This may be a dumb question, but I was just wondering how people came to picture Satan as being a red guy with horns and a pointy tail (sometimes even cloven feet).
Anyone know?
2007-06-18 07:40:38 · 18 answers · asked by I'm Still Here 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Horns (and possibly tail) would come from the pagan image of Pan, most likely. The red bit, I'm not sure.
2007-06-18 07:44:15 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good question. Since "satan" is a description - not a name. Satan means adversary. One of his nicknames is Lucifer. Which means "light bringer." The Jewish Encyclopedia online sites his (theoretically) true name as Samael - which means Poison of God.
Do you think my step-mom hates me since she gave me a pendant that said Samael on it for Christmas one year?
I love history. Historically speaking, we humans are very simple minded. The idea of a beautiful angel being absolutely evil is not something we are equipped to deal with. So we have to paint him as the antithesis of that beauty.
Which really does us more harm than good.
True evil isn't ugly. True evil isn't as obvious as a red guy with horns and a pointy tail. True evil is a lot more seductive. Subtle.
I read in a book about witchcraft some years back that the idea of satan as some guy with a tail and horns came about as Christianity's way of curtailing the cults of Pan.
But as I mentioned, I love history, this idea of satan as a guy with horns and a tail goes farther back. Horned deities (such as Tammuz) were very popular in Babylon during the time of the Jewish captivity. It's very likely they envisioned these deities as their satan, their adversary.
Nice try, Celtic Rose, but the Jews never made it to England or Scotland. So they would have had no knowledge Cernunnos to pass on to the Christians as we evolved from them.
2007-06-18 07:59:23 · answer #2 · answered by Max Marie, OFS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pagan horned gods for the horns and hooves. The color red is associated with many pagan gods, like Odin, Freyja, Brigit, Mithra, and many others. The tail represents a reptillian aspect. Serpents were revered by many pagan people.
2007-06-18 07:55:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A mix of different sources; it's changed over the years. Most notably Pan and in general fauns and perhaps satyrs. Though the trident might have come from Poseidon. Remember that the first New Testament was written in Greek.
2007-06-18 07:43:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Satan came from a picture of Paris Hilton as a baby.
2007-06-18 07:49:15 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Talmud claims that Satan was created on the sixth day of creation. (Berechith Rabba, 17).
When Satan was created he was one of the most beautiful angels God created. With satans sin against God, the corrupt soul of satan surely changed into something else. The beauty of Gods creation is at its twisted sickest when it comes to satan. The change into something ugly and wretched are the images that people have today that are telltale to show Gods creation can turn into horrific sights when one turns away from God.
Is an image of satan..................
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Heads-of-Evil-Demons-Theumis-Asmodeus-and-the-Incubus-Illustrations-from-The-Magus-Pub-1801-Posters_i1349292_.htm
2007-06-18 08:06:35 · answer #6 · answered by white_painted_lady 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Pagan Pan which was a little goat-man looking dude.
Also came from early depictions of dragons.
2007-06-18 07:44:24 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
sumtime in the middle ages thats what my big sis just told me its bc if u look at the art thruout history thats where you can see his image start to be with horns and a pointy tail and stuff!!!
2007-06-18 07:50:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
From a picture of George Bush.
2007-06-18 08:38:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have no idea he was an angel. I do not imaging he had horns or a tail.
2007-06-18 07:45:48 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