Succubus

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For the film Succubus, see Succubus (film). For usage of the succubus in popular culture, see Succubi in fiction. For succubi in the Dungeons & Dragons game, see Succubus (Dungeons & Dragons).

A bracket carved as a winged succubus on the outside of an English inn, suggesting that a brothel could have been found inside.

In medieval legend, a succubus (plural succubi; from Latin succuba; "prostitute") is a demon which takes the form of a female to seduce men (especially monks) in dreams to have sexual intercourse. They draw energy from the men to sustain themselves, often until the point of exhaustion or death of the victim. From mythology and fantasy, Lilith and the Lilin (Jewish), Lilitu (Sumerian) and Rusalka (Slavic) were succubi.

According to the Malleus Maleficarum, or "Witches' Hammer", succubi would collect semen from the men they slept with, which incubi would then use to impregnate women. Children so begotten were supposed to be more susceptible to the influence of demons.

Honoré de Balzac wrote a short story The Succubus concerning a 1271 trial of a she-devil succubus in the guise of a woman, who amongst other things could use her hair to entangle victims.

From the 16th century, the carving of a succubus on the outside of an inn indicated that the establishment also operated as a brothel.

Contents

1 Appearance
2 Middle Eastern Belief
3 In modern times
4 Etymology
5 References to Succubus in Modern times
6 See also
7 References

Appearance

The appearance of succubi varies just about as much as that of demons in general; there is no single definitive depiction. However, they are almost universally depicted as alluring women with unearthly beauty, often with demonic batlike wings; occasionally, they will be given other demonic features (horns, a tail with a spaded tip, snakelike eyes, hooves, etc). Occasionally they appear simply as an attractive woman in dreams that the victim cannot seem to get off their mind. They lure males and in some cases, the male has seemed to fall "in love" with her. Even out of the dream she will not leave his mind. She will remain there slowly draining energy from him.

Middle Eastern Belief

A Middle Eastern version of the succubus known as "um al duwayce" (أٌم الدويس) portrays this succubus as a luringly scented beautiful woman that wanders the desert hooves of a dokney. luring men to have intercourse with her, if it happens sharp razors within her vagina would slice the partner's penis, leaving him agonizing in very sharp pain. in this state, she would turn into her true form and kill the man.

In modern times

To this day the blame of nocturnal emissions and other sexual occurrences or mysteries are, in some cultures and circles, blamed on a demon of sin such as a succubus.

Experiences of apparent supernatural visitations at night can sometimes occur as effects of hypnagogia.

The succubus is a popular figure in modern fantasy fiction; see succubi in fiction for more information.

Etymology

Mare was also a term for the sighing, suffocative panting, or an intercepted utterance, with a sense of pressure across the chest, which occurring during sleep. These symptoms were also thought to be an incubus (or succubus), an evil preternatural being causing nightmares and/or nocturnal emissions.

References to Succubus in Modern times

Castlevania The succubus is a popular, recurring enemy in the series, undergoing many different appearances and different attack styles. In Symphony of the Night, she is one of the boss characters.
Charmed, a popular TV series, has a succubus in one of their TV shows.
O' Brother Where Art Thou, a 2000 film starring George Clooney in which he calls his wife a succubus
, the 14th season of the popular TV show, Power Rangers, had an episode called "Soul Specter" wh-- 21:09, 17 July 2006 (UTC)ich had a Succubus named Gnatu.
South Park The boys tried to stop Chef from marrying a Succubus
White Skin A university student falls in love with a Succubus, see it on IMDB here, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411743/
, A female ghost takes the form of a creature that drains the health of the main character and can entangle him to keep him from running away.
World of Warcraft The warlock class is able to obtain a succubus as a pet at level 30, which has the abilities to make herself invisible and "charm" (sleep effect) an opponent for a short ammount of time.

References

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