Are Clowns Demonic?

I will admit up front that the title is click bait.

The subject of whether a clown is demonic by virtue of being a clown is not really addressed. I concede that a demonic clown may be demonic not because of being a clown but rather in addition to being a clown.

Since this particular thread does feature a graduate ( to be referred to as Subject 1 ) of Clown College, I will further concede that Demonology may not be a part of Clown College curriculum. It is altogether possible and even probable that Subject 1 learned his craft in an extracurricular manner. The reason I bring up the subject of Clown College is that Subject 1's only credential offered as qualified to teach a seminar on Demonology was that he was a graduate of Clown College. If you have read this far then you may be thinking that the title may not actually be click bait after all.

Now I will introduce you to Subject 2 ( to be referred to as Subject 2 ). Subject 2 had been expelled from a boarding academy during his Sophomore year of High School. His family had moved while he was away, and he didn't know where they moved to. But once the school officials and the local Police informed Subject 2's parents that they were responsible for taking him into custody, they had no choice but to reveal the location of their new residence.

Since there were no prior plans to house Subject 2, there was no available bedroom, so he got a small cot in the laundry room. The lay out of the house was a typical example of American ranch, or rambler architecture with a sliding glass door opening onto a wooden patio spanning the length of the back of the house. The five wooden steps down to the back yard were very near to the outside laundry room door.

Before I get to the seminar conducted by Subject 1 I should mention his actual bona fides as a clown. He was quite good at juggling oranges and apples, five at a time. His most impressive stunt though was the way he could fall straight to one side, and while falling, arch his body into a rocker shape. After rocking on the ground up to his shoulder he would rock back until he was once again on his feet. Quite an astonishing thing to see!

And before I get to the seminar it would seem that a certain book in the possession of Subject 2 has some relevance also. It was a red hard cover edition of Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, Addressed to J.G. Lockhart, Esq. By Sir Walter Scott, 1830. The book itself had been acquired through theft. Then later, following the misappropriation, certain arcane symbols and runes had been added to the front red cover with black marking pen. So red book, black symbols and runes. So the subject of Demonology was not a completely foreign subject in the thinking of Subject 2.

The eventual fate of the black on red book may involve a freak localized hurricane which struck a stand of rather tall eucalyptus trees. High up in one particular tree was a small tree house, in which was the book. The whole tree was uprooted in the freak storm. The tree house was smashed to pieces and the contents deluged by high velocity wind born rain. But this unfortunate end occurred some months after the seminar and the subsequent events that will soon be related.

The local High School of which Subject 1 was an alumnus and of which Subject 2 was a student had a thing called Vocations Day, in which the students could pick from a number of seminars conducted by experts and professionals of actual vocations, for school credit. Now I suppose that Demonology taught by a clown doesn't quite fit the description of a professional teaching a vocation. It was billed as "purely academic" as opposed to practical.

During the presentation of "purely academic" material by the clown, something went slightly awry in that an actual ceremonial summoning was being described with the protective wards, materials, and words of incantation. Subject 2 was taking notes, on the off chance that there would be a test at the end. There was no test, but there were the meticulous detailed notes.

A few nights later, in the laundry room with the outside access door, Subject 2 was preparing to follow the notes. It should be noted that he was reckless and foolish. He considered the precautions and wards as optional, something for noobies. The advice to start small he also discarded, since if he was going to do it, might as well go big. He did follow the other notes however. The black on red book was also there to add ambiance.

After following the notes to a T, Subject 2 waited, and waited some more, and nothing. He thought, re-read the notes and detected one element which seemed superfluous. He then skipped that bit and went ahead with a second attempt. This time he heard a music (not to be further described). Then from the outside steps he heard the approach, step-scratch, step-scratch of a biped with a long dragging claw on the back of each leg. Something like this:


Then the door handle began to turn, at which time Subject 2 noticed that he had neglected to lock the door. He quickly reached over and twisted the knob, against the force attempting to turn it one way, back to its closed position and turned the lock into place. As the door handle rattled there was an emanation of sheer hatred and wanton destruction coming through the thin barrier of the door, at which time Subject 2 said "do not come in".

The rattling of the door handle ceased, but the intense emotion of hatred and wanton destruction had brought forth a deep reciprocal berserker rage within Subject 2, a desire to destroy. He unlocked the door and threw it open expecting to see the demon and destroy it with his bare hands. No demon there; but he spent some time stomping in the dark looking and calling out his challenge. Eventually the berserker rage subsided, and he went back to the laundry room where he scattered the materials that had been laid out, lay down on his cot and went to sleep.

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Now as I think about these events I feel that some sort of conclusions should be reached. I would propose that people should not go around summoning demons for any reason. If the reader happens to be on a school board, or School Superintendent and some clown wants to hold a Demonology seminar, even if an alumnus, and even if he claims that it is "purely academic" your answer should obviously be "NO".

