Enc of dem in wor rel and cul 152

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Gara-Yak-Natuma

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Gandarewa
Variations: “Golden heeled,” Kundraw
Gandarewa is a demonic dragon from Persian
and Sumerian demonology that is described as
being so incredibly large that his upper body
could be in the clouds while his lower body was
on the bottom of the sea. An aquatic demon who
eats humans, Gandarewa is titled as the Lord of
the Abyss; he is answerable only to the god of
dragons, Azhi Dahaki. This demon constantly
tries to devour all the good things of creation;
however, he has had streaks of charity, such as
when he gives the gift of Haoma plants to
mankind. The guardian of the other dragons,
Gandarewa lives in Vourukasha, the cosmic sea.
His personal adversary is the hero Keresaspa.

Sources: Gray, Mythology of all Races, Vol. 6, 58–9,
279; Lurker, Routledge Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses,
65; Turner, Dictionary of Ancient Deities, 185.

Ganga-Gramma
Variations: Bhagirathi, Ganga, Ganges,
Jahnavi (daughter of Jahnu)
Collin de Plancy’s Dictionaire Infernale (1863)
mentions this Vedic goddess, the second wife of

Shiva. Ganga-Gramma is the demon of waters
and there are an assortment of tales explaining
how she came into being. In the first, the sacred
water in Brahma’s water vessel transformed the
maiden; another version has the water that
Brahma saved after washing the feet of Vishnu
transformed into Ganga; and the third version
claims she was born the daughter of the King of
the Mountains, Himavan, and his consort Mena.
Ganga-Gramma is a four-armed, beautiful and
voluptuous woman. In her left hand she holds a
bowl, symbolic of abundant life and fertility, and
in her right she carries a three-pronged fork. She
is depicted in art riding astride a makara, a crocodile with the tail of a fish. This goddess, arrogant
and vain as she may be, purifies souls so that they
may pass on to Heaven. Sacrifice of buffalos,
goats, and the occasional human will prevent her
from attacking mankind.
Sources: Anonymous, Missionary Magazine for 1802,
238; Bell, Bell’s New Pantheon, 348–9; Collin de
Plancy, Dictionnaire Infernal, 295–6.

Gara-Demons, plural: gara-yakku; singular:
gara-yaka
In the Singhalese Buddhist mythology, garayakku, as they are known collectively, are a group
of twelve demons that are not innately hostile to
humans. During the GARA-YAK-NATUMA ceremony they are summoned and invited to remove
the evils of the body while not harming the

person in the process and accepting the sacrificial

offerings of confections, drink, food, and money.
These demons have the ability to cast vas-dos
(the evil eye).

Sources: Gooneratne, On Demonology and Witchcraft
in Ceylon, 35–6; Lurker, Routledge Dictionary of Gods
and Goddesses, 47; Obeyesekere, Cult of the Goddess Pattini, 175, 177.

Garadiel
In the Theurgia Goetia, the second book of the
Lemegeton, Garadiel is ranked as a chief; he is also
one of the eleven WANDERING PRINCES (see
PRINCES OF HELL). This AERIAL DEVIL commands 18,150 servitors, none of which are dukes
or princes. Garadiel is both diurnal and nocturnal,
and depending on the time of day that he is summoned, he will bring a different number of his
servitors with him, all of which are good-natured
and willing to obey.
Dawn is the start of the day and marks the beginning of the first hour, so if summoned in the
two first hours of the day and the two second
hours of the night, he will arrive with 470 servitors. If summoned in the two second hours of the
day and the two third hours of the night he will
arrive with 590 servitors. If summoned in the two
third hours of the day and the two fourth hours
of the night he will arrive with 930 servitors. If
summoned in the two fourth hours of the day
and the two fifth hours of the night he will arrive
with 1,560 servitors. If summoned in the two fifth
hours of the day and the two sixth hours of the
night he will arrive with 13,710 servitors. In the
last two hours of the day and the first two hours

of the night, if summoned, he will arrive with
1,560 servitors.
Sources: Guiley, Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology, 94; Peterson, Lesser Key of Solomon, 92–3;
Shumaker, Natural Magic and Modern Science, 66.

Gara-Yak-Natuma
In the Singhalese Buddhist mythology the
gara-yak-natuma (“dance of the gara-yakku”) is
a ceremonial religious dance performed at the
end of annual ceremonies, such as the peraheras
and the tovil. It wards off the vas-dos (the evil
eye) that is cast by the GARA-DEMONS. The participants of the ceremony wear highly decorated
and expensive masks representing each of the
twelve different GARA-DEMONS. Because the
masks that are necessary to perform the dance
are so expensive, the ritual is performed only once
or twice a year. During the ceremonial dance, the
demons are summoned and invited to remove the
evils of the body while not harming the person