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Gaia gave birth to one last monster: Typhon to rescue
the Titans, who had been thrown into Tartarus
by Zeus. Typhon was the most dangerous creature created yet. He immediately
began volleying boulders at Olympus, an act which scared all the gods and
goddesses so much that they each ran away in the shape of an animal. Only
Athena stood to face the monster, courageous
in the face of danger. She shouted to Zeus that she was ashamed to
be called his daughter when he was acting just as cowardly as Ares.
Zeus was embarrassed by this comment and he changed back to his normal
form to chase Typhon. Just as it seemed as if Zeus had the upper hand,
Typhon then turned on him and using a sharp knife, cut out the sinews from
Zeus' feet and
hands. Then, he carried the helpless Zeus to a cave where he hid the
sinews and guarded Zeus from all rescuers.
Hermes and Pan were successful in their attempts to rescue Zeus. Pan crept up to Typhon and shouted so loudly that Typhon was so startled and confused that he didn't notice Hermes quickly stealing the sinews and placing them back in Zeus' feet and hands. With all his power back, Zeus chased Typhon once again. This time, he cornered Typhon in Sicily, where he pitched Mount Aetna on the monster's head. To this day, Typhon is still there, his fiery breath comes out of the top of the mountain and proves his presence every so often.
Pan was proud of his loud shout and boasted often that it was his shout that saved the Olympians. That sudden confusion and fear that Typhon suffered is known today as panic, named after Pan, who caused it.
Echidna, his hideous mate, escaped destruction.
She cowered in a cave, protecting Typhon's offspring, and Zeus let them
live as a challenge to future heroes. Echidna and Typhon's children are
the Nemean Lion, Cerberus, Ladon, the Chimera,
the Sphinx, and the Hydra.
The MOERAE are the three sisters who decide on human fate. The Sirens where said to sing in unison with the Fates. The Song of Lachesis sings of the things that were, Clotho the thing that are, and Atropus the things that shall be. They are most honored among the gods because they distribute justly and have a share in every home. They give men at their birth their share of evil and good, and they punish the transgressions of both men and of gods.
Clotho is the "spinner" She spins the threads of fate "Clotho (Spinner) spins out the thread of life which carries with it the fate of each human being from the moment of birth; pictured carring a Spindel. The youngest of the Moerae.
Lachesis the apportioner of lots she weaves the threads into the Tapestry
Atropus Cuts the thread of Fate and ends
life Atropos (Inflexble), sometimes characterized as the smallest
and most
terrible, cuts it off and brings life to an
end." somtimes depicted as carring shears.
In the abode of the Fates are the records of all that happens on tablets
of brass and iron, which are neither shaken by warfare in heaven,
nor lightning, nor any destructive power. They are eternal and secure.
Christian Devils
As every Good X-tian knows Witches do nothing but consort with Demons,
so since the secret is out I just couldn't resist adding the names
of some famous Old Friends
Sometimes I wish that Witches did believe in a Devil,
it would be awesome not to have to take responsibility for the things that
went wrong in my life, but Oh Well at least the cross that we bear is one
of responsability and not one of guilt.
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Put Satanachia, the Commander n Chief,
had a profound knowedge of all the planets and provided witches with their
animal familiars. He also had a peculiar power over mothers.
Agaliarept, a grand general of Hell and commander of the second legion, held sway over Europe and Asia Minor, and also controlled the past and future. Possessed of the power to discover all secrets, he was especially good at stirring up enmity and distrust among men. Africa was under the command of Beelzebub's own lieutenant
general, Fleurety. An expert in
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Amon, a marquis of Hell, handed the marching orders to 40 legions of the infernal army. A demon who vomited flame, he had the head of a wolf and the tail of a serpent. He also had the gift of prophecy, and could see the future.
Aguares, a grand duke of the eastern regions of Hell, had 30 legions under his command. A master linguist, he was also known to incite dancing among mortals.
Amduscias, another grand duke, commanded 29 legions, and was known, strangely enough, for making terribly disturbing music. He was usually depicted as human in form, except for his head, which was that of a unicorn.
Sargatanas, a brigadier major directly under Astaroth's command, was uniquely skilled -- he could steal into a human being's mind and share in his innermost thoughts. If he felt like it, he could then wipe out those thoughts, along with all memory, and carry the person off to another part of the globe altogether.
The field marshal on Astaroth's staff was a demon named Nebiros, who personally oversaw North America and often employed animals to perform his nefarious acts.
Raum, a count and the commander of 30 legions, was an accomplished destroyer of cities. He also had the uncanny ability to determine, in the event of theft, who the culprit was.
Baal, grand duke, in charge of 66
legions, was one of the most unsightly of Satan's officers. His body was
short and fat, like a squashed pillow, and his legs, which sprang up all
around, were those of a spider. His three heads were those of a cat, a
toad, and a man wearing a crown. His voice was just as awful --raucous
and shrill--and he used it to instruct his followers in guile,
ruthless cunning, and the ability to become invisible. In command
of 60 legions, which he directed from atop a winged horse, was Abigor,
a cavalier skilled in the secrets of war and prophecy. Unlike most demons,
Abigor was usually represented as handsome and rather dashing.
Azazel was the chief standard bearer of
the infernal armies.
