Origins of the Demon Princes

[Olive]

Baphomet was actually a cleverly disguised code referring to Sophia of the Gnostics, this one has been proven using simple Qabalistic techniques of coding that the Templars were certainly familiar with...

Um... got reference?

 

[Wycen]

I have always wondered if Shelob was the inspiration for Lolth.

 

[rounser]

Pazuzu is a Sumerian one, demon of the south-west wind, bringer of disease and pestilence - more under this link:
http://www.philhine.org.uk/writings/sp_pazuzu.html

 

[rounser]

DISPATER
(Continental) Also Dis Pater. This Gaulish God, whose name means "the Father," was a primal God of creation who later merged with both Don and Cernunnos, the Horned God. The Gauls all believed themselves to be descended from him.

Another link describes him as "Roman god of wealth and the underworld". And yet another as "Underworld ruler of the dead, similar in
many respects to the Hellenic Hades."

 

[shilsen]

Baphomet was actually a cleverly disguised code referring to Sophia of the Gnostics, this one has been proven using simple Qabalistic techniques of coding that the Templars were certainly familiar with. Sophia was the Gnostic conception of Wisdom and the Holy Spirit as well as covering the Hebrew concept of the Shekinah, the Bride of the One True God (as opposed to the evil natured demiurgic creator) who fell with the angels in order to help in the redemption of man. The Templars had learned and adopted the practices of the ancient Gnostics and many of their practices were fertility based as in worshipping the female as the expression of god. The Templars were accused of worshipping an ass headed demon and performing acts of homosexual nature. Baphomet was turned into a demon in the falsely grounded charges of the French King and the Pope... damn frenchies.

Jason

Um... got reference?

Probably *blech*The Da Vinci Code*blech*

 

[rounser]

Quotes from http://www.pantheon.org/ :

Geryon
In Greek mythology, Geryon was a triple-bodied, winged giant who dwelt on the island of Erythea in the extreme west. He owned a herd of red cattle which was guarded by the two-headed hound Orthrus. These oxen were stolen by Heracles as the tenth of his Twelve Labors. Garyon was killed.

Cattle of Geryon
Eurystheus, for his tenth labor, gave Heracles the task of bringing back the cattle, which belonged to the monster Geryon. This involved killing the sentinels who watched over the cattle and their master, then, driving the herd over land and sea back to Greece single handed, which made this a very precarious adventure. This monstrous beast was the son of Chrysaor, which makes him nephew of the Gorgon, Medusa. Geryon had three bodies, six arms, six legs and three heads and his appearance was that of a warrior. He lived on Erytheia, a mythical island far to the west, Geryon was the owner of huge herds of cattle, and they were protected by the herdsman Eurythion and the two-headed watch-dog Orthrus.

Heracles set out on his expedition, and while crossing the Libyan desert, found the heat unbearable, so much so that in his anger he shot an arrow toward the sun. Helios the sun god (in some versions it was Apollo) pleaded with Heracles to shoot no more. With this request the hero promised he would stop, if he could lend the golden goblet which Helios used to sail across the ocean every evening on his journey home to the east. Heracles was granted his request. The hero sailed across the ocean in the golden goblet to the island of Erytheia. On his journey to Erytheia (in some versions) Heracles set up two landmarks when he reached the straits of Gades, which became known as the "Pillars of Heracles", (but in other versions) he built the pillars to celebrate his journey home.

When Heracles reached Erytheia, no sooner had he landed he was confronted by the two-headed dog Orthrus, with one huge blow from his olive-wood club Heracles killed the watch-dog. Eurythion the herdsman came to assist Orthrus, but Heracles overcame the attack in the same manner. On hearing the commotion Geryon sprang into action, carrying three shields, three spears and wearing three helmets and three sets of greaves. Heracles strung his bow, killing the monster with his deadly arrows. (in other versions Heracles tore Geryon into three separate pieces).

The hero's return journey was not without incident. Herding the cattle on to the golden goblet he sailed back to Greece. However, the hero landed in Italy, and it was here that Cacus, the fire-breathing giant, took a portion of the herd while the hero slept. Cacus dragged the animals backwards into his cave, as to leave no trail for Heracles to follow. On waking and finding part of the herd missing, Heracles searched for them, but was deceived by the trick. Giving them up for lost Heracles drove the rest of the herd past the cave. The cattle inside the cave could hear the herd pass by, and they called back to each other. When Heracles looked inside he saw the cattle, and then came face to face with Cacus. Angered by the giant's trick and the theft of his cattle, Heracles killed him.

