DAEMONOLATRIA

K

Kabrakan

A giant demon in Mayan myth who causes earthquakes. He makes mountains disappear, while his brother Zipakna makes mountains rise, also through earthquakes. They are the children of Vucub Caquix.

Kaitabha

The Hindu demon which tried to attack Brahma.

Kali

Kali is an emanation or aspect of Devi, one of the Asuras, whose name means 'black.' She was often called 'Kali Ma' meaning the black mother. She has a dark complexion; long, loose hair; a blood-smeared tusked face; and three eyes. She has four arms: one handling a sword; another holding the severed head of a giant; and with the other two, she encourages worshippers. She is naked except for a belt made of rows of severed hands and a garland around her neck made of human skulls and of snakes. She is usually shown standing over her husband, Siva.

Her first deed was her battle with Raktavira. Unfortunately, each drop of blood Raktavira shed gave birth to a thousand giants as powerful as himself. She finally overcame him by holding him up, piercing him with her spear and drinking all his blood (which is why she is often shown with her tongue lolling out and dripping with blood.)

After the fight, Kali danced a victory dance that shook the entire earth. Siva begged her to stop, but Kali did not see him and he was trampled underfoot.

From that time on, the gods would bribe or beg her to slay their foes. She gladly did this to satisfy her lust for blood.

Once, she was sent out to kill the buffalo demon Mahisha, who by practice of austerities, had gained enough strength to threaten the gods in their celestial kingdom. For this fight, the gods gave Kali ten hands and lent her their own weapons. Siva gave her a trident. Varuna, a conch shell. Agni, a flaming dart. Vishnu, a discus. Surya, a quiver and arrows. Indra, a thunderbolt. Kubera, a club. Shesha, a garland of snakes, and Himalayas, a tiger. With these weapons, Kali had no problems destroying Mahisha.

On another occasion, she was called upon to rid the world of the demon, Durga, who had overcome three worlds and driven the lesser gods into the jungle. The demon was mismanaging the land and courting disaster by forcing the earth to yield more crops than it could bear. Kali created Kalaratri (Dark Night), a heavily armed monster, but Durga defeated it. Kali then defeated Durga by grabbing the demon with her thousand arms, pinning him to the ground, and piercing him through the chest with an arrow.

Two demon brothers, Sumbha and Nisumba, had achieved immunity from any harm by the gods, so Kali was the only one who could defeat them. She took the shape of a beautiful woman and let herself be seen by the spies of the demons. Sumbha sent a proposal of marriage to Kali, but she replied she would only marry a man who could defeat her in a single battle. Sumbha and Nisumba sent three armies against her, which she defeated. The brothers finally attacked her themselves, but Kali had created a powerful army of her own and destroyed the demons.

In another incarnation, Kali took on the form of a male demon, attended by Dwapara, a flesh-eating fiend. This tale is known as The Story of Nala. Kali learned that the demi-goddess, Damayanti, with whom he (the male Kali) was in love, had married a mortal king called Nala. Kali swore revenge. For twelve years, Nala and Damayanti lived in happiness, but one night Nala committed a minor sacrilege of not washing his feet before going to bed. Kali could only possess the king's soul after Nala had committed a sin: 'Lo! I shall be avenged, for I shall enter his body, and he will be bereft of his kingdom and his bride. Thou, Dwapara, shall enter the dice and give me thine aid.'

Kali then beset the King with a craving desire to gamble. Nala challenged his brother Pushkara to a game of chance. During the game, Dwapara interfered. Prodded by Kali, Nala gambled away his fortune and kingdom until he was only left with his wife, whom he could not gamble away. Nala then left his kingdom to roam through the jungle, abandoning his beloved wife.

Kali then assumed the form of a wandering hunter and approached Damayanti, who was roaming through the forest in search of her demented husband. She told the hunter her story and he appeared moved by her great beauty. Perceiving his evil intent, she spoke a powerful curse which banished the hunter instantly. Unwittingly, she had exercised Kali from her and Nala's life. They returned to their kingdom, where, in a final match, Nala won back his estate from his brother.

Kali is waited upon by a great number of demons called Dakinis, who feed upon flesh and are also known as Asra-pas or blood drinkers. Her worship includes orgiastic rites and human sacrifices. According to Indian calculations, the world is now in the fourth age of the cosmos. This age is called Kali Yuga or Kali's Age: the Age of Destruction.

Kappas

The Kappas are Japan’s most infamous water demons. Even the onrush of the twentieth century has been unable to stem these demons’ evil deeds. In Japanese villages, a modern traveller can easily find natives who have seen a Kappa, and who are willing to talk about their experiences.

These ugly, monkey-like creatures are about the size of a ten year old child. At first glance they may appear ridiculous rather than demonic. They have saucer-shaped heads, yellowish-green skin, long noses, crazily staring round eyes, and a strange mixture of animal limbs. But beneath the childish and foppish appearance, these demons are very lethal.

They live in rivers, ponds, lakes, and the sea, from which they emerge at night to steal cucumbers and melons. The Kappas’ truly evil natures show in their lust for wrestling matches, ending invariable in the death of their opponents. They also enjoy raping women who are careless enough to venture close to their habitat at nightfall.

Individual Kappas may have their personal predilections for certain mischievous deeds. All of them, however, are known to drag men, women, and livestock into the water and then to suck the blood and pluck out the liver through the anus.

A certain very cunning Kappa used to appear as a child sitting on a rock by a pond. He would talk passers-by into a friendly game of pull-finger. Those who stopped and played were pulled into the water and drowned.

But the Kappas have one weakness. Their concave, saucer-shaped heads are filled with water. It is this water which gives them their strength. If one is able to jostle a Kappa so as to make him spill the water, the demon loses his power and can easily be subdued.

Khanzab

A demon who disturbs the prayers of Muslims, thus causing doubt in their minds.

Kigatilik

In Eskimo myth, a fanged demon and the enemy of priests.

Kingu

The demon in Mesopotamian myth who became the second consort of the goddess Tiamat, after her first consort Apsu had been slain. She gave him the Tablets of Destiny and intended to make him lord of the gods. He was killed by the young god Marduk who took the Tablets and fastened them on his chest. He killed Kingu and created mankind from his blood. Kingu plays an important part in the creation epic Enuma Elish.

Kishimo-jin 

The Japanese Buddhist patron goddess of little children. Her name means 'mother goddess of the demons' and she was originally a monstrous demon from India (called Hariti). She abducted little children and devoured them, until the great Buddha converted her. Now she represents the Buddha's appeal to compassion, and his devotion to the welfare of the weak. Kishimojin is portrayed as a mother suckling her baby, and holding a pomegranate in her

hand (the symbol of love and feminine fertility). She is also called Karitei-mo.

Kommasso

Burmese evil spirits inhabiting trees.

Koschei the Deathless

A demon of Russian folklore. This horrid monster is described as having a death's head and fleshless skeleton, "through which is seen the black hood flowing and the yellow heart beating."

He is armed with an iron club, with which he knocks down all who come in his path. In spite of his ugliness, he is said to be a great admirer of young girls and women. He is avaricious, hates old and young alike, and particularly those who are fortunate.

His dwelling is amongst the mountains of the Koskels and the Caucasus, where his treasure is concealed.

Kosh

A wicked forest demon of the Bangala of the Southern Congo.

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