Many became interested in a demon named Bagul after watching the movie "Sinister", because there this creature appeared as an antihero, instilling fear and forcing young children to do terrible things. After that, the demon received the soul of such a child and took it to his retinue. But what does mythology say about a creature like Bagul? Is it a demon or a deity? And is that what the ancient people really called him?
Bagul in the movie Sinister
First, get to know Bagul from a horror movie closer. According to the legend voiced by one of the heroes - professor of occult sciences , Bagul is a demon. Mythology claims that children were sacrificed to him. This ancient rite was characteristic of the Scandinavian peoples, but a mystical creature began to manifest itself in the United States, and from about the 60s of the last century.
Every few years, under strange circumstances, in one of the states a family died. Moreover, each time the bodies of all its members were found, with the exception of one child. The disappearance was investigated, but neither the body, nor the boy or girl were found. In the same way, it was not possible to find the killer. They stopped writing about the incident in the press, police reports were gathering dust in the police stations, and after a few years everything was repeated again.
What does demonology say?
The field of knowledge that studies evil spirits claims that the Norwegian demon Bagul is just a fiction of Hollywood filmmakers. In fact, no religion knew any creatures with that name. Bagul is not mentioned in any source, although the demons and gods to whom the children were sacrificed so that they could be satisfied with their souls existed.
Thus, in the culture of the Aztecs, cruel acts of violence against children may have occurred. In the last century, a burial place was discovered, which prompted researchers to similar conclusions. The remains of 42 children rested in it. According to some signs, experts concluded that this is a ritual murder. Perhaps the sacrifices were intended for the ancient god Tlaloc - the patron saint of rain, able to grant fertility.
The Carthaginians also gave the souls of their babies to the gods so that they would contribute to their success in trade and other matters. Such an assumption was made by scientists after the remains of 200 boys and girls were found. According to the records of Plutarch, children from wealthy families, as well as sole heirs, were especially valued by the gods.
Is Moloch the prototype of Bagul?
So, in ancient cultures, sometimes sacrifices of children took place. But the cases described above indicate that people did this to appease the gods. But what about the demons? How did these creatures manifest themselves in the fantasies of the creators of the movie Sinister? Let's try to figure it out.
In the movie, Bagul is a demon who takes the souls of children to himself. Perhaps Moloch, the Moabite deity mentioned in the Bible, could have served as its prototype. The ritual of sacrifice was truly terrible. A child was placed in the hands of the statue of Moloch (he was depicted as a man with the head of a bull) , and a fire was lit below. The cries of the baby were drowned out by ritual chants ...
Moloch is sometimes called not just a deity, but a demon. However, some researchers are inclined to assume that this mythical character actually never existed. And indeed, children's sacrifices were rare among ancient peoples, and the word mlk (Milk, Moloch), found in scientific treatises of those times, could only reflect the very term for the transfer of the soul of a baby to one or another deity.
Bagul and children in the movie "Sinister"
Let's go back to the famous horror movie. In it, children fell into the clutches of Bagug only after they committed terrible crimes. In fact, it was they who killed the members of their families, and then the demon went into service. After that, the task of these little black souls was to recruit new minions of Bagul. Dead children came into contact with the living, those who themselves were soon to kill their relatives, and convinced them that this was simply necessary. Bagul himself for the time being remained in the shadows. Perhaps he was afraid to scare his future victim.
Children from the suite were afraid of Bagul. “He will come, he will be unhappy,” - so they sometimes said, before disappearing in horror in the dark corners of the house. Why the demon scared to death the already dead kids, unfortunately, is not clear, since this moment remained in the film behind the scenes.
Why is Bagul terrible?
This Scandinavian demon (again, as stated in the film) was forgotten by people for many centuries. Perhaps he hunted somewhere in remote places, and then something brought him to the United States of America. Like a monster from Hollywood horror films, he can hardly be considered the scariest. He actually does not appear in public, remains on the sidelines and almost does not participate in what is happening. Moreover, he does not even jump out unexpectedly around the corner with a cry of “Buu!” And does not make terrible faces.
But as the archetype Bagul symbolizes an inevitable grievous loss. He first takes the mind of a loved one, a small child, and then the soul, and for a snack he has a few more human lives.
Bagul is a demon-devourer of children who did not actually exist. But this creature does not become less frightening.