A common superstition throughout the Dark Ages was built on the idea that goats whispered lewd sentences in the ears of the saints. People also believed that black masses involved a black goat, the form in which the devil allegedly manifested himself for worship. In addition to that, a popular symbol in Satanism, the upside down pentagram, is described to be shaped like a goat’s head – another sign of the influence of the myth of Pan.
This image is closely related to a pagan deity called Baphomet, a name you might have heard about in connection with the Knights Templar who were accused, among other things, to worship an idol of the same name (though no mention of Baphomet was found either in the Templar Rules or any Templar documents), which became one of the most important excuses for the then ruling King of France to suppress the order of the Templar Knights.
Most of them were simultaneously arrested and tortured into confessions (it happened on October 13th, 1307, by the way, a Friday, and, as far as I was able to find out, one – perhaps the main – reason why many people today are wary of any Friday 13th – if an order as powerful as the Templar Knights could be destroyed in one clean sweep, then that day had to be a cursed one… and a superstition was born). As most papers are gone, we will never learn the truth about the Templar connection to the satan-like figure of Baphomet.
‘That one looks like Cate Blanchett’
The painting Dean looks at with Bobby in “Sympathy For The Devil,” commenting on the resemblance of the Archangel Michael to one of the finest actresses of our time (to be found in the church Santa Maria della Concezione in Rome, created by painter Guido Reni in the seventeenth century) points us to another role the devil supposedly played – that of a warrior, an opponent of the heavenly host.
Because – there was a war in heaven…
‘Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was not longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world – he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him’ (Revelations 12:7-9)
The book of Revelation includes passages pointing to a war in Heaven. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia the prophet speaks of ‘the great conflict at the end of time (the Apocalypse), which reflects also the battle in heaven at the beginning of time.’ It also comments that the Archangel Michael’s name ‘was the war-cry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven’.
Enter Dean…
Several diverging myths are linked to the motif of the casting down of Satan, and, according to the story here, it was the Archangel Michael who did it, at a conclusion of a war between two battling groups of angels.
Some theologians maintain that before his fall Lucifer was the foremost of all angels, though not belonging to the highest angels such as the Seraphim or Cherubim, but to a lower order of angels, the ones chosen to contact humankind.
Judeo-Christian religions tell stories about angelic beings cast down from heaven by God, among them Lucifer. Probably the brilliancy of the morning star, as I mentioned before, which eclipses all other stars, but is not seen during the night, may have given rise to myths like Satan striving to make his throne higher than the clouds – his own hubris brought him down, a common disorder with angels (and archangels) of all kinds, it seems – at least in Supernatural’s universe.
However, the probably most fascinating tales of the devil were created by John Milton and Dante Alighieri. Their works clearly influenced the depiction of the situation the Winchesters were thrown into – with Milton, the devil is believed to have been an archangel who turned against God long before the creation of man (and, by the way, John Milton names the devil only three times Lucifer, but calls him Satan far more often).
The Infernal Lost Paradise
In his epic poem Paradise Lost from the 17th century Milton addresses the story of the fall of man, as Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan and eventually forced to leave Eden.
Satan’s story begins after he and his rebelling angels have been defeated in a terrible fight and cast down by God – to hell, or, as Milton named it, Tartarus: a nod to ancient legends – in Greek mythology the Tartarus is at once a deity and a place, the entity from which the light and the cosmos are born, also a place of punishments to fit the crime. Homer has Zeus declare in the Iliad that Tartarus is ‘as far beneath Hades as heaven is high above the earth’, the lowest pit imaginable, inhabited by famous sinners such as Sisyphus or Tantalus (from his torment and name the word ‘tantalize’ derives).
In the epic, after having discussed the possibility of waging another war in heaven, Satan organizes his forces and seeks to bring on the downfall of man and the newly created earth with him. God, for all that, declares that the fall can only come to pass on account of man’s free will, whereby He rid himself of responsibility. The Son of God offers himself as a ransom for man’s expected disobedience, which God accepts. This will determine His Son’s future punishment.
