![]() ![]() In particular, the religions of the ancient Near East directly shaped the development of the biblical Satan. But the Prince of Darkness wasn’t created in a vacuum: his conceptualization drew from numerous faiths and folklores, and these influences were crossbred and elaborated over the centuries to form the Devil we know today. The roots of Satanism, however, are embedded in the character of Satan in Judeo-Christian theology. Such early spiritual traditions also helped uphold the social order: whenever there was conflict, those in power could put the blame on demons.Ĭultures and religions around the globe have long imagined Devil-like figures-from the Mayan death gods that lorded over a frightful underworld, to China’s Yanluo Wang, who judged the deceased before the gates of Hell. As a means of countering these malicious forces, many invoked protection from benevolent gods through prayers and rituals. ![]() To explain life’s most fearful elements, cultures worldwide developed the idea of superhuman beings that sometimes preyed on humanity and engineered misfortunes. The world was full of distressing events that people could not understand-whether it was famine by blights or deaths from mysterious internal causes. ![]() For as long as humans have been able to tell one another stories, there have been tales of malevolent and chaotic spirits. ![]()
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