The Dictionary of Demons Lib/E: Tenth Anniversary Edition: Names of the Damned

by Michelle Belanger

The Dictionary of Demons starts with a simple premise: names have power. In medieval and Renaissance Europe, it was believed that speaking a demon’s true name could summon it, compel it, and bind it. 

Occult scholar Michelle Belanger has compiled the most complete compendium of demonic names available anywhere, using both notorious and obscure sources from the Western grimoiric tradition. Presented alphabetically from Aariel to Zynextyur, more than 1,500 demons are introduced, explored, and cross-referenced by theme and elemental or planetary correspondence. This meticulously researched reference work features fascinating short articles on demonology and a wealth of woodcuts, etchings, and paintings depicting demons through the ages.

 

Genres: Occult, Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Reference, Religion, Mythology, Supernatural

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Michelle Belanger is an American author, singer, and television personality, widely recognized for her work on television's Paranormal State. A leading authority on psychic and supernatural topics, her non-fiction research in books like "The Dictionary of Demons" (Llewellyn, 2010) and "The Psychic Vampire Codex" (Weiser, 2004) has been sourced in television shows, university courses, and numerous publications around the world.
She has worked as a media liaison for fringe communities, lectured on vampires at colleges around North America, performed with Gothic and metal bands, including Nox Arcana, and designed immersive live actions RPGs for companies such as Wizards of the Coast. Her research on the Watcher Angels led to the creation of a Tarot Deck and the album Blood of Angels. She has appeared on CNN, A&E, Fox News, Reelz, and the History Channel.
Michelle resides near Cleveland, Ohio with three cats, a few friendly spirits, and a library of more than five thousand books.

Reviews

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cosas interesantes:

Para que invocaban mayormente a los demonios, por su poder asociado era :
-Amor/Lujuria (infinidad para conseguir el amor o hacer que una mujer cayera rendida a los pies del nigromante).
- Tesoros, muchos se invocaban para encontrar tesoros o esconderlos
- Enfermedad, con eso de que creían que algunas enfermedades las provocaban los demonios, pues.
- Encontrar/Atrapar ladrones, (en el apéndice creo que es el de Deceit), con tanto tesoro seguro el crimen estaba por las nubes.
-Ilusión, relacionados con os anteriores, o como parte de alguna estratagema para tener poder/acceso al poder.
-El que me sorprendió por que si solía ser mencionado seguido , que no estuviera en el top 5, fue el de conocimientos, pero aun así, muchos eran invocados para enseñar.

Como muchos pues no iniciaron siendo.

Que muchos en apariencia se repiten con nombres similares, el problema de los libros a mano, que a veces si agrupaba, y otras no.

Lo mas interesante son los prólogos, apéndices y las hojas de temática en cada capitulo, como tal las entradas de cada demonio en su mayoría seguían una estructura muy especifica, pero las pocas que se extendían eran buenas, ah y todo sobre la historia de algunos de los grimorios.

Por que si las entradas, finalmente como diccionario que es, eran así de nombre, rango, a quien obedecía, apariencia, horario de trabajo, a cuantos tenia debajo, poder, símbolo, planeta, punto cardina asociado, y de que grimorio se sacaba y cuando había diferencias pues cuales eran. Como diccionario, material de referencia super completo, como lectura, algo pesadito.

Y las imágenes que traen, quedan muy bien y ayudan

Lo leí por el reto lector maldito, y creo que fue una lectura interesante y muy diferente

a si, y el demonio favorito de este lector, Fruthmerl, que puede invocar banquetes, comilonas, vinos, y de los buenos, pues entre sus gracias es su exquisito paladar.