Heracles found it hard to keep the herd together, and to make matters worse Hera sent a gadfly (a type of biting horsefly) which scattered the herd with its irritating bite. After regaining control of the cattle, Hera sent a flood, which made crossing a river impossible. Heracles filled the channel with stones which made the water shallow enough to cross. The hero dealt with another monster, which was half-woman and half-serpent as he drove the cattle through Scythia, on his journey home to Greece.

After many hardships Heracles finally reached the court of Eurystheus. The ungrateful king sacrificed the cattle to Hera. It was a rich sacrifice to give to a thankless goddess, as Hera always tried to make the tasks harder for Heracles. Some legends state that this should have been the last labor for the hero but Eurystheus refused to accept two of them, as the Hydra was killed with the help of Iolaus, and for the cleaning of the Augean stables, he used the force of two rivers to accomplish the task. Instead of being thankful for the heroic deeds, the weak and narrow-minded king forced Heracles to undergo two more labors.

And from another site:

It is said that Geryon was the strongest man alive, having three bodies joined at the waist, three heads and six arms and hands. He lived on the island of Erytheia beyond the pillars of Heracles, i.e. in the Atlantic, beyond the strait of Gibraltar. He had a herd of unique red cattle. One of the twelve labours of Heracles was to capture these cows and take them to Eurystheus. After doing this, Heracles was pursued by Geryon. Heracles killed Geryon by shooting an arrow that had been dipped in the blood of the hydra through all three of Geryon's bodies.

 

[rounser]

The AD&D demoness Glasya appears to be a named borrowed from Glasya Labolas, a "spirit of Goetia".

"Glasya-Labolas is known for his ability to cause strife and bloodshed. He has no love for humans and would kill them before harming any of the animals of the world."

Glasya-Labolas

Spirit 25

I see locust-like beings "flying" out of the earth biting men and terrifying all within the dream yet they harm not a single thing of nature apart from the ills of man.

It is said that Glasya-Labolas governs 36 legions of spirit causing bloodshed.

And apparently it has a guest appearance in Revelations:
http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/id252.html

 

[hong]

Several are EGG's creation: Graz'zt, Fraz'Urb'luu, Lolth, Juiblex, Yeenoghu (sp?), etc.

I refuse to believe that EGG would ever sully his syllables with those damned apostrophes!

 

[Gez]

EGG? You're talking about Ed'wa'rd Gar'ry Gyg'ax, aren't you?

 

[ivocaliban]

A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels compiled by Gustav Davidson gives answers to many of these. Here is one detailed example:

Asmodeus ("creature of judgement")--the name is derived from ashma daeva. Asmodeus is a Persian rather than a Jewish devil; however, incorporated into Jewish lore, he is there regarded as an evil spirit. According to Forlong, Encyclopedia of Religions, Asmodeus is 'the talmudic Ashmedai, a demon borrowed from the Zend Aeshmadeva,' a 'raging fiend' (The Book of Tobit 3:8). It was Ashmadai (Ashmedai), says Forlong, who made Noah drunk, and who, in Tobit, slew the 7 bridegrooms of the young Sarah, and who, overcome by the Angel Raphael, was finally 'banished to upper Egypt.' In demonology, Asmodeus in Hell is controller of all gaming houses. Wierus the demonographer says Asmodeus must be invoked only when the invocant is bareheaded, otehrwise the demon will trick him. Barrett, The Magus II, pictures Asmodeus in color as one of the 'Vessels of Wrath.' In Le Sage's romance The Devil on Two Sticks Asmodeus is the main character. In James Branch Cabell's The Devil's Own Dear Son, Asmodeus is the son of Adam's first wife Lilith by Samael. However, in The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage, we find this report: 'Some rabbins say that Asmodeus was the child of the incest of Tubal-Cain and his sister Naamah; others say he was the demon of impurity.' Jewish lore charges Asmodeus as being the father-in-law of the demon Bar Shalmon [Rf. Jewish Encyclopedia, p. 510]. In Solomonic legends, Asmodeus also goes by the name of Saturn, Marcolf or Morolf...

As for Demogorgon, I would suspect it's a combination of Demiurge (Demiourgos) with the Greek Gorgon, the three mythological sisters that included Medusa. An approximate literal translation of Demiurge (Demiourgos) is "public worker" or "maker." Gorgon, on the other hand, means "terrible" or "ugly". So, my best guess would be that Demogorgon is a "maker of terror," a "maker of terrible things," a "terrible maker"...and, possibly, an "ugly public worker."*


*If this last translation proves true, Demogorgon could very well be either of the current presidential candidates...or the desk clerk at your local DMV.