"Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man."
In the Manichean struggle the Devil is the ultimate
villain. No small wonder then that many supernatural stories feature this deity
as a consummate character. Whether you believe in the existence of a god or his
opposite, most people are fascinated by the idea of a being who has all the
most undesirable characteristics of human frailty. In many cultures that being
is the Devil.
The Devil (or Satan), in Christian culture is always
supposedly the fallen angel, Lucifer. But according to the bible the devil has
many names (including Amadeus and Mephistopheles) and all associated with much
evil doing. “What is thy name? My name is Legion, for we are many.” Mark 5:9
‘The Satan’ first appears in the bible as a messenger sent
by God. He was used as a catalyst in the story of Job where he acted as a
tempter and accuser. In the story of Adam and Eve he is described as a
‘powerful wicked angel’ who led the plot against humankind by tempting Eve. For
this act God threw him and his henchmen out of heaven and thus he became known
as 'the Devil who rules the kingdom of darkness and subsumes all evil powers'. He
tempts people to evil doings and is also known as ‘The Great Deceptor’ for
appearing disguised as an angel of light.
Despite the murky
origins of this so-called fallen angel we do also find the devil appearing in
other religions too (in Islam he is known as Shaitan). Whatever the truth (or
your own beliefs), everyone understands the significance of good versus evil
and the Devil (Satan or whatever) has come to be known as the personification
of evil in this world.
So, what a fabulous plot device to use in a story? The
ultimate antagonist. And because none of the origins or the stories around the
entity can be verified you can use him howsoever you wish! Such brilliant
fodder for creating conflict and suspense… And a great adversary for the
hero/heroine of a supernatural thriller story…
Have you used the Devil in your stories? Do you think it is
still acceptable in this day and age of technology to use an ancient deity?
