Night Battles: How the Benandanti Fought Witches During the Sabbath
The benandanti were an agrarian fertility cult in Northern Italy in the 16th-17th centuries who claimed they would leave their bodies and fight witches 4 times each year.
Appeasing the Rain God In Belize: A Mayan Journey into Xibalba
A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to tour Actun Tunichil Muknal, a Mayan cave discovered in 1989 in Cayo, Belize. Our tour guide likened the venture into the cave as the hero twins' journey into Xibalba as recounted in the Popul Voh.
Seraphim
When most people think of Seraphim, they think of angels, but earliest usages of the term refer to serpent demons.
Ancient Semitic Demon Possession and Exorcism
How did ancient semites deal with demon possession? Once a person came under the influence of demons, generally an exorcism was the only remedy. Here are some strategies sorcerer-priests used to banish evil spirits including magical preparations using various objects, incantations, and various magical rituals.
Ancient Semitic Defenses against Demons
With so many types of demons wrecking havoc on human lives, the Babylonians, Assyrians and early Jews concocted numerous ways to deal with their menacing foes. One of their key weapons were in the form of rituals stressing the demon's name.
Babylonian and Assyrian Demonology
The belief in demons and evil spirits predates Judeo-Christian theology. The ancient Babylonian and Assyrian cultures both had extensive demon classifications. This overview of Babylonian and Assyrian demonology explains the various classes of demons.
Problems in Ethical Monotheism: Why Does Evil Exist?
Why does an all-powerful, all-knowing God allow bad things to happen to good people? It's a key problem philosophers and theologians have struggled with for millennia.
Philosophy of Religion: The Nature of God
An article on the characteristics we tend to associate with God.