Changes: Demiurge (theology)

Latest revision as of 14:17, 12 April 2024

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Nebro, better known as Yaldabaoth and the Demiurge, is a malevolent figure from varied belief systems, especially Gnosticism. While many confuse the Demiurge with an "evil God" stereotype, it is actually a figure below that of the Supreme Being, thus in many ways is a paradoxical deity that lords over the physical plane of existence but is below that of the spiritual realm.

As the maker of the physical world, the Demiurge is obsessed with physical things and its own power, seeking to keep humanity from entering the spiritual realm and thus escaping its rule. The concept of the Demiurge has its roots in much older religions and myths, in which their were often two equally omnipotent deities, one of divine creation and another of divine destruction (a concept later known as dualism).

Biography

The Demiurge is a complex philosophical concept but is usually seen as a means by certain authors to explain the "Problem of Evil". This classic theological debate has often questioned "how can evil exist in the presence of an all-loving, all-powerful deity?". The Demiurge serves as a potential solution to part of the question. In that, the Demiurge takes on the role of the "Supreme Being" but is actually a usurper, who while creating the physical universe is not all-loving nor fully all-powerful, instead it is a malicious creature that tries to keep all within the physical world ignorant of the true nature of reality, higher planes of spiritual power where greater entities exist. These higher deities are often seen as benevolent and it is either mankind's mission to achieve enlightenment via mystic rites or the goal of higher deities to "save" humanity from the Demiurge (in some works Jesus is seen as one such aspect of a higher deity, in opposition to the Demiurge).

The idea is most often associated with gnosticism but has become widely popular in both alternative belief systems, the occult and fiction, though it is considered a heresy by most orthodox faiths (due to the Demiurge's existence being at odds with a true monotheistic faith, as well as the general belief of gnostics that the God of the Old Testament was the Demiurge (due to the often conflicting stories of His wrath and unpredictable nature. In contrast, Jesus is often seen as a true messenger of higher planes, due to his more peaceful nature and tone).

Powers and Abilities

The Demiurge possesses omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience over the physical planes of existence but has no influence over the higher realms, being an embodiment of the physical realms and thus only semi-divine (a "false" deity).

While often seen as the creator of the physical universe the Demiurge is simply one of many (or at minimum two) deities. One of which is a Supreme Being that outranks the Demiurge in every aspect, in most settings it is the goal of mystics to reach the spiritual world and thus break free of the Demiurge. Those with insight into the "true nature" of reality are largely immune to the Demiurge and its many false miracles (which are often used in a wrathful or petty fashion).

Weaknesses

The Demiurge is a "false" deity, in this sense it has vast supernatural powers but is vastly below the spiritual powers of a true Supreme Being, indeed most version of the Demiurge are seen as selfish, cruel and tyrannical, in opposition to the true divine.

