Demons and Satan
Basic Info
Demons
No classification of demons has been as widely accepted in Christianity as Pseudo-Dionysius’ classification of angels, so their naming and relationships have been much more idiosyncratic. Some artists depict demons as cookie-cutter copies of a traditional Satan figure with wings, horns, and a tail; others create grotesque blends of various animal and machine parts. But a question can be raised as to whether in any particular artwork a demonic creature is intended to represent a supernatural being or whether it is being used allegorically to personify a concept such as temptation in general or a particular temptation (lust, greed, etc.).
Skeletons, sometimes dancing, are often used as an allegory for death, a reminder that no matter how high or low one might be on the social ladder, death comes for us all. Beasts and monsters, sometimes looking like the stereotypical demon, are sometimes an allegory for sin. This brings us back to the classical portrayal of a demon. Is it meant to represent a supernatural being, or is it an allegory for a particular sin or temptation? In Christianity, some people have always considered demons to be external beings that can possess human beings or incite human beings to sin. But other people have understood demons to be internal states—the thoughts that keep us from attending to God, the thoughts that lead to lust, greed, etc. Today, in the developed world, the internal hypothesis is the most common: We are a highly psychologized culture. The scientific perspective would take a Jungian approach to those people who once did or still do understand demons as externalized supernatural beings and say that it is a convenient archetype with which they can wrestle and thus overcome their psychological issues or limitations.
Satan
The iconography of Satan is quite variable. Sometimes Satan is depicted with the half-goat form of a satyr, other times with a fully human form; sometimes feathery wings like an angel (going with the story of him being a fallen angel), other times leathery wings like a bat; sometimes a beautiful, attractive face like an angel (all the more tempting), other times a distorted, ugly face. But Satan can take on other forms as well. The serpent in the Garden of Eden is often understood to be Satan. Artists sometimes depict the serpent as fully serpentine, but the serpent can also appear as part serpent / part human. In these cases, sometimes the serpent is male and sometimes female.
Satan and other demons are usually depicted in Last Judgments and other depictions of hell, but they can also be present in other artworks depicting spiritual journeys. Demons became especially popular subjects as the circulation of Dante’s The Inferno became widespread in the 15th century. His descriptions of demons became the accepted idea in Western culture to this day. Satan also appears in Jesus’ Temptation in the Desert.
What to Look For
- Physical appearance (horns, tail, skeleton, goat’s legs, bat-like or bird-like wings, etc.)
- Attitude or authority (mean, tempting, beautiful, ugly, commanding, seductive, etc.)
- Actions of the demons in the artwork (subtle, overt, violent, cloying, etc.)
- Evidence of vice (lust, greed, laziness, anger, gluttony, envy, pride, etc.)
- Whether the human beings are alive or dead (in hell)
- Presence of angels
Questions to Focus a General Interpretation
How are the demons in the artwork depicted interacting with human beings? Do the human beings still have a choice about whether to accept the temptation, or are they already in hell for eternity?
Are angels also present in the artwork? Is there a supernatural battle being waged in this artwork? What role do the human beings play in the battle?
Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation
Does seeing the demons depicted in the artwork help you to become aware of the temptations in your own life, or does the visual presentation of supernatural beings distract you from an examination of conscience?
Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation
Are the demons being depicted in relationship to personal or social characteristics or evils (e.g., war, famine, pestilence, corruption, heresy, simony, etc.) that might have been a big deal in the artist’s time and place?
Based on the balance of good and evil in the artwork, what might the popular understanding of good and evil have been in the artist’s time and place?
