The Encyclopedia Of Demons And Demonology

234 Sinistrari, Lodovico Maria
gift of God with money.” Simon’s name gave rise to the
term simony, the sin of buying or selling a church office.
Simon traveled to Rome, where he impressed people
with his occult ability, and then to Egypt, where he allegedly
learned how to make himself invisible, levitate, move
objects with his mind, handle fire unharmed, and shapeshift
into an animal. He may have accomplished some of
these feats through illusion and hypnosis. The Roman
emperor Nero was impressed, however, and named him
court magician.
According to the Acts of Peter, an apochryphal text,
the apostle Peter went to Rome to challenge Simon and
expose him of fraud. They tried to outdo each other
in magical feats. Simon is said to have died after he attempted
to levitate off the top of the Roman Forum and
fell to earth, breaking his legs.
Simon is credited with founding a Gnostic sect that
became known as the Simonians.
See PACT.
Sinistrari, Lodovico Maria (1622–1701) Franciscan
theologian whose contribution to demonology is his
work Demoniality, in which he examines sexual acts with
DEMONs. Lodovico Sinistrari likened demons more to the
LUTIN, or mischievous hobgoblin, than to evil servants of
SATAN.
Sinistrari had an illustrious career as a theologian.
He was born on February 26, 1622, in Ameno, a small
town in Piedmont, Italy. He was educated at the esteemed
University of Pavia, and in 1647 he entered the Order of
Reformed Minors of the Strict Observance of St. Francis.
He became a professor of philosophy at Pavia and taught
theology. Students from all over Europe traveled to hear
him lecture. Sinistrari also was popular as a preacher
throughout Italy. Good-looking and personable, he was
well liked by royalty and the general public.
Sinistrari served as consultant to the Supreme Tribunal
of the Most Holy Inquisition; as vicar-general to the
archbishop of Avignon, France; and as theologian to the
cardinal-archbishop of Milan. By 1688, Sinistrari was in
retreat at the Franciscan sanctuary of Sacro Monte, where
he wrote poetry. He compiled the statutes of the order and
wrote other works. He died on March 6, 1701, at age 79.
His manuscript Demoniality (De Daemonialitate, et Incubis
et Succubis ) remained unknown until 1872, when
the original was discovered in a London bookshop by
Isidore Lisieux, a bibliophile. The shop had acquired part
of the collection of a man who had died in Florence; Demoniality
was among the manuscripts. It was only 86 pages
in length, handwritten in Latin on Italian parchment. Lisieux
translated it into French and published it in 1875. It
was then translated into English. A 1927 edition includes
an introduction and notes by Montague Summers.
Demoniality concerns the nature of demons. Sinistrari
uses the term INCUBUS to describe spirits that are more lutinlike
rather than evil. He confirms opinions of his contemporary
demonologists, especially FRANCESCO-MARIA
GUAZZO. Witches and wizards are physically present at
SABBATs and copulate with the DEVIL and demons as part
of their infernal PACT. Demons also have intercourse with
people, appearing to them at night and impersonating human
lovers. Some of these copulating demons are different
from the antireligious demons who possess people,
according to Sinistrari; they simply want to satisfy carnal
lusts and harass people.
The Incubus of Hieronyma
Sinistrari relates one such case he was involved in himself.
About 25 years prior to the time he wrote the manuscript,
he was a lecturer on theology in the convent of
the Holy Cross in Pavia. A married woman named Hieronyma,
of “unimpeachable morality,” was pestered by such
an incubus. Her problems started with a mysterious cake.
One day she kneaded bread and took it to a baker for baking.
When he gave her back her loaves, there was a large
cake of peculiar shape among them, made of butter and
Venetian paste. Hieronyma said it was not hers, but the
baker insisted it was, and she had just forgotten about it.
She took it home and shared it with her husband, threeyear-old
daughter, and maid.
The next night, she was awakened by a hissing voice
that asked whether “the cake had been to her taste.” The
voice went on, “Be not afraid, I mean you no harm; quite
the reverse: I am prepared to do anything to please you;
I am captivated by your beauty, and desire nothing more
than to enjoy your sweet embraces.” Hieronyma then felt
kisses upon her cheeks. She crossed herself and invoked
JESUS and Mary repeatedly, and after about half an hour,
the invisible tempter departed.
The following morning, she went straight to her confessor,
who advised her to continue resistance and surround
herself with relics. The incubus returned night
after night, wearing her down. She had herself exorcised
in case she was possessed. But the priests could find no
evidence of an evil spirit in her, so they blessed the house,
the bedroom, and the bed and ordered the incubus to stop
pestering her.
The demon started appearing to her in the form of
a handsome young man with golden hair and beard,
sea-green eyes, and beautiful Spanish clothing. He approached
her even when she was with others, and no one
else could see him. He attended her as an ardent lover,
cooing and kissing her hands.
After months of rejection, the incubus became angry.
He spirited away her silver cross and Agnus Dei, which
she always wore. Silver and gold jewelry went missing
from her locked jewelry box. The incubus also started
beating Hieronyma, causing ugly bruises on her face,
arms, and body that mysteriously disappeared after a
day or two. He snatched her daughter away from her and
hid the child. He upset furniture and smashed crockery
and in an instant restored everything to its original
condition.