Research source

The Sanskrit deva, 'the shining one,' Zend daêva, correspond with the Greek theos, Latin deus, Anglo-Saxon Tiw;…

Date of account: Published 1879
Source: Demonology and Devil-lore
Reference: Demonology and Devil-lore · selected passage 31
Rights: public_domain
Language: English
Record updated: 2026-08-24

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Published source text

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Source passage

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The Sanskrit deva, 'the shining one,' Zend daêva, correspond with the Greek theos, Latin deus, Anglo-Saxon Tiw; and remain in 'deity,' 'deuce' (probably; it exists in Armorican, teuz, a phantom), 'devel' (the gipsy name for God), and Persian div, demon. The Demon of Socrates represents the personification of a being still good, but no doubt on the path of decline from pure divinity. Plato declares that good men when they die become 'demons,' and he says 'demons are reporters and carriers between gods and men.' Our familiar word bogey, a sort of nickname for an evil spirit, comes from the Slavonic word for God--bog. Appearing here in the West as bogey (Welsh bwg, a goblin), this word bog began, probably, as the 'Baga' of cuneiform inscriptions, a name of the Supreme Being, or possibly the Hindu 'Bhaga,' Lord of Life. In the 'Bishop's Bible' the passage occurs, 'Thou shalt not be afraid of any bugs by night:' the word has been altered to 'terror.' When we come to the particular names of demons, we find many of them bearing traces of the splendours from which they have declined.

Historical context

Contextual commentary · mention only

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Modern context

Contextual commentary · mention only

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