Reseña pronto.
En serio quieren reseña de un diccionariom

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a lot of information about demons which I think everyone should read even if they don't believe that demons are real, not believing in them doesn't protect you from their influence.
They influence all humans everyday even if your not aware of it.
There is so much information it takes awhile to read it, and totally absorb the information, but the information is priceless, valuable.
It would be helpful if there was a description to explain the difference between a Devil & a Demon, they are not the same type of entity but both are a demonic entity
(the fallen angels are celestial beings including Lucifer) demons are interdimensional, demonic entities/beings that are not human.
They were never born like a human was born, they were made from smokeless fire, or they were originally just a consciousness without a form, then they were made into demons.
A list of diagram that shows the Hierarchy of demons would also be helpful.
I know that most Demonologists historically were a Christian, so Medieval Demonologists wrote their Witch-hunter books to vilify and demonize witches, but I don't understand the Christian Bible quotes in the books due to not being a Christian.
I know basic information from the Christian Bible though like a group of pigs that were possessed by demons jumped over a cliff and killed themselves.
Is this the reason why a a demon possessing a person refers to the person that is possessed as swine or a sow? A sacrificial lamb lead to the slaughter.
There are various cultures that believe in demons from ancient civilizations to the modern day, so a book that is about European beliefs in Devils, Demons, Vampiric/Demonic entities, Gods, spirits, beings that people believed in, different chapters from a specific country, culture and Era of time to explain their beliefs throughout a timeline of history would be helpful for me at least.
Many countries believe in their version or equivalent of a devil, demon, demonic entity/being or spirit that is evil, spiritually harmful.
I personally don't particularly care for the Christian viewpoint or belief in Demons that the book is centred around, but the Christian belief in demons is only one aspect of Demonology & Demonic magick/Solomonic or Ceremonial Magick that matters.
People that were pious, innocent and devoutly religious believed they had the right to summon/invoke demons, to bind them and force them to do their bidding which is very dangerous and potentially harmful spiritually, mentally, emotionally or physically.
Most modern Satanists & Occultists that practice black magick disagree or maybe they are offended by the idea of invoking demons to bind them on purpose and force them to do your bidding instead of the demon having free will to come and go as they please.
Even Occultists underestimate how powerful, potentially harmful demons can be, especially if you disrespect or offend them.
They could possess & kill you, take your soul if they want to, with or without your consent.
People should be careful with what they are doing spiritually or magically.
Don't ever invoke something you don't know how to banish, always protect your energy, your sacred space, home etc..
It helps to know about the Christian belief in demons but Christianity is not the origin for the belief or existence of demons and demonology or demonic magick.
Ancient civilizations such as the Mesopotamians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Akkadians, Greek people believed in, worshipped or feared demons, demonic entities, beings, spirits.
Various cultures throughout many Eras believed in demons.
Unfortunately there isn't a definitive book that says about the European ancient civilizations up to the modern day that believed in devils & demons, their beliefs, customs, or spiritual practices related to their beliefs.
Not everything is related to Christianity, a lot of beliefs, customs, or practices related to demons are Pagan, Celtic or European in origin.

[Deborah Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I already have the first copy of The Dictionary of Demons and I am very impressed with that. This New Limited Edition Hardcover (Expanded & Revised - Names of the Damned) 10th Anniversary Edition, by Michelle Belanger, is her finest and best work in referencing, cataloguing and describing Demons Yet! And did I say WOW! Michelle is a gifted and hardworking professional, this shines through in the amount of effort she has put into her research and the exhaustive searches she has made, to give us the most comprehensive book on demons to date, in the modern western world. Michelle Belanger had already created an important “go to” in her 1st Edition of The Dictionary of Demons, this updated version gives even more information to study from, for anyone interested the Occult/Demonology/Pagan & Witchcraft studies. You also don’t have to be any of the above to read this book, it’s open to all people. Everywhere! For those who follow and/or connected to Michelle Belanger via Inspiration House & House Kheperu, this New 10th Anniversary Edition is A MUST HAVE. Michelle Belanger is a pioneer and a maverick in her areas of expertise and personal experiences. Michelle Belanger is no armchair scholar, she gets as involved with people, and does her best to connect with people (without conflict,) to create an entirely fresh, healthy, positive perspective on a wide variety of subjects matters, that can reach different cultures of people, living their own life-styles. Michelle Belanger addresses the BLM in her latest Edition of The Dictionary of Demons by addressing the inappropriate use of “black”, in any way shape or form, within her studies and findings of other reference materials. She doesn’t offer anything to the reader except an awareness and openness to be mindful of these negative ideals, and to try and cease using such words in ones own vocabulary, and in ones life. I deeply respect and agree with Michelle on this important matter. In Review; The New 10th Anniversary Edition of The Dictionary of Demons is already a MUST HAVE (in my humble opinion), in everyone’s home library. For me, The New 10th Anniversary Edition of The Dictionary of Demons, (In ALL it’s splendid beauty) is already AN OUTSTANDING CLASSIC. And did I say...WOW! It definitely has major WOW factor from me! WOW! And Thank You.

[Claudia Loureiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an impressive book, very well researched. It's definitely a reference book. The art work is also wonderful.
Love it!

[Derek L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, to say the least. While it is clear Belanger knows what she is talking about, there were some grammatical errors scattered throughout. Regardless of these errors, it was fascinating to learn more about demonology and all the different demonic spirits. The article entries helped explain things even more that she makes reference to in the entries.

[Hanaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I beamed through this baby in a few nights. I loved that it wasn't just tidbits about different demons, there were several pages of useful information that I've never heard before.

[theo ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ben fatto, cita le fonti ed è molto interessante ma avrei preferito ci fosse più materiale extra

[Veronika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, I need a hard copy. It's like reading a dictionary, you can't just go ham on it, it should be on your shelf and randomly opened.

[James Uscroft · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hot Tip: Regardless of whether we're talking about Demonology, Flat Earth Models or Creationism, etc, when no two individual """Experts""" (using the most sarcastic quotation marks imaginable) can agree on exactly what the truth is, then that's a dead give away that it's all B.S which someone merely invented. Because regardless of what language you speak, whether your mathematics is based around the number 10 like ours or the number 60 like the ancient Sumerians & Babylonians, (hence the reason why an hour is 60 minutes,) and regardless of what method you use to find it, although you may get many of the details wrong, when you're trying to explain reality, then you'll still eventually be heading towards the single, objective truth, because that's literally what reality is!

