Incubus

From New World Encyclopedia


Incubus, 1870

In Western medieval legend, an incubus (plural incubi) is a demon in male form supposed to lie upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have sexual intercourse with them. They are also believed to do this in order to spawn other incubi. The incubus drains energy from the woman on whom it performs sexual intercourse in order to sustain itself, and some sources indicate that it may be identified by its unnaturally cold penis.[1] Religious tradition holds that repeated intercourse with such a spirit by either males or females (the female version of the incubus is called a succubus) may result in the deterioration of health, or even death.[2]

Etymology

The word is derived from the Latin preposition in, which in this case means on top of, and cubo, which is Latin for "I lie". The word incubo translates into "I lie on top".[3]

Origins of incubi legends

A number of mundane explanations have been offered for the origin of the incubus legends. They involve the Medieval preoccupation with sin, especially sexual sins of women. Victims may have been experiencing waking dreams or sleep paralysis. Also, nocturnal arousal, orgasm or nocturnal emission could be explained by the idea of creatures causing an otherwise guilt-producing and self-conscious behavior.[4]

Purported victims of incubi could have been the victims of sexual assault by a real person. Rapists may have attributed the rapes of sleeping women to demons in order to escape punishment. A friend or relative may have assaulted the victim in her sleep. The victims and, in some cases the local clergy,[5] may have found it easier to explain the attack as supernatural rather than confront the idea that the attack came from someone in a position of trust.

Ancient and religious descriptions

One of the earliest mention of a incubus comes from Mesopotamia on the Sumerians king's list, ca. 2400, where the hero Gilgamesh's father is listed as Lilu (Lila).[6] It is said that Lilu disturbs and seduces women in their sleep, while a similar demon, Lilitu, appears to men in their erotic dreams.[7] Two other corresponding demons appear as well, Ardat lili, who visits men by night and begets ghostly children from them, and Irdu lili, who is known as a male counterpart to Ardat lili and visits women by night and begets from them. These demons were originally storm demons, but they eventually became regarded as night demons due to mistaken etymology.[8]

Incubi and succubi were said by some not to be different genders but the same demons able to change their sex.[9] A succubus would be able to sleep with a man and collect his sperm, and then transform into an incubus and use that seed on women. Their offspring were thought to be supernatural in many cases, even if the actual genetic material originally came from humans.[4]

Though many tales claim that the incubus is bisexual,[10] others indicate that it is strictly heterosexual and finds attacking a male victim either unpleasant or detrimental.[11] There are also numerous stories involving the attempted exorcism of incubi or succubi who have taken refuge in, respectively, the bodies of men or women.

Incubi were sometimes said to be able to conceive children. The half-human offspring of such a union is a Cambion. The most famous legend of such a case includes that of Merlin, the famous wizard from Arthurian legend.[5]

According to the Malleus Maleficarum, exorcism is one of the five ways to overcome the attacks of Incubi, the others being Sacramental Confession, the Sign of the Cross (or recital of the Angelic Salutation), moving the afflicted to another location, and by excommunication of the attacking entity, "which is perhaps the same as exorcism." [12] On the other hand, the Franciscan friar Ludovico Sinistari stated that incubi "do not obey exorcists, have no dread of exorcisms, show no reverence for holy things, at the approach of which they are not in the least overawed."[5]

Regional variations

There are a number of variations on the incubus theme around the world. In Zanzibar, Popo Bawa primarily attacks men and generally behind closed doors.[13] El Trauco, according to the traditional mythology of the Chiloé Province of Chile, is a hideous deformed dwarf who lulls nubile young women and seduces them. El Trauco is said to be responsible for unwanted pregnancies, especially in unmarried women.[14] In Hungary, a Liderc can be a Satanic lover that flies at night and appears as a fiery light (ignis fatuus or will o' the wisp) or, in its more benign form as a featherless chicken.[15]

In Brazil and the rain forests of the Amazon Basin, the Boto is a combination of siren and incubus, a very charming and beautiful man who seduces young women and takes them into the river.[16] It is said to be responsible for disappearances and unwanted pregnancies,[17] and it can never be seen by daylight, because it metamorphoses into kind of river dolphin during those hours. According to legend the boto always wears a hat to disguise the breathing hole at the top of its head.[18]

Incubi in popular culture and media

Incubi have been part of modern popular culture in other ways. They were among creatures of the White Witch present at the killing of Aslan in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In Incubus, a film starring William Shatner, the main character is tempted by a lusting succubus in order to corrupt his pure soul. An incubus is later summoned to destroy him. In the Anne Bishop novel Sebastian, the hero is an incubus.

The Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce (1982,1984,1990) referred to the fully transformed 'sons' of the White Witch as Incubi among many other names.

In the 1999 PlayStation survival horror game ''Silent Hill'', the final boss is referred to by the developers as "The Incubus." It resembles Baphomet.

