DAEMONOLATRIA
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Yaksha
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In Hindu myth, Yakshas are chthonic semi-divine beings, half god and half
demon. They live under the earth in the Himalayas where they guard the
wealth of the earth (gems, gold, silver, etc.). They are led by Kubera,
the god of wealth. Like their leader, they have all fat bellies and plump
legs. They have no special characteristics, are not violent, and are therefore
called punyajana ("good beings"). Kubera's epithet is Punyajaneshvara.
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Yama
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Clad in the robes of a Chinese judge, Yama presides over his domain, Pitris,
the Chinese hell. King over all the other demons of the Orient, Yama assigns
the relevant legion of demons to torture either souls in hell or those
on earth. He passes judgement on those who have committed one of the Ten
Deadly Sins, while other secondary rulers in Pitris condemn souls of lesser
importance.
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He is flanked on either side of his throne by the bodiless heads of two
demons. The female head is able to detect the most secret flaws in the
sinners who are brought in front of Yama, while the male head is able to
assess sins by smelling them. Around Yama are assembled his multitude of
'eyes' called Tevodas, who are the witnesses that testify to a person's
sins.
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In Hindu legend, Yama was the first mortal to die because he travelled
down the road from whence there is no return. He dwells in Pitris with
his wife Yami, who is his own sister. The souls of the departed are brought
to Yama in crowds by Agni, the emanation of the funeral pyre. After rushing
past the enormous dogs which guard the entrance to Pitris, the souls are
relegated to the various levels of hell.
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One Chinese legend says that, in the eyes of the celestial gods, Yama was
too compassionate to the worst of the criminals brought in front of him,
so he was demoted to govern over the fifth region of hell in which rapists,
prostitutes and those who committed religious offences were punished. There
the sinners' chests are ripped open, their hearts tugged out and chopped
into morsels which the attendant demons quickly gobble.
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Yauhahu
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A spirit supposed to cause diseases amongst Indians of British Guiana.