This means that those who can see through the Demiurge's lies and trickery are able to free themselves from its blasphemous poison and reach a form of spiritual enlightenment: after obtaining such enlightenment, the Demiurge can no longer harm the individual.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{PE Approved}}
 {{Villain Infobox
-|image = Demiurge1.jpg
+|image = Colored Demiurge.jpg
-|fullname = Demiurge
+|fullname = Nebro
-|alias = None
+|alias = Yaldabaoth<br>
+The Demiurge<br>
-|origin = Gnoticism
+Saklas<br>
+Samael<br>
+|origin = Gnosticism
 |occupation = Creator and ruler of the physical universe
+|skills = Preternatural powers<br>
-|skills = Omnipotence and omiscience (over the physical world)
+Nigh-omnipotence<br>
+Nigh-omniscience<br>
+Nigh-omnipresence
 |hobby = Abusing its power over the world.<br>
 Indulging in debauchery.
-|goals = To prevent living beings obtaining knowledge on the divine and keeping them enslaved to the physical realm under its will alone.
+|goals = Prevent living beings obtaining knowledge on the divine and keeping them enslaved to the physical realm under its will alone.
+|crimes =
-|crimes = enslavement, corruption, terrorism, incitement to unrest, fearmongering, hatemongering, warmongering, terrorism, genocide, mastermind of all sins and misdeeds.
+Abuse of power<br>
-|type of villain = Anti-Deity
+Global tyranny<br>
-|size = 200
+Entrapment of all souls<br>
-}}
+Enslavement<br>
-The '''Demiurge''' is a malevolent figure from varied belief systems, especially gnosticism - while many confuse the Demiurge with an "evil God" stereotype it is actually a figure below that of the Supreme Being, thus in many ways is a paradoxal deity that lords over the physical plane of existence but is below that of the spiritual realm.
+Corruption<br>
+Fearmongering<br>
+Incitement to unrest<br>
+Genocide
+|type of villain = Obsessed Deity}}
+'''Nebro''', better known as '''Yaldabaoth''' and the '''Demiurge''', is a malevolent figure from varied belief systems, especially Gnosticism. While many confuse the Demiurge with an "evil God" stereotype, it is actually a figure below that of the Supreme Being, thus in many ways is a paradoxical deity that lords over the physical plane of existence but is below that of the spiritual realm.
-As the creator of the physical world the Demiurge is obsessed with physical things and its own power, seeking to keep humanity from entering the spiritual realm and thus escaping its rule - the concept of the Demiurge has its roots in much older religions and myths, in which their were often two equally omnipotent deities, one of divine creation and another of divine destruction (a concept later known as dualism).
+As the maker of the physical world, the Demiurge is obsessed with physical things and its own power, seeking to keep humanity from entering the spiritual realm and thus escaping its rule. The concept of the Demiurge has its roots in much older religions and myths, in which their were often two equally omnipotent deities, one of divine creation and another of divine destruction (a concept later known as dualism).
-==Overview==
-The Demiurge is a complex philosophical concept but is usually seen as a means by certain authors to explain the "Problem of Evil" - this classic theological debate has often questioned "how can evil exist in the presence of an all-loving, all-powerful deity?" - the Demiurge serves as a potential solution to part of the question.. in that the Demiurge takes on the role of the "Supreme Being" but is actually a usurper, who while creating the physical universe is not all-loving nor fully all-powerful, instead it is a malicious creature that tries to keep all within the physical world ignorant of the true nature of reality, higher planes of spiritual power where greater entities exist - these higher deities are often seen as benevolent and it is either mankind's mission to achieve enlightenment via mystic rites or the goal of higher deities to "save" humanity from the Demiurge (in some works Jesus is seen as one such aspect of a higher deity, in opposition to the Demiurge).
+==Biography==
-The idea is most often associated with gnosticism but has become widely popular in both alternative belief systems, the occult and fiction - though it is considered a heresy by most orthodox faiths (due to the Demiurge's existence being at odds with a true monotheistic faith, as well as the general belief of gnostics that the God of the Old Testament was the Demiurge (due to the often conflicting stories of His wrath and unpredictable nature - in contrast Jesus is often seen as a true messenger of higher planes, due to his more peaceful nature and tone).
+The Demiurge is a complex philosophical concept but is usually seen as a means by certain authors to explain the "Problem of Evil". This classic theological debate has often questioned "how can evil exist in the presence of an all-loving, all-powerful deity?". The Demiurge serves as a potential solution to part of the question. In that, the Demiurge takes on the role of the "Supreme Being" but is actually a usurper, who while creating the physical universe is not all-loving nor fully all-powerful, instead it is a malicious creature that tries to keep all within the physical world ignorant of the true nature of reality, higher planes of spiritual power where greater entities exist. These higher deities are often seen as benevolent and it is either mankind's mission to achieve enlightenment via mystic rites or the goal of higher deities to "save" humanity from the Demiurge (in some works Jesus is seen as one such aspect of a higher deity, in opposition to the Demiurge).
