Excerpt: Sympathy for the Devil: Short Stories Exploring the Devil Figure of Lore
Winner: Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Fellowship, Spring 2013; Featured in UROP Symposium, Spring 2015
Abstract:
In a culture all but dominated by modern Christianity, many are familiar with the figure of Satan – to some, Lucifer – the devil that lurks in darkness and tempts people to sin; what most don’t know is that “Satan” is merely the Old Testament’s word for “adversary,” and was used originally as a title for the fallen angel who had risen against his maker. In fact, all devils of mythology are in some way adversaries of the cultures who feared them, their traits and appearance changing with the people’s superstitions. This piece focuses on the conflicting identities of six devilish figures: the trickster of tribal mythology, Set of Ancient Egypt, Loki of the Norse pantheon, Susano of Shinto lore, the classic Lucifer, and a new “monster” of a young man inspired by the perpetrator of the 2014 Isla Vista killings. The arrangement of these pieces, roughly chronological, is meant to demonstrate a shift from mankind’s fears of the animalistic to a more sophisticated fear of one another. Each short story was crafted after investigating traditional mythology surrounding the figures, as well as reviewing commentary about the development of devils in general. Though otherwise an unconventional research method, the abstract nature of creative writing provided adequate space to explore this controversial topic. Developing these stories gave way to new understanding of religion, morality, and cultural evolution, and while also providing insight into humanity’s inherent need for some sort of devil as a scapegoat for our failings.
Abstract:
In a culture all but dominated by modern Christianity, many are familiar with the figure of Satan – to some, Lucifer – the devil that lurks in darkness and tempts people to sin; what most don’t know is that “Satan” is merely the Old Testament’s word for “adversary,” and was used originally as a title for the fallen angel who had risen against his maker. In fact, all devils of mythology are in some way adversaries of the cultures who feared them, their traits and appearance changing with the people’s superstitions. This piece focuses on the conflicting identities of six devilish figures: the trickster of tribal mythology, Set of Ancient Egypt, Loki of the Norse pantheon, Susano of Shinto lore, the classic Lucifer, and a new “monster” of a young man inspired by the perpetrator of the 2014 Isla Vista killings. The arrangement of these pieces, roughly chronological, is meant to demonstrate a shift from mankind’s fears of the animalistic to a more sophisticated fear of one another. Each short story was crafted after investigating traditional mythology surrounding the figures, as well as reviewing commentary about the development of devils in general. Though otherwise an unconventional research method, the abstract nature of creative writing provided adequate space to explore this controversial topic. Developing these stories gave way to new understanding of religion, morality, and cultural evolution, and while also providing insight into humanity’s inherent need for some sort of devil as a scapegoat for our failings.