As Satan arrives at the rim of the universe, disguised as an angel, he is led to earth by Uriel, the guardian of the sun. Satan finds Adam and Eve and attempts several times to influence them, but is discovered and intercepted by the angels Gabriel and Raphael. Eventually, Satan disguises himself as a sleeping serpent and tempts Eve to eat from the forbidden tree. It ends as we know it – being expelled from paradise, and it is Michael who delivers the divine sentence.
Supernatural’s writers obviously have read their Milton well.
Satan is introduced as a failed rebel, who could not stomach the fact that he was a created being and not self-sufficient, denying God’s authority. He is artful, disingenuous, self-pitying and megalomaniacal. Unlike the Biblical image of the devil, though, Milton’s Satan feels guilt and doubt before he tricks Eve, knowing the results of his actions will curse innocents, and the reader almost feels sympathy for him, a move wonderfully used in the portrayal of Mark Pellegrino’s or Jared Padalecki’s Lucifer.
Dante, on the other hand, shows us a different devil – in his Inferno (part one of the Divine Comedy, written in the 14th century), Satan is a giant beast, frozen in ice, mid-breast, in the ninth circle of hell, a place reserved for traitors de luxe. For committing the ultimate treason – betraying God – Satan is condemned to the very center of hell.
In Dante’s universe, Satan has three faces, one red, one black, one pale yellow, each having a mouth that chews on classical traitors (Judas (who betrayed Jesus), Brutus and Cassius (responsible for Julius Caesar’s death)). Being waist deep in ice, he desperately tries to escape, beating his six wings in vain (instead freezing the ice even more), weeping tears from his three pairs of eyes.
This Satan, however, is not the powerful master we’ve heard of in other tales. Dante’s Satan is pathetic, slobbering, mute and subject to punishment in hell just as any other sinner there. ‘Were he as fair once, he now is foul.’ The reason for his punishment, though, is similar to other stories – it was his desire to be as powerful as God, and he is forever punished for his betrayal, thereby his fate lies at the opposite pole of what he wished for the most. He is stuck in ice, his once glorious body reduced to its most atrocious air, for all eternity. He might be huge and enormous in appearance, but he is, in fact, miserable and forced to be silent. He wanted a voice over God, now he is voiceless.
While I was researching for this article and learning about the various images of Lucifer, I began to wonder whether in Dante’s rather poetical punishment of Satan might lie a way to defeat him.
Have you ever experienced silence? True silence, the kind that does not even hold far away shrieks of birds or rustling of tree leaves… like it must be in the Arctic… a sea of ice, swallowing any sound, a silence so powerful and deep that it just might cause your ears to bleed and our mouth to dry…. A special kind of hell, is it not? What if the devil needs to be imprisoned in a place where his power will not be multiplied by the screeches of the tortured, the abandoned and desperate…?
None of the legends and myths I touched on clearly describe the way Lucifer was conquered. He was smitten by God himself or by some angels. Let’s hope our warriors of light will find an effective method to fight the devil, a task that requires knowledge, recklessness and a – not too small – dash of downright insanity, I suppose, as the enemy is as horrific as it gets – his charisma is undisputed, but it shed its brilliant skin and is enormous, grim and atrocious.
If this was once a beautiful angel, all there is left is of a darker shade. He is a symbol of and for the Apocalypse, a representative of celestial bodies that fell as flaming dragons from the sky and turned earth into Lucifer’s hell with fire and explosions. He is a seducer, a whispering flatterer, a vampire who feeds on humans’ desires, a powerful deceiver, dangerous and evil beyond description – and to be taken on by two brothers and their friends in arms.
Wow … what an article!
It is a fascinating subject as when people talk about the Devil such a clear image arises yet when you dig deeper into the origins of the myth Lucifer becomes a more and more vague figure, obsecure and illusive.
I think that SPN’s Lucifer borrows heavily from Milton, lurking in disguise to lure his prey, filled with a self-righteous and convinced that he was right and has been mistreated and wrong all for doing the right thing, for loving too much.
