Pagans: Satan's appearance a deliberate effort to smear the Horned God?

Question

It occurs to me that no where in the bible does it say what Satan looks like.

The idea of a being with horns does not appear to be biblical.

Might this have been an effort to smear the Horned God?

Answer 1

There is a DVD that may interest you, it is called Witchcraft the rebirth of an old religion by Raymond Buckland.It has many interesting facts on how Christianity has aimed many such smear tactics on us over the years.
You are right, our horned god was like the god of the hunt. And no mention of the devil is made in the old testament, until they had a reason to put him there, to smear the faith of the Pagans and to keep their converts too afraid to go back to their pagan roots when they realized praying to the christian god bore no fruit, and placed so many constraints upon them. Pagan originally meant from the country, and heathen, from the heath. The kings queens and priests of the early years barely took a step without consulting a witta( wise one).
As Christianity began amongst the upper classes in the towns and cities, everyone else was labeled a Pagan, naturally trends of the day took longer to trickle out to the country folk,as it still does today,
The typical pointed hat was dubbed a Pagan or witches hat because it was outdated.
When people stopped converting to Christianity, they went into using the kind of fear tactics, that they continue to rely on today!
Knocking down our places of worship, and building their own churches on the same spots, thus forcing everyone who wished to worship, to do so in a christian building. Much the same as they placed their holy days on ours. So to hijack them from us! Imbolic was changed to saint Brigid's day, Yule to Christmas, and Ostera to Easter.
One custom of the Pagans was to grab their pitch forks brooms and in fact any long stick, and head out one moonlit night to the newly planted fields....once there they would leap and dance with these sticks, believing they were showing the crops how high they should grow, hence we have the misconception that witches fly on broomsticks!
The smear campaign was that they were in fact blighting the crops!
I could discuss this topic for hours!
It really annoys me why these historical facts are just brushed off by today's Christians as though they never happened!
One would think that if they desired to create a religion designed to overtake the world ...that they would at least be original!
Any way try to get your hands on a copy of the DVD....Perhaps one of your Pagan friend from your side of the world has a copy they could send you!
Its a new version of a 25 yr old Video!
Bright Blessings!
Ariel
)O(

Answer 2

Yes, it was. When Christianity was brought into the Pagan countries in an attempt to demonize their gods they took figures such as Pan and Baal and created Satan in their image. Often when people were on trial for witchcraft they were accused of worshipping Satan. When they would respond that this was untrue they were asked if they worshipped a horned God. This was usually evidence enough that they were worshipping Satan.
Also as a side note, when they wanted to convert the Pagan areas they would often simply change the name of Pagan images to coincide with Christianity, making alterations where necessary. For example a statue of Zeus became Jesus or God. (If you look you will be amazed how much they look alike!) The Goddess became Mary etc...
In some of the Celtic areas the people were unwilling to let go of their God's and Goddesses so easily so they would rewrite things to include the deities they had become so attached to. Eg. Brighid became St. Brigit. It's a fascinating and often sad history. So many important Pagan places of worship and symbols were destroyed. If you wish to know any more I will be happy to answer anything I know. I am still learning but I am happy to share whatever knowledge I have;).

Answer 3

Using the description of the Horned God from Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_God

and

The only reference in the Bible giving any description of Satan that I know of is Ezekiel 28:12-19. It also shows (his) influence over a king, the King of Tyrus.

The descriptions do not match at all so I am led to believe that the association of Satan with the Horned God was an attempt to demonize the Horned God (pardon the pun).

That this was an attempt by medieval church leaders to "smear" the Horned God and (his) followers is clear. I am certain that it was. I am also certain that the church leadership in medieval times was corrupt seeing that they kept the scriptures locked away from the common people in a dead language in order to secure their seat of authority by maintaining the ignorance of common folk, something that neither Christ nor his Apostles did since they dwelt exclusively amongst the common people and taught them.

At the risk of offending someone, I must however add that I do not endorse the worship of such a god or any god which is an invisionment of created things. I personally choose to worship the Creator whose essence is pure energy or magnetism which Jesus described as Love; a force that holds everything together, in the physical realm, in the spiritual realm and in the affairs of mankind. Anything less, in my opinion, is simply the personification of an idea.

Answer 4

Yes and no.

