Where in the Bible does it describe satan/devil/lucifer as having horns and cloven hooves? Anywhere?

Question

If it doesn't describe him like that, then where did that image of him come from? And when did it start being used? And why, if it isn't in your bible, is the Christian bad guy often portrayed with horns and cloven hooves?

Have you ever wondered?

Additional Details

I'm glad so many of you Pagans know this, as I do. I was actually hoping some Christians would wonder about it if I asked.

So, Good Day, although the Bible sort of describes Lucifer/Satan, it most certainly doesn't describe him like he is so often portrayed, with horns and cloven hooves. Did you ever think that later, medieval description of your bad guy was created simply to discredit the Horned God of the Pagans, Cernunnos/Herne/Pan, who has antlers or horns but who is NOT evil. As Margaret Murray wrote, "The God of the Old Religion always becomes the devil of the new."

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I think this is carried on through previous Pagan beliefs. In Greek Mythology Zeus was the prevailing God. His son (or Hera’s son alone by way of an affair with a goat) Hephaestus was half goat. The Greek myth says that Zeus cast Hephaestus out of Heaven. The Bible says God cast Satan out of heaven. Hephaestus is the Greek God of the Forge and Fire, was half goat and had cloven feet.

Also in the Egyptian myth, Set, is said to have an upright, forked tail. The forked tail is symbolic of what we believe to be the appearance of the Devil. Set is the “Adversary” of Osiris. Satan just means Adversary.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

I'm picking this as best answer because you came up with some information I didn't know, and because none of the Christians made the connection that their view of their satan looking like the Horned God is not biblically-based, but was a deliberate, medieval slander of the Horned God.

Answer 2

The bible doesn't describe Satan that way. It's legend of the Middle Ages.

Answer 3

No, not in the Bible. His popular appearance is taken from that of Pan, an old Greek god (who wasn't actually considered evil). It's interesting, how we came to portray him that way.

Answer 4

rofl. dont read the bible. it will melt your brain.
slowly.

Answer 5

Started with Malleus Maleficarum....
it generally began as a demonization of the Pentagram.

Supposedly if you flip it upside down, it resembles Satan.


What a load.

Answer 6

Satan isn't described as having horns and cloven hooves. He is actually described as being very beautiful, adorned with gold and jewels. This makes sense, because much of sin seems to be beautiful as well, until a person gets a taste of the consequences. As to where this appearance came from..I have no idea. Sorry!

Answer 7

The Bible does not describe anyone's appearance in detail, as a result, we even don't know what exactly Jesus or Apostle Paul look like.

Answer 8

I don't believe he was ever described like that in the Bible. Images came along later when Christians wanted to portray pagans in a negative light. The God Pan is supposed to be a satyr, or a half-human, half-goat type with horns and cloven hooves.

Also-- his pitchfork is a reincarnation of Poseidon's trident. It's another Christian attempt at giving older, pagan religions a bad image.

Answer 9

I believe the standard picture is a pagan god. I'll have to research to tell you which one.

The Devil is described as being very beautiful, powerful and once much loved cherub in Ezekiel 28:13-19 or so.

Debbie
Ragles is right. It is Pan, a Roman god of mischief and wrongdoing. He is more along the practical joke line though rather than ferociously evil as Satan is. John 8:44.

Answer 10

It doesn't. That image is Church propaganda against a pagan belief in Hearne, the horned god of the forest, also known as Cernnunos.

Answer 11

He does not look like that.

Answer 12

The devil was originally named Lucifer and was an angel and the "bright and morning star." He was beautiful and powerful.

He is never described as having horns or hoofs or a pitchfork or any of that other stuff people imagine in their minds. He was probably made up by the same person who made up Santa Claus to replace Saint Nicholas a Catholic man who went around doing good and was sainted for it.

The similarities in name have given some cause to wonder -

SANTA slightly modified spells SATAN.

Answer 13

It is not in the Bible. Lucifer (angel of the morning) was God's most beautiful creation UNTIL the fall, in which he was changed and his name was also changed to Satan, the evil one. Had quite the influence though as Lucifer winning the hearts of one third of the angels. Got to admit that was pretty impressive.

