Christian demons in popular culture
References to supernatural evil - the devil, hell, demons and angels and the occult - from the Hebrew Bible and later Jewish and Christian literature have repeated reference in popular culture. Although many of these references share only the name and a loose connection with supernatural and or evil with the source.
Christian demonology has had appeared many times in popular culture. This is reflected in:
- Hell in popular culture
- Devil in popular culture
- Angels in popular culture
- Demons in popular culture
- Limbo#In popular culture
Otherwise names of gods and demons from Jewish and Christian sources are taken up in film, TV, comics and video games.
- Abaddon in popular culture - from Book of Revelation
- Azazel in popular culture - from Leviticus
- Baal in popular culture - from 1 Kings
- Belial in popular culture - from Deuteronomy
- Legion in popular culture - from Gospel of Mark
- Leviathan in popular culture - from the Book of Job
- Lilin in popular culture - from Apocalypse of Baruch
- Lilith in popular culture - from Isaiah and the Talmud
- Moloch in popular culture - from 2 Kings
- Mammon in popular culture - from Gospel of Matthew
- Nephilim in popular culture - from Genesis 6
- Samyaza in popular culture - from 1 Enoch
Hebrew Bible
The god Adramelech is a variant of Moloch mentioned in 2 Kings
- In the video game Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, Adrammelech is a dragon-like Lucavi with a goatlike appearance. It also appears as the Bangaa Totema in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and an Esper in Final Fantasy XII.
- In the video game Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Adramelech appears as a boss.
- In the horror book The Devils of D-Day by Graham Masterton Adramelech is summoned by his thirteen minions.
- The computer game Mystery Case Files: Shadow Lake, Adramelech is the apparent imbuer of the devil horn relic created by the Amesconti Indians, bringing about their own near annihilation in the 19th Century, and was dug up by convict Jamie Monihan during his 1973 prison escape. After Monihan dropped it, the relic brought death to anyone who touched it. Once it was identified, the relic was taken to a church where Pastor Roberts's attempt at an exorcism triggered an earthquake which killed many(including Jamie Monihan who was hiding in a nearby train tunnel), and devastated the town of Bitterford, Maine so badly that it was deserted. Years later, the ghosts of Sam and Ellen Denney(Melvin's wife), lead the Master Detective(player) to the relic in the church basement, and it takes psychic Cassandra Williams under its power, revealing in her enslaved state that she is releasing Adramelech, if the Detective does not save her and destroy him.
- The light novel, manga, and anime series "The Devil is a Part-Timer!" features Adramelech was one of the four generals under the demon king Satan, having fought alongside Lucifer, Malacoda, and Alsiel to conquer Ente Isla. After Satan's defeat by the Hero Emilia and escape to Earth's Japan, Adramelech is reported missing.
Graeco-Roman Literature
Demogorgon is a god mentioned in a commentary on a Greek poem.
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Demogorgon is considered Prince of Demons, though this title doesn't grant him absolute authority. In the video game NetHack, Demogorgon is considered the most difficult monster.[1] Demogorgon also appears as the final enemy of the Commodore 64 game Forbidden Forest and its sequel, Beyond the Forbidden Forest.
Demogorgon is also shown in the game Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. He is found in the bottom floor in Watcher's Keep. He is considered the strongest monster in the game. Demogorgons appear as enemies in Progress Quest, though often with various prefixes and suffixes to denote how strong they are.
Demogorgon's name was earlier invoked by Faustus in Scene III of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (1590) when the eponymous Doctor summons Mephistopheles with a Latin incantation.
Edmund Spenser mentioned him briefly in The Faerie Queene:
A bold bad man, that dar'd to call by name
Great Gorgon, Prince of darknesse and dead night,
At which Cocytus quakes, and Styx is put to flight. (Canto I, stanza 37)
He is also the protagonist of an opera by Vincenzo Righini (1786) with a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte.
Demogorgon is the title of a poem by Álvaro de Campos, in which the writer is afraid of becoming mad by learning the true nature and unveiling the mystery of life.
Demogorgon also appears in the book Olympos by Dan Simmons, where it is also described as a dark and shapeless mass. It is portrayed as being neither good nor evil, but all-knowing.
Demogorgon is the title of a 1987 horror novel by English author Brian Lumley. In this it is a demon manifesting Satan's reproductive power and is used by the anti-christ on earth as a herald and weapon.
Demogorgon also appears in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Poem "Limbo" written in 1799.
Demogorgon is mentioned in Hunter S. Thompson's novel The Rum Diary, by the character Moberg:
"'Lotterman thinks I'm a Demogorgon,' he would say. 'You know what that is? Look it up - no wonder he doesn't like me.'"
Medieval Christian demonology
Gressil was a demon named in the Loudun possessions in 1634:
- In role-playing video game Golden Sun: The Lost Age gressils are demonic creatures, who live in the caves and protect the magic actifact.
- A character named Gressil appeared in Ghost Rider as a fallen angel tied to the element of earth and an ally of Blackheart.
- A spider-like monster named Gressil serves as one of the boss monsters in AdventureQuest Worlds. He is the leader of the Dreadspider army who can only be fought by upgraded members.