A tale of good versus evil, science versus religion, it was purportedly based on a true story, and is the biggest grossing horror film of all time. Codex Gigas Depictions of the devil were everywhere in medieval times, but the early 13th-century Codex Gigas — the largest medieval manuscript in existence — stands out.
The story goes that a Czech monk, challenged to copy out a whole Bible in one night or spend the rest of his life walled in his cell, supposedly sold his soul to the devil to accomplish the task. The almost two-foot-tall picture of Satan, said to have been completed by the grateful monk, has a peculiar menace down not only to its sheer size, but also to its piercing eyes and claw-like hands, stretching out as if to drag you in.
Witches were perceived as evil beings by early Christians in Europe, inspiring the iconic Halloween figure. Images of witches have appeared in various forms throughout history—from evil, wart-nosed women huddling over a cauldron of boiling liquid to hag-faced, cackling beings Live TV.
This Day In History. History Vault. The Devil in Other Religions Most other religions and cultures teach of an evil being who roams the earth wreaking havoc and fighting against the forces of good. The Devil and Hell Perhaps the most lasting images of the Devil are associated with Hell, which the Bible refers to as a place of everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. Recommended for you. How the Troubles Began in Northern Ireland.
The Mary Celeste. Zombies and the Plague. Bermuda Triangle. Was Atlantis Located in Ancient Greece? The Bible The Bible is the holy scripture of the Christian religion, purporting to tell the history of the Earth from its earliest creation to the spread of Christianity in the first century A.
Great Awakening The Great Awakening was a religious revival that impacted the English colonies in America during the s and s. Zombies The zombie, often portrayed as an undead, flesh-eating, decaying corpse, has enjoyed a popularity surge in recent years.
Werewolf Legends The werewolf is a mythological animal and the subject of many stories throughout the world—and more than a few nightmares. Inquisition The Inquisition was a powerful office set up within the Catholic Church to root out and punish heresy throughout Europe and the Americas. Each demon was associated with specific acts and sins and each was connected to a saint in heaven whose actions could override that of the demon.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, demonologists developed a complex hierarchy of demons in order to enable exorcists to identify demons and call upon the correct saint to drive the demons out of the possessed. As demons were thought to be fallen angels, their system of hierarchy mimicked that used to categorize angels. The Seraphim was the highest order of angels. Along with his horns, he is also entirely red, with a pointed beard, and carrying a pitchfork. Related: 20 of the most bizarre stories from the bible.
The devil's red tights actually originate in theatre productions. In , composer Charles Gounod adopted the folktale "Faust," which had also inspired Marlowe's earlier play, "Dr.
Faustus," into an opera, in which the devilish character of Mephistopheles wears a Renaissance-era costume, including red tights, also known as hose. In his book " A History of Opera: Milestones and Metamorphoses " Opera Journeys Publishing, , Burton Fisher wrote: "Marcel Journet sang Faust's Mephistopheles over a thousand times, providing the stereotyped image of opera characters as devils in red tights. During the 20th century, the devil continued to be re-invented by writers and filmmakers, placing him in the guise of mysterious strangers, smart businessmen and even children, as in the horror movie "The Omen".
In Mikhail Bulgakov's novel " The Master and Margarita " first published in Moskva magazine, , the devil appears as a smart but secretive stranger, who is accompanied by a talking cat. Scratch Satan fights for his right to a man's soul in a court of law. But even these modern depictions of Lucifer as a lawyer have their origins in the Middle Ages.
In an article from the journal la Revue de l'histoire des religions, Karl Shoemaker, a historian at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, described a medieval court drama in which "the devil and his hellish council selected a demon learned in the law and sent him to the court of heaven in order to sue for a legal title to the human race. This article was adapted from a previous version published in All About History magazine, a Future Ltd.
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