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Maximilian J. Rudwin, The Devil in Legend and Literature (Chicago, London, 1931). Repr. New YorK: AMS Press, 1970.

Abstract

"Maximilian J. Rudwin’s The Devil in Legend and Literature (1931) constitutes one of the earliest comprehensive studies of the Devil as a cultural and literary figure rather than a theological construct. Drawing upon folklore, drama, poetry, and prose from the medieval period through the modern era, Rudwin examines the manifold roles assigned to the Devil in European imagination. He argues that the Devil functions as a versatile archetype, alternately terrifying, comic, tragic, and satirical, whose representations reflect the shifting concerns and sensibilities of different epochs. The study traces the Devil’s transition from the stern adversary of medieval theology and morality plays to the sophisticated trickster of Renaissance drama, the tragic rebel of Romantic poetry, and the ironic or skeptical figure of modern literature. Special attention is given to the Faust tradition, which Rudwin identifies as the central literary vehicle for the Devil’s evolving characterization. By analyzing the Devil’s literary metamorphoses, Rudwin contends that this figure serves as a mirror of humanity’s anxieties, moral struggles, and aspirations for freedom. Positioned at the intersection of comparative literature and cultural history, the work departs from dogmatic treatments by situating the Devil within the dynamics of imagination, myth-making, and artistic expression, thereby establishing a foundational text for modern demonological studies in the humanities."--ChatGPT

Contents

Legend of Lucifer; Number of the devils; Names of the devils; Form of the Fiend; Devil's dominions; Journeys to hell; Organization of pandemonium; Asmodeus, dandy among demons; Legend of Lilith; belief in the devil; Devil's death; Diabolus simia dei; War for the world; Synagogue of Satan; Devil-compact in tradition and belief, in legend and literature; Loves of the demons; Devil, the world and the flesh; Devil in literature; Salvation of Satan in modern poetry.