Demon's portrayal of society

Demons; the Portrayal of Society’s Morals
Civilizations in the beginning, separated by distance and utterly unaware of other inhabitants, developed without influence from one another. However, despite this fact, cultures all around the world bear striking similarities. The word ‘demon’ stems from the original Greek word ‘daimon’ which does not carry the negative connotation of malevolence it does today. The term ‘demon’ first started to be associated with evil and the devil in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible (Source; Ankarloo). When looking at cultures and religions throughout the globe, each has their own interpretation of God-fearing, corrupted creatures. Societies throughout the ages, separated by miles of land and unconquerable oceans each have literature, fiction, folklore, myths, etc. telling the story of demons. Each religion has its own portrayal of demonic spirits. Aspects woven into the stories and the entities themselves that are adapted to that region of the world and that religions beliefs. Demons around the world reflect the similarities as well as portray the differences, showcasing the morals of various cultures.
A similarity shared in multiple cultures is the belief that demonic entities have the ability to change their physical form. Devils in African religion are viewed more as nuisances than threats. Demons in African culture are described as having one eye, one leg and yet can run rather quickly, one arm, things of that nature (Source; Changeri). These demons are known to disguise themselves as humans, living and interacting with villagers partaking in activities such as farming, feasting, and hunting. In African society, their stories of evil entities show how easily demons can interact with the human world. The legends show that their malevolence and trickery are what help and encourage their interactions with us. Their powers of shapeshifting allow these interactions to happen far more easily.Chinese mythology tells of a fox spirit, also known as a ‘huli jing’ in the folklore these fox spirits usually physically transform into young, beautiful women, tricking young men into falling in love with them. Typically seen as dangerous (Source; Chinese Mythology). In a completely separate society, once again there are cases of demons altering their physical shape to allow for social interaction with human beings. Demons use their ability to morph their forms to infiltrate human life. The whole purpose of this act is so they can do things that only people can.
One occurrence that happens frequently in demonic mythology is evil creatures tempting and corrupting human beings. For example, the Biblical story of Adam and Eve; God created Adam from dust and placed him in the Garden of Eden, creating Eve as a companion. A serpent in the garden tempts Eve to disobey God and eat the Fruit of Knowledge, lying to her saying “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be open, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Source; Anderson).” The serpent, a servant of Satan, preys on Eve’s faith. The snake twists words, contorting the truth to sound seductive enough to tempt Eve and convince her to eat the fruit. In Norse or Scandinavian mythology there is a deity known for his wily ways and never ending trickery called, Loki. Loki is portrayed as a scheming coward who only cares for materialistic interests and self preservation, “...always shown as irreverent and nihilistic.” In all of Loki’s legends a theme of calamity caused by himself is repeated constantly. In the folktale, Loki constantly plays jokes on humanity “not only for societal expectations, but also of what we today might call ‘the laws of nature’. Basically Loki enjoys supernaturally interfering with the lives of humans. (Source; McCoy). This Scandinavian myth of Loki portrays the fiendish kicks spirits get from jokes at the expense of human beings.
A main difference between demons all over the world however is how they are worshipped. Some religions absolutely forbade worship of demons by the supreme ruler of their religion, a prime example is God forbidding the worship of Lucifer, the fallen angel. Lucifer was cast down from Heaven when he blatantly refused to bless mankind with God’s goodwill. Lucifer fought with his brothers, claiming that humans were unworthy of God’s favoritism (Source; Anderson). While in other religions and cults, demons are the main source of worship for example.Wiccans worship all types of higher beings, good and evil (Source; Anonymous). This is a huge difference between many religions that have strict views and guidelines of good and evil. Wiccans believe that everything serves a purpose though, good or bad. Even demons.
Another difference among cultures is monotheistic or polytheistic worship. Both African and Chinese religion are polytheistic. In both of these religions thanks is given to multiple Gods. In African culture Gods have their own worldly responsibilities. The African God Orisanla is the creator of the Earth and its arrangements, for this reason hes referred to as “The Maker”. The God Esu contains both good and evil properties; Esu is the “inspector general” of heaven and earth (Source; Lugira).These are just a few Gods of African Culture to show that different aspects of life are protected by certain spirits. In Chinese mythology, there is a Kitchen God called, Zao Jun. The domestic God is supposed to protect the hearth and the family. This God shows the diverse kinds of worship offered from different religions all over the world (Source; Werner). Also in Chinese culture there is a God worshipped called, Buddha. Buddha was a representative of the “Middle Life” or Dharma, people could live. This God is one that has many interpretations for worship. Some people see Buddha as lucky, or some may see the lifestyle of which he preached. In monotheistic practices such as judaism worshippers only believe in God and view Jesus not as the son of God but rather a prophet. Jews believe God to be the ultimate and only supreme being, showing how other worshipers of a different religion can relate to only one God.
Demons worldwide are representation of immoral actions and decisions. Demons everywhere act as a guide for, usually, everything that is considered to be wrong. For example in Christianity, demons are the epitome of sin; sin being a wrongful act (Source; Anonymous). Some use demons as an example as of what not to do in their religion. Demons are usually exemplified as being an outcast for doing what is preached against.
From a global perspective, it is agreed that demons have akin characteristics and various differences, brought on by culture and geological location. Its through literature, myths, folklore, and other such accounts documenting demonology people now can better gain perspective on the past and better determine values of many different civilizations. These monstrous entities are Ultimately, demons represent the bad parts of religion in every religion, but what often differs is how the demons are viewed; role models or examples.