Functions of the Devil in the Middle Ages

What functions did the figure of Satan serve in the middle ages

The purpose of Satan in the middle ages

Chapter 8 & 9, really gives the reader a look at what happened next in history after the creation of the bible. So have the old testament time passes, Jesus comes preaches, and dies for the sins of mankind, time passes the bible is released. Those who can understand the bible read it, learned it and taught it to the people in all of its aspects, Good vs. Evil, God vs. Satan etc. Now we're in the middle ages.

The middle ages really gave form to Satan, which is result of a mix of folklore beliefs with theology. The figure of Satan comes from "many trivial details: what clothes the Devil wears, how he dances, how cold and hairy he is, and how he may be tricked or evaded". (Russell 111) The association of the Devil with "giants, dragons, ghosts, monsters, weranimals and "the little people" (Russell 111) were all from the folklore. Furthermore, the folklore gave the Devil different personalities and a variety of different names. The function of this heavy detailed description of Satan profile is to create an image or an idea of Satan's methodology to the people of this time.

Later in the middle ages, Satan was used in a more "constructive role"(Russell 120) in the form of letters, which main purpose was to "to satirize corrupt ecclesiastics, particularly at the papal court; to amuse; and finally to offer instruction in rhetoric" ( Russell 120) To poke fun, a comical satire, having letters signed "by the Devil". The purpose of this was to make fun of the church and imitating that of a legal letter.

Since the population of the middle ages were not educated the function of Satan to make individual understand bad and evil and inflict fear however in artsy manner. Entertainment was a means to depict Satan, due to the lack of being literate. Art, theatrical plays, folklore tales and poems was intertwined with fear and comedy

The purpose of Satan was seen in Old English Poems where different aspects of the existing stories but giving more of insiders look on specific incidence which took place however may be questionable. In the old English poem of Genesis which "presents a dramatically detailed account of the rebellion and the fall of the angels that goes far beyond the biblical story" (Russell 125) or another Old enlgish poem, Christ and Satan which recites the moment "when the fallen angels find themselves established in Hell" (Russell 126) The ideas expressed in these poems give a different way of thinking ( provoke thought) about a familiar story. The poem stimulates a change in perception.

Satan was used as a topic of discussions by great