Devils

Text: Yvain      

Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Ms-1186 réserve, detail of f. 65r. Psalterius [psautier latin dit de saint Louis et de Blanche de Castille]. 13th century.

Descriptive Excerpts from the Text:     

"But, at any rate, so it came about that my lord came to this town, where there are two sons of the devil (do not take it as a jest) who were born of a woman and an imp. These two were about to fight with the king, whose terror was great, for he was not yet eighteen years old, and they would have been able to cleave him through like a tender lamb. So the king, in his terror, escaped his fate as best he could, by swearing that he would send hither each year, as required, thirty of his damsels, and with this rent he freed himself. And when he swore, it was agreed that this arrangement should remain in force as long as the two devils lived. But upon the day when they should be conquered and defeated in battle, he would be relieved from this tribute, and we should be delivered who are now shamefully given over to distress and misery...We shall spend our days weaving cloths of silk, without ever being better clad. We shall always be poor and naked, and shall always suffer from hunger and thirst, for we shall never be able to earn enough to procure for ourselves any better food. "   

"Thereupon, the two hideous, black sons of the devil come in, both armed with a crooked club of a cornelian cherry- tree, which they had covered with copper and wound with brass. They were armed from the shoulders to the knees, but their head and face were bare, as well as their brawny legs. Thus armed, they advanced, bearing in their hands round shields, stout and light for fighting."  

"Then they show him a small room, and say: "Shut him up in there." "It shall be done, since it is your will." Then he takes him and shuts him up. And now they bring him arms for his body, and lead out his horse, which they give to him, and he mounts."    

 Literary Context:    

Devils while despised and recognized as evil, also seem to be recognized as being on the same level as humans, and can even dominate humans systematically. Likewise, they deal in, and manipulate, human economy and they own land. The second passage shows that devils bear the same armaments as men. Yvain surprisingly follows orders from the devils quite easily in the third passage.  It appears that the only things that separate the demons from humans are their villainy (which is of course seen in human characters as well), their hybrid heritage, and that they are hideous, but not necessarily dissimilar from humans in appearance. It is their character, not their ability, that sets devils apart from men. Both representations seen here display the devils' inner evilness in their outside appearances by making them ugly and animal-like.   

Modern Representation   

A demon from Buffy Vampire Slayer. The above portrayal is monkey-like, while this one more closely resembles a ram.