Demons were thought capable not only of giving people an advantage by revealing hidden information, but also of helping the unscrupulous sorcerer or his clients achieve all manner of things they wanted. These were almost always things that had socially undesirable ends. Most were serious matters—freeing someone from charges in the law courts, harming enemies, forcing women or men to have sex—but others were relatively frivolous, such as this example from a Greek medico-magical miscellany written around 1440, which employs a female demon to enhance the performance of a horse.
On the first day of the month of August, put honey and pine nuts in a bowl and different colored silks. Write on paper the words “Linomo Kouoro.”[2] Take these and go to a hill that same day and, at midday, put them on a solid rock and hide. Then the Lady of the mountains comes and says, “Who has done this nice thing for me?” And answer, “I did, and I want this and that.” And she says, “Go, may it turn out for you as you wish.” Make the silk into a ribbon and hang it on your horse’s neck. Then write on paper the words “wind blaster” and fasten it to its right hoof; and on the left front hoof “high flying eagle”; and on one of the back ones “victory”; and on the other “power.” Make these things into an amulet and hang them just as I have told you, and your horse will run like an eagle.