In colloquial language, a madman is a person who behaves in an angry way and without controlling his 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 an enchantment. In Latin, it acquired the sense of possessed or possessed.
Violent behaviors attract 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 crazy!". If someone's action is surprising for us because of its dangerousness (let's think of a case of reckless driving), one could exclaim "what a madman!".
Regardless of 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.
Possession of the devil
In ancient times certain brain ailments such as epilepsy or Huntington's chorea did not have a medical explanation. Consequently, if someone had the seizures typical of these ailments, it was believed that they had been possessed by the devil. Possessed people were called madmen. The same was true of madmen, since the origin of mental problems was considered a symptom of possession of the devil.
According to popular medieval beliefs, the devil seized 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 the devil's possession, according to which the possessed was an ally of the devil and had to be punished. In any case, the madman was dangerous and a threat to others. In certain settings, the madman could get rid of the devil's possession through an exorcism.
From the point of view of the Inquisition, maddened behavior was equally valued as proof of heresy which, as such, should also be severely punished.
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