Answer 14

No it doesn't. It shows him of being beautiful. Lucifer was an angel, but he tried to be as high as God and therefore got kicked out of Heaven

Answer 15

The description of Lucifer in the Bible is that He was the most beautiful of all the angels and the most gifted! Because this angel was given the most talents and gifts it seems even more terrible that he could turn against God and do what he has done. I read a book once called, The Beautiful Side of Evil - the sneakiest kind of monstrosity is the kind that appears to be highly attractive to hide its gross, disgusting viciousness.

I think somewhere along the way people tried to give others a sense of satan's viciousness and disgusting evil by making him ugly. It is a fault of people that they equate good and beauty and evil equals ugly.

satan is so hideously cruel and vile that there is no way to describe his depravity in human terms that we can grasp!! It is totally beyond us!!!

Answer 16

You'd think that the writers would have given the major players a detailed physical description!

Answer 17

The images from the bible have always been portrayed through the eyes of whoever was in charge. For example, in America, Jesus is white. Go to his birthplace and he is of a brown complextion. I often wondered where that image of Satan, the fallen angel, came from also. Thanks for asking it.

Answer 18

The deceiver comes as a voice imitating God's voice, he will counterfeit God in every thing,..........a small voice very persuasive , which say "look how pleasant it is to your eyes., ..imagin what bodily pleasure it will give you...you deserve it, even if it is unethical to covet it...who can question you, you are a god".

Answer 19

Lucifer was the most beautiful creature that God ever created.When he fell because of pride he became Satan.He is compared to a calf but he never had horns or forked hoofed. He neve had on a red suit of underwear. That is the picture on devil ham. Don;t be fooled by what the world makes him look like. He is the god of this world. Ezekiel 28: 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Ezekiel 28: 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Isaiah 14: 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! Isaiah 14: 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Source(s):

www.itchyear.org

Answer 20

Not really, but I do know the description of Lucifer in the Bible is, " an angel of light ", also the Bible teaches that he was the most beautiful of all the angels. He is also known as a wolf in sheep's clothing, not exactly the scariest picture I can think of. There is also an old Irish saying, " Nothing is more dangerous than Lucifer with a Bible in his hand. "

God be with you,
William, a bond-servant of Jesus
<")))><

Answer 21

Read Ezekiel 28 from about verse 14 on, referring to the King of Tyre which is another name for Satan, the devil.

The serpent is also mentioned in Genesis 3:1
which is also referring to Satan.
The word "serpent"however, originates from the Hebrew word "nachash" which means "a shining one".

In 2 Corinthians 11:14, bible new testament it states " And no
marvel; for Satan himself is transformed (disguised - Greek meaning) into an "angel of light".
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Revelation 20:2 is another verse with Satan's names, serpent being one of them.
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No, I believe the bible is the inspired word of God.

Romans 1:19-23
you should read
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There are so many who critisize, it is so easy to do.
You are the one who is caught up in all this silly talk.

Source(s):

bible

Answer 22

Satan was a beautiful angel of light, there are scritpures that speak of his beauty.
Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Ezekiel 28:14 Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezekiel 28:15 Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Ezekiel 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezekiel 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
Ezekiel 28:19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never [shalt] thou [be] any more.

This one speaks he's a dragon:
Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Answer 23

Considering that "Cernunnos" exists on exactly one statue, Pan was a very minor being at the time, and ther's no mention of Herne until the Renaissance (and that in a ghost story, not religious mythology) I doubt the Christians had any need to badmouth any of them. There are a vast number of different depictions of Satan that are not spelled out in the Bible. Sometimes he is red and rules a balzing hot Hell. Sometimes he is blue and rules a frozen hell, distant from the light of God. Is that all part of the anti-pagan conspiracy.

Please read someone other than Margaret Murray. She's been completely discreditted for 40 years, which is longer than the average person on Y!A has been alive. She ignored evidence, fabricated evidence, and had no knowledge of the subject on which she wrote. She was an egyptologist, not an expert on medieval Europe history or culture, European religion, or Christianity.