Aside from the widely accepted idea of the various humours that control the health of a person, there was also a more religious approach when a patient grew unresponsive to ailments and treatments that were commonly used. This alternate is the belief that the patient was possessed by a demonic being, which created the patients melancholy, or madness.
There was, however, a link between humours, and demonic possession. The one thing that the two theories agreed upon was the existence of black bile, but disagreed upon its uses. In a more spiritual approach, it was believed that the black bile humour was the humour of the devil, and that he could easily manipulate it. This meant that a person who was believed to have excess black bile was far more susceptible to demonic possession than others. The devil would use the black bile to essentially control a person, allowing access to a persons emotion, and actions. It was believed that a melancholic that died by suicide was often forced to do so by the devil (Barnett).
Where this theory brought arise a fair amount of mystery is when dealing with the reason that people were being possessed by the devil. Some people believed that the devil simply possessed and tortured the souls of people to gain access to the living world, and would do this by intense hallucinations (Dufala). It was also thought that demonic possession could also be sent by god to a person who needed to be punished. According to Hindegard von Bingen, it was after sinning against god that he noticed 3 individuals suffered from severe melancholy (Barnett). After spending some time mentally ill, all 3 of the men were cured after atoning for their sins.
Whether an individual is possessed by a demon, or a by god's will, was ultimately decided as the illness progressed. More often than not, if a person made a full recovery from their madness, then it was assumed that they were being punished by god. Those being punished by the devil often were not so lucky.
There was, however, a link between humours, and demonic possession. The one thing that the two theories agreed upon was the existence of black bile, but disagreed upon its uses. In a more spiritual approach, it was believed that the black bile humour was the humour of the devil, and that he could easily manipulate it. This meant that a person who was believed to have excess black bile was far more susceptible to demonic possession than others. The devil would use the black bile to essentially control a person, allowing access to a persons emotion, and actions. It was believed that a melancholic that died by suicide was often forced to do so by the devil (Barnett).
Where this theory brought arise a fair amount of mystery is when dealing with the reason that people were being possessed by the devil. Some people believed that the devil simply possessed and tortured the souls of people to gain access to the living world, and would do this by intense hallucinations (Dufala). It was also thought that demonic possession could also be sent by god to a person who needed to be punished. According to Hindegard von Bingen, it was after sinning against god that he noticed 3 individuals suffered from severe melancholy (Barnett). After spending some time mentally ill, all 3 of the men were cured after atoning for their sins.
Whether an individual is possessed by a demon, or a by god's will, was ultimately decided as the illness progressed. More often than not, if a person made a full recovery from their madness, then it was assumed that they were being punished by god. Those being punished by the devil often were not so lucky.