OLA 75, Peeters, 2011

There has been much research in the field of mythology and religion in ancient Egypt. However, the realm of demonology has become the topic of much debate in recent times only ). Whatever information is available today can only be considered as the tip of the iceberg with much of the topic remaining unexplored. Besides, one of the major concerns in the study of Egyptian demonology is the lack of a proper term for the class of demons. This essay aims at summarising previous investigations into the field of Egyptian demonology and suggesting further perspectives.

This paper gives an overview of the beliefs in demons as perceived by the ancient Egyptians during the later phases of the Pharaonic period and under the Greco and Roman rule. It focuses in particular on the so-called "guardian demons" represented and named on the walls of the Ptolemaic temples such as the temple of Hathor at Dendera. These figures of protectors are in fact later reinterpretations of the demonic guardians of the doors and regions of the netherworld as described in the so-called Book of the Dead. Through this and other examples taken from iconographic and textual sources mentioning demons, it is discussed how the conception and ritual practices concerning "demons" changes significantly in Greco-Roman Egypt as compared to the earlier Pharaonic period.

International Academic Journal Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management

This is a seminar module, not lecture, so a good class depends on you. The first class which will be an introductory lecture on supernatural beings and the study of them, along with examples of how to use the evidence. As seminars can be deadly without a lively dialogue, it is important that each of you express opinions, as well as question, challenge, and engage your colleagues. Every week you will pick a supernatural being or type to explore, and use a different dataset relating it to the theme of the week and the case-study. For class, bring your notes so you can report and discuss your findings. Some of the classes will feature guest speakers (stay tuned!).

Religion Compass, 2009

While much has been written on the topic of deities and the dead in Ancient Egypt, the systematic study of demons has only recently come to the fore of scholarly studies. Preliminary typologies based on surviving spells, prescriptions, and apotropaic devices suggests the theory that these hostile entities were divided into sub-types in the Egyptian worldview, distinguished from each other by the specific illnesses and conditions they caused, and as well as by the prescribed means of repulsion and protection. Along with hostile demons, a related category of benevolent genii can be discerned. This paper presents an overview of demons and genii in Pharaonic Egypt based primarily on sources from the Middle Kingdom through the New Kingdom.

Archiv für Religionsgeschichte, Band 14, Heft 1, 2013

This essay provides a general introduction to demonology in antiquity as well as a focus on ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It is also meant as an introduction to those papers which were originally presented at the international conference titled “Evil Spirits, Monsters and Benevolent Protectors: Demonology in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia,” held on April 23, 2012 at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World of New York University, contained in the first section of this volume. Questions of the definition and function of demons in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations are raised and discussed in light of a comparative approach to the study of ancient religions.

Current Research in Egyptology (CRE) 2019, Alcalá de Henares

Full text at: https://www.academia.edu/46879153/The_demon_deity_Maga_geographical_variations_and_chronological_transformations_in_ancient_Egyptian_demonology The study of ancient Egyptian demonology is complicated by the tendency of entities to transcend modern conceptual boundaries and the paucity of easily-interpretable evidence; often liminal entities maintain a certain anonymity and are expressed only through repeated instances of a complex iconography without direct explanation. However, a way forward may be found in the liminal entity Maga, whose forms and functions changed entirely between the New Kingdom and Roman Egypt. Maga is spoken against and protected against as a demon and yet is separate from other demons; his named appearance is paralleled only by Sehaqeq and Apep. He cannot be fully contained by deities, and inimically features in mythological cycles. During the Graeco-Roman period he becomes an apotropaic being: a comprehensive transformation without specific parallel. Furthermore, Maga is widely-attested, in multiple iconographic schemes (such as temple reliefs and votive stelae), texts (sarcophagi, apotropaic spells, calendrical papyri), and different material spaces (private tombs and temple areas throughout Egypt) across a large timespan.The range of evidence for his ontological transformation offers a remarkable opportunity to map the fluidity and dynamism of liminal-entity characteristics, particularly in demon-deity relations. Therefore the temporal transformation of his forms and contexts is examined, allowing an analysis and interpretation of his changing nature and roles. These changing aspects demonstrate the politicisation of evil and illustrate the changing interactions between the human and divine in later Pharaonic history, when traditional understandings were re-imagined and adapted as part of new meanings and experience. His inclusion in such multifarious contexts as the Harris magical papyrus, the sarcophagus of Ankhnesneferibre, and his own shrine at Athribis reveals the pervasiveness and flexibility of demonological conceptions in Egyptian worldviews.

Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, 2013