I, e, 2+2=4, you need oxygen to live and disease is caused by germs and faulty systems in the body, not by 'Demons,' 'Evil Spirits' or 'Curses.' etc. So just as no two denominations of Christianity agree on exactly what their God wants from us, (which is the very reason why there 'Are' over 40,000 denominations of Christianity which continue to split over doctrinal and scriptural issues every year,) literally no-one can agree on what so-called 'Demons' actually are, what rules govern their actions and why their God allows them to run rampant, let alone their names and attributes.

So long story short, if you're looking for a reference guide to help you name and grant attributes to the 'Demons' in your D&D campaign, novel or other work of fiction, (just as everyone from Tolkien to Marvel have utilised the names and attributes of the Norse Gods as listed in the Poetic & Prose Edas,) then this is an excellent reference text. But if you're actually looking to protect yourself from 'Demons,' then first figure out whether sunlight kills Vampires or simply makes them sparkle.

[Shane Blackheart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been valuable for research for my stories, as well as an addition to my personal occult library. It's thorough and has snippets throughout the book of historical occult relevancies, and everything is accurate as it should be. I highly recommend this if you're into demonology or you want a comprehensive list of all demons and fallen angels in Hell.

[Silas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seemed quite well-researched, though the information was a bit spare in places. I believe that had to do with all of the books that were destroyed years ago. Still, since I am unlikely to use this book as anything more than a reference for fictional names, that is not a huge problem, and it did go over some interesting tidbits of information.

[Paul Sutter]

Pardon the pun but this is a devil of an interesting book. Of course this is for a very select group of people, as not everyone will definitely want to know the names, ranks, and special properties of those mentioned inside.
There are more than 1,700 demons noted in the book and who knew there could be so many of these entities inside. This is an expanded and revised edition of earlier books and adds even more to the current one. Those who are students of demonology and the occult will definitely find everything they require to become even more knowledgeable.
The author is noted for a series of books on the occult including: THE VAMPIRE RITUAL BOOK, HAUNTING EXPERIENCES, THE GHOST HUNTER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE, and SUMMONING SPIRITS among others. I profess to knowing nothing about demonology, yet the book is intriguing even to the novice. I am sure those heavily into the subject will find a fount of information brimming on every page. There are a sparse amount of illustrations that add even more the subject matter.
If such demons as Aspar, Nastros, Terath, Furcas, Argilon, Casiet, and Hekesha are familiar to you, then this book definitely will find a sacred spot on your bookshelf. Those curious about the subject will possibly areas of interest in the book also.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dictionary of Demons: Names of the Damned by Michelle Belanger is a well researched and fantastically written book. It's also one of the only books I've not read in the order it's written. I read the introduction, then went to the back and read the appendix sections before coming back to read the dictionary section.
I found many statements personally relevant, especially my reluctance to use the words demon or angel when referring to spirits. I did find the hypocrisy exposed by Belanger's research somewhat frustrating. The idea that monks were writing about how to summon demons while the Inquisition was going on infuriating. I loved the little anecdote about the French putting a book on trial and consequently executing it.
What I would have liked to see, maybe in an appendix, was a discussion or comment on the morality of inflicting/enforcing your will onto another being that you've summoned. However, I do understand that's not the purpose of this book.
Overall for those curious on the subject I highly recommend this book.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Nerd Your Way 2021... Book #20

This is a well put together book. Took me a while to get through it and I will probably check it out again. It gives there names and where they come up in historical texts. It refers to the Testament of Solomon a lot.

This is a great resourse for writers who plan to use demons or demonology of any kind in their writing.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the most comprehensive and detailed books for Demonology to date. This book is concise and has everything from demons and their connections to one another to their connection to both Abrahamic Religions and Mesopotamian Mythology. I highly recommend this book to anyone that's even remotely interested in learning about demonology.

[Teresa Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this out at the Shasta Library to read, and I've decided that I will definitely have to get a copy for my private library. It lists the names of demons and information about them. The kicker is that it was done by a Pagan priest for his (I think it was Catholic, I don't remember) Christian Priest friend that was having need of the information.

[Ivy Blossom · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's exactly what it says on the tin: a dictionary with demonic names. While some had a lot of mythological details to them, other entries were just the name and the source. The best part of the book is the extra material, which explains The Book of Enoch, The Testament of Solomon and other works that are mentioned in the dictionary.

[Edric Unsane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as the book description says, a collection of over 1500 demons. The Dictionary of Demons is detailed and filled with information. If demons are you jam, this book will prove a valuable resource indeed.

[N.E. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this an interesting read for the the history sections at the back that cover the evolution of demon stories through time.

[Yolanda Orme · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is definitely descepency in the book but good reference

[ÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed book about the names of demons and their origin.

[Andressa Da Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this to write a screenplay

[Dawn Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Very interesting.

[Jediraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

From this book, I learned that there can be thousands upon thousands of demons. This book also inspired me to look for other occult texts. I learned that the hiearchies of demons tell you around the time period from when the beliefs or the actual spirits lived. I also learned that -iel and -ael signify that the spirit was probably at one time an angel.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a very good source for demons listed in a number of books. However, the writing wasn't as good as it could have been. There were inconsistencies with some of the information; in one entry, a book title would be mentioned, but in another entry the book title, author, and year it was written would be mentioned.

[Brian Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cross reference book!