The dualistic understanding of the world in the world's religious and philosophical doctrines is based, as it is known, on the idea that there are two opposite forces at the basis of the world: matter and spirit, good and evil. The demonological characters symbolizing evil to a large extent have common characteristics, in the mythology, folklore and literature of different peoples of the world, although they may be variant in folk ideas. The origin of the evil spirit, too, is explained differently by different peoples.