There are some things that are just so horrifying that most normal people don’t want to think about them. There are some grounds even angels dare not tread. That’s what we should be talking about.
Yes, this time we will be speaking about beings of pure malevolence. Demons are a ripe breeding ground for horror. They are straight out of the unknown. In their multitude, they are unnameable. They tend to be pure evil. We don’t know about the forces beyond our natural perceptions because we trained ourselves to ignore otherworldly occurrences. That being true, demons tend to sneak up on us in plain sight because of our willful ignorance.
They are insidious, yet barbaric with an insatiable affinity for chaos. There are tons of forms of entertainment that bring up demonic possession. This means that this article is going to be an overview. You will need to tell me whether or not you want me to go more in depth.
There is a ridiculous amount of “demonic influence” in books. Stephen King brought demons up in Desperation, The Regulators and other such notable books of horror fiction. Howard Phillips Lovecraft was obsessed with the evil hidden hands that attempt to pull the very strings of existence until they decide to swallow the soul of another victim. Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 hold daemonic forces of chaos as an army composed of brainwashed, insane heretics, mutants and the very daemons that besiege the world(s).
That’s just in terms of books and game-based fiction. In terms of games there are demons and possession everywhere. Silent Hill, Doom, Arc the Lad, Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 are mere examples of where these topics pop up. There’s enough material in these alone for multiple articles. There are still many others covering demons. Some of them are more recent. Hellgate: London is another example. A gateway between our reality and Hell is opened up. Numerous demons spill out and reduce London, almost completely, to a burning pile of rubble. There is still more. If you really want to know more, you can ask me to elaborate.
Here is an obvious one that I’ve been saving for last: demons and demon possession in film. For one thing, most of Lovecraft’s books have been adapted to film, in one way or another, at one time or another. Last year the third or fourth film simply titled Cthulhu was released. There is also the Silent Hill movie, along with a whole host of films about exorcisms, evil houses and corrupted cities. Wes Craven’s They covered demons with the use of the incubus, as demonic dream vampires, that feed on our fear during nightmares. Alone in the Dark, and its much more tolerable sequel, make vague references to the topic of demons or possession. Even Freddy Kruger, if you read into him, can be seen as a reference to both demons and demon possession. Specifics can be brought up in a later article, but again, that all depends you.
So the question is, do you wish to open your minds to evil? Do you wish to know more about the minions of Hell that wander, mostly unseen, through the reality we know? Continuation down this dark path depends on you. If you wish to make a deal with the devil for such forbidden knowledge, you may ask. If you do, I will be your guide through the unholy shadows.
Jonathan Gronli can be reached at jon.gronli@gmail.com.