The Shedim are an unknown type of supernatural being that were deemed too dangerous and subsequently trapped in an inaccessible section of Hell.

History[]

Early History[]

Long ago, Asmodeus sought to please Lucifer by freeing the Shedim (Jewish demon name means benevolent one) as he believed that he could train and use them. However, since they were Hell's most savage creatures, even Lucifer feared the Shedim and subsequently locked them back up, and then scarred Asmodeus as punishment for disappointing him.

Season 13[]

When Asmodeus claimed the throne of Hell after Crowley's death and Lucifer's entrapment in the alternate reality, he tracked down Jack and attempted to manipulate him into freeing the Shedim by shapeshifting into Donatello, the prophet. He said the Shedim were a troop of God's bravest soldiers and they were trapped in Hell and it was God's will to set them free. Jack managed to open the gate to Hell and the Shedim were almost freed but they were interrupted by Sam and Dean Winchester.

Powers[]

• Body Materialization - Similar to the Acheri, the Shedim don't require vessels in order to manifest on Earth, evident by their corporeal form when being released from Hell.

Weaknesses[]

Trapping[]

• God - Due to the Shedim being basely dark and unimaginably evil, God wouldn't allow them to exist in the light on the earthly plane, and trapped them in a secluded pocket of Hell.
• Archangels - Although Lucifer was stated to fear them by Asmodeus, he was able to lock them back up again after Asmodeus released them.

Appearances[]

• Season 13
  • The Rising Son

Trivia[]

• Shedim depiction in Supernatural is somewhat appear similar in the real-world lore, where they are said to have had the feet and claws of a rooster and share some characteristics of humans.
• The story of the Shedim being trapped in Hell is similar to that of the Leviathans, who were placed in Purgatory by God for the safety of the Earth and its inhabitants.
• It is unknown who created the Shedim or where exactly in Hell they are trapped.
• One piece of evidence to the strength and deadliness of the Shedim is the fact that even Lucifer, the second oldest archangel, feared them.
  • Even though God unlocked all of Hell's Gates, he was never shown to free the Shedim, suggesting that despite his anger at the Winchesters, even God, as weakened as he was at the time, would not risk unleashing the Shedim.
• It's unknown the method Asmodeus employed to release the Shedim, whether it was a spell/weapon, or how Lucifer imprisoned them. The second time Asmodeus attempts to free the Shedim he uses the Archnephilim Jack.

Lore[]

Shedim is the Hebrew word for demons and also designates a class of demons in Jewish folklore. The word shedim appears only twice (always plural) in the Tanakh, at Psalm 106:37 and Deuteronomy 32:17. It was possibly a loan-word from Akkadian in which the word shedu referred to a protective, benevolent spirit. Both times the term appears in the Tanakh, it deals with child or animal sacrifice to false gods that are called demons. The word may also derive from the "Sedim, Assyrian guard spirits" as referenced according to lore.

Shedim are said to share some characteristics both of humans and Angels. Like Angels, they have wings, but like humans they must eat, drink, procreate and then they eventually die. They can also cause sickness and misfortune. To see if the Shedim were present in some place, ashes were thrown to the ground or floor, and then their footsteps became visible.

A verse in the Jewish Babylonian Talmud Hagigah 16a talks about the Shedim like this:

• In three ways they are like ministering angels: They have wings like ministering angels; and they fly from one end of the world to the other like ministering angels; and they know what will be in the future like ministering angels. And in three ways they are similar to humans: They eat and drink like humans; they procreate like humans; and they die like humans. —- Babylonian Talmud Hagigah 16a

Supposedly, sinful people sacrificed their daughters to the shedim, but it is unclear if the sacrifice consisted in the murdering of the victims or in the sexual satisfaction of the demons.

The shedim are supposed to follow the dead or fly around graves.

There are many things that one is admonished not to do in order to avoid invoking shedim, such as whistling or even saying the word "shedim." Rabbi Yehudah HaChasid wrote in his tzavaah that one should not seal up windows completely because it traps shedim in the house.