NHC 6.8: Hermes, Asclepius and the "great Daimon"

[Leucius Charinus]

In the text labelled as "Asclepius 21-29" in the Nag Hammadi Codices (NHC 6.8) Hermes is discoursing to Asclepius over this and that. Towards the end of the text, the English translation of James Brashler, Peter A. Dirkse, and Douglas M. Parrott runs as follows:

http://gnosis.org/naghamm/asclep.html

Listen, Asclepius! There is a great demon. The great God has appointed him to be overseer or judge over the souls of men. And God has placed him in the middle of the Air, between Earth and heaven. Now when the soul comes forth from (the) body, it is necessary that it meet this daimon.

In the following text the word the plural of the word "daimon" (i.e. "daimons") has been rendered twice further in the text explicitly, and another three times implicitly. However, as cited above, in the first instance, the translators have preferred (for some reason) the word "demon".

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=k8w ... 22&f=false

In the The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices, Volume 15 By James M. Robinson (dated 1984), as may be seen in the above link to google books, the translation for all instances of this term was the term "demon". Some here will recall that this same issue between the use of the term "demon" or "daimon" was raised shortly after the official early translation of the Coptic "Gospel of Judas". April De Connick challenged the translation of the term "demon" in the Gospel of Judas and as a result, the translators AFAIK have agreed to it being more appropriately rendered by the term "daimon".

To summarise, the facsimile edition has rendered the term as "demon" throughout, whereas the edition above has replaced all but the very first instance of the term with the term "daimon", yet left the first instance of the term as "demon".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daemon_(cl ... mythology)

• The words "dæmon" and "daimōn" are Latinized versions of the Greek "δαίμων" ("godlike power, fate, god"),[1] a reference to the daemons of ancient Greek religion and mythology, as well as later Hellenistic religion and philosophy.

So my question is what does the Coptic term being translated in this text "Asclepius 21-29" for the one remaining instance as "demon", and is this just the remnant error in the English translation? I have not yet consulted other translations, so if there are other variations and you are aware of them, please make a note here. My instinct (which could be wrong) tells me that there is only one term in the Coptic, and that it should be rendered as "daimon".

Having a quick look around to support this, the following treatment use "the great Daimon" in this first instance:

Mercer Dictionary of the Bible edited by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=goq ... 22&f=false




For the sake of those interested, the term "daimon" in the Greek literature of antiquity was often used by the Platonists and the Stoic writers to refer to one's own personal and divine "guardian spirit". Below I have appended a series of quotes from antiquity to highlight this specific use.

Be well,




LC

"It is man's duty to follow his daimon,
which reflects the cosmic will.
This requires us to love humanity in general
and to act altruistically"

"A daemon is assigned to every man
At birth, to be the leader of his life".

"We should think of the most authoritative part of the Soul
as a Guardian given by God which lifts us to our heavenly home."

“Although it appears as if each person
has their own Daïmon or Higher Self,
the enlightened initiate discovers that
actually on the axial Pole of Being
there is one Daïmon shared by all,
a universal Self, which inhabits every being.
Each Soul is a part of the one Soul of God.
To know oneself therefore is to know God."

"Nevertheless he has placed by every man a guardian,
every man's Daimon, to whom he has committed the care of the man,
a guardian who never sleeps, is never deceived.

For to what better and more careful guardian could He have entrusted each of us?
When, then, you have shut the doors and made darkness within,
remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not;
but God is within, and your Daimon is within, and what need
have they of light to see what you are doing?

To this God you ought to swear an oath just as the soldiers do to Caesar. .....

This is what I mean, Lucilius:
a holy spirit indwells within us,
one who marks our good and bad deeds,
and is our guardian.

As we treat this spirit, so are we treated by it.
Indeed, no man can be good without the help of God.
Can one rise superior to fortune unless God helps him to rise? "

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/mor ... =s#lexicon

daimon ....... δαίμων , ονος, voc.


