Demonology and Devil-Lore

It appeared that once one of them was dealt with original: "laid"; in folklore, to "lay" a ghost means to exorcise it or make it stop appearing, the whole army original: "legion" of similar figures disappeared as well. Long ago, these phantoms original: "phantasms" stopped haunting my nerves because I realized they weren't real. Now, I am beginning to believe that their mythological forms have stopped haunting my studies because I have discovered their actual reality.

Why kill what is already dead? original: "Why slay the slain?" This is the question many readers may ask when they see this book. An old Scottish song says, "The Devil is dead and buried at Kirkcaldy." Even if that is true, he did not die until he had created a world in his own image.

The natural world is covered by an unnatural religion. This religion breeds bitterness over simple thoughts and creates obstacles for science. It causes divisions between people that are no more logical than if they resulted from different ideas about the shapes seen on the moon. All of this comes from the doctrines original: "dogma" left behind by the Devil—specifically, the idea that certain beliefs or doubts are prompted by hell original: "of infernal instigation".

Doctrines shaped by an outdated original: "fossil" study of demons form the foundation of institutions. These organizations redirect wealth, education, and human effort toward imaginary goals. Therefore, it was not just intellectual curiosity that kept me working on this subject for so many years. Instead, it was my growing conviction that the lasting effects original: "sequelæ" of these superstitions still hold a powerful influence today.

When Father Delaporte recently published his book on the Devil, his bishop wrote to him, saying, "Reverend Father, if everyone studied the Devil as you do, the kingdom of God would benefit from it." If we define the "kingdom" mentioned here as the kingdom of Truth, then I agree with the bishop’s sentiment. It is in that spirit that I have dedicated myself to the work I am now presenting to the public.