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Succubus
Spirits celestial influences and signs · A Chymical Dictionary
At a Glance
The word. A night spirit associated with a deceptive sexual encounter.
In the book. Compare Syphita stricta, a fantastic spirit associated with sleepwalkers, and Somnia, stellar operations during sleep.
A place to read. The historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 43; facsimile PDF page 371.
Historical Definition
Succubus is a nocturnal spirit by which men are deceived into thinking they are coupling with women.
Meaning
The definition describes an experience as deception caused by a spirit. Thinking is important: the sentence attributes the apparent encounter to a mistaken belief, rather than simply describing an ordinary human relationship.
Use in the Book
Compare Syphita stricta, a fantastic spirit associated with sleepwalkers, and Somnia, stellar operations during sleep. These entries place nocturnal experiences in different explanatory categories.
Places to Read
Somnia. Dreams explained through stellar operations in the sleeper.
Syphita stricta. A spirit associated with sleepwalking.
In This Edition
The description is presented as the dictionary’s account of a spirit. The article does not use it to diagnose the experiences of a modern reader.
Historical source: 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 43; facsimile PDF page 371 — Facsimile
See also. Somnia; Syphita stricta