Demons were probably some enemy force originally. For a modern day, winners side example, the Axis powers would be “demons” vs the Allied forces. Early history was word of mouth, classic game of telephone, before it was common to write it down. Add in revisionist history on top of it.
I think it’s more fundamental than that, there doesn’t need to have been any one enemy force. Fear of predators is baked in, and basically all cultures have the concept of evil beings or spirits.
Modern Christian demons are just a modification and crystallisation of ancient ideas.
Of course open belief in them nowadays should be electoral suicide, but sadly there are tens of millions of Americans who genuinely believe the same.
Demons were probably some enemy force originally. For a modern day, winners side example, the Axis powers would be “demons” vs the Allied forces. Early history was word of mouth, classic game of telephone, before it was common to write it down. Add in revisionist history on top of it.
I think it’s more fundamental than that, there doesn’t need to have been any one enemy force. Fear of predators is baked in, and basically all cultures have the concept of evil beings or spirits.
Modern Christian demons are just a modification and crystallisation of ancient ideas.
Of course open belief in them nowadays should be electoral suicide, but sadly there are tens of millions of Americans who genuinely believe the same.