A.“δαίμων” S.OC1480 (lyr.), “δαῖμον” Theoc.2.11, ὁ, ἡ, god, goddess, of individual gods or goddesses, Il.1.222, 3.420, etc.; “δαίμονι ἶσος” 5.438; ἐμίσγετο δαίμονι δαίμων, of Φιλίη and Νεῖκος, Emp. 59.1 :—but more freq. of the Divine power (while θεός denotes a God in person), the Deity, cf. Od.3.27; πρὸς δαίμονα against the Divine power, Il.17.98; σὺν δαίμονι by its grace, 11.792; κατὰ δαίμονα, almost, = τύχῃ, by chance, Hdt.1.111; “τύχᾳ δαίμονος” Pi.O.8.67; ἄμαχος δ., i. e. Destiny, B.15.23: in pl., ὅτι δαίμονες θέλωσιν, what the Gods ordain, Id.16.117; “ταῦτα δ᾽ ἐν τῷ δ.” S. OC1443; “ἡ τύχη καὶ ὁ δ.” Lys. 13.63, cf.Aeschin.3.111; “κατὰ δαίμονα καὶ συντυχίαν” Ar.Av.544.

2. the power controlling the destiny of individuals: hence, one's lot or forlune, “δτυγερὸς δέ οἱ ἔχραε δ.” Od.5.396, cf. 10.64; “δαίμονος αἶσα κακή” 11.61; δαίμονα δώσω I will deal thee fate, i.e. kill thee, I1.8.166; freq. in Trag. of good or ill fortune, “ὅταν ὁ δ. εὐροῇ” A.Pers.601; “δ. ἀσινής” Id.Ag.1342 (lyr.); “κοινός” Id.Th.812; “γενναῖος πλὴν τοῦ δαίμονος” S.OC76; “δαίμονος σκληρότης” Antipho 3.3.4; “τὸν οἴακα στρέφει δ. ἑκάστψ” Anaxandr.4.6; personified as the good or evil genius of a family or person, “δ. τῷπλεισθενιδῶν” A.Ag.1569, cf. S.OT1194 (lyr.); “ὁ ἑκάστου δ.” Pl.Phd.107d, cf. PMag.Lond.121.505, Iamb.Myst.9.1; “ὁ δ. ὁ τὴν ἡμετέραν μοῖραν λελογχώς” Lys.2.78; “ἅπαντι δ. ἀνδρι συμπαρίσταται εὐθὺς γενομένῳ μυσταγωγὸς τοῦ βίου” Men.16.2 D.; “δ. ἀλάστορες” Id.8D.; “ὁ μέγας [τοῦ Καίσαρος] δ.” Plu.Caes.69; ὁ σὸς δ. κακός ibid.; “ὁ βασιλέως δ.” Id.Art.15; “ἦθος ἀνθρώπῳ δ.” Heraclit.119; “Ξενοκράτης φησὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑκάστου εἶναι δ.” Arist.Top.112a37.

II. δαίμονες, οἱ, souls of men of the golden age, acting as tutelary deities, Hes.Op. 122, Thgn.1348, Phoc.15, Emp.115.5, etc.; “θεῶν, δ., ἡρώων, τῶν ἐν Ἅιδου” Pl.R.392a: less freq. in sg., “δαίμονι δ᾽ οἷος ἔησθα τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι ἄμεινον” Hes.Op.314; τὸν τὲ δ. Δαρεῖον ἀγκαλεῖσθε, of the deified Darius, A.Pers.620; νῦν δ᾽ ἐστὶ μάκαιρα δ., of Alcestis, E.Alc.1003 (lyr.), cf.IG12(5).305.5 (Paros): later, of departed souls, Luc.Luct.24; δαίμοσιν εὐσεβέσιν, = Dis Manibus, IG14.1683; so θεοὶ δ., ib.938, al.: also, ghost, Paus.6.6.8.

