|
Samuel,
- I'm unclear on whether your question is about the existence of "incubi", or on the interpretation of Genesis 6?
With respect to incubi, my collection does not yield any Eastern patristic references.
I have some references from St Augustine and St. Jerome, but no one in the east. But to prove I am not completely useless, I did find a tantalizing reference in St. Gregory the Great, who says that what the Latins call "incubi" is what the Greeks call "Pans":
Thus they are ‘onocentaurs,’ who, being subject to vicious habits of lust, lift up their neck on account of the very same cause for which they ought to have been abased, who, in serving their fleshly gratifications, all sense of shame being put far from them, not only do not grieve that they have lost the way of uprightness, but further even exult in the working of confusion. Now ‘the demons’ meet with the ‘onocentaurs,’ in that the evil spirits readily serve to their wish all those whom they see rejoicing in the things which they ought to have bewailed; and it is fitly subjoined there, And the hairy satyr shall cry to his fellow. Now what others are represented by the title of ‘the hairy one,’ saving they which the Greeks call ‘Pans,’ and the Latins ‘incubi,’ whose figure begins in the human form, but terminates in the extremity of a beast? Therefore by the designation of ‘the hairy one’ is denoted the ruggedness of every sin, which even if in any case it begins as if in a pretext of reason, yet always goes on to irrational motions; and it is like a man’s ending in a beast, whilst the sin, beginning in a copy of reason, draws him out even to a result devoid of reason. Thus often the pleasure of eating is subservient to gluttony, and it pretends to be subservient to the requirement of nature, and while it draws out the belly into gluttony, sets up the limbs in lasciviousness. Now ‘the satyr crieth to his fellow,’ when one wickedness perpetrated leads to the perpetration of another, and as if by a kind of voice of thought, a sin already committed invites another sin which yet remains to be committed.
St. Gregory the Great, Morals on the Book of Job (Oxford; London: John Henry Parker; J. G. F. and J. Rivington, 1844), I, 392 |
So perhaps it's a terminology issue. Alas, as you might imagine, compared to searching for "incubus", searching for "Pan" is well-nigh pointless.
With respect to Genesis 6, the Book of Enoch is clear that Genesis 6 refers to fallen angels, not to Sethite humans:
6 1 And it happened that when the sons of men multiplied in those days, they begat good and beautiful daughters. 2 And the angels, the sons of heaven, saw them and longed for them and said to one another, “Come let us choose for ourselves women from among the people and bring forth for ourselves children.” 3 And Semiaza, who was their ruler, said to them, “I fear you may not wish to do this deed and I alone will be responsible for a great failure.” 4 Therefore they all answered him, “Let us all swear by an oath, and devote one another to mutual destruction, not to turn back from this decision until we complete it and do this deed.” 5 Then they all made a vow together and put each other under a curse in regard to this. 6 And they were, in all, two hundred and they came down on Ardis, which is the summit of Mount Hermon. And they called the mountain Hermon because on it they swore and bound one another with curses. 7 These are the names of their rulers: Semiaza (this was their ruler of all the angels), Arathak, Kimbra, Sammane, Daniel, Arearos, Semiel, Iomiel, Chochariel, Ezekiel, Batriel, Sathiel, Atriel, Tamiel, Barakiel, Ananthna, Thoniel, Rhamiel, Aseal, Rhakiel, Touriel. 8 These are the chiefs of tens among them.
7 1 Then they took for themselves women, each of them choosing a woman for themselves. They began to go to them and defile them. And they taught them sorcery and enchantments and cutting of roots and explained herbs to them. 2 But those who ⌊became pregnant⌋ brought forth great giants from three thousand cubits. 3 These giants ate up the produce of the men. When the men were not able to provide for them, 4 the giants had courage against them and ate up the men. 5 And they began to sin against birds and wild animals and reptiles and fish, and each one of them ate up the flesh and drank the blood. 6 Then the earth brought up charges against the lawless ones.
(Enoch 6:1 - 7:6) |
Enoch, of course, is not inspired Scripture, except for the Ethiopian Tawehedo Orthodox Church.
Eric |
