World Satan
Description, Justification, Philosophies Satanism index page
Vexen Crabtree 2003 Jan 30 | Read / Write Comments
World Satan Vexen Crabtree 2003 Jan 30 | Read / Write Comments
Introduction:
A Satanist considers Satan as an archetype which is best expressed in English, using Western monotheistic religion as a reference, but does not accept the traditional role given to Satan by white light religions. When looking at different parts of the world, or at different religions, the nature of Satan changes accordingly. For example, what would a Satanist say is a Satanic rejection of the Buddhist or Hindu worldviews?
Religious Pluralism
With increased interaction between communities we have seen the appearance of a worldwide community. In the history of man, never has communication facilitated contact with so many people of so many different beliefs. In the world of religion, this has caused problems. Religions have tended to claim that they are the only true source of morality, and that all other sources are evil and wrong. Historically, Christians and other religions have not even cared to distinguish between what religions other people have been, but simply divided the world into "us" and "the pagans".
But no longer. With better communication and sociology came a realisation that there are multiple sources of morality, all expressions of the species survival mechanisms built in to our social instincts via evolution, biology and added to by logic and abstract reasoning. The age of relativism has made it hard for bigoted and ignorant religions to maintain their claims on absolute goodness.
Modern religions answer this problem by becoming more accepting of other religions. Instead of saying that all other religions are false, liberal and more sensible religious people will now admit that different cultures have used different religions to justify morality. That there is some worth in all the other religions, not just in their own. Given the suppression that religion normally causes, this admission is a breath of fresh air. New religious movements and newer religions are in general much more in tune with reality in this sense, such as Wicca, Paganism and the Baha'i Faith.
"Pagans believe that no one belief system is correct and that each person should have the freedom to come themselves to the path of their choice"Pagan Pathways by Graham Harvey and Charlotte Hardman, introduction page11
Yes it seems to Satanists and modern religious thought that this is common sense! That somehow the dogma of older religions prevents some traditionalists from seeing such common sense truth. They need to update their theology, but their closed minds prevents them. In Satanism, the dogma is thankfully the other way round: Relativism and individualism is a part of Satanism. As such, it is known that different cultures and religions have more effective emotional symbols for some people than others. So, everyone has a different idea of what Satan is. In the West, a stereotype of Satan is of a gentlemanly well spoken and charming man, educated and intriguing. In ancient times and in the East, however, such an easy anthopomorphic view of Satan is not apparent. This page is a brief look at the various major religions' and a summary of the dark force of Satan is from that religions' own point of view.
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Monotheism / Western
"The Traditional Devil" by Vexen 2001 looks at the traditional Christian view of Satan and notes three major similarities between the traditional Christian Satan and the Satanists' Satan:
Religions that can loosely be put into this broad category include Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism. Liberal and the less superstitious Christian modes of thought, along with atheism and Humanism, are best considered as part of the third "Secular" category below. |
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Buddhism and Hinduism / Eastern
The cycle of rebirth into this world is something that should be escaped from, according to Buddhist2 and Hindu3 style religions. Continual rebirth is called samsara, and escape from this should be the ultimate destiny and goal of all living beings.
Satan, then, represents our ties to this world, our ego, successes, the things we want to do in this world. Satan is the things that keep us tied to this world, not wanting to escape it. It represents the fact that we're not willing to give up worldly things for spiritual goals ('Spiritual pipe dreams'4 in the words of LaVey) attained in an afterlife.
"Life is the one great indulgence; death the one great abstinence. To a person who is satisfied with his earthly existence, life is like a party; and no one likes to leave a good party. By the same token, if a person is enjoying himself here on earth he will not so readily give up this life for the promise of an afterlife about which he knows nothing."Anton LaVey, The Satanic Bible: Book of Lucifer 10:para6
This wisdom applies both to Heaven and escape from reincarnation, and is the reason why suicide is never an option for Satanists - we fight to the end, we do not want to escape from reality!
Deadism
Deadism is the feeling that you are doomed no matter which belief system is true. A deadite feels that if souls exist, they do not have one, and that if Heaven exists, they cannot go there after they die, even if others can. It is utter rejection of any god or system that can create such a mess of a world as this one.
Polytheism
It is hard to find a comparison for Satan within Hinduism, the Norse religion, Greek religions, etc, because many beings had good and evil sides, and there were frequently different beings representing death, hell, evil, etc, but which also had positive sides. LaVey's answer to this was to take multiple aspects of all these beings and note them as Infernal Names in The Satanic Bible, as a guidance to the types of beings that Satan is equivalent to in these religions.
Browsing through "Norse Mythology" by Arthur Cotterell (which is a part of his larger more generic work) I made notes on two elements, Nidhogg and Ymir, and my notes serve as an example of how the various belief systems generate different expressions of Satanism:
"Nidhogg. Germanic mythology, a dragon living at one of the three roots of the cosmic tree Yggdrasil. The freezing mist and darkness of Niflheim, which was the lowest of the nine worlds, was where the dragon lived, ripping corpses apart and eating them. Between mouthfulls he would send the squirrel Ratatosk up the cosmic tree on an errand of insult. [...] when momentarily tired of the taste of dead flesh Nidhogg would gnaw at the root of Yggdrasil itself.""Norse Mythology" by Arthur Cotterell
Satan is also later described as a Dragon by Christian authors. Heathenism did not have a single "evil" god or force, nearly all the gods had dark sides. But there is something appealing about Nidhogg! Depictions of the roots of Yggdrasil have snakes wrapped around the lowest roots. Such a being, feeding off of death (as life feeds from its killed prey, in turn feeding Nidhogg) constitutes the death of the cycle of life itself.
If we see that all life dies, then Nidhogg will be victorious over all life. Nidhogg is not listed as an Infernal Name by Anton LaVey, probably because beyond a few artistic details there is not much that can be formed in the way of a philosophy or principal of Nidhogg.
"Ymir in Germanic mythology was the first living creature. He was a frost giant who emerged from the ice in 'the yawning emptiness'. He was evil and the mother and father of all frost giants. [When dead] his flesh became the Earth.""Norse Mythology" by Arthur Cotterell
This accords with my belief that all apparent goodness is based on evil. Counting the Earth as good because it supports Human life (my life!), Ymir is an aspect of mythology that, like Satan, can be seen to be a mechanism by which the Earth is dependent on Satanic power.
This ties in roughly with the Islamic view of Satan. The Earth was created because Satan wished to create a secret domain away from God in order to have power. Although Satan is evil, we consider the Earth good and without the effects of this evil force the Earth would not exist.
Related pages:
Cotterell, Arthur
"Norse Mythology". 1997 "Ultimate Editions" version.
LaVey, Anton [Who Is?]
"The Satanic Bible". 1969, Avon Books Inc, New York, USA.
Notes: