Demons worldwide

Many religions in different parts of the world have believed in demons. Some examples are:

Central America
The Mayans exorcised indwelling demons through use of some rather gruesome mortification rituals - e.g. piercing the tongue of a possessed person with a needle-studded cord.

North America
The Sioux believed in Iya, a spirit being who sometimes took the form of a hurricane and who "devours or maims people and animals."

Australia
Aboriginals believe in evil demons who eat human beings; one even eats his fellow demons.

Japan
The Shinto religion teaches that there are many good and bad Kami (Gods). These are minor land-based and not celestial deities. The evil ones bear some resemblance to demons as seen in Judeo-Christianity, but play a minor role in the world.

India
The Tamils believe in the Peys, "hirsute demons who suck the blood of the dead at night."

Europe
The Serbs feared Psezpolnica, the "Woman of Midday." She materialized during harvest and either drove humans mad or chopped off their heads, arms or legs.

But it is in first century Palestine that the Jews and early Christian movements fully developed the concept of an all-evil spiritual entity, surrounded by hordes of demons at his beck and call.