+The idea is most often associated with gnosticism but has become widely popular in both alternative belief systems, the occult and fiction, though it is considered a heresy by most orthodox faiths (due to the Demiurge's existence being at odds with a true monotheistic faith, as well as the general belief of gnostics that the God of the Old Testament was the Demiurge (due to the often conflicting stories of His wrath and unpredictable nature. In contrast, Jesus is often seen as a true messenger of higher planes, due to his more peaceful nature and tone).
 ==Powers and Abilities==
-The Demiurge possesses omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience over the physical planes of existence but has no influence over the higher realms, being an embodiment of the physical relams and thus only semi-divine (a "false" deity).
+The Demiurge possesses omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience over the physical planes of existence but has no influence over the higher realms, being an embodiment of the physical realms and thus only semi-divine (a "false" deity).
-While often seen as the creator of the physical universe the Demiurge is simply one of many (or at minimum two) deities - one of which is a Supreme Being that outranks the Demiurge in every aspect, in most settings it is the goal of mystics to reach the spiritual world and thus break free of the Demiurge : those with insight into the "true nature" of reality are largely immune to the Demiurge and its many false miracles (which are often used in a wrathful or petty fashion).
+While often seen as the creator of the physical universe the Demiurge is simply one of many (or at minimum two) deities. One of which is a Supreme Being that outranks the Demiurge in every aspect, in most settings it is the goal of mystics to reach the spiritual world and thus break free of the Demiurge. Those with insight into the "true nature" of reality are largely immune to the Demiurge and its many false miracles (which are often used in a wrathful or petty fashion).
-==Limitations==
+===Weaknesses===
-The Demiurge is a "false" deity, in this sense it has vast supernatural powers but is vastly below the spiritual powers of a true Supreme Being, indeeed most version of the Demiurge are seen as selfish, cruel and tyrannical, in opposition to the true divine.
+The Demiurge is a "false" deity, in this sense it has vast supernatural powers but is vastly below the spiritual powers of a true Supreme Being, indeed most version of the Demiurge are seen as selfish, cruel and tyrannical, in opposition to the true divine.
 This means that those who can see through the Demiurge's lies and trickery are able to free themselves from its blasphemous poison and reach a form of spiritual enlightenment: after obtaining such enlightenment, the Demiurge can no longer harm the individual.
+==Gallery==
+<gallery widths="300" bordercolor="gold" captiontextcolor="orangered" position="center">
+Demiurge1.jpg|Demiurge
+Demiurge.png|Demiurge
+Demiurge 2.jpg|Demiurge
+</gallery>
 ==See Also==
-*[[Satan (religion)|Satan]] in strict monotheistic religions (such as most branches of Christianity, Islam etc) the role of Demiurge is given to Satan, who is often said to hold power over the physical world and opposes the spiritual.
+*[[Satan (religion)|Satan/The Devil]] in strict monotheistic religions (such as most branches of Christianity, Islam etc) the role of Demiurge is given to Satan, who is often said to hold power over the physical world and opposes the spiritual (however it is important to know that the idea of Satan as the supreme spirit of evil is, surprisingly, a fairly new one and his opposition to God has been considerably ramped up over years, in traditional texts Satan is heavily restricted by God or working with God as part of a larger plan, in Islam he is only permitted to tempt, in this regard Satan is quite different from the Demiurge, who was seen as a near-equal to the divine.)
 *[[Angra Mainyu]] is an evil deity and one of the first to introduce the concept of dualism to the world, of which the Demiurge was likely inspired.
 *[[Azathoth]] is the "blind-idiot God" of Lovecraftian cosmology.
 *[[God (Spawn)|God]] and [[Satan (Spawn)|Satan]] are 2 "brothers" in ''Spawn'' mythology that are very similar to the Demiurge, being false deities who actually originate from a true Supreme Being, who is beyond the reach of the physical universe.
-*The book known as the Jehovah Contract portrays both God and Satan as bratty, spoiled sibling rivals, while the Mother Goddess is portrayed as the real Creator who now has to win Her own creation back.
+*The book known as the ''Jehovah Contract'' portrays both God and Satan as bratty, spoiled sibling rivals, while the Mother Goddess is portrayed as the real Creator who now has to win Her own creation back.
-*[[Asmodeus Poisonteeth]] in the ''Redwall'' series, while not said to be a creator, does have links with a demon, because in ''Redwall'' the name Asmodeus is a demon's name or the Devil's name. Asmodeus in the novel does have a role similar to a deity in that he mantains the natural order of death, he is nature's undertaker, and he is feared by many as a supernatural being. Fittingly, Asmodeus is a serpent, an adder.
