sends his “Eye of Ra” into the world in the form of the goddess Hathor. But the next day the sun god was horrified by the pogrom and saved those who survived. And yet, Ra did not forgive people for their ingratitude, and ascended from them to heaven on the back of the goddess Nut.

The sun god Ra is depicted as a man with the head of a falcon and a solar disk above his head.

Mythology of Egypt - demons and evil spirits

If the god of the dead in Egypt in some way served the people and Osiris, then the demons, on the contrary, brought only confusion and discord. One of the most insidious demons in Egyptian mythology is the gigantic serpent Apep - the eternal enemy of the god Ra. Apep lives in the center globe and every night waits for Ra to fight him. In a later period in the development of Egyptian cults, the demon Apep began to be identified with the god Set, about whom there is a lot.

God Set is the personification of the destructive, evil principle. He is one of the four children of the sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb, and also the killer of his brother Osiris. In Egyptian mythology, Set is represented as a skinny man with a donkey's head. In Greek mythology, Set is represented as a serpent with dragon heads.

Do you think that the god of the dead in Egypt is the most terrible thing in their mythology? If so, your idea is wrong. Imagine a demon with the front of a lion, the rump of a hippopotamus, and the head of a crocodile. This is Ammit, a female demon and eater of the dead.

Ammit had to wait in the palace for justice while the feather of Maat and the heart of a recently deceased man were weighed on the Great Scales. If the scales showed equal weight, then the person was considered to have passed the test and was given shelter in the Field of Offerings.

Funeral rites in Egypt

After mourning, the body of the deceased was taken to the House of Gold - an embalmers' workshop. There were five embalmers: a priest in a jackal mask representing Anubis, Duamutef with the head of a jackal, Khali with the head of a peacock, Kebehsenuf with the head of a falcon, and Imset, with the head of a man.

Before entrusting a person to the god of the dead in Egypt - Anubis, he had to be prepared. The body of the deceased was washed with water from the Nile, then opened with a flint knife, and the internal organs were removed. The entrails were lowered into sacred vessels - canopies, which were filled with decoctions and potions. The mythology of Egypt prescribed the production of canopic jars in the form of figurines depicting Kebehsenuf, Duamutef, Hapi and Imset. Then the deceased had to be turned into a mummy, for which his body was treated with special herbal potions and tightly swaddled in bandages.

In the mythology of Egypt, it is of great importance. Therefore, the priests enjoyed enormous authority and practically shared power with the pharaohs. Unfortunately, almost all the secrets of the priests have sunk into oblivion, but it is believed that they managed to preserve their knowledge for posterity. And they concluded their secrets in the symbolic series of one of the most popular fortune-telling systems - the Major Arcana of the Tarot deck. To this day, many occultists are trying to unravel the mysterious code and the message contained in it...

Demons are fallen angels: this is the official teaching of the Christian Church. It seems that the story of the revolt of angels is familiar to everyone - hints of it are contained in the Bible, Christian thinkers appeal to it, and a brilliant literary description of angelomachy is given by J. Milton. I will remind you of this story briefly.

One of God's bright angels named Lucifer ("light-bearer") became proud of his power and set out to occupy the throne of God. He stirred up a rebellion in heaven and carried away a third of the angelic army. Archangel Michael came out against the rebels with the heavenly armies faithful to God. As a result of the battle, the rebel angels led by Lucifer (Satan) were thrown from heaven to the underworld and turned into demons, whose only goal from now on is to sow evil.
This story has many interpretations, but here we will give only completely original versions of the origin of demons, fundamentally different from the orthodox one:

1). In the Middle Ages, there was a view that demons were originally created by God to commit evil. Defenders of this idea relied on a quote from the Book of Isaiah, where through the mouth of God it is said: “I am creating a destroyer to destroy.” Rabbinic treatises state that Satan was created on the sixth day of creation at the same time as Eve; evil spirits were created "between the suns", i.e. between sunset and dawn on the eve of the first Saturday - when God created their souls, the dawn of Saturday had already dawned, and he did not have time to create their bodies.

