Cambion
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A cambion is the half-human offspring of the union between a human male and a succubus or an incubus and a human female. The cambion is a still birth that shows no sign of life outside of being alive, meaning that the child has no pulse, no breath and its brain operates on thetawaves. This continues until the child is about seven years old, where it becomes increasingly difficult to differenciate one from a human. A cambion is usually devilishly cunning, and angelically beautiful, able to persuade even the most strong-hearted individual to do his or her bidding. Most cambions have evil tendencies due to their demon parent. This belief is medieval in origin. Caliban, the son of the witch Sycorax in "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare, is a cambion.
According to the Malleus Maleficarum demons, including the incubus and the succubus, are incapable of reproduction:
"Moreover, to beget a child is the act of a living body, but devils cannot bestow life upon the bodies they assume; because life formally proceeds only from the soul, and the act of generation is the act of the physical organs which have bodily life. Therefore bodies which are assumed in this way cannot either beget or bear." Malleus Maleficarum, Part I, Question III
Due to this inability to create or nurture life, the method of the creation of a cambion is necessarily protracted. A succubus (that is to say the female of this particular brand of demon) will have sexual relations with a human male and by doing so acquire a sample of his sperm. This she will then pass on to an incubus, presumably also by means of intercourse although this is not touched upon in the text and it is thoroughly averred that such demons are incapable of feeling pleasure by such an act. The incubus will, in his turn, transfer the sperm to a human female and thus impregnate her. Why this should result in anything other than a perfectly normal child is not discussed.
"Yet it may be said that these devils assume a body not in order that they may bestow life upon it , but that they may by the means of this body preserve human semen, and pass the semen on to another body."
The text goes on to discuss at great length the arguments for and against this process being possible, siting a number of biblical quotations and noted scholars in support of its arguments, and finally concludes that this is indeed the method used by such demons.
Dungeons & Dragons
In the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons the word cambion is used as a synonym for half-fiend, a cross between a fiend and another creature, often a human. Iuz the Old of the World of Greyhawk game setting is referred to as a cambion. He is the son of the witch Iggwilv and the demon Graz'zt. In addition to his human form of an old man, he can appear as a seven foot tall, maroon demon with green eyes.
External links
- [Cambion in James Randi's Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes]
- [Official Cambion Names] - From the Named Demon Project, a list of names used in official products.
Notes
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