by D.L. Jackson
As my Edge story, Carnal Denial releases, I wanted to talk about some of the legends that give life to Azael and Jezebel, my incubus and succubus in the Carnality sub-series.
Legends of succubus and incubus go back as far as the beginning of time. In fact, the first succubus was none other than Adam’s first wife, Lilith. Now Lilith had an issue with being subservient to Adam and took off when he demanded she obey him.
Legend had it that Lilith had a taste for souls, children’s souls and would steal these souls while they slept. In order to ward off Lilith, mothers would sing lullabies to their infants before putting them to bed.
So where did the rest of the soul sucking demons come from? Lilith had children, lots of them and they too developed a taste for souls and lust, would often visit men and women in their sleep, sending them into a coma from which they’d never awake. Many ancients thought that lustful dreams were visits from an incubus or succubus. This gave rise to priests advising patrons to guard against lustful thoughts.
Of course, Lilith is just one of the roots to the legend. In about every culture around the globe from ancient Sumer to Japan, and even Native American beliefs with bear woman and toad woman, demons of lust have existed, with the purpose of seducing victims with their glamour and drawing away life energies.
Here are a few succubus and incubus:
The Akhkharu comes from ancient Assyrian. She was a female demon that used seduction to drawn her victims to her, and then drain them of their life force. An Akhkharu would develop a relationship with her victim, sometimes a lengthy affair, draining her victim until dead. In return, she became even more beautiful, radiant from the energy she stole. Her prey became a dry husk.
White Ladies of Fau are fairies in a Jura region of France. Beautiful, and alluring, they would entice young men away from towns and dwellings where they can attack them, drink their blood and eat their flesh. In the Middle Ages, there was a popular legend of one of these White Ladies called Melusina. There are many versions as to what she is, but one thing the stories all have in common, is she is a predator, even when enchanted.
Anyone who has seen the movie The Ghost and the Darkness will have unwittingly heard the tale of the Ilimu. Ilimu are demons who can take any form, often human, convincing villagers to take them into their homes where they will often slaughter entire families. The lions hunted in the movie were thought to be Ilimu. The rifle used to kill the beasts, is still displayed in the Smithsonian.
The beautiful courtesan O Toyo of Japan was the love of Prince Hizan’s life. A cat demon came upon O Toya and killed her, taking her corpse for its own body. At night the demon would come to her prince, seduce him and draw way his life essence. Soon the prince weakened and came close to death. The local priests gathered to determine the cause of the prince’s sickness, along with a young samurai named Ruiten. Together they discovered the cat in O Toyo clothing and drove her away. Later the beast was hunted down and killed by the very prince she’d feasted upon.
One more seductive demon and I’ll be on my way. Toad Woman was born of Penobscot tribe lore from the Algonquin nation. Toad Woman would dress in bark and moss, lie upon a bank and seduce young men to her. Sometimes she’d even wander into the village, a vision of deceptive beauty. In some legends she drains their life-force while she holds her victims in her embrace. Other legends have a much bloodier end for her victims.
So, want to read a little more about incubus and succubus, try my Carnality series, Carnal Desires, Carnal Attraction and Carnal Denial.
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