A-Z Blog Hop: Iblis

In my April post for D, I mentioned Iblis being the name for the Devil in Islam. And as the Devil has many tales so does Iblis.  His name is Arabian for despair.  He is described as the father of the djinn and an angel.

The Qur’an mentions his name nine times, seven of which are in reference to his fall from Allah’s grace. One states he was one of the djinn and he broke the Lord’s command. Another says he was treated as an angel. When Allah created Adam, he ordered the angels to bow down and worship him. Iblis refused because Adam was made of dust and beneath Iblis, who was made of fire. Allah curse Iblis and booted him from heaven. Hmm, sound familiar anyone? Iblis managed to persuade Allah to delay any other punishment until judgment day. So, he was allowed to roam the earth and lure men to si so he may destroy them.

In an alternate version, Allah sent his angels down to Earth to destroy the djinn for rebelling against the divine laws. The angels won the war, killing many of the djinn. They captured Iblis and took up to heaven to be “educated.” The remaining djinn formed a new nation and Iblis left heaven to become their king.

In another legend, Iblis promised any animal who carried him into paradise three magical words that would bestow immortality. The serpent agreed and carried Iblis in his mouth. Iblis, being djinn, was made of smoke, so this was easy. Iblis spoke to Eve through the serpent’s mouth and convinced her to eat from the tree of knowledge.

I always find connections between religions of different cultures fascinating.  It proves to me over and over how connected we are, despite distance and limited means of travel in the past.  Are there any stories that you have heard from different countries that are connected?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Devil Made Me Do It

Grab your crosses and bible folks. Today we’re going to be talking about the Devil. Now, before you get upset it’s always good to know your enemy. You can fight against it better if you have knowledge. So, let delve into the depths of darkness and meet the Devil.

So, the term devil is derived from the Greek diabolos which means slander or accuser. This word actually came from the Hebrew word Satan. Now, according to Hebrew lore, Satan was an angel, the tempter of humans. The Devil evolved over the centuries from Satan, Lucifer, and the pagan deities Pan or Cernunnos.

In many religions evil is represented in the form of gods that are not wholly evil. As Christianity spread, these gods became devils or evil and were some of the beginnings of the Devil himself. For instance, The Egyptian Set personified more of a dark side than many of the other. As the evil brother of Osiris, her represents chaos and destruction. Added in were a few demons from other cultures, like the offspring of Tiamat from Mesopotamia.

One of the most interesting predecessors would be Angra Mainyu or Ahriman of Zoroastrianism. He is the personification of evil, the exact opposite to Ahuru Mazda or Ohrmazd who is the personification of all good. It is said that Ahriman will be defeated by the coming of the Savior. Yes, there are a lot of parallels between this, Judaism, and Christianity.  Even Islam has something like it. It is a Djinn known as Iblis. Both Zoroastrianism and Iblis will have their own posts later this month.

In the New Testament of Christianity the Devil becomes more personal and is represented as an antagonist of God. He has legions of fallen angels that are not turned demons and is poised to wage war on God. Jesus, the Son of God, is sent to Earth to defeat him since the Devil had power over the physical world. In Revelations it is said that Christ will return to defeat the Devil and bind him for a thousand years before destroying him. And thus, the dualism of Christianity has come to be, with a god of light and and god of evil and darkness.

In A Prescription for Delirium, devils are the Fallen Angel. Yes, Lucifer is among them, so he can be considered the Devil, but the book doesn't focus on him. The difference between demons and devils in the book is their origin. However, it doesn't

 matter as much to Gabby. She’s willing to kill both and in large numbers.

I love hearing from you. Are there any gods from mythology that you think may have attributed to the Devil?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.