Familiar spirit

In European folklore and folk-belief of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, familiar spirits (sometimes referred to simply as "familiars" or "animal guides") were believed to be supernatural entities that would assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic. According to the records of the time, they would appear in numerous guises, often as an animal, but also at times as a human or humanoid figure, and were described as "clearly defined, three-dimensional… forms, vivid with colour and animated with movement and sound" by those alleging to have come into contact with them, unlike later descriptions of ghosts with their "smoky, undefined form[s]".

When they served witches, they were often thought to be malevolent, while when working for cunning-folk they were often thought of as benevolent (although there was some ambiguity in both cases). The former were often categorised as demons, while the latter were more commonly thought of and described as fairies. The main purpose of familiars is to serve the witch or young witch, providing protection for them as they come into their new powers.

Familiar (disambiguation)

A familiar is a supernatural entity believed to assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic.

Familiar may refer to:

Familiar (Dungeons & Dragons)

A familiar is a fictional creature in the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. A familiar is based on the concept of the familiar spirit or familiar animal, and serves spellcasting characters as a magical companion and servant.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

In both first and second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, a familiar was summoned through the use of the spell find familiar.

Third edition Dungeons & Dragons

Familiars are companions of wizards and sorcerers. A Druid or Ranger cannot summon a familiar, but can summon an Animal Companion instead. Familiars can be summoned once per day. Multiclass ranger/druid with arcane user can summon both a familiar and an animal companion. These can be normal animals like panthers and pigs, but they can also be the strange creatures (Imps, Mephits, pixies, giant spiders, eyeballs, small dragons, etc.) Unlike creatures summoned by arcane or divine spell (Elementals, Planar Allies, Undead...), familiars do not unsummon while player is resting. They remain summoned until they are killed or unsummoned by player. When familiar is killed, his summoner receives some damage but he can summon new familiar, if he rested before combat.

Incubus

An incubus is a demon in male form who, according to mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon women in order to engage in sexual activity with them. Its female counterpart is a succubus. Salacious tales of incubi and succubi have been told for many centuries in traditional societies, and Genesis 6:4 is a passage used to support the credibility of such stories. Some traditions hold that repeated sexual activity with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, or even death.

Etymological, ancient and religious descriptions

The word incubus is derived from Late Latin incubo (a nightmare induced by such a demon); from incub(āre) (to lie upon). One of the earliest mentions of an incubus comes from Mesopotamia on the Sumerian King List, ca. 2400 BC, where the hero Gilgamesh's father is listed as Lilu. It is said that Lilu disturbs and seduces women in their sleep, while Lilitu, a female demon, appears to men in their erotic dreams. Two other corresponding demons appear as well: Ardat lili, who visits men by night and begets ghostly children from them, and Irdu lili, who is known as a male counterpart to Ardat lili and visits women by night and begets from them. These demons were originally storm demons, but they eventually became regarded as night demons because of mistaken etymology. Written later but described as happening before the Sumerian King List was completed is the mention of the Nephilim: Christian tradition attributes the completion of the Biblical book of Genesis to the time of the 16th century BC, and in chapter 6, verse 4 describes fallen angels having sexual intercourse with human females just prior to the flood of Noah, traditionally held as happening in the 24th century BC.

Incubus (2006 film)

Incubus is a 2006 horror thriller film by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment that was directed by Anya Camilleri and stars actress Tara Reid. The film was released on May 3, 2006 and had an internet premiere on AOL during Halloween 2006. An unrated version was released to DVD on February 6, 2007. The film has billed itself as the first Download To Own video.

Plot

Seeking refuge from a torrential storm, Jay, her brother, and three friends break into what they think is an abandoned recycling plant. (A fourth friend, Karen, decides not to enter the building and leaves.) They find two dead people, who appear to have killed each other, and a Sleeper - a coma patient hooked up to life support in a triple-locked, shatter-proof observation room. Closer examination reveals a disturbing truth: the Sleeper is Orin Kiefer, a murderer executed by lethal injection six years earlier.

Jay, her brother and friends search for a way out of the factory. A psychopathic man roaming the building attacks and kills her brother.

Incubus (disambiguation)

An incubus is a male demon that has sexual intercourse with sleeping women.

Incubus may also refer to:

Film

Music

See also