Incubus

An incubus is a demon in Western folklore believed to lie upon sleeping people, especially women, to engage in sexual activity. The corresponding female demon is the succubus, which allegedly preys on men. The word incubus derives from the Latin incubare meaning to lie upon or to brood over.

In medieval demonology, incubi were thought to visit sleepers at night, causing nightmares, restless sleep, and sexual dreams that could be misinterpreted as real encounters. They were often invoked as explanations for sleep paralysis and erotic dreams outside the sufferer’s control. Tales vary by region, but the core idea is that the incubus is a male demon that assaults a sleeper, while the succubus is its female counterpart that preys on male sleepers. Over time, the two were sometimes fused or reinterpreted in literature and popular culture.

Scholars view incubus stories as reflecting historical attitudes toward sex, dream phenomena, and nocturnal fear. In modern times, explanations for such experiences tend to emphasize sleep paralysis and the physiology of dreams rather than literal beings. The incubus has appeared in various works of fiction, art, and film, reinforcing its role as a symbol of nocturnal danger and sexual menace.

In contemporary culture, the term incubus is also used as the name of a rock band formed in California in 1991, a usage that draws on the demon’s notoriety without implying a direct religious belief. See also succubus.