2). In the heretical teaching of the Bogomils, as well as in popular beliefs that have not gotten rid of pagan dualism, Satan (Satanael) appears not as God’s creation, but as an independent figure opposing God, like the Persian Ahriman. Both forces - good and evil - take part in the process of creating the world; in contrast to God's angels, Satan creates his demonic army by striking his staff on a flint.

3). The apocryphal Book of Enoch tells the story of the cohabitation of the “sons of God” (angels) with the “daughters of men.” The angels, who exchanged the heavenly Kingdom for the earthly vale out of lust, were cursed by God and became demons. This theory was shared by many church authorities in the Middle Ages (for example, Thomas Aquinas).

4). The same Book of Enoch says that from the marriages of fallen angels with earthly women arose a tribe of monstrous giants. When God destroyed the giants, evil spirits came out of their bodies.

5). The ancient Jews believed that many evil spirits were born from the intercourse of Adam with women's perfume(or Eve with male spirits) during those one hundred and thirty years for which Adam and Eve were separated after the Fall. Adam’s first wife, Lilith, also gave birth to numerous demons, who later turned into a demon herself.

6). Some of the people scattered after the unsuccessful construction of the Tower of Babel were transformed into demons of three types - Shedim, Ruhin and Lilin.

7). Finally, according to later folk beliefs, the hellish army is constantly replenished by the souls of great sinners; children cursed by their parents, as well as the offspring of incubi and succubi. However, these are all demons of the lowest category, as are all kinds of vampires, ghosts and werewolves, who also make up Satan’s army.

Demon classification:

Among demonologists, there has not yet been a Linnaeus who would create an exhaustive and generally accepted classification of infernal creatures. As for the available options, they are as contradictory and imperfect as attempts to establish the exact number of demons. Here are a few common types of classifications:

1). By habitat.
This type of classification goes back to the Neoplatonic ideas that not all demons are completely evil and not all must necessarily live in Hell. The classification of perfumes by Michael Psellus (11th century) became especially widespread in the Middle Ages:

- fire demons - live in the ether, the region of rarefied air above the moon;
- air demons - live in the air under the moon;
- earth demons - inhabit the earth;
- water demons - live in water
- underground demons - reside underground
- Lucifuges or heliophobes - light-haters who live in the most distant depths of hell.

2). By occupation.

A rather arbitrary classification proposed in the 15th century. Alphonse de Spina. A number of claims can be made against this scheme: many of the characteristic demonic functions remained outside its boundaries, moreover, it is almost impossible to classify one or another of the known demons into a certain category.

Parks - women who spin the thread of fate, who are actually demons;
- Poltergeists - demons who play pranks at night, moving things and committing other minor mischief;
- Incubi and succubi - seducing mainly nuns;
- Marching Demons - usually arrive in crowds and make a lot of noise;
- Servant Demons - serve the witches, eat and drink with them;
- Nightmare Demons - come in dreams;
- Demons , formed from the seed and its smell during sexual intercourse;
- Demon Tricksters - can appear in the form of men or women;
- Pure demons - attack only saints
- Demons who deceive old women, making them believe that they flew to the Sabbath.

3). By rank.
Based on the fact that demons are fallen angels, some demonologists (I. Vier, R. Burton) suggested the presence in hell of a system of nine ranks, similar to the angelic hierarchy of Dionysius. This system in their presentation looks like this:

First rank - Pseudo-gods , those who pretend to be gods, their prince is Beelzebub;
- Second rank - Spirits of lies fooling people with predictions, their prince Python;
- Third rank - Vessel of iniquity , inventors of evil deeds and vicious arts, they are led by Belial;
- Fourth rank - Punishers of atrocities , vengeful devils, their prince Asmodeus;
- Fifth rank - Deceivers , those who seduce people with false miracles, the prince is Satan;
- Sixth rank - Air authorities , causing infection and other disasters, they are led by Merezin;
- Seventh rank - Furies , sowers of troubles, strife and wars, they are ruled by Abaddon;
- Eighth rank - Accusers and spies , led by Astaroth;
- Ninth rank - Tempters and spiteful critics , their prince of Mammon.