Upon speculation, I think that the demon may actually have been a good demon, posing as a hateful demon, using special effects to pull off the lesson for Subject 2 to abandon the summoning of demons, because people really shouldn't be doing that.

"Not really addressed"

Damn you pthena I came here for answers

a reply to: DictionaryOfExcuses

You are a victim of click bait.
Sorry about that.

Not sure but I think there are demonic beings we can summon who manifest (firstly in our subconscious) as clowns.

However not all clowns are demonic, neither are all demonic beings clownish.

But long before most clown-horrors tropes available today, messing with the ouija board and some occult books (maybe 1990).

First manifestation was a dream.
There's the washing-line with sheets.
Oh it's mom behind the sheets.
Pull them back - there's this awful clown, gonna rip you apart and drag you to hell.

Then started seeing shadow-beings while not asleep.

Oh well, send in the frowns.

a reply to: halfoldman

I wish I had some sure fire method of dispelling demons, but alas! I've never attended the proper seminar for that.

oh, pthena...you are number 2.........great thread.....

demons are a no.....they are....how would one say.....too real to be allowed in my idiom......

I'm lame on the forum huh....so sorry

a reply to: pthena

a reply to: GBP/JPY

you are number 2

You calling me names?

Just clowning around.


But seriously:
You're an F-111 vet, like my first crew chief. So

I'm an F-4, F-15, F-16, A-10, and [redacted] vet.

Off we go into the wild blue yonder.
Wait! Ground crews don't fly.

Very impressive pthena. Much wisdom, I am guessing from years of experience with clowns. Heard on the grapevine, you once had a red nose, yourself, Last night I was pondering about truth. That our world is made of atoms. Vibrating all the time. Which of those vibrations are truth, which of those vibrations are falsehood. Or are all truths/falsehoods an illussion of brain to try resolve that, which is nothing more than noise. Perhaps the only truth exists in the silence. The I AM which is at our being. No accessories needed.

Depends Im guessing, since for one appearances can be decieving, since Clowns are assicoated with joy an humor. While there the irrational side to it an some folks just cant stand them like tragic characters such as Batman an Spawn who dont think they are funny.


Maybe it was something to do with a giant grin an teeth that makes it look predatory like a shark, or that it might remind them of their innereds like one thread on ATS was about, and again even more teeth. Bright colours could also signify sublimal male territoral dominance, stating "this is my circus", or lure them to their death like a Venus fly trap an flies looking for sweets.


There were also Court Jesters/Fools who were probably the Kings best Adivsor...after all who to learn better from a fool. Funny thing is the King took it seriously.

Is it too late to add, attracting other female clowns to blow up a balloon animal?

a reply to: pthena

I think clown imagery relates to the Trickster and/or Fool archetype in western cultures. I don't consider clowns themselves demonic.

Individuals need to be careful when experimenting with evocation. I think there are better ways to accomplish goals related to that, without someone risking their well being.

a reply to: glend

you once had a red nose, yourself

Um, that may be a painful subject. My oldest sister once told me that my nose was halfway torn off. I don't remember that part, but do remember getting thrown off an embankment on which a cement truck had been washed out leaving a rather jagged gravel "slide".

Sorry, you didn't mean to bring that up, for sure. I'll just let it rest.

Perhaps the only truth exists in the silence.

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 12, translated by Stefan Stenudd

The five colors blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors dull the mouth.

Racing through the field and hunting make the mind wild.
Searching for precious goods leads astray.

Therefore, the sage attends to the belly,
and not to what he sees.
He rejects the latter and chooses the former.

In the comments, it is pointed out how space is that which separates out the different things, what is called "white space". When things are too closely packed together there is chaos rather than order. If some orchestra members all played at the same time for extended periods that would not be music. If some food contained every existing flavor it would be flavorless essentially.

When the belly is mentioned, to the Chinese that means the seat of being, where the energy comes from, the passion, the heart (as Westerners think of heart). The fine details of the conclusion may need further thought. I can't quite put it in my own words yet.



ETA

Okay, I've thought about the red nose comment. It is true that in my more active days I did things like open mic and such. This one time in a bar without a mic ...

So rather than do the next project I was thinking of I'll write the story of Becky and Luanne. That story includes walking on water. That seems more fun than stinking old polemics anyway.

Clowns are aliens.
I watched the documentary.

a reply to: dffrntkndfnml

I think clown imagery relates to the Trickster and/or Fool archetype in western cultures.

Being a 4th or 5th generation North American, I've sort of gone Coyote.

Individuals need to be careful when experimenting with evocation. I think there are better ways to accomplish goals related to that, without someone risking their well being.