+*[[Asmodeus Poisonteeth]] in the ''Redwall'' series, while not said to be a creator, does have links with a demon, because in ''Redwall'' the name Asmodeus is a demon's name or the Devil's name. Asmodeus in the novel does have a role similar to a deity in that he maintains the natural order of death, he is nature's undertaker, and he is feared by many as a supernatural being. Fittingly, Asmodeus is a serpent, an adder.
+*[[Orgodemir]] from ''Dragon Quest VII'' who gave shape to the sealed world and finished off The Almighty, leaving only the Island of Estard, protected by the Water Spirit.
-*Demiurge acts as a super-boss in ''[[YHVH (Shin Megami Tensei)#Strange Journey|Shin Megami Tensei:Strange journey]]''.
+*[[Sephiroth]] in the ''Final Fantasy VII'' series.
-**Though it is heavily implied to be YHVH.
-*[[Bhunivelze]], along with [[Pulse]] and [[Lindzei]] in the ''Final Fantasy XIII'' series, are similar to the Demiurge, while not synonymous with a creator deity, does have the the task of maintaining and sculpting the physical world. They also share the inability to see anything connected with the spiritual world.
+*[[Bhunivelze]], along with [[Pulse (Final Fantasy)|Pulse]] and [[Lindzei]] in the ''Final Fantasy XIII'' series, are similar to the Demiurge, while not synonymous with a creator deity, does have the the task of maintaining and sculpting the physical world. They also share the inability to see anything connected with the spiritual world.
+*[[Hitogami]] from the ''Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation'', is similar to the Demiurge being the egotistical power-hungry manipulative deity, who killed and impersonated the original Human God, usurping his place and causing the conflicts through all of the Six Worlds to destroy the other gods and become the one and only god in all of the creation.
-*In the manga ''Negima! Magister Negi Magi'' and its sequel ''UQ Holder'', The [[Mage of the Beginning]]'s true name is Ialda Baoth, in a direct reference to the Demiurge. The Mage is the primary antagonist of both stories and created an alterate world that is bound to one day disappear, and plans to send its population's soul into an edenic spirit dimension.
+*In the manga ''Negima! Magister Negi Magi'' and its sequel ''UQ Holder'', The [[Mage of the Beginning]]'s true name is Ialda Baoth, in a direct reference to the Demiurge. The Mage is the primary antagonist of both stories and created an alternate world that is bound to one day disappear, and plans to send its population's soul into an edenic spirit dimension.
-*[https://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Yaldabaoth_(SCP-Foundation) Yaldabaoth] from the ''[[SCP Foundation]] '' mythology''''.
+*[[Yaldabaoth (SCP)|Yaldabaoth]] from the [[SCP Foundation]]'s mythology, a deity with the mind of a beast, resembling [[Azathoth]].
+*[[Deus]] from ''Xenogears'' is very similar to the Demiurge. Although he is actually an extraterrestrial war machine and not an actual god, he is the entity that created the planet, and by extension, humanity.
+*[[Zanza]] from ''Xenoblade Chronicles'', ''Xenogears'' spiritual successor, is basically Deus with a speaking role. He and the Demiurge are both malevolent gods who created a world but are only lesser deities. [[Egil]]'s Faced Mechon is also known as Yaldabaoth.
+*[[Christof]], the main antagonist of ''The Truman Show'' is a metaphorical example. As the creator and director of a Reality Show that broadcasts the daily life of Truman Burbank, someone live and unaware of the program. Christof crafted an entire false reality which he has complete control over, which is a giant studio disguised as a normal town, complete with actors who play Truman's friends, neighbors, and family. He is obsessed with ruling every aspect of Truman's life, and when the latter becomes suspicious of his environment, Christof orchestrates events to gaslight him into staying in the set and keep him from discovering the truth.
+*[[Yaldabaoth]] from ''Persona 5'' created out of humanity's corruption.
+*[[EMMA]] from Persona 5 Strikers is an AI that became sentient and seeks to lead humanity and free them from their desires. In the game, she refers to herself as the Demiurge but commonly seen as a false god.
+*[[Demiurge (Overlord)|Demiurge]] from the manga/anime ''Overlord'' in which he is a powerful demon lord and a supporting character to the protagonist [[Ainz Ooal Gown]].
+*[[Jaldabaoth]] from ''Dragalia Lost'' who is a demon determined to convince humanity to commit deplorable crimes.
+*[[The Creator (SaGa)|The Creator]] from Final Fantasy Legend is a cruel Supreme Being who forces mortals into endless conflicts to "test" good and evil, though it is heavily implied he does so for his own amusement and justifies it with stating he created everything thus could treat it as he saw fit, this makes him very similar to the Demiurge.
+*[[Zen-Oh]], the creator deity of the ''Dragon Ball'' multiverse. He is not exactly evil but his childish mentality and his low intelligence which lead him to erase entire universes on a pure whim make him potentially dangerous.
+**
+==Navigation==
+{{Theology Villains}}
+{{Legends}}
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