A Year of Demons ”“ February and April

In the Bible, Leviathan appears as a sea monster, but in demonology circles, the name refers to one of the princes of Hell who is associated with the element of water. He dominated the month of February. In this article, you will learn more about the associated of Leviathan with being a demon, as well as the demon that is strongest in the month of April.

February ”“ Leviathan

In the Hebrew Bible, the Leviathan is mentioned six times. A detailed description of the creature is found in Job 41:1 – 41:34. This is not the only time the creature makes an appearance in the Bible. In Psalm 74, God is said to “break the heads of Leviathan in pieces” before giving his flesh to the people of the wilderness. God is praised for having made all things, including Leviathan in Psalm 104. When reading Isaiah 27:1, you will find that Leviathan is called the “wriggling serpent” that will be killed at the end of time.

Later Jewish accounts described Leviathan as a dragon that lived over the Sources of the Deep. In addition to the land-monster named Behemoth, the two would be “served up to the righteous at the end of time.”

During the Middle Ages, the Christians saw the Leviathan as an image of Satan that was a threat to God’s creatures, which they attempted to eat. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Leviathan was the demon of envy. In Anglo-Saxon art, Leviathan is thought to represent the visual motif of the Hellmouth ”“ a monstrous creature who supposedly consumed the damned at the Last Judgment.

In demonology circles, Leviathan is a representation of the element of water and the direction of west ”“ as seen in the ‘Satanic Bible’ ”“ written by Anton Szandor LaVey. During Satanic rituals, the element of water is linked to life and creation. The chalice often represents the element.

April ”“ Belphegor

Demonology circles see Belphegor (or Beelphegor) as a demon associated with helping people make discoveries through seduction. He tempts individuals by presenting ideas for inventions that promise to make them wealthy, and is believed by some to be most successful with people who lead a lazy life. In the publication titled, ‘Classification of Demons,’ author Peter Binsfeld (who was a witch hunter and bishop) called Belphegor the chief demon associated with the deadly sin of sloth from Christian traditions.

From various myths to intriguing folk talks, Belphegor has ties to the Israelites, who saw the being as a god of orgies and extravagance. When he was seen as a demon, he was described as a ‘disputer’ according to Kabbala-like writings. If he was summoned, he had the power to grant riches, the power of discovery, and bring inventive ideas to the forefront of the mind. Sometimes, Belphegor was depicted as a young woman of beauty, while other times, he appeared as a monstrous demon with a beard. Horns came out of his head and pointed nails tipped his fingers.

Legend also has it that Pluto sent Belphegor from Hell to learn if there was ever such a thing as “married happiness” on earth. The demons had heard of this kind of joy, but they believed that people were not made to live in harmony. The experiences of the demon showed that the rumor had no merit to it.