Succubus
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) are, in redactive Christian fables (folktales not part of official Christian theology), considered 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.
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.
A Middle Eastern version of the succubus known as "um al duwayce" (أٌم الدويس) portrays this succubus as a beautiful, alluringly scented woman who wanders the desert on the hooves of a donkey. She attempts to lure men to have intercourse with her, when sharp razors within her
vagina would slice the partner's
penis, leaving him in agonizing pain. Having rendered the man helpless, she would turn into her true form and kill him.
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.
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.
*
Castlevania The succubus is a popular, recurring enemy in the series, undergoing many different appearances and different attack styles. In
Symphony of the Night and
Lament of Innocence, she is one of the boss characters.
*
Charmed, a popular TV series, features a succubus during the season two episode "
She's a Man, Baby, a Man!"
*
O Brother Where Art Thou, a 2000 film starring George Clooney in which he calls his wife a succubus
*
Power Rangers: Mystic Force, the 14th season of the popular TV show,
Power Rangers, had an episode called "Soul Specter" which 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/
*
Silent Hill 4: The Room, 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 20, which has the abilities to make herself invisible and "charm" (sleep effect) an opponent for a short amount of time.
*
Phantasy Star The succubus appears in a dream battle sequence early in the game.
*
Ragnarok Online The succubus is a powerful monster in the dungeon,
Geffenia.
*
City of Heroes/City of Villains Succubi are one of several types of demons bound in the service of the mystical Circle of Thorns, who specialize in confusing players into attacking their teammates.
*
Darkstalkers The character
Morrigan Aensland and her sister
Lilith Aensland are Succubi.
*
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction The succubus[
1] can be found in great quantity in Act V.
*
Empusa*
Energy vampire*
Hisa-me*
Incubus, a male version of the demon.
*
Lamia*
Mara*
Melusine*
Naamah*
Neuralger, a fictional, related but potentially less damaging demon.
Succubus (
film)
*
Morrigan Aensland
