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Devil in the arts and popular culture

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This page is about the Devil in popular fiction, in general. See Satan in literature for references to the Devil exclusively in literature.

Satan appears frequently as a character in works of literature and popular culture. Sometimes, the reference is oblique, and satanic characters may exhibit attributes of Satan without the connection being made explicit.[citation needed] In Christian tradition the figure of Satan, or the devil, personifies evil. By the mid-twentieth century Satan had become just a metaphor to most people in Western cultures. However Satan still had a role in culture as a representation of evil. Popular interest in Satan increased towards the end of the twentieth century, with films like The Omen and The Exorcist drawing large audiences. Today Satan remains a common figure in popular culture.[1]

Entertainment

Literature

Main article: Satan in literature
a typical modern depiction of Satan in likeness of a goat with horns and goatee

Devil's Dictionary definition

Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary gives a satirical definition of Satan:

SATAN, n. One of the Creator's lamentable mistakes, repented in sackcloth and ashes. Being instated as an archangel, Satan made himself multifariously objectionable and was finally expelled from Heaven. Halfway in his descent he paused, bent his head in thought a moment and at last went back. "There is one favor that I should like to ask," said he.
"Name it."
"Man, I understand, is about to be created. He will need laws."
"What, wretch! You, his appointed adversary, charged from the dawn of eternity with hatred of his soul — you ask for the right to make his laws?"
"Pardon; what I have to ask is that he be permitted to make them himself."
It was so ordered.

Satan in film and television

In the film Legend, the devil is characterized in the Lord of Darkness.

Generally when Satan is depicted in movies and television, he is represented as a red-skinned man with horns on his head, hoofs, tail, and pitchfork, while often he is represented as a plain human being, and, in rare instances, only his voice is heard.

Including Satan as a personification of evil holds many narrative opportunities. Others have portrayed a human character's struggles with Satan to mark human foibles and failings in the attempt to live a good life — for example, Bedazzled (1967, remade 2000) and Oh, God! You Devil (1984). And in the horror/suspense genre, including Satan provides for a gripping, nearly all-powerful foe, as seen in The Omen trilogy. He can also be seen in someplaces throughout the movie "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" (2006) resulting in a battle at the end with Jack and KG.

Television

  • In most cartoons, when a character is faced with a decsision, two miniature figures appear on their shoulders, a devil, and an angel, to tell them what to do.
  • In many popular shows such as Family Guy, Futurama (Robot Devil), The Simpsons, Robot Chicken, and most other Adult Swim shows have references or appearances of Satan.

South Park

  • In the popular Comedy Central show South Park, Satan has made many appearances. One of the most memoriable appearances was in the 1999 movie South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. Where he was Saddam Hussein's quote unquote bitch. Hes has made five or more appearences in the series most of all the appearences he has a boyfriend except for the episode intitaled "Damian" (The episode he first appeared in) and the latest episode "Hell on Earth 2006". His son also made an apearence in the season one episode "Damian".

Music

  • The musical interval of an Augmented 4th is sometimes known as tritone and "The Devil In Music" (lat. Diabolus in musica), a name given to it circa. 1400, given its unusual sound. Composers were encouraged to stay away from the interval, and whilst it is sometimes found in non-religious music of the time, it was never used in religious music until the existing system of keys came into use.
  • Satan was notably portrayed as "a man of wealth and taste" in the song Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones.
  • Black metal is sometimes considered Satan's "official music" in modern times.
  • Supposedly, satanic messages have been recorded backwards in songs. It has been alleged that Led Zeppelin's song "Stairway to Heaven" includes Satanic references.

Comics

  • In DC and Vertigo comics, the figure of the devil is portrayed by Lucifer Morningstar, the fallen angel and former ruler of hell.
  • In Marvel Comics, a "Lucifer" has been mentioned in some comics as being a hell lord with the same "Fall from Heaven" backstory. In the recent Ghost Rider series, Johnny Blaze faces a demon who claims to be Lucifer. In the past, several high-level demons, such as Mephisto, Azazel, Marduk Kurios, and Satanish, have claimed to be the Biblical Satan.
  • The webcomic casey and andy has satan portrayed as not only female, but one of the title character's girlfriend

U.S. Justice

In 1971, Gerald Mayo brought a civil rights action in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against Satan and his servants who allegedly placed deliberate obstacles in Mayo's path and caused Mayo's downfall. In this U.S. court's written opinion, the court did not deny the existence of Satan; rather, the court asserted that it was unlikely that Satan was ever present in the geographic area included in the Western District of Pennsylvania, stating, "We question whether plaintiff may obtain personal jurisdiction over the defendant in this judicial district." In what was clearly a jocular reference to The Devil and Daniel Webster, the court implied that Satan might live in New Hampshire, stating, "While the official reports disclose no case where this defendant has appeared as defendant there is an unofficial account of a trial in New Hampshire where this defendant filed an action of mortgage foreclosure as plaintiff." This appears to be the only published legal case in the United States regarding the existence of Satan and, at present, the United States' official position would seem to be that Satan may exist and, if so, Satan might be found in New Hampshire.

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ^ Kurtz, Lester R., 2007, Gods in the Global Village: The World's Religions in Sociological Perspective, Pine Forge Press, ISBN 1-412-92715-3, p. 153.
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