I have always been intrigued by the legends and tales of Succubus, which is a supernatural entity in folklore (traced back to medieval legend), that appears in dreams and takes the form of a woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual activity. A succubus feeds and heals herself by drawing Chi energy (Qi or Ki) from the energy created from engaging in sexual activity from her lovers, friends, volunteers, or victims in their dreams.
Besides my surreal creations, I also do indulge in the fantasy genre. I do not make experiments as I already am at peace with my path and chosen topics, a blending of surrealism and fantasy, although in some of my creations there may be only one of the two 'genres'. Fantasy is that which comes from one's imagination while "surrealism is an artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious". Perhaps, in my future drawing, I shall present you surrealism meets fantasy.
The power they gain usually consist of boosted strength, speed, supernatural level of beauty and some magical abilities, especially dealing with illusions and mental manipulation. Physical changes include fangs, claws, pointed tail and wings.
According to Wikipedia, in a book written by Heinrich Kramer (Institoris) in 1486, succubi collect semen from men they seduce. Incubi (their male counterpart) then use the semen to impregnate human females, thus explaining how demons could apparently sire children despite the traditional belief that they were incapable of reproduction.
From a psychological/political perspective, the legend of the Succubus is fairly straight-forward. In a patriarchal world, men were intimidated by women who took control of their own lives and their own sexuality, so they demonized any type of “rebellious” behavior.
There might also be a biological explanation. Sixty percent of the total human population suffers from sleep paralysis, a sporadic condition that causes the brain to regain consciousness before the body does. During an episode of sleep paralysis, people suffer from hallucinations involving all five senses and an extreme sense of terror. These symptoms could easily be mistaken for a demonic visitation. I hope you like it!