2. generally, spiritual or semi-divine being inferior to the Gods, Plu.2.415a, al., Sallust.12, Dam.Pr.183, etc.; esp. evil spirit, demon, Ev.Matt.8.31, J.AJ8.2.5; “φαῦλοι δ.” Alex.Aphr.Pr.2.46; δαίμονος ἔσοδος εἰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, Aret.SD1.4; “πρᾶξις ἐκβάλλουσα δαίμονας” PMag.Par.1227.

3. ἀγαθὸς δ. the Good Genius to whom a toast was drunk after dinner, Ar.V.525, Nicostr.Com.20, D.S.4.3, Plu.2.655e, Philonid. ap. Ath.15.675b, Paus.9.39.5, IG12(3).436 (Thera), etc.; of Nero, “ἀ. δ. τῆς οἰκουμένης” OGI666.3; of the Nile, ἀ. δ. ποταμός ib.672.7 (i A.D.); of the tutelary genius of individuals (supr. 1), “ἀ. δ. Ποσειδωνίου” SIG1044.9 (Halic.): pl., δαίμονες ἀ., = Lat. Di Manes, SIG1246 (Mylasa): Astrol., ἀγαθός, κακός δ., names of celestial κλῆροι, Paul.Al.N.4, O.1, etc. (Less correctly written Ἀγαθοδαίμων, q.v.).

B. = δαήμων, knowing, δ. μάχης skilled in fight, Archil.3.4. (Pl. Cra.398b, suggests this as the orig. sense; while others would write δαήμονες in Archil., and get rid of this sense altogether; cf. however αἵμων. More probably the Root of δαίμων (deity) is δαίω to distribute destinies;; cf. Alcm.48.)

[GakuseiDon]

AFAIK, "demon" and "daimon"/"daemon" are transliterations of the same Greek word. So "demon" is not an "error in the English translation", as you put it, but a spelling preference. I'm not sure what your concern is there?

[Leucius Charinus]

AFAIK, "demon" and "daimon"/"daemon" are transliterations of the same Greek word. So "demon" is not an "error in the English translation", as you put it, but a spelling preference. I'm not sure what your concern is there?

Hi G'Don,

The disambiguation page at WIKI states the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_(disambiguation)

• (1) A demon is a malevolent being in mythology or occultism.
  (2) Daemon (classical mythology), a good or benevolent nature spirit in classical Greek mythology

The use of the term (2) daimon/daemon appears to have been reserved for spirits who were both good and bad in the classical literature until very late, as supported in part by the quotes furnished in the OP. The use of the term (1) demon (in that the spirit was consistently bad and NEVER GOOD) only commenced in the common era. The author of the gospel of Matthew for example uses the term "daimon" to represent a "bad spirit", and this is the usual impression of the term today.

I think you will find the changes already made in the translation of this Asclepius text, and in the Gospel of Judas, reflect the need to leave the term in its classical interpretation as provided by (2). This may not be an error as such - perhaps an inconsistency is the better term. However such steps (to retranslate the Coptic source as "daimon" instead of "demon") were deemed to be necessary by others, not myself. I don't have their reasons in front of me, but they must have had some. I'd guess the reason may be summarised as being related to the fact that the modern connotations of the term "demon" (as in always BAD spirit) are inappropriate for the original use of "daimon". (Both good and bad spirit).

Be well,



LC

[GakuseiDon]

I think you will find the changes already made in the translation of this Asclepius text, and in the Gospel of Judas, reflect the need to leave the term in its classical interpretation as provided by (2). This may not be an error as such - perhaps an inconsistency is the better term. However such steps (to retranslate the Coptic source as "daimon" instead of "demon") were deemed to be necessary by others, not myself. I don't have their reasons in front of me, but they must have had some. I'd guess the reason may be summarised as being related to the fact that the modern connotations of the term "demon" (as in always BAD spirit) are inappropriate for the original use of "daimon". (Both good and bad spirit).