4). Planetary classification.
Since ancient times, spirits have been correlated with heavenly bodies. Even in the ancient “Key of Solomon” the author claims that there are “spirits of the sky of Saturn”, called “Saturnians”, there are spirits “Jovians”, “Martians”, “Solar”, “Venerites”, “Lunar” and “Mercurians”. Cornelius Agrippa, in the fourth part of Occult Philosophy, gives a detailed description of each category:

- Spirits of Saturn
They usually appear in a long and thin body with a face expressing rage. They have four faces: the first is behind the head, the second is in front, and the third and fourth are on each knee. Their color is black - matte. The movements are like gusts of wind; when they appear, you get the impression of ground vibrations. Sign - the ground seems whiter than any snow. The images they take on in exceptional cases: A bearded king riding a dragon. Bearded old man, old woman leaning on a stick. Hog. The Dragon. Owl. Dark clothes. Scythe. Juniper.
- Spirits of Jupiter
They appear in a full-blooded and bilious body, of medium height, in terrible excitement, a very meek look, friendly speech, color reminiscent of iron. Their mode of movement is like lightning in thunder. A sign - people appear near the circle, looking like they are being devoured by lions. The images they take on in exceptional cases: A king with a drawn sword riding on a deer. A man in a miter and long robe. A girl wearing a laurel wreath and decorated with flowers. Bull. Deer. Peacock. Azure dress. Sword. Buxus.
- Spirits of Mars
They appear long and bilious; the appearance is very ugly, dark and somewhat reddish in color, with the antlers of a deer and the claws of a vulture. They roar like mad bulls. Their impulses are like fire, which spares nothing. A sign - you might think that lightning is flashing and thunder is thundering near the circle. The images they take on in exceptional cases: An armed king riding a wolf. Red clothes. Armed man. A woman with a shield at her hip. Goat. Horse. Deer. Fleece of wool.
- Spirits of the Sun
They usually appear in a wide and large body, dense and full-blooded. Their color is like gold dyed with blood. The appearance is similar to a glow in the sky. Sign - the caller feels covered in sweat. The images they take on in exceptional cases: King with a scepter, riding a lion. King in a crown. Queen with a scepter. Bird. A lion. Clothing in gold or saffron color. Scepter. Wheel.
- Perfume of Venus
They appear in a beautiful body; medium height; their appearance is charming and pleasant; color - white or green, with gilding on top. The gait is like a bright star. The sign is girls frolicking around a circle, inviting the caller to join them. The images they take on in exceptional cases: A king with a scepter riding a camel. A girl, amazingly dressed. Nude girl. Goat. Camel. Dove. The clothes are white and green. Flowers. Grass. Cossack juniper.
- Spirits of Mercury
They appear in a body of average height; cold, damp, beautiful, affably eloquent. With a human appearance, they are like an armed soldier who has turned transparent. They are approaching like a silver cloud. Sign - the caller is overcome with horror. The images they take on in exceptional cases: A king riding a bear. A wonderful young man. Woman holding a spinning wheel. Dog. Bear.Sphinx. Colorful dress. Rod. Stick.
- Moon Spirits
They usually appear in a body that is large, wide, sluggish and phlegmatic. In color they resemble a gloomy and dark cloud. Their faces are puffy, their eyes are red and watery. The bald head is decorated with prominent boar tusks. They move with the speed of the strongest storm at sea. The sign is heavy rain right next to the circle. The images they take on in exceptional cases: A king with a bow, sitting on a doe. Small child. Hunter with bow and arrows. Cow. Little doe. Goose. Green or silver robe. Dart. A man with several legs.

5) . By areas of influence.
The classification proposed by the priestess of modern demonolatry Stephanie Connolly is perhaps the most convenient for practitioners who summon demons for specific purposes. According to S. Connolly, the main spheres of influence of demons are as follows:

- Love-Lust (Asmodeus, Astaroth, Lilith, etc. belong to this category)
- Hatred-Revenge-Anger-War (Andras, Abbadon, Agaliarept, etc.)
- Life-Healing (Verrin , Verrier , Belial, etc.)
- Death (Evrinom , Waalberite , Babael )
- Nature (Lucifer , Leviathan , Dagon and etc.)
- Money-Prosperity-Luck (Belphegor , Beelzebub, Mammon and etc.)
- Knowledge-Secrets-Witchcraft (Ronwe , Python , Delepitora and etc.)