Mancubus is a demon race in the first-person shooter game, Doom, as well as in its sequels. It is a grotesque cross between an incubus and a succubus, resulting in an obese, cybernetic humanoid demon, handling two fireball launchers. Other than the name, it doesn't share any similarities with the fictional demon.

In the 2006 book, Trail of an Incubus, by Iliya Englin, the incubus is portrayed as a different humanoid species, outwardly human but with far greater longevity and physical strength. Their intelligence is about the same or greater than human, albeit with certain blind spots. They hate humanity for displacing them from the top of the food chain, and their character traits give rise to traditional demonic myths - an enemy moving amongst us, intelligent, resourceful and hostile – and in constant search for human virgins.

The Alice Merridew novel, Aka Shinema, chronicles a tale of an incubus king.

Incubi also appear as enemies in the Sega CD RPG Shining Force.

Incubi are the bodyguards of an Archon or Dracon for the Dark Eldar army in Warhammer 40,000.

In addition, Incubus is the name of several bands, the most well-known being the alternative rock band Incubus.

Incubi (and succubi) are monsters on the MMORPG Ragnarok Online. They are shown wearing skimpy outfits and blowing kisses. The incubus can be found on several floors of the Geffenia dungeon.

Incubi and succubi are enemies in NetHack, who can cause both detrimental and helpful effects.

Several characters in the comic DMFA (Dan and Mab's Furry adventures) features several Incubus characters, as well as Succubus.

The popular television show South Park had an episode, entitled Succubus, that followed the efforts of a succubus in seducing Chef.

Notes

  1. Russsel, Jeffrey Burton (1972), Witchcraft in The Middle Ages, pp. 239, 235 Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, ISBN 0-8014-0697-8
  2. Stephens, Walter (2002), Demon Lovers, p. 23, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-266-77261-6
  3. incubo at An On-line Latin word-list, Copyright ©1997, The University of British Columbia Mathematics Department, hosted at www.sunsite.ubc.ca
  4. 4.0 4.1 Lewis, James R., Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy, Sisung Kelle S. (Editor) (1996), Angels A to Z, Entry: Incubi and Succubi, pp. 218, 219, Visible Ink Press, ISBN 0-7876-0652-9 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "AZ" defined multiple times with different content
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Masello, Robert (2004), Fallen Angels and Spirits of The Dark, p. 66, The Berkley Publishing Group, 200 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016, ISBN 0-399-51889-4
  6. Raphael Patai, p. 221, The Hebrew Goddess: Third Enlarged Edition, ISBN 978-0814322710
  7. Siegmund Hurwitz, Lilith: The First Eve ISBN 978-3856305222
  8. Raphael Patai, p. 221 & 222, The Hebrew Goddess: Third Enlarged Edition, ISBN 978-0814322710
  9. Carus, Paul (1900), The History of The Devil and The Idea of Evil From The Earliest Times to The Present Day, "The Devil's Prime," at sacred-texts.com
  10. Russsel, Jeffrey Burton (1972), Witchcraft in The Middle Ages, p. 145, Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, ISBN 0-8014-0697-8
  11. Stephens, Walter (2002), Demon Lovers, pp. 54, 55, 332, 333, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-266-77261-6
  12. Kramer, Heinrich and Sprenger, James (1486), Summers, Montague (translator - 1928), The Malleus Maleficarum, Part2, Chapter 1, "The Remedies prescribed by the Holy Church against Incubus and Succubus Devils," at sacred-texts.com
  13. Maclean, William (Reuters, May 16 2005), "Belief in sex-mad demon tests nerves," on the World Wide Religious News (WWRN) website
  14. Lindemans, Micha F. (2004), Trauco at the Encyclopedia Mythica
  15. Mack, Dinah, Mack, Carol K. (1999), A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits, p. 209, Henry Holt and Company, LLC, ISBN 0-8050-6270-X
  16. "Whales and Dolphins" at ancientspiral.com
  17. Boto at library.thinkquest.org
  18. "The Dolphin Legend"

Refereences

  • Carus, Paul (1991), The History of The Devil and The Idea of Evil From The Earliest Times to The Present Day, Open Court Publishing Company; New Ed edition, 1991. ISBN 978-0875483078
  • Hurwitz, Siegmund Lilith: The First Eve: Historical and Psychological Aspects of the Dark Feminine. Daimon, 1992. ISBN 978-3856305222
  • Mack, Dinah, Mack, Carol K. (1999), A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits, Henry Holt and Company, LLC, ISBN 0-8050-6270-X
  • Lewis, James R., Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy, Sisung Kelle S. (Eds.) (1996), Angels A to Z, Entry: Incubi and Succubi, Visible Ink Press, ISBN 0-7876-0652-9
  • Masello, Robert (2004), Fallen Angels and Spirits of The Dark, The Berkley Publishing Group, 200 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016, ISBN 0-399-51889-4
  • Russsel, Jeffrey Burton (1972), Witchcraft in The Middle Ages, Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, ISBN 0-8014-0697-8
  • Stephens, Walter (2002), Demon Lovers, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-266-77261-6

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