I agree with your guess. "Demon" has a different connotation to "daemon". So it makes sense to use "daemon" in English translations of pagan texts.

[Blood]

[Leucius Charinus]

Joseph Smith used the celestial deity known as the angel Moroni to deliver the message of the Mormon religion.
The Prophet Muhammad used the celestial deity of the angel Gabriel to deliver the message to the Islamic religion.
Carrier and Doherty have recently proposed that Jesus was another celestial deity, and delivered a message to the Christian religion.

In the OP we see Hermes say to Asclepius:

• Listen, Asclepius! There is a great demon [daimon]. The great God has appointed him to be overseer or judge over the souls of men.
  And God has placed him in the middle of the Air, between Earth and heaven.
  Now when the soul comes forth from (the) body, it is necessary that it meet this daimon.

To what extent (if any) has the celestial deity called Jesus simply taken over the functions of this great [pagan] "daimon" described by Hermes?

According to the pagan theology there was a "guardian spirit" appointed to every one at birth. It mediated between the person and the spirits of the god. Due to the advent of Jesus Christ, the "Holy Sprit" was poured out to humanity, and a conversion experience was to accept the "Holy Spirit" as one's own deity. The daimon was the way the Greeks looked at one's own deity - one's personal guardian spirit.

This is like a theological takeover. The corporation of the Christian church promoted the dogma that the "Holy Spirit" was now the True object of devotion. So long as one is cleansed by the One True Spirit of the Christian Church, then one is free from all previous sin. Perhaps this is why Emperor Julian writes:

• "He that is a seducer, he that is a murderer,
  he that is sacrilegious and infamous,
  let him approach without fear!
  For with this water will I wash him
  and will straightway make him clean.
  
  And though he should be guilty
  of those same sins a second time,
  let him but smite his breast and beat his head
  and I will make him clean again."
  

Did the invention of the "Holy Spirit" make the Greek "daimon" redundant?
There seems little doubt that the Christians demonized the term - it was literally cast to the swine.

Who needs a guardian spirit when we have Jesus and the Sacred Codex?




LC

[DCHindley]

Joseph Smith used the celestial deity known as the angel Moroni to deliver the message of the Mormon religion.

Well, actually, Joseph Smith believed that the God Jehovah and his son Jesus were actual, and remained, human beings made of flesh and blood, who were elevated to divine status. In fact, every male LDS church member expects to be so elevated and set up as God of some other planet much like earth. The angel Moroni was once a human being, as he is mentioned in the texts supposedly found on the brass/gold plates revealed to Smith by Moroni.

Probably not the best example ...

DCH

[Leucius Charinus]

Joseph Smith used the celestial deity known as the angel Moroni to deliver the message of the Mormon religion.

Well, actually, Joseph Smith believed that the God Jehovah and his son Jesus were actual, and remained, human beings made of flesh and blood, who were elevated to divine status. In fact, every male LDS church member expects to be so elevated and set up as God of some other planet much like earth. The angel Moroni was once a human being, as he is mentioned in the texts supposedly found on the brass/gold plates revealed to Smith by Moroni.

And according to Mormon chronology was active during the rule of the Emperor Julian.

Probably not the best example ...

Carrier uses these two examples to preface his theory of Jesus as a celestial being.
REF: It's on some youtube presentation (I will try and locate it)

The question in my mind is - if Jesus was originally thought to be a "celestial being" and that his "Good News" was directed at the Gentiles - then which celestial being in the Pagan pantheon does Jesus just happen to replace?

It seems to me that one such answer is the celestial [and Universal] being that the Graeco-Roman world-view called the "daimon".

• “Although it appears as if each person
  has their own Daïmon or Higher Self,
  the enlightened initiate discovers that
  actually on the axial Pole of Being
  there is one Daïmon shared by all,
  a universal Self, which inhabits every being.
  Each Soul is a part of the one Soul of God.
  To know oneself therefore is to know God.

[/i]"

LC