Fever-Demon or Plague-Demon? Toward a New Interpretation of v. Sym. Styl. J. 231 75-77
Fever-Demon or Plague-Demon? Toward a New Interpretation of v. Sym. Styl. J. 231 75-77
Author(s): Theodor DimitrovSubject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, History of Church(es), Theology and Religion, Eastern Orthodoxy
Published by: Институт за балканистика с Център по тракология - Българска академия на науките
Keywords: Life of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger; John of Ephesus; Black Headless Demon; Fever; Justinianic Plague;
Summary/Abstract: The present paper aims to offer a new identification of the black headless demon, described in Chapter 231 of the Life of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger (v. Sym. Styl. J.). As early as 1999 the classical philologist Matthew Dickie subjected the text to analysis and came to the conclusion that the word goes about the fever-demon. The conclusion of the American scholar, however, is based on a strongly formalized reading of the work and doesn’t take into account the natural historical evolution of the image and the functions of the black headless demon. The careful acquaintance with the information in Chapter 231 of the Vita and its comparison with the information given by John of Ephesus categorically show that the black headless demon is actually the demon, which a part of the Byzantines recognize as directly responsible for the outbreak and spreading of the Justinianic plague (541 – 750).
Journal: Études balkaniques
- Issue Year: 2015
- Issue No: 4
- Page Range: 15-22
- Page Count: 8
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF
