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Meaning of the word mephistopheles
Mephistopheles in the crossword dictionary
New explanatory and word-formative dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.
Mephistopheles
Devil appearing in the form evil spirit(in fiction and folklore of the peoples of Europe).
Usage as a symbol of the denial of moral principles and good principles in man.
Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998
Mephistopheles
MEPHISTOPHELES (Mephisto) (German: Mephistopheles) devil, the image of an evil spirit in folklore and artistic creativity peoples of Europe; literary character the German folk book "The Tale of Doctor Faust..." (published 1587), the philosophical drama "Faust" by J. V. Goethe and other works; Faust's companion and tempter, offering him power, knowledge, earthly goods in exchange for his soul.
Mephistopheles
(Mephistopheles, Mephostophilis, Mephistophilus, possibly Greek origin≈ “hating light”, from me ≈ not, phos ≈ light and phílos ≈ loving; according to another version, ancient Hebrew. origin ≈ from methits ≈ destroyer and tofel ≈ liar), the name of one of the spirits of evil, demon, devil, demon, devil, most often, according to legend, a fallen angel, Satan. Folklore and fiction different countries and peoples often used the motive of concluding an alliance between a demon - the spirit of evil and a person. Sometimes poets were attracted by the story of the “fall”, “expulsion from paradise” of the biblical Satan, sometimes by his rebellion against God (J. Milton, J. G. Byron, M. Yu. Lermontov). There were also farces close to folklore sources, the devil in them was given the place of a mischief maker, a cheerful deceiver who often got into trouble. IN philosophical tragedy J. V. Goethe, who rethought the motives of the German folk legend, M. is the tempter and antagonist of Faust. A. S. Pushkin turned to the image of M. M. ≈ the devil in F. M. Dostoevsky (“The Brothers Karamazov”) and T. Mann (“Doctor Faustus”) is the embodiment of moral nihilism. M. ≈ Woland and his retinue M. Bulgakov (“The Master and Margarita”) ≈ grotesque spirits of evil, accusers, punishers of vices. The image of M. inspired artists (E. Delacroix, M. Vrubel), composers (C. Gounod, G. Berlioz, F. Liszt, A. G. Rubinstein).
Lit.: The Legend of Doctor Faust. Ed. prepared by V. M. Zhirmunsky, M.≈L., 1958; Lakshin V., Roman M. Bulgakova “The Master and Margarita”, “ New world", 1968, ╧ 6; Milner M., Le diable dans la littérature française, t. 1≈2, P., 1960; Kretzenbacher L., Teufelsbündner und Faustgestalten im Abendlande, Klagenfurt, 1968.
M. A. Goldman.
Wikipedia
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles- devil, an image of an evil spirit in Renaissance mythology northern Europe. In 1587, he became known as a literary character in the German folk book “The Tale of Doctor Faustus ...”, and became widely known thanks to philosophical drama“Faust” by J. W. Goethe (part one - 1806, part two - 1831).
The adjectives “Mephistophelian” and “Mephistophelian” mean sarcastic, maliciously mocking. Found in the expressions “Mephistophelian laughter”, “Mephistophelian smile”.
Mephistopheles (disambiguation)
Mephistopheles, Mephisto:
- Mephistopheles (Mephistopheles, Mephostophilis, Mephistophilus, Mephistos) - one of the spirits of evil.
- "Mephistopheles"- opera by Arrigo Boito.
- Mephistopheles- a gold nugget located in the Diamond Fund of Russia.
- "Mephisto"- drama, film adaptation of Klaus Mann’s novel “Mephisto: the story of a career” (1936), Hungary - Germany, 1981. Directed by Istvan Szabo.
- "Mephisto"- a series of chess microcomputers that won the world championship among microcomputers in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
- Mephisto (Mephisto) is a Marvel comics character.
Mephistopheles (nugget)
Mephistopheles- the name of a gold nugget weighing 20.25 grams, fineness 901.2.
The nugget is kept in the Diamond Fund of Russia and is unique in artistically and is the most noticeable exhibit due to the striking similarity of the outline of the nugget with the profile of Mephistopheles. Based on the results of the examination, it was established that the nugget was not artificially processed.
This nugget is the smallest in weight of all those in the Diamond Fund’s storage.
Examples of the use of the word mephistopheles in literature.
theatrically tilting his provincial face Mephistopheles, Baburin waited for the ovation and joyful cries of the people's representatives, and then began to read the second document, which was no less tough than the first.
Answer me, Doctor Faustus,” a sonorous voice was heard Mephistopheles“Wouldn’t it be good for you to listen to my statement?
For everything we observe, not only Faust is to blame, but himself Mephistopheles, - Melnikov spoke allegorically, but quite intelligibly, about Count Kleinmichel and the emperor himself.
Looking sideways at Sergei, Kosov, gloomily withdrawn, slowly took out from his trouser pocket a tube with a carved head Mephistopheles, with an iron lid, began to fill it with tobacco with concentration.
A long man with a contemptuous face rose up to meet Mikhailov. Mephistopheles, cornet Krause, headquarters captain Trenev - a pale mustachioed officer, some kind of merchant son and an unfamiliar gloomy gentleman with disheveled hair and wild, almost abnormal eyes.
Mephistopheles That’s great, but there’s no need to worry about it like that: If a mistake in concepts happens, they can be replaced with a word.
In the city at night Mephistopheles announces to Faust that their contract expires at midnight.
Forkiades on the proscenium straightens up gigantically, steps down from his buskins, takes off his mask and veil and finds himself Mephistopheles, ready, if necessary, to explain the play in the epilogue.
Elstira to his villa, and suddenly - so Mephistopheles appears before Faust - appeared at the end of the street, like a simple unreal, devilish objectification of a temperament opposite to mine, an objectification of a semi-barbaric cruel vitality, of which my weakness, my heightened, painful sensitivity, my tendency to reflection, stains of the kind that cannot be unmistakable, sporadic animal-vegetable flocks of girls who seemed not to notice me and at the same time, without a doubt, spoke about me with ridicule.
Mephistopheles tells him that the torments of hell are so terrible that the devils would ascend to heaven on steps made of knives if they still had hope.
And now this windbag and upstart Mephistopheles with such a proud and important appearance appeared at the World Sabbath with his false Faust, as if he had already received unlimited power over both Worlds.
They will fly there - Faust, Mephistopheles, Homunculus - search for the legendary Helen.
Mephistopheles delivers here the insensitive Faust at the moment when Wagner, using mysterious recipes, is making a Homunculus, who will soon show Faust the way to the Farsalian fields.
His hook-nosed profile took on a mocking expression, like Mephistopheles, to whom they slip a fake indulgence.
Lord and archangels, Mephistopheles and other evil spirits are nothing more than carriers of eternally battling natural and social forces.
Man has always been attracted by the unknown, and he always wanted to fulfill his desires, even those that do not fit into his head. For such purposes, he needed the support of higher powers, good or evil - it doesn’t matter. The main thing is to achieve your goal. This was Faust's deal with Mephistopheles.
A little about Doctor Faustus
If you ask any person who made a deal with Mephistopheles, then in response you can hear one name - Faust, largely thanks to Goethe’s poem, which everyone studied school curriculum. But in fact, the German classic wrote the work based on real facts, that is, his character had a real prototype.
Johannes Faust was a sorcerer and alchemist, physician and theologian, astronomer and all-round scientist. He was born in Swabia, where he studied. Eventually he got to black magic. Somehow the Seventh Book of Moses fell into his hands. The doctor studied this black Bible for a long time and decided to try to control the dark forces. Finally he performed the ritual, Faust and Mephistopheles signed the deal.
Years later, the doctor will repent, but the agreement with the dark forces, signed in blood, cannot be terminated. The closer the reckoning was, the worse Faust’s soul became.
The Legend of the Magician in Art
So, we already know who made the deal with Mephistopheles. The legend was widespread in Europe in the sixteenth century. She was often placed in puppet theaters, the Englishman Christopher Marlowe created his own version of the drama - “The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus”. After Goethe wrote the drama “Faust,” the plot came to Russia, where Pushkin borrowed it. Charles Gounod created the opera Faust in the nineteenth century. Why did artists turn to the problem of the famous alchemist? Probably because Faust and Mephistopheles entered into an agreement that many thought about. The struggle between good and evil, the relationship between man and nature, confrontation in the soul is always actual topic. But for any benefits you will have to pay over time. This time may be very far away, but it will come sooner or later. And whether the price is worth those imaginary pleasures, everyone needs to decide for themselves.
Mysterious ritual
How did the deal with Mephistopheles go? Legend has it that Faust performed a ritual described in a book of magic. The doctor drew a large circle in the office using chalk and compasses. In it he drew two more smaller circles, the space of which was filled with ritual signs. At midnight, Faust stood in the center and cast a spell. Suddenly a monkey-like creature appeared and announced that it had arrived to serve him. But the alchemist drove him away and cast another spell. Then another creature appeared that resembled a ram. But Johannes drove away this servant too, and he continued to read the spell. After the third spell, a lame man entered the office and introduced himself as Mephistopheles.
The devil told what he could give Faust: travel in space and time, money, success, the love of women, secret knowledge. The doctor liked this, but first he asked about payment for this pleasure. Mephistopheles wanted one thing - a signature on parchment, which stipulated that Faust would give him his soul. After a certain period (24 years), during which Mephistopheles will serve man unquestioningly, the doctor’s soul goes to hell. After hesitating a little, Faust agreed and signed the contract with his blood. The deal is done!
Characteristics of Faust
Today we know about the death of Doctor Faust, the one who made the deal with Mephistopheles. A professor at the University of Wittenberg once told his students that his hour of death was approaching. He told them that 24 years ago he gave his soul to the devil and now the hour of reckoning has come. The students considered Johann Faust to be ill, so they hurried to leave the classroom. But at night the cries of “Kill! They are killing! forced them to come running here again. They found the teacher's lifeless and mutilated body in a room spattered with blood. The professor lived approximately 1480-1540. At first he persistently studied theology, and then abandoned it and began to study magic, and often prophesied.
Goethe portrays Faust as a man of high spiritual aspirations, intelligent, active, and erudite. He wants to serve people, help them realize their dreams, achieve harmony. He has a successful medical practice, and he is ready to heal not only the bodies of his patients, but also their souls. And when he signs the contract in blood, he thinks not only about himself, but about all the people on the planet. Faust's characterization suggests that he is a passionate and emotional person: he is instantly captivated by the beautiful Margarita.
Image of Mephistopheles
The characterization of Faust and Mephistopheles helps to look deeper into the order of things and to understand the problem that is taking place. The devil is unbelief and denial of all that is good. But we must give him his due: Faust’s companion is sensible, very reasonable, intelligent, gallant. Externally it looks like a common person. But it is his behavior that gives him away. Mephistopheles considers man and his life limited, insignificant. He has a cynical explanation just in case. This is evil in Goethe’s understanding; this is what he wanted to convey to people in his work.
Other characters in Goethe's poem
So, we know who made the deal with Mephistopheles; we also know what the main characters of Goethe’s work “Faust” were like. But besides them there are other heroes: Margarita, the Lord God, Martha.
The Lord God is the personification of light and goodness, endless love and grace. In the prologue to the poem, he argues with the devil, arguing that man will shame Satan. God believes that his creation will choose goodness, truth, and not the deceptive grace promised by the devil.
Margarita - bright and touching image. Faust's beloved is really good: she is chaste, shy, honest, and believes in God. She works hard and would make a wonderful wife and mother. But she feels the devilish essence and is afraid of Mephistopheles. Although Faust understands that he will destroy the girl, he cannot resist the desire. As a result, the family of the disgraced Margarita is destroyed, her brother dies at the hands of the doctor, and she herself goes crazy and drowns the child. But while awaiting execution, she refuses help from Faust, whom she loves very much, and asks God for salvation. Her soul will go to heaven.
Clean and good Margarita- the direct opposite of Martha, who in her relationship with Mephistopheles is guided by prudence and hypocrisy.
"Faust" and his philosophy
Goethe's poem is based on the medieval legend about the deal between man and the devil. However great poet introduced into it his vision of the eternal problem - the relationship between good and evil, morality and money, unbridled desires and moderation, light and darkness. This is a complex work on which he worked for more than sixty years.
Despite the fact that Mephistopheles is negative character, he is exactly what life cannot exist without. Without skepticism, departure from moral customs, from established rules, progress as such is impossible. This is exactly the case when evil turns out to be good in reality. Faust is a man by what he has. Craves more and eventually gets it. And even though the price for this is too high, he himself understands that he has ruined himself and many others, but the goal has been achieved: the life of society is developing. Doctor Faustus shows how the contradictions that Goethe believed in coexist in one person.
Instead of an afterword
Truly immortal, like Shakespeare's Hamlet. It helps you look at the essence of life and reassess your values, because having achieved everything, the doctor remains dissatisfied. But belated repentance does not change anything: you have to pay for everything.
MEPHISTOPHELES
MEPHISTOPHELES (German: Mephistopheles) is the central character of J.-W. Goethe’s tragedy “Faust” (part one - 1806, part two completed in 1831). M. Goethe looks a little like the devil folk legends and those puppet shows about Doctor Faustus, which were often shown in Germany at fairs. In the “Prologue in Heaven” God certifies M. as a “rogue and a merry fellow”: “Of the spirits of denial, you have been a burden to me.” M.'s essence is manifested in his attitude towards people; he does not believe in their divine likeness, believing that man is weak and corrupt, does evil without the intervention of devilish forces, and even the best of people are subject to corruption. Therefore, M. agrees to an experiment with Faust, the best of people, and is not afraid to lose an argument with God: “We’ll see. Here is my hand, and soon we will be even. You will understand my triumph when he, crawling in the dung, eats the dust from the shoe.” Having met Faust, M. enters into an agreement with him, tempting him with the blessings of life and limitless possibilities. Goethe's devil is a philosopher and intellectual, he knows people, their weaknesses, his caustic remarks about the human race speak of his insight. The author of the tragedy entrusted many of his thoughts to this character, although Goethe, of course, cannot be identified with either Faust or M.
In the story of Faust and Margarita, M. plays a sinister role, leading the girl to death. In the second part, the figure of M. is less noticeable. In one of the episodes he appears in the guise of the ugly Forkiada, in the scene with Helen the Beautiful he is completely absent, because, in his own words, “he is not included in the pagan world.” At the end of the tragedy, when Faust has found a goal in life, M. again creates obstacles: he organizes pirate raids at sea, and sets fire to the house of the old men Philemon and Baucis. M. is confident that Faust, who admitted that he had lived to see the “beautiful moment,” is in his hands. However, the angels take Faust’s soul to heaven, and M. admits that he lost: “The hardened old devil with such a temper played such a fool to the end!”
The image of M. in studies devoted to the tragedy was often assessed as the second “I” of Faust, as the bodily embodiment of his subconscious.
On the German stage, actors have always succeeded in portraying M. better than the image of Faust: the protagonists of the German stage have always played the role of M for two centuries. This has been the case since the romantic actor Ludwig Devrient (1827), whose tradition was continued by the outstanding German actor Karl Seidelmann ( 1837). The best M. in the history of world theater was Gustav Grundgens, who created the image of the devil-aristocrat on a universal scale (1933). Lit.: Mann K. Mephistopheles. M., 1970; Anikst A.A. Creative path
Goethe. M., 1986; Makarova G.V. From Hamlet to Mephistopheles
//On the verge of millennia. M., 1995.
G.V. Makarova
The image of Goethe's M. was embodied in musical drama - in G. Berlioz's oratorio “The Damnation of Faust” (1846), the operas of C. Gounod “Faust” (1853) and A. Boito “Mephistopheles” (1868).
In Berlioz's dramatic legend, Goethe's plot is reinterpreted in the spirit of romantic views: M. gains power over Faust's soul and plunges him into the underworld. Thanks to a brilliant experiment (the fusion of elements of a program symphony and the operatic oratorio genre), M.’s image is outlined in a sweeping manner, with extremely bold intonation-harmonic colors and sound recording techniques that awaken the imagination and achieve a theatrical effect without using the stage as such. The image of M. in its symphonic “visibility” is the least material, elusive, and illusory. In Gounod's “marble-statuary” opera - a lyrical drama about Faust and Marguerite - there is no versatility of Goethe's M. - the embodiment of the militant criticism of the era that gave birth to him. M. - antithesis lyrical heroes , typical for romantic operas personification, the devil of “naive and fragrant” folk fantasy. The main content of M. is sophistry, mentoring, a combination of gallantry and evil irony, sarcasm and a skeptical parody of the sincere impulses of young souls. Prudent and resourceful, “fully human,” M. does evil as if out of obligation. And only F.I. Chaliapin, after many years of work on this image, takes M. out of the power of the music of the “candied” Gounod, recalling his frightening purpose.
M., inspired by Boito’s imagination, is closest in philosophical content to Goethe’s plan. The earth and sky were given into the possession of M., the “blessed child of Chaos”. M. is an element, the ruler of passions, who, at his own whim, undertook to serve man; not a particle of force, but force itself, which, “striving for evil, creates only good.” M.'s party conceals a wide range of reincarnations: from a monk, gliding as a gray shadow, to a darkly majestic, eternal, like the universe, lord of darkness. For the first time, the all-powerful infernal spirit, “refined evil” found congenial embodiment in the art of F.I. Chaliapin, about whom the composer said: “I never thought that my Mephistopheles could be performed like this.”
I.I.Silantieva
Literary heroes. - Academician. 2009 .
After the arrest in St. Petersburg of the alleged “liquidator” of the bas-relief of Mephistopheles on the historical building “The House with the Devil” by the architect Lishnevsky, located on Lakhtinskaya Street - just opposite the Church of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg, which is under construction, “The Table” decided to figure out who and how the “satanic” interfered. bas-relief
Who is Mephistopheles?
Mephistopheles is an image of an evil spirit in the mythology of the Renaissance of northern Europe. Actually, the name “Mephistopheles” is not mentioned in the Bible, although this word itself is of Hebrew origin: from the words “mephitz” - “carrying” and “tofel” - “defilement” or “sin”. That is, Mephistopheles is the “carrier of sin.” Perhaps this word has become a substitute for the taboo names of Lucifer and Satan. One way or another, but for the first time this name is mentioned in the so-called. German " folk book”, published in 1587 by Johann Spies - in particular, in “The History of Doctor Faustus, the famous wizard and warlock, etc.” The “story” tells how the alchemist Faust, for the sake of power and authority, entered into an agreement with the demon Mephistopheles (or rather, Mephostophiles), for which he was cast into hell, where the alchemist’s soul was torn into pieces by demons.
This legend was used by a number of playwrights and writers of that time - for example, the German playwright Friedrich Müller wrote the tragedy “The Life of Faust”, and the Englishman Christopher Marlowe - “ A tragic story Doctor Faust”, in which he depicted Faust in the image of a scientist, seized by a thirst for knowledge. But the greatest fame for Mephistopheles was brought to him by the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who wrote the tragedy “Faust” (1774–1831), in which Mephistopheles makes a bet with the Lord on whether Faust can save his soul from him. And, unlike folk legends, Goethe’s Mephistopheles loses the argument, since Faust before last day worked throughout his life for the benefit of humanity. But it was thanks to Goethe that the image of Mephistopheles as an ironic and aristocratic rebel was strengthened in world culture.
Eugene Delacroix. Mephistopheles over Wittenberg. Lithograph for Goethe's Faust, 1828
Opinion: Why is Mephistopheles depicted on buildings?
Archimandrite Alipiy (Svetlichny): A hundred years ago in Orthodox Russia there was a custom of depicting demons. And in 1910, no one was disgusted by this house. There were no people in Orthodox Russia who would cut down the image of a demon. Do you know why? Read Melnikov-Pechersky “In the Woods.” Even then he noticed that there was not a single hut, not a single monastic cell, where there were no images of demons. They were printed en masse in printing houses, where icons were also printed. Many people had ancient popular prints from Old Believer times. They frightened children with demons and edified monks. Demons were depicted on icons and in church chronicles. They loved to portray dragons, snakes, and other tempters. It was important for people to remember that they were surrounded not only by spirits of goodness. This was the custom. And what happened must remain in memory.
Gargoyle at Notre Dame Cathedral
Who was depicted on the Lishnevsky house?
Alexander Lvovich Lishnevsky built three dozen public and apartment buildings in St. Petersburg, each of which became an example of the then fashionable Russian Art Nouveau. Lishnevsky’s fantasy knew no bounds, and each of his houses was decorated with grimacing trolls and sad gargoyles, monkeys and bears shyly hiding behind a shield, or cheerful babies riding satyrs. But his most famous house is probably the “House of the Devil” on Lakhtinskaya Street, 24. Built in 1910–1911, and the source of inspiration for the design of this house was the sensational production of Arrigo Boito’s opera “Mephistopheles” in those years. Milan theater La Scala, where main role performed by Russian singer Fyodor Chaliapin. Chaliapin's fame then soared to the skies, and it was Fyodor Ivanovich in the image sad demon and depicted by Alexander Lvovich on his building.
“The House with Mephistopheles” was often sung by St. Petersburg poets - Anna Akhmatova lived opposite this house, and nearby was the famous salon of Ksana Puni, where futurists - from Mayakovsky to Khlebnikov - sang the “cheerful and free spirit.”
The fate of the architect is also interesting. After the revolution, Lishnevsky built defensive structures near Petrograd, completed the construction of the Mechnikovsky hospital, and since 1930 he headed the Lenproekt workshop. Alexander Lvovich died during the siege in 1942. He was taken, extremely exhausted, to Yaroslavl, where he died in the hospital.
Fyodor Chaliapin as Mephistopheles
Who encroached on Mephistopheles?
According to the investigation, the main customer of the act of vandalism was a 31-year-old homeless man named Vasily Shchadrin, who is not just a homeless person, but a very wealthy entrepreneur, because the Granit company was registered in his name, which won a $200 million tender for the supply of escalators in 2012 for the repair of the St. Petersburg metro. Vasily Shchadrin, during an interrogation by the police, explained that he quite accidentally noticed how the building was collapsing, and hired a climber to remove the bas-relief - according to the investigation, the entrepreneur was very worried about passers-by, whose sculpture might fall on their heads. The climber turned out to be a certain 28-year-old Konstantin Isakov, who also admitted to vandalism. At the same time, according to investigators, municipal deputy Andrei Breus accidentally happened to be near Lishnevsky’s house, who, noticing garbage lying on the street, organized the removal of the rubble to the trash heap so that it would not interfere with the movement of pedestrians. And now the homeless man Vasily will receive the well-deserved punishment from the state.
The key figure in this matter is 29-year-old United Russia deputy Andrei Breus, secretary of the Petrograd district party committee, deputy municipality“Municipal District Aptekarsky Island” and is far from the most ordinary functionary of United Russia: he is one of 27 members of the presidium of the party’s general council. Interestingly, in 2008, Breus graduated from the St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts with a degree in manager in the socio-cultural sphere. Before his election, according to his income statement, he worked as a modest specialist in organizing leisure and sporting events.
"House with Mephistopheles"
Who else admitted to destroying the sculpture?
The day after the incident, when local residents began to suspect priests and Orthodox activists of vandalism, the anonymous organization “Cossacks of St. Petersburg” appeared and admitted to what they had done: “Father Konstantin would never have dared. That’s why we dared.” However, the ataman of the St. Petersburg city Cossack society “Irbis” Andrei Polyakov said that there is no such organization, and the Cossacks will find and punish provocateurs.
A week later, the media received a letter signed by industrial climber Andrei, allegedly hired by the director of the St. Isaac's Cathedral museum-monument Nikolai Burov to remove Mephistopheles from the Lishnevsky House. It was alleged that in this way the director, who had a conflict with the Russian Orthodox Church, wanted to denigrate it. Burov himself called the letter a provocation and denied it.
Who do real Satanists worship?
In the Bible, the word “Satan” is used about 200 times and means “adversary,” and this is an adversary not so much of God as of man. Also in the Holy Scriptures, substitute words are used: the adjective “Dennitsa” (in Latin - “Lucifer”, that is, “luminiferous”, this is an epithet of a fallen angel) or the names Beelzebub and Belial - these are variants of the distorted name of the ancient Phoenician god Baal. The peak of the passion for Satanism in Europe occurred in the 18th – 19th centuries and embraced many secular circles, especially since the basis of the “Satanic” cult of many anti-Christian sects were various sexual perversions, demonstrating the permissiveness of the cult participants. Because of this, European Satanism never found unified cult figures and ritual schemes, remaining a motley mishmash of various sects and independent “gurus” who invent their own cults to the best of their imagination. However, the most widespread organizations of devil worshipers chose two figures for worship for their rituals.
Lucifer
The famous British poet and mystic Edward Alexander Crowley became the founder of Luciferianism - the cult of worship of the fallen angel, believing that the pagan cult of the horned god-king, the ruler of elemental power, was embodied in the image of Lucifer. Crowley later became the founder of a number of occult organizations, including the Order of the Golden Dawn and the Order of the Eastern Temple, which significantly influenced the rise of European neo-paganism in the 20th century.
Edward Alexander Crowley
Baphomet
Baphomet is the name of a satanic demon that is not found in the Bible and was first mentioned in 1195 in a poem by the troubadour Gawaudan as a Latinized form of the name "Muhammad." In 1307, in the trial against the Templar Order, it was mentioned that it was Baphomet, according to an investigation by the Inquisition, who was worshiped in secret rituals by the knights - the “templars”. In the 19th century, the image of Baphomet was remembered by the famous occultist Eliphas Levi, who painted a creature with the body of a man, the head of a goat and the wings of an angel. A goat's head inscribed in a five-pointed star - the so-called. “The sign of Baphomet” also became the official symbol of the Church of Satan, founded in 1966 in the USA by occultist Anton LaVey. In 2015, activists from the Church of Satan erected a three-meter statue of Baphomet in Detroit.