I can’t wait to see where SPN takes Lucifer, how they’re going to develop the character. he’s so convinced everything is going to work out just as he planned, it will be interesting to see how he expects that to happen and what he will do if it doesn’t.
Also I did theology at University and my Medieval professor said that the systematic destruction of the templars on one day over several continents on Friday 13th is the origin behind the superstition. I’d love it if SPN could work that in, it would be a great nod!
Jas, what’s wrong with you? I was trying to enjoy this as I read it but was slowly being overtaken by a Luciferian jealousy, that I wish I had written this, grumble.
Stupendous stuff, and I love how the writers have taken from bits here and there, whether overt layers or not, or merely from their own experiences and contact with various stories. Isn’t of feeling dogmatic, it’s almost an Impressionist piece. Sure, Lucifer exists, but it’s the general vibe of evil permeating everything, so much more than a list of stock villains.
Hell yeah, toss some Templar stuff in there; already had a nod to Alistair, why not that, some Eliphas Levi, too, funky magic.
Really, really cool article, Jas! Someone really did their homework! The myths and legends and source materials behind the story of Lucifer are just so fascinating. Thank you so much for putting them together in one cohesive piece.
I’m also kind of glad that they all have such ambiguous methods for defeating or entrapping Lucifer because that means the SPN writers can really take the material and make it their own, not that they’re afraid of doing that in any other instance, of course. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!
Bethany, Randal, Dany and Ardeospina, thank you, friends!
I know the end of hellatus is on everyone’s mind right about now, and any moment y’all be watching the new episode (sigh, I’ll have to wait till tomorrow…quote Randal: ‘grumble’), and still you took the time to read this. Honoured!
Bethany, I am always hugely fascinated by the myths behind a figure, and the image of Lucifer as we know it today connects so many from all cultures that it was enormous fun to shape it into this piece.
The mysteries behind the Templar order are also deeply intriguing, and you will probably concur after your brush with them in University. This is not a history-site, else I’d love to write on that, also, hehehe….
Randal, well, what can I say? Thank you would be a good start… I need to put all those books that inhabit my rooms to some good use… You haven’t turned green, have you? 😉
Dany, dear, I think you have mentioned that you like my writing, but please, do so whenever you please – I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t like to hear it. I do. And I deeply appreciate it…so thank you!
Ardeospina, I’m equally curious to see what the writers will come up with to bring down the devil…
Can you imagine the fun I had putting this together? great, great fun…
And now, let’s get on that episode-eleven-horse. It’s certainly going to be a hell of a ride…
:D, Jas
Jas, I like your writing!
This was so interesting. I had done some research myself ages ago, and there are so many different interpretations of the devil. But they all come down to the same thing: he´s evil, period.
And, yes, Jared and Mark deliver him brilliantly!
You know, what came to my mind while reading this? How about an article about God?
Love, Lara
I am fascinated by all the research you must have done and how brilliantly written this piece is! Well done!
I am fairly new to this site. I randomly found it one day, and I’m glad I did! Hope to read more articles from you, and many others on this site 🙂 Ooh, I agree with FreeBird, a God article! Maybe we can hear your take on why some angels believe that “God have left the building”?
And don’t be sad about not getting to watch the episode today, if it makes you feel any better, I’m *supposed* to be studying for my exams, so I have to refrain from watching tv for the next six days or so :”'(
Hey, cathy1967, Freebird and gentlesoul, thank you so much!
Cathy1967, I believe there is always more than one side to any matter and I was trying to shed some light on the great enemy…
Lara and gentlesoul – would you please stay out of my head, ladies? You inadvertently guessed one of my next projects – I’ve already started working on an article on God. I’m a yin and yang person. So, finding out whether God really left the building only seems organic.
Thank you for expressing your wishes for that!
So – God it is…
Lara, I think that evil is (just about like pretty much everything else) in the eye of the beholder, and everyone might find some aspects of Lucifer meaningful while others don’t… there are even worshippers out there…
gentlesoul, welcome to this site and thank you for your kind words!
Just go to the archives and start reading, so many fine writers have given us some a lot of brain food… You’re gonna need time, though.
