When we hear the word "devil", it is he who was once the first among
angels; it is he who moves people to pride, to murder, to theft; it is
he who enters into a dead person, causing him to appear living, and we
call him a vrykolakas.*
- St. Kosmas the Aitolos (First Teaching)
* A vrykolakas is the Greek equivalent to the traditional vampire of European folklore, and was a commonly accepted reality among the Greek population of the 18th century, especially in rural areas. It should be noted that this word is falsely translated as "ghost" in English translations of this First Teaching of St. Kosmas.
