In colloquial language, a madman is a person who behaves in an angry manner and without controlling their emotions. On the other hand, a madman is an individual who has been possessed by the devil, although this meaning is in disuse.
As for its etymology, it comes from the Greek energoumenos, which can be translated as a person who suffers from an enchantment. In Latin, it acquired the meaning of demoniac or possessed.
Violent behaviors draw attention because they pose a threat to others
In this way, when a behavior is brutal and excessive, the person who carries it out can be considered a madman.
Sometimes, it is used with the intention of appeasing someone who is excited for some reason and in that context it would be said “don’t be mad!” If someone’s action is surprising to us because of its dangerousness (think of a case of reckless driving) we could exclaim “what a madman!”
Apart from its use in colloquial language, from a psychological point of view, a madman is someone who cannot control his anger. Psychologists classify this type of behavior as a disorder, specifically Intermittent Explosive Disorder or IED.
devil’s possession
In ancient times, certain brain ailments such as epilepsy or Huntington’s Chorea did not have a medical explanation. Consequently, if someone presented the convulsions typical of these ailments, it was believed that he had been possessed by the devil. Possessed people were called madmen. The same happened with the insane, since the origin of mental problems was considered a symptom of possession by the devil.
According to popular medieval beliefs, the devil took possession of his victims against their will due to their misconduct and, therefore, possession was considered a form of punishment (we could say that the madman was guilty of his madness). .
There was another interpretation of devil possession, according to which the possessed was an ally of the devil and had to be punished. In any case, the madman was someone dangerous and a threat to others. In certain scenarios, the madman could free himself from the possession of the devil through an exorcism.
From the point of view of the Inquisition, mad behavior was also valued as proof of heresy that, as such, should also be severely punished.
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