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Incubus: meaning
Also: incubi, male succubus, night demon
Meaning and origin
Incubus is a Late Latin word, from incubare, "to lie upon" or "to brood", a compound of in- ("on") and cubare ("to lie"). The same root gives English incubate and incubator. In medieval European demonology an incubus is a male demon who comes to sleepers at night. In its oldest sense the word named something closer to a nightmare: Greek and Roman writers described the feeling of weight on the chest in sleep as a medical condition, and the term kept that sense for a long time.
Incubus vs succubus
The pair is a matter of direction. An incubus is the male form; a succubus is the female form. Medieval writers sometimes treated them as one demon changing shape: a demon who appears as a woman to take a man's seed, then as a man to deliver it. Later popular writing separated the two into distinct beings. For the long comparison see succubus vs incubus, and for the female form see what is a succubus.
| Incubus | Succubus | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Male demon | Female demon |
| Latin root | incubare, "to lie upon" | succubare, "to lie under" |
| Medieval role | Visits sleepers, often women | Visits sleepers, often men |
| Modern fiction | Seductive male demon, love interest or villain | Seductive female demon |
In medieval lore
The Malleus Maleficarum, a witch-hunting manual of the late 1480s, gave considerable space to incubus attacks and their link to witchcraft, and listed ways of resisting them, including exorcism. The belief was a way of explaining unwanted pregnancy, sleep paralysis and strange dreams. It is a historical belief, not a fact about the world. Some sources suggest that older storm demons were reshaped into night demons by a confusion of words.
In modern fiction
Today the incubus is a stock figure of dark fantasy and romance: charming, dangerous, often tied to a contract or a bargain. He is the male lead of many paranormal romances, the foil of many succubi, or a rival demon. In audio for male listeners he usually appears as a rival or a companion in a story about a succubus, rather than as the main voice. In my own library the focus is on female voices, so the incubus is a character you hear about more than you hear.
Using the word
- "The story features a charming incubus who bargains for souls."
- "In the old tales, an incubus visited sleepers at night."
- "She joked that her ex was a mere incubus, not worth a contract."
Related ideas
The incubus belongs to a larger family of night and dream figures. See the succubus in dreams, the succubus contract trope and the Start Here course for gentle ways to meet them.
Examples in a sentence
- In the old tales an incubus visited sleepers at night and left them exhausted by morning.
- The novel gives its incubus a charming, dangerous voice and a contract with a catch.
- Medieval writers sometimes said the incubus and the succubus were one demon in two forms.
Frequently asked questions
What does incubus mean?
Incubus is a male demon of medieval European folklore who visits sleepers at night. The word comes from the Late Latin incubare, "to lie upon". The female counterpart is the succubus.
What is the difference between an incubus and a succubus?
An incubus is the male form and a succubus the female form. Medieval writers sometimes saw them as one demon changing shape; modern fiction treats them as separate beings.
Where does the word incubus come from?
From Late Latin incubus, a compound of in-, "on", and cubare, "to lie". It originally described a nightmare sensation of weight on the chest, before it named a demon.
Is an incubus real?
No. The incubus is a figure of folklore and fiction. Medieval writers used it to explain sleep paralysis, nightmares and other mysteries.
Read the full guide
- Succubus vs Incubus: Differences, Origins, Tropes
A succubus is a female demon who seduces men; an incubus is a male demon who seduces women. In medieval theory they could be one demon taking two form - What Is a Succubus? Meaning, Origin and Modern Myth
A succubus is a female demon from medieval European folklore who visits sleeping men to seduce them and draw off their vitality. Today the word also n
Hear it in a session
By Metavulgar · updated 2026-11-12