I think we should dispense with the evocation altogether.

a reply to: butcherguy

That's right!
I haven't seen that documentary in about 30 years.

I sort of remember that all the imagery associated with carnivals and the circus (like cotton candy) were really instruments of their plans.

Uh oh! They've been at it a long time.
Land of Toys aka Pleasure Island from The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883).

a reply to: pthena

As a child, when it rained, I use to jump in puddles to make other people get wet. Its my nature (inner demons for sure).

It does align with hindu thought somewhat, that the outer (maya), is merely a projection of the inner. Not to get lost in sense enjoyment in the lllussion etc etc etc. If you take cultural differences aside, it seems that most religions have the same message. A union with the absolute. Its only the techniques to make that happen, that differ.

Will try to re-enter that room. Have to lower brain noise levls first.

added.. I was suffering with a red nose (did lot bike riding for excercise). When to doctor about it. and she said stay out of sun. Year latter had a blood test. Doctor told me I need more vitamin D. To stay in sun. So i told her it was YOU that told me to stay out of the sun. She laughed and told me to wear a hat.

The World is Demonic

This is a conclusion that some have reached.
So what are we going to do about that?

Some people think escape from the World is what is called for. Using various techniques and religious practices to transcend the Worldly and become the spiritual, somehow leaving the gross, demonic body behind, in this gross demonic World.

On the other hand, I would propose that we attempt to understand what demonic means, what it means that the World, including ourselves, is demonic.

The word demonic is no different from the word daimonic from the Greek "δαίμων", which means "lesser god, guiding spirit, tutelary deity", you can look it up yourselves in wikipedia, Daimonic

The history of the word's usage is rather interesting. It was always used as an ambiguous word; implying neither good nor evil. That changed with the take over of Western culture by Christianity. Angels became the word signifying helpful God sent demons seen to be helpful to people and Demon became the word used for evil inimical to humanity demons.

The word usage wasn't always that way. It is a post-Christian cultural overlay. Is it a bad thing for a person to be a genius? That seems to be acceptable, right? The truth of the matter is is that that is equivalent to saying that person is demonic. No difference.

Is it acceptable for a person to be gifted in the arts; painting, sculpting, music, writing, poetry, etc. ? Guess what? That's demonic. Say the same thing two different ways. One way is acceptable and the other is a judgement of evil. Is that a good thing? I don't think so.

Lest I be bigoted here, let us not neglect the engineers, technicians, and skilled craftspeople. They too are demonic. Should we fear and hate ourselves? Fear and hate the World we live in? Hell no! That's just the way it is.

Now Subject 2 in the opening post had in his mind that he was summoning an evil being due to his own Christian taught concept of what a demon was. That's why that hateful thing materialized or rather didn't materialize but seemed to.

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There is a concept of "inner demons" which is a negative and rather distressing situation for people. I wish I could fix that but I don't have the requisite education and skills to really do anything about that.

Psychology and Psychiatry may be the best bet we have there. So much depends upon the actual individual practitioner though. Having a piece of paper on a wall isn't a guarantee of skill in the craft.

a reply to: pthena

Click-baity or no, it's a question worth pondering. There is something decidedly unpleasant about clowns that children can instinctively pick up on.

I have a clear memory of being a small child way back in the murky mists of time, way before the modern clown-horror tropes so familiar to everyone today, and being scared witless after seeing some quite bland drama, on our tiny black and white TV, about a ghost clown appearing to someone in their bedroom.

It was a ghost clown, not an 'evil' clown. But I screamed and bawled the place down when I had to go to bed even though I shared with my brother (both of us were yarking).

This would be the mid 60s, so long before the video nasties of the 80s.

I just 'knew' it was bad, despite the long association with gaiety and laughter.

Why would that be?

a reply to: CJCrawley

See Uncanny valley.

There is a normal psychological range of things that look human which may or may not seem acceptable.

Start with a doll. Normal plastic barbie type doll. If it gradually changes to seem closer to human, there is a point at which it become horrifying, like Chuckie.

Clowns start as normal humans than the makeup can make them seem human-esque which can be just as frightening as a doll moving around would be.

In aesthetics, the uncanny valley is a hypothesized relationship between the degree of an object's resemblance to a human being and the emotional response to such an object. The concept suggests that humanoid objects which imperfectly resemble actual human beings provoke uncanny or strangely familiar feelings of eeriness and revulsion in observers

A

originally posted by: pthena
a reply to: halfoldman

I wish I had some sure fire method of dispelling demons, but alas! I've never attended the proper seminar for that.

You can always throw right hand over right shoulder and say "Begone demon! I walk in the light! You can't hurt me."

Works for me! Hey...well written piece...

PS...Had nasty thing in my house chase me up basement stairs in Detroit.

Say the above and POOF!