DEMONS For other uses, see
Demon (disambiguation).
"Fiend" redirects here. For other uses, see Fiend (
disambiguation).
In religion, folklore, and
mythology a
demon (or daemon, dæmon, daimon from Greek: ???µ?? [?aïmon]) is a supernatural being that has generally been described as a malevolent spirit, and in
Christian terms it is generally understood as a fallen angel, formerly of
God. A
demon is frequently depicted as a force that may be conjured and
insecurely controlled. The "good" demon in recent use is largely a literary device (e.g., Maxwell's demon), though references to good
demons can be found in
Hesiod and Shakespeare.[1] In common language, to "demonize" a person means to characterize or portray them as
evil, or as the source of
evil.