LEMURES: VIOLENT AND ANGRY EVIL SPIRITS

A Lemur is an evil spirit that harms and frightens the living. They are of Roman folklore and can also be demonic ghosts of the dead who are without a home and punished to wander due to the evils they did when they were alive on earth. It is also postulated that they wear scary masks in order to terrify their targets.

Other names: Larvae

Appearance: Lemures in Roman myths appear in wicked, ugly and frightening forms to haunt people.

Abilities:

• Lemures bring disease and infections of all sorts.
• They haunt their living relatives and cause them grave injuries.
• Lemures are vengeful spirits that cause terror to those they haunt.

There are two categories namely: The Lares and The Larvae (Lemures). Another common type of Lemur is the spirit of one who has died prematurely and is trapped on earth until its apportioned time gets exhausted. People who die from vicious murders, execution, and drowning have their souls existing as Lemures.

Lemures are the ghosts of people who died without a surviving family or an evil natured ghost. Folks of ancient Rome believed that it was a curse to die without a surviving family member and that the human soul could exist even after its death. Another belief states that Lemures were shades of people who had progenitors (forefathers) who were not mourned and buried properly or who were very angry at their living descendants for one reason or the other. Lemures are also very nocturnal.

The word ‘Lemur’ itself is taken from the Greek word Lamia. In Greek mythology, Lamia was the beautiful queen of Libya who had sexual relations with Zeus. Hera, the queen of the gods in her jealousy, hid all of Lamia’s children which made her angry. Thus, Lamia began to kill and devour male children, permanently turning the once beautiful queen into a horrible Vampire-like monster.

Lemures are direct opposites of Lares, who are the good-natured guardian ancestors believed to bring good luck and healing to those who respect and honor them.

Working against a Lemur:

• Romans believed that to stop a Lemur from returning from the grave, black beans must be burned around the tomb.
• The 9th, 11th and 13th day of May were said to be the few times Lemures could walk the earth in the Roman culture. This belief led to the rise of the ritual Lemuria which is dedicated to the banishing or calming of these angry spirits.
• Lemuria’s rituals as placed by Romulus stated that the father or head of every family must rise at midnight, purify his hands by washing them three times. He should place black beans in his mouth, walk around the house barefooted and making the signs of the horn with his hand.  The one performing this ritual must toss black beans over his shoulder, and say,

 

“With these beans, I do redeem me and mine”

This incantation should be repeated nine times without looking backward. The evil ghosts who followed would pick up the beans and exit, leaving the residents alone until the next festival which is done the following year.

While walking, the man is also expected to keep one hand in the sign of the horns—the thumb crossed over the two middle fingers and the index and little fingers extended—an amuletic gesture which protects him against any ghosts he might unexpectedly encounter. To close the ritual, he washes his hands again, then bangs the brass cymbals while urging all uninvited spirits to depart the premises.

Also, some advice that peppermint and sage be burnt on charcoal as their scents soothe them or drive spirits away. To know more about Lemures, you can read ‘The City of God’ a book by St. Augustine where he talks on the larvae, as wicked demons.

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See Also:

 

• Sirchade, the Ninth Servitor of Duke Syrach
• Clisthert, Eighth Servitor of Duke Syrach
• Chenor, the Granter of Wishes
• Lamashtu: The Demoness That Kills Children

Citations:

1.http://occult-world.com/ghost-folklore/lemures/

2.https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lemures

3.https://gnosticwarrior.com/lemures.html

4.https://www.magicalrecipesonline.com/2017/05/lemures-and-lemuria-days-of-evil-ghosts.html

5.https://www.thoughtco.com/lares-larvae-lemures-manes-roman-ghosts-112671

6.https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lemures

7.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemures

8.. Encyclopedia of demons and demonology.