Satan
Satan is a significant figure representing evil in the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faiths, known as the adversary or opponent of God. The term "Satan" originates from a word meaning "adversary," and he is tasked with testing human faith. Often referred to as the devil, he is considered the most powerful among evil beings and is associated with various names such as Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Iblis. Traditionally depicted with horns, a tail, and sometimes bat wings, Satan's image has evolved through art and literature, influenced by ancient deities.
In the biblical context, Satan appears as an accuser in God's court, notably in the Book of Job, and is involved in the temptation of Jesus in the New Testament. His origin story describes him as a fallen angel, originally named Lucifer, who refused to honor Adam and was cast out of heaven. Cultural narratives also link Satan to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, suggesting his role in humanity's fall from grace. Throughout history, Satan has been a subject of fascination, leading to various interpretations and depictions in literature and film, often highlighting themes of temptation and moral conflict.
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Subject Terms
Satan
Symbols: Pitchfork; snake; horns; forked or barbed tail
Cultures: Christian; Jewish; Islamic
Satan is the personification of evil in the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic religions. Satan means "adversary" or "opponent," and he is the adversary of God, also known as Yahweh (in Judaism) and Allah (in Islam). One of Satan’s tasks is to test the religious faith of humans. He is also known as the devil; however, Satan is usually a specific devil—specifically, the most powerful one. Other names for Satan include Lucifer, Beelzebub, Samael, Mephistopheles, and Shaitan or Iblis (in Islam). Some people do not like to use the actual name of Satan and may call him Old Nick, Scratch, the Prince of Darkness, or the Dark One.
Satan is often depicted in a human form but with horns, cloven hooves, and a pointed, forked, or barbed tail. Sometimes, he has bat wings, and he is usually depicted carrying a pitchfork.
In Mythology
Satan does not appear originally as a being with a name. Instead, he is an evil entity called the satan in the Old Testament of the Bible. God allows the satan to tempt human beings to see if their faith will fail them. The satan could only test humans within the limits that God had established. The satan appears in God’s heavenly court as an accuser or prosecutor. In the Book of Job, he is called Satan and follows God’s instructions when Yahweh tests Job by sending the man many misfortunes.
In the New Testament of the Bible, Satan is the Prince of Darkness and evil. He is the enemy of God and can make humans perform evil acts by entering their bodies and possessing them. He tempts Jesus Christ’s faith three times and is rebuffed three times. He is often called the devil in this part of the Bible.
Satan was originally an angel in the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic religions. The angel is called Lucifer in Christian tradition, and his story is told in the Book of Revelations in the New Testament. Lucifer means "light bearer" or "shining one." The angel’s name is Iblis in the Islamic Qur’an. Lucifer refuses to honor Adam, the first human made by God. Instead, Lucifer thinks that as a being of light, he is superior to a creature made of dirt. As a result, Lucifer is cast out of heaven as punishment. Some legends say he is thrown into hell; here, he rules over devils and demons. Others say that he still roams heaven and Earth, seeking to tempt humans, and that he will not descend into hell until his final battle against heaven—or alternatively, until the Day of Judgment. Iblis is thought to live within all human beings, continually tempting them.
Another myth says that the angel is cast down because he went into the Garden of Eden covered in jewels and gold. He said he would be God’s equal. Instead, he is thrown out of heaven forever.
Some scholars say that Satan is the serpent in the Garden of Eden, the one that tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, causing them to be cast from the Garden. There are those who claim that Satan, as a serpent, made Eve pregnant—and thus, that he is the father of Cain. The Islamic tradition says that Shaitan is the one who tricked Adam and Eve into eating the fruit.
Satan is identified with Beelzebub in the New Testament of the Bible. Beelzebub is the prince of evil spirits, although he is sometimes a demon. Sometimes, he is called Beelzebul, Lord of Dung, in contrast with Beelzebub, Lord of Flies.
Origins and Cults
Satan has been present in writings at least since 600 BCE; it was then that he first appeared in the Old Testament.
During the Middle Ages, witches were believed to hold black masses in honor of Satan. Black masses, which were said to be a twisted form of the Catholic Mass, sometimes involved human sacrifice.
Several religions promoting Satanism were active in the twentieth century. Some actively worshipped Satan; others did not. The most well known is the Church of Satan, founded in 1966. It promoted a belief that there is no such thing as sin and that human beings have desires that should be indulged.
Certain customs are believed to protect people from Satan. People carry charms and amulets as protection. They also recite prayers to God. Blowing the shofar, a trumpet made from a ram’s horn, during the Jewish New Year festival of Rosh Hashanah is said to confuse Satan.
Satan has been frequently portrayed in art and literature. He typically is shown with horns, hooves, and a tail. This appearance is said to be based on the ancient horned deities, such as Cernunnos and Pan. Sometimes, Satan is shown as a snake or a dragon.
In The History of Johann Faust, written in 1587 CE by an anonymous author, Faust sells his soul to Mephistopheles, the devil. In return, the devil will serve Faust for twenty-four years and give him knowledge and power. This story is retold in dramatic form at first by Christopher Marlow around 1588 and then again in the early 1800s as the famous drama, Faust, by Johann von Goethe. Operas were composed and written about Faust’s bargain with the devil in the mid-1800s.
Paradise Lost by John Milton is an epic poem published in 1667. It was originally published in ten books, and it is the story of Satan’s attempt to tempt Adam and Eve into going against God’s wishes and eating the forbidden fruit. Paradise Lost inspired the works of later poets and writers; the story was also the inspiration for many operas. Later, Milton wrote Paradise Regained, which was about Satan’s temptation of Christ.
Satan is also a popular figure in many movies and television shows, especially in horror films such as Rosemary’s Baby in 1968 and The Exorcist in 1973. Both movies were based on bestselling novels.
Bibliography
Brownrigg, Ronald. Who’s Who in the New Testament. London: Routledge, 2002. Print.
Kelly, Joseph F. Who Is Satan?: According to the Scriptures. Collegeville: Liturgical, 2013. Print.
McCraw, Benjamin. Philosophical Approaches to the Devil. New York: Routledge, 2015. Print.
McGovern, Una. Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. London: Chambers, 2007. Print.
Patai, Raphael, and Hayah Bar-Yitshak. Encyclopedia of Jewish Folklore and Traditions. Armonk: Sharpe, 2013. Print.
Schwartz, Louis. The Cambridge Companion to Paradise Lost. New York: Cambridge UP, 2014. Print.
Wickersham, John M. Myths and Legends of the World. New York: Macmillan, 2000. Print.