What demonology can study
90 minEstablish a respectful historical method for a subject that remains religiously meaningful.
Demonology in History and Culture
Study demons as historical and cultural categories while keeping theology, folklore, literature and material evidence clearly distinguished.
The syllabus.
Six 90-minute guided modules account for approximately nine hours. Source work, the field notebook capstone, revision and final assessment add approximately three hours.
Mesopotamian danger and protection
90 minExplore beings whose harmful and protective roles complicate modern categories.
Daimones and the classical middle realm
90 minUnderstand why the Greek daimon is not simply the later demon.
Late antique and medieval Christian systems
90 minSee how demons became embedded in accounts of temptation, sin and cosmic conflict.
Early modern manuals, courts and witchcraft
90 minDistinguish prescriptive demonological writing from records of accusation and trial.
Demons in literature, theatre and modern media
90 minTrace adaptation from moral agent to psychological and cinematic figure.
Timed project route
Three-hour capstone studio
Turn the six notebook checkpoints into a coherent beginner-level inquiry. The result should demonstrate how to build a reliable vocabulary and learn to separate source observation from interpretation, not merely repeat lesson summaries.
- 01Frame and plan20 min
Rewrite the capstone as one bounded research question. List the six notebook components you will reuse, identify the intended audience and state what the finished work will not claim.
- 02Audit the evidence40 min
Select at least four authoritative public resources and build a citation ledger. For every source, record the item or page, institution, date, access date, direct evidence, interpretive use and one limitation.
- 03Build the synthesis55 min
Draft the required exhibition, dossier, protocol, atlas or case study. Connect each claim to a source or notebook observation, preserve local terminology and keep observation separate from interpretation.
- 04Challenge the argument30 min
Write the strongest reasonable rival interpretation. Test it against the same evidence, retain one unresolved disagreement and revise any sentence that carries more certainty than its source.
- 05Edit and document25 min
Finish the 200-word evidence-limit statement, standardise citations, add useful headings and check that a reader can distinguish fact, historical claim, interpretation and reflection without assistance.
- 06Revise for assessment10 min
Review the six module explanations and your corrected knowledge checks. Note three reasoning rules you will apply in the final assessment and one area that requires another source check.
Completion checklist
- A bounded question and clearly identified audience
- Evidence from all six notebook checkpoints
- At least four complete public-source citations
- A rival interpretation and unresolved disagreement
- A 200-word evidence-limit statement
- A conclusion that respects this pathway boundary: historical records establish beliefs, practices and consequences; they do not license a verdict about supernatural reality
Research foundations.
Lessons are independently written and source-led. These starting collections support the pathway; individual modules explain interpretation limits.
British Museum: Mesopotamian demon objects
The Met: Demons and fantastical creatures in art
Wellcome Collection: magic and protection
The National Archives: witchcraft records
One-off access
Demonology in History and Culture
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