A succubus () is a Demoness who is described in various folklore as appearing in the dreams of male humans in order to seduce them. Repeated interactions between a succubus and a man will lead to sexual activity, a bond forming between them, and ultimately sexual intercourse, as she requires semen to survive. The establishment and perpetuation of such a relationship enables the production of a hybrid offspring known as a cambion, but at the expense of the man, whose mental and physical health will deteriorate rapidly, eventually resulting in his death if the succubus continues courting him for a protracted period.
In modern representations, a succubus is often depicted as a beautiful Incantation, rather than as demonic or frightening, to attract people instead of repulsing them. The male counterpart to the succubus is the incubus. Historically, folkloric belief in succubi was motivated by distressing nighttime phenomena, chiefly wet dreams and sleep paralysis.
Throughout history, and , including Hanina ben Dosa and Abaye, tried to curb the power of succubi over humans.Geoffrey W. Dennis, The encyclopedia of Jewish myth, magic and mysticism. p. 126 However, not all succubi were malevolent. According to Walter Mapes in the satire De nugis curialium ( Trifles of Courtiers), Pope Sylvester II (999–1003) was allegedly involved with a succubus named Meridiana, who helped him achieve his high rank in the Catholic Church. Before his death, he confessed of his sins and died repentant.
According to the Malleus Maleficarum, or Witches' Hammer, written by Heinrich Kramer (Institor) in 1486, succubi semen collection from men they seduce. Incubi, or male demons, then use the semen to impregnate human females,Kramer, Heinrich and Sprenger, James (1486), Summers, Montague (translator – 1928), The Malleus Maleficarum, Part2, chapter VIII, "Certain Remedies prescribed against those Dark and Horrid Harms with which Devils may Afflict Men," at sacred-texts.com thus explaining how demons could apparently sire children, despite the traditional belief that they were incapable of reproduction. Children so begotten——were supposed to be those that were born deformed, or more susceptible to supernatural influences.Lewis, James R., Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy, Sisung Kelle S. (Editor) (1996), , Entry: Incubi and Succubi, pp. 218, 219, Visible Ink Press,
King James in his dissertation titled Daemonologie refutes the possibility for angelic entities to reproduce and instead offered a suggestion that a devil would carry out two methods of impregnating women - the first, to sperm theft out of a dead man and deliver it into a woman. If a demon could extract the semen quickly, the substance could not be instantly transported to a female host, causing it to go cold. This explains his view that succubi and incubi were the same demonic entity, only to be described differently based on the tormented sexes being conversed with. The second method was the idea that a dead body could be possessed by a devil, causing it to rise and have sexual relations with others. However, no mention has been found of a female corpse being possessed to elicit sex from men.
In Upper Egyptian folk belief, the qarînah can be appeased by sacrificing an all-black animal to her. The animal is slaughtered without prayers, and it is cooked without salt. No one speaks during the meal and it is buried in the house of those it has afflicted.
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