Magic and the Supernatural in the Ancient World

Exam Questions for Mar. 31 Meeting

Topic: Demons and Devils

Objective Questions

  • Name two requirements necessary to perform an exorcism. (Melissa Klotz)

    Knowing the name of the demon and having the ability to call a superior power to perform the exorcism

  • What were the requirements for the performance of an exorcism? (Rhonda Rowland)

    ANSWER includes the daemons name, the name of a higher power (ie the name of a god or God, a stronger demon...),

  • What are two things that an exorcist must say to successfully cast out a demon from one who is possessed? (Eric Moore)

  • _____ _______, which was considered a sign of possession in antiquity, involves speaking in a very deep voice that is not one's own.

    Answer: Belly talking (Julie Alvarez)

  • Name three things daemans are associated with. (Diana Hollenbeck)

    Answer: night, death, the desert, pagans, with the out-of-place

  • What two names are important for performing an exorcism?

    1) the name of the demon, 2) the name of some superior power to call upon to exorcise the demon (Jeremy Bufford)

  • Which factor is more prevalent in demon possesion:
    1. oppressive situation
    2. insanity

    (S Kanacheril) A

  • What are some symptoms or signs that someone is possessed? epilepsy, hysteria, out-of-the-ordinary behavior, belly talking, etc. (Summer Townsend)

  • What does the Latin Genius mean? (Kelly Donaghy)

  • Define daimones. (Louise Mullins)

  • Describe how a person went about performing a necromantic ritual. (Kristina Elenidis)

  • Who saw that a daimon was his "conscience"? (Krista Ernewein)

  • Which is NOT a sign of demonic posession?
    1. bellytalking
    2. glossolalia (talking in foreign tongues)
    3. epilepsi/hysteria
    4. memory loss

    (Answer: d)

  • Which one of the following represented the punishing nature of the goddess Hathor? (Sirida Graham)
    1. Isis
    2. Seth
    3. Sekhmet
    4. Taweret
    5. Beset

    Answer: (c) Sekhmet

  • What's the most important thing you must know to banish a demon?

    its name (megan ostrander)

  • Compare and contrast five features of Angels and Demons. (Chris Roy) (Answers include: white/black, beautiful/monstrous, etc)

    • Essay Questions

  • Is exorcism more powerful than psychotherapy? Why or why not? (Melissa Klotz)

  • See Lehmann & Myers, "Psychosocial Interpretations of Exorcism", 248-261.

  • Discuss the concepts of exorcism and adorcism.

    Answer could include definitions and examples of these terms, and the difference between central and peripheral possession. (Julie Alvarez)

  • What role did exorcisms play in Antiquity, and how does this compare with the role of exorcisms today? (Rhonda Rowland) The answer should include the functional use of exorcisms-- to expel daemons, the role of exorcisms and expulsion of daemons to explain certain diseases, the psychotharapeutic aspect of exorcisms and the way that exorcisms are used today...

  • Define possession and exorcism and describe different occurances daemans were thought to cause. (Diana Hollenbeck)

    Answer: Possession is the state of being where a person has a daemon in their person. Exorcism is the way you get rid of the daemon. Daemons were thought to cause illness in general, including epilepsy and hysteria.

  • Provide an explanation for the observation that the ancient Greeks did not hold to many demonological belief. How is this similar to the existence of other belief systems such as those of witchcraft and amulet use? (Eric Moore)

  • Discuss the working relations between Scientific and Folk Healers. How are they alike? How are they different? answer may be found in Pattison's article "Psychosocial Interpretations of Exorcism", especially on pages 252-53. working relations: cooperation, syncretistic, collaborative (Jeremy Bufford)

  • In the case study of the possessed girl, what method of 'healing' was most effective and why? (S Kanacheril) LM 254-258

  • Smith says that demons are associated with the out of place, name and describe the distinctions he makes to classify demons. escape-chaos, rebellion, death, night, pagan, desert, etc. things outside of proper place-deviant, hybrid, mutant, heretic, monstrous, etc. (Summer Townsend)

  • Compare and contrast the folk ideas about spirits with that of the philosophers. (Kelly Donaghy)

  • What are the differences between adtorcism and exorcism? Lehman and Myers pg. 239 (Louise Mullins)

  • Compare witch accusations to vampire accusations. (Kristina Elenidis)

  • Explain the use of hierachy involving daimones, gods, heroes and mortals. (Krista Ernewein)

  • Compare and contrast demonic appearance and associations with those of angels.

    (Demons - dark, cold and hard, hot and squishy, extremes, anamalistic. Angels - bright and shining white, light, etherlial and airy with halo, human form but more.)

  • What is Necromancy? According to Luck, in what three domains of the occult arts can necromancy fall and why? (Sirida Graham)

    Answer: See Luck, "Daemons & the Spirits of the Dead," p. 166, last chapter on page.

  • What are clues that someone is possessed?

    belly talking, talking in tongues, madness (hysteria), epilepsy, abnormal behaviour (megan ostrander)

  • Discuss the two types of possession that generally occur between men and women and discuss social attitudes that may have lead to these beliefs. (Chris Roy)