31 h 10 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What turns a storm into a demon, an old god into an enemy, and fear into a witch hunt?
In Demonology and Devil-Lore, Moncure Daniel Conway follows the devil through myths, customs and religious traditions. His study moves from gods of storm and darkness to evil spirits in Persia, India, Egypt and Hebrew tradition. Serpents, goats and demons of disease reveal how people give fear a shape.
Conway writes as a freethinker with firm opinions, asking where the devil comes from and why cultures need him. He explores Ahriman in the religion of Zoroaster, the Christian story of Satan and hell, and the trials of accused witches. His central argument links these beliefs to human experience.
What you’ll discover
- Fear takes a shape Explore Conway's argument that storms, famine, night and disease help shape images of demons.
- Old gods become enemies Follow his account of how defeated faiths leave their gods behind as feared spirits.
- A single face of evil Trace Conway's reading of Persia and Israel in the development of the figure of Satan.
- The cost of belief Confront his argument that belief in devilish pacts feeds the persecution of accused witches.
- Knowledge challenges the darkness Consider his claim that explanations of nature leave less room for demons to act.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who enjoy folklore, comparative religion and the history of ideas, and anyone curious about where our pictures of evil come from. If you want a neutral, modern scholarly survey, you may find its Victorian outlook and firm opinions less suited.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- The devil began as the dark side of nature
- Gods of defeated faiths become demons
- Persia and Israel shaped the idea of Satan
- The Christian devil grew with the church
- Belief in the devil fed witch hunts
- The devil fades as knowledge and conscience grow
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 31 h 10 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: 0,14 USD a day, then 0,27 USD a day, never raised. Or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Demonologia e tradizioni sul Diavolo in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
Demonologia e tradizioni sul Diavolo
by Moncure Daniel Conway· 1879
A study of how cultures shaped demons and the devil.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: Italiano
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
The devil began as the dark side of nature
Conway starts from a simple observation. Early peoples lived at the mercy of weather, famine, night and disease. They had no science to explain why a storm flattened a field or why a fever killed a child. So they pictured hidden powers behind these blows, and gave those powers names and faces.
In this view the first demons were not moral beings at all. They were the harmful side of nature, drawn as beasts, monsters and angry spirits. A drought might be a dragon that swallowed the rain. Winter might be a giant who locked up the sun. Conway gathers such tales from many regions to show how alike they are.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
Moncure Daniel Conway
1832–1907 · American abolitionist and religious writer
Moncure Daniel Conway (1832–1907) was an American minister, abolitionist, and writer. He was born in Stafford County, Virginia, and later lived in London, where he led South Place Chapel. He published Demonology and Devil-Lore in 1879 and an autobiography in 1904. He died in Paris, France.
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Free
FreeOur mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Demonologia e tradizioni sul Diavolo
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is Demonology and Devil-Lore about?
It is a study of how the idea of the devil arose and changed. Conway follows evil spirits through myths of many peoples, then through Hebrew and Christian thought, medieval fears and the witch hunts.
Who was Moncure Conway?
Moncure Daniel Conway was an American minister and writer who moved in freethinking circles and lived long in London. He opposed slavery and wrote a well-known life of Thomas Paine as well as this work.
Is Demonology and Devil-Lore a true history or folklore?
It is a work of comparative scholarship from the late 1870s. It gathers real myths, customs and records, but it also reflects its author's Victorian views, so some of its theories have since been revised.
Popular in history
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
