What is a demon?
Demon is the English word for a devil or evil spirit. In Japanese both are translated as “akuma,” but in English the single leader of evil is often called the Devil (Satan), while the many evil spirits under him are called “demons.”
The Greek “daimon”
The word demon comes from the ancient Greek “daimon.” This was a spiritual being between gods and humans that allotted fate or watched over people, and it was not necessarily evil. The philosopher Socrates said he had within him a “daimonion” (a divine voice) that stopped him whenever he was about to do something wrong.
Demons become evil spirits
As Christianity spread, all gods and spirits outside Christianity came to be seen as evil spirits that led people astray, and “demon” came to mean an evil spirit or devil. The New Testament describes many scenes in which Jesus drives out evil spirits that have possessed people. Exorcism, the driving out of evil spirits, remains an official rite in the Catholic Church and elsewhere today.
Demonology and the 72 demons of Solomon
From the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, “demonology,” which classified the names, ranks and special powers of devils, flourished. The 72 demons of Solomon in the grimoire the Lemegeton are the leading example. Such demons have become the basis of characters in modern fantasy and games. Minor devils are called imps.