Also not watching? For me it’s only waiting till tonight (hopefully I’ll be online by ten pm, finally and watch the show, when practically everyone else will have watched it five times already….), but you will have to wait for another six days? Oh, you have my most heartfelt sympathy… But, if I recall my own exam-periods (hell-time, indeed)… you need to take the odd break to let your mind rest a bit. Supernatural could provide some needed distraction…
:-); Jas
Don’t worry, if I’ve turned green, I’m sure there’s a pill for that.
A god article, eh? We promise we won’t pressure you to hurry up on that. Left the building. God is Elvis, I knew it! Thankyouverymuch.
Oh Randal, Elvis was turned into a vampire and strolling around Louisiana, with a drug-dead brain, and everybody calls him Bubba…
8-),Jas
Hang on a sec, Jas, I’m copying it down, there’s a loon-addled sonnet in there somewhere. 😉
There once was a loony from Memphis
Who wondered how he would end this
He spent all his money
On booze, drugs and honey,
Till he enjoyed a vamp’s kiss
Awwwwwwwh,Randal, kill me now… :roll::
There once was a loony from Deutschland
Who wondered why Elvis was so grand
It wasn’t a tramp stamp vamp
Or a jelly donut-ed ramp
But TVs shot by his own hand.
We should go on tour. 😀
When Randal and Jas did a tour
For insanity’s mess found a cure
They had so much fun
Vamps came undone
And more things went all obscure…
We should! I’m dying from laughter. My patients will indeed find out I’m a kook
😆
Christ woman!! (excuse the pun)
I want to live in your brain. Seriously 🙂
This was a fascinating meta of the Big Bad himself.
I’m familiar with the Milton& Dante sagas by a mere glimps alone (know the basic gist of things) but what you have written here makes very intriguing pondering indeed. What will TPTB of SPN make off all this… The sky is the limit and I’m now even more mezmerized by the possibilities. You have “pinned” Luce down quite nicely (as if that ever could be done) and he is potrayed amazingly in our Show. Mark and Jared are phenomenal (and so are the others you mentioned) in the way that they make you feel sympathy and unease at the same time. I can’t wait to see him again in the show. And more angels too, new angels. I can’t wait to see some more angel on angel (fallen or none) interaction. On a side note: It would have been so cool to see Uriel stand by Lucifer. Where are Lucifers rebel angels anyway?
And we haven’t even seen Michael yet! I can’t wait to meet him and get his side on this whole story. I hope you do a piece on him too.
But THANK YOU for this. I really love this article
Randal & Jas: 😀 😀 😀
Yay, a God-article!!!
Enjoy the veal, be sure to tip your waitress.
Supernarttu, a-ha! Where *are* his fellow cast-thee-downs? We’ve had bits of angel-on-angel violence, and I can’t imagine that ALL of it was done by heavenly rebels, the old guard had to be in the mix as well.
Supernarttu, thank you so much! I can’t believe the great response to this meta piece. It is very meta, you know… Wonderful, like taking a bath in honey… (no, Randal, don’t say it…)
I agree, I’d also love to see more angels, well, some nice angel-on-angel violence… Ali and Forman? Bring it?
So, an article on Michael? Oh dear, thank God I’ve brought all my books…
Randal, could I ask (since I’m not always familiar with US-puns… this ‘enjoy the veal’ – any special meaning to it? What exactly does it mean? :-), Jas
Hi Jasminka
Finally! I was able to read your article. All I can say is its Fantastic.
I’m not very learned on the topic so it was interesting to read about the different beliefs.
Hey Jas and Randal if you want I can try and arrange bookings for you.
I think there might be some openings in the Glenwood Spring Psychiatric Hospital, however I think The Roosevelt Asylum is still closed for renovations. 😎
Love the verses!
Karen, thank you!! I’m happy you found time to read this despite all that other stuff you have to do!And I’m happy you liked it!
You could actually book us into Glenwood, I’d prefer wraiths and not loony shrinks… Randal will just have to concur…
Love, Jas