On the political front, Hell had its own prime minister, too, by the name of Lucifuge Rofocale. Lucifuge could only assume a body at night and he hated the light. Among his many duties were the infliction of disease and deformity, the creation of earthquakes, and the destruction of sacred deities. His powers extended over all the treasures of the Earth.
The grand president of Hell, a robust, white-haired old man, was Forcas. He taught logic and rhetoric, and commanded 29 legions of the infernal forces.
Leonard, a first-order demon, was the inspector general of black magic and sorcery -- something like a quality-control expert and master of the sabbats; when he presided over a sabbat, he appeared as an enormous black goat with three horns and the head of a fox.
Abbadon (Apollyon is another common spelling)
bore the nick name The Destroyer, from his days as one of the destroying
angels of the Apocalypse. In the Book of Revelation, he is identified as
the chief of the demon locusts, which are themselves described as having
the bodies of winged warhorses, the faces of humans, and the poisonous,
curved tails of scorpions. His
other appellation was Sovereign of the Bottomless Pit.
Adramelech, grand chancellor, was also the supervisor of Satan's wardrobe. Though he was chiefly a mule, part of his torso was human, and he had a peacock's tail.
Baalberith was the chief secretary of Hell, head of its public
archives, and the demon who tempted men to blasphemy and murder. When seated
among the princes of Hell, he was usually seen as a pontiff. He was also
quite a voluble sort: according to the Admirable History written by Father
Sebastien Michaelis in 1612, Baalberith once possessed a nun in Aix-en-Provence.
In the process of the exorcism, Baalberith volunteered not only his
own name and the names of all possessing her, but the names of the saints
who would be most in opposing them.
Alastot was the executor of the decrees handed down by court.
Melchom was the princes' treasurer.
Uphir was Hell's physician, responsible for the good health of all Demons living there.
Verdelet was something of a cross between a maitre d' and a portation coordinator. He was master of ceremonies in Hell, and all, shouldered the responsibility for making sure witches on Earth got their sabbats safely and on time.
Nysrock, a second-order demon, was the chef to the princes in houses of Hell.
Dagon was the princes' official baker. Before taking up his duties, he had been an important god to the Philistines -- so importan in fact, that after they captured the Ark from the Israelites, they stashed it in Dagon's temple.
Paymon was in charge of public ceremonies in Hell, and used his own will to overrule the will of humans. He was a man with a woman's face, and carried out his public duties on a camel.
Nybras, an inferior demon, was in charge of pleasures in Hell (a thankless task if ever there was one)
Xaphan, a second-order demon, kept the fires
of Hell stoked and blazing. At the time of the angels' rebellion, it was
Xaphan's suggestion to set Heaven on fire.
NATURE'S OWN
And then, of course, there were a host of other demons, high enough up to have names of their own and special duties, but no exactly top-drawer. Many of these demons controlled natural forces, wielded them, of course, to man's destruction. (What else?) Some of the most notable demons of this class were:
Furfur, who could control the thunder, lightning, and strong A count in Hell, he appeared as a winged stag, with human arms and; tail aflame. Unless he was contained in a magic triangle, everythin said was a lie.
Vine, who could tear down great walls and stir up storms at sea.
Procel, who could turn water freezing cold, or scalding hot.
Seera, who could make time crawl, or speed up.
Abduscius, who uprooted mighty trees and crushed men wil them.
Haborym, a duke in Hell, who presided over fire and holocaust. Three-headed -- cat, man, and snake -- he sat astride a viper, brandishing a torch.
Halpas, a great earl, who appeared as a
stork, cawing in a hoarse voice. He was known for two things -- burning
towns to the ground, or building them up and filling them with soldiers
itching for a fight.
| PRIVATE DEMONS | |
| Other demons were even more direct in their attack on
humanity. Rather than raising storms at sea, or brewing volcanoes on land,
they took a more personal approach. They attacked the individual, sowing
doubt and fear, jealousy and hatred, in his mind, or inflicting pain on
his body. Of this unpleasant fraternity, some charter members were as follows:
Andras and his henchman Flauros, who went straight for the kill. Andras, a grand marquis of Hell, had the body of a winged angel, but the head of an owl. He rode'a black wolf, and wielded a sword. Shax rendered his victims blind and deaf. Valafar, a duke, gave the orders to c'obbers and brigands attacked innocents. He was usually depicted as having the head thief (whatever that was) and the body of a I ion. Sabnack caused mortals' bodies to decay. |
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Philotanus, a second-order
demon and assistant to Belial, sized in prodding mortals into acts
of sodomy' and pederasty.
Dantalian could work magic on men's choughts, changing from good to evil
Zepar entered the minds of women, and d rove them to madness.
Moloch, once a deity to whom children where sacrificed, became a prince of Hell, where he received with joy the l:ears of mothers. His face was generally smeared with blood.
Belphegor sowed discord among men and seduced them to evil through the apportionment of wealth. He was pictured in two quite different fashions -- as a naked woman and as a monstrous, bearded demon with an open mouth, horns, and sharply pointed nails.
Olivier, a prince of the archangels, tempted men to be cruel and unfeeling, especially toward the poor.
Mammon was the demon of riches and covetousness. He came into his own in the Middle Ages, based largely on Matthew 6:24: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Oiellet, a prince of
dominions, had perhaps the easiest job of all he tempted men to break the
vow of poverty.
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