Incubus, 1879
An incubus (pl: incubi) is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. Parallels exist in many cultures.[1]
Succubus is understood as a Lilin-demon in female form or supernatural entity that appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity. [1] The descriptions of the same can be traced back to the folklore of medieval times. [1] The male equivalence of this is known as an incubus.
In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in the birth of witches, demons, and deformed human offspring. Legendary magician Merlin was said to have been fathered by an incubus. Walter Stephens writes in his book Demon Lovers that some traditions hold that repeated sexual activity with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, an impaired mental state, or even death.[2]
Etymological, ancient, and religious descriptions
The Late Latin word incubus ("a nightmare induced by a demon") is derived from Latin incubō ("nightmare, what lies down on one whilst one sleeps") and further from incubāre ("to lie upon, to hatch").[3] One of the earliest evident mentions of a demon sharing qualities to an incubus comes from Mesopotamia on the Sumerian King List, circa 2400 BC, where the hero Gilgamesh's father is listed as Lilu.[4] Lilu is described as "disturbing" and "seducing" women in their sleep, while Lilitu, a female demon, is described as appearing to men in erotic dreams.[5] Two other corresponding demons appear as well: Ardat lili, who visits men by night and begets ghostly children from them, and Idlu lili, a male counterpart to Ardat lili who visits women by night and begets from them. Ardat lili is derived from ardatu, the word for "a woman of marriagable age", while idlu lili is derived from idlu, meaning a "grown man".[6][7] These demons were originally storm demons but eventually became regarded as night demons potentially due to mistaken etymology.[8]
Illumination from a 13th-century French manuscript depicting the enchanter Merlin, left, conversing with a copyist monk, right
Merlin is said to have been born from the relationship of an incubus with a mortal (illumination from a 13th century French manuscript)
The half-human offspring of such a union is sometimes referred to as a cambion. An incubus may pursue sexual relations with a woman to father a child, as in the legend of Merlin,[9] which was the first popular account of demonic parentage in Western Christian literature.[10]
In the Malleus Maleficarum, exorcism is presented as one of the five ways to overcome the attacks of incubi. The others are Confession, the Sign of the Cross or recital of the Hail Mary, moving the afflicted to another location, and by excommunication of the attacking entity, "which is perhaps the same as exorcism".[11] In contrast, the Franciscan friar Ludovico Maria Sinistrari 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".[12]
One scientific explanation for the incubus concept could fall under the scope of sleep paralysis, as well as hypnagogia, as it is common to experience auditory and visual hallucinations in both states. Typical examples include a feeling of being crushed or suffocated, electric "tingles" or "vibrations", imagined speech and other noises, the imagined presence of a visible or invisible entity, and sometimes intense emotions of fear or euphoria and orgasmic feelings. These often appear quite real and vivid, especially auditory hallucinations of music, which can be quite loud, indistinguishable from music being played in the same room. Humanoid and animal figures, often shadowy or blurry, are often present in hypnagogic hallucinations, more so than other hallucinogenic states.
The combination of sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination could cause someone to believe that a "demon was holding them down". Nocturnal arousal etc. could be explained by creatures causing otherwise guilt-producing behavior. Add to this the common phenomena of nocturnal arousal and nocturnal emission, and all the elements required to believe in an incubus are present.[13]
Additionally, some crimes of sexual assault were likely passed off as the actions of incubi. Some authors speculate that rapists may have attributed the rapes of sleeping men and women to demons to escape punishment. Robert Masello asserts that a friend or relative is at the top of the list in such cases and would be kept secret by the intervention of "spirits".[12]
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