Devil In Popular Culture on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The
The Devil
A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
(Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
, Lucifer
The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology.
He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...
, Samael
Samael (; , ''Sammāʾēl'', "Venom of God"; , ''Samsama'il'' or , ''Samail''; alternatively Smal, Smil, Samil, or Samiel) is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic tradition; a figure who is the accuser or adversary (Satan#Judaism, Satan ...
, Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles ( , ), also known as Mephostophilis or Mephisto, is a demon featured in German folklore, originating as the chief devil in the Faust legend. He has since become a stock character appearing in Mephistopheles in the arts and popular ...
, Iblis
Iblis (), alternatively known as Eblīs, also known as Shaitan, is the leader of the Shayatin, devils () in Islam. According to the Quran, Iblis was thrown out of Jannah#Jinn, angels, and devils, heaven after refusing to prostrate himself bef ...
) appears frequently as a character in literature and other media. In Abrahamic religions
The term Abrahamic religions is used to group together monotheistic religions revering the Biblical figure Abraham, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The religions share doctrinal, historical, and geographic overlap that contrasts them wit ...
, the figure of the Devil or Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
personifies evil.Kurtz, Lester R., 2007, ''Gods in the Global Village: The World's Religions in Sociological Perspective'', Pine Forge Press, , p. 153. Depictions of the devil first became prominent in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
in the 6th century when the Council of Constantinople officially recognized Satan as part of the Christian belief system.Wyman, Kelly J. (2004) "The Devil We Already Know: Medieval Representations of a Powerless Satan in Modern American Cinema," Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 8: Iss. 3, Article 7.
When Satan is depicted in movies and television, he is often associated with various symbols, whether as a motif or in his physical design or costume. These include horns, tails, and wings. Satan is also associated with or may take the form of snakes, dragons, goats, or dogs. The color red is another common symbol, and may be incorporated by showing Satan with red skin, hair, or clothing. When trying to blend in or deceive someone, he is often represented as an ordinary human being, and sometimes only his voice is heard.
Although in medieval art Satan appears in forms of various genders, stations, or ages, in cinema of the United States he is most often male. Approximately a hundred million Americans believe in the devil.
See also
*Deal with the Devil
A deal with the Devil is a cultural motif exemplified by the legend of Faust and the figure of Mephistopheles, as well as being elemental to many Christian traditions. According to traditional Christian belief about witchcraft, the pact is ...
* Genies in popular culture
* Inverted cross
The inverted cross, also known as the upside-down cross, is a symbol that has been used in both Christian and anti-Christian contexts. Historically, it is most commonly associated with Saint Peter, who, according to tradition, was crucified upsi ...
* List of fictional Antichrists
* List of fictional demons
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
* Satan (disambiguation)
Satan is an embodiment of antagonism, often synonymous with the Devil.
Satan, Satanael, Satanas, or Satanás may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* Satan (Image Comics), a character of the comic-book series ''Spawn''
Literature
* Sa ...
* Trigon
* Works based on Faust
Faust has inspired artistic and cultural works for over four centuries. The following lists cover various media to include items of historic interest, enduring works of high art, and recent representations in popular culture. The entries represent ...
References
Further reading
* * * {{Relphilpop Demons in popular culture Lists of songs about a topic Literature lists Satan Fictional violinists The Devil in classical music Fiction about the Devil Christianity in popular culture