The idea that followers of pre-existing polytheistic religions "worshipped demons" began with Pauline theology.

The Horned God, while based on earlier deities like Cernunnos and Herne, began with Wicca in 1950's England. Cernunnos and Herne are usually depicted with antlers, not horns.

Depictions of Satan as horned, winged, goatfooted, etc., date to the early Middle Ages and seem to be based on the Greek depictions of Pan. Descriptions of a Horned God in European folklore are contiguous with the Inquisition and frankly, it's hard to tell what's real and what was suggested by the torturers themselves.

However, ancient petroglyphs and amulets in Northern Europe show *priests* of the Old Ones wearing horned helmets, and figures that may be godhs were *also* sometimes depicted the same. But the most common signifier of godhood in a petroglyphic figure was an *erect penis* . . . :-)

Answer 5

It probably emerged during the Middle Ages and the Age of Inquisition when Christian clergy seemed more interested in writing about Satan and demons than about Christianity as a way of bullying people into conversion to Christianity. Although angelology and demonology (lore, mysticism, and magic about angels and demons) is not a part of traditional Biblical lore, it was a part of Jewish religion--particularly mystical and magical forms of the religion that some scholars say was influenced by Babylonian culture (introduced and incorporated into Jewish belief systems by those groups who were in captivity in Babylon). According to legend, Satan was an angel who led a revolt in heaven and was cast out of it. There is much for metaphorical contemplation in the legend, which i won't digress on here. Later, during the medieval era and the Inquisition, the idea of Satan took on another form and was associated with various horned nature/fertility spirits. Goats were considered inauspicious, maligned animals anyway in Biblical times (from where the term "scape goat" comes). Also forms of other's gods typically are demonized by other cultures. This is seen in cultures worldwide (eg, some beneficent gods of Hinduism are considered to be demons in Tibetan Buddhism). Although Satanism is a real "religion," medieval Christians probably had more to do with creating it than pagans. It did not exist until medieval Christian theologians and Inquisitors started writing about it and accusing people of practicing it. Also the pentagram, used in Wicca, Alchemy, Magic, and in Tantric Eastern mysticism does not represent Satan. It represents the 5 senses and sense objects (smelling, tasting, seeing, feeling, hearing/earth, water, fire, air, space) and also represents the "limbs" of a person and numerous other correspondences related to the number 5. The Babylonian god Ea--who comes down the ages to us as Capricornus--had a fishes tale and body of a goat. It was the most important deity of the Babylonians and symbolized the all-pervading divine power--with the ability range from the depths to the heights of existence. It was associated with the deity Dionysius, which was associated with the deity Pan, etc.

Answer 6

Exactly. The only Horned God in the Near East was Pan of the Greeks. The Roman slave population who helped propel their faith into state faith-hood were mostly Germanic and/or Celtic which had a great Horned God. Lucifer Morningstar, the original Satan, was a beautiful being since he was an angel.

Answer 7

Yes.. Conquering religions frequently either demonize a religious symbol of the conquered religion, as with the Horned One, and with the serpent, which was a very important symbol associated with the divine feminine in pre-Judeo Christian cultures, OR, if a symbol or holy day has so much importance and goodness in the minds and hearts of the conquered people that it is impossible to demonize it, they absorb it into their own culture and claim it as theirs, such as Christmas, Easter, baptism, etc.

Great Question!!!!!

Bright Blessings,
Lady Morgana )0(

Answer 8

bingo. that has been the point for quite awhile. along with other christian "beliefs". lets see ostara -> easter, samhain -> all saints day, yule/ winter solstice -> christmas, several gods/goddesses -> various saints, using incense at mass, the altar, mother mary, satan. ever been to a catholic mass? the whole thing reeks of paganism. once saw a bumper sticker that said "christianity has pagan dna". where do you think they got that from. during the crusades? convert to our religion or we will kill you? nice, huh. then i guess they thought about it and decided, hmm maybe if we perverse their religion and take some of their beliefs and make them our own, then they will convert...

Answer 9

You don't know your Bible, Hun; for it says that satan can appear as an angel of LIGHT, that he may deceive many; even the elect, if it were possible! (it's NOT, btw)....

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

11:15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Answer 10

YEP! Christians did that sort of thing to alot of the Pagan Gods and Goddesses in order to try to smash the religion and convert people.