For the curious

[fufaraw]

Wikipedia to the rescue: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shedim

Shedim is the Hebrew word for demons or spirits and also designates a supernatural creature in Jewish folklore. The word shedim appears only twice (always plural) in the Tanakh, at Psalm 106:37 and Deuteronomy 32:17. It was possibly a loan-word from Akkadian in which the word shedu referred to a protective, benevolent spirit.^[3] Both times the term appears in the Tanakh, it deals with child or animal sacrifice to false gods that are called demons.^[4] The word may also derive from the "Sedim, Assyrian guard spirits"^[5] as referenced according to lore "Azael slept with Naamah and spawned Assyrian guard spirits known as sedim".^[6]

 

Comments

[fanspired]

Interesting! Many thanks. Did you share this info with Caranfindel? I think she'd be interested, too.

[onlythefireborn.livejournal.com]

Yes - downloaded info on these last night from the Jewish Encyclopedia online (a really detailed and footnoted piece of work). Even though Jewish lore holds that they might originally have been "messengers of God's wrath," their time in Hell made them "particularly malignant spirits." The Encyclopedia also implies that they can be warded against by painting the door/lintels with the blood of a sacrificial lamb.

Also Asmodeus - ruiner of marriages and love connections, twister of sexual desires. (Implications for the Boys?. . . ) King of the Nine Hells in some lore, one of the seven Knights of Hell. He represents the deadly Sin of Lust.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Ah! Interesting! Something to add to fic information. I'm hoping that we aren't going to deal with Shedim because I feel that kind of Big Bad has been flung at us too many times to number.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

I assume this is something to do with the newest ep? Interesting none the less :)

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I don't know why I couldn't come up with anything - I must not have tried "she..."

(Also, thought I had friended you, but I guess that was just on DW? Remedying that right now!)

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

I did wonder!