| LUCIFER:
Lucifer (lover of light) is the rebellious angel of Christian doctrine who
sinned against God by setting himself up as his creator's equal. After
refusing to repent for his boundless pride, Lucifer is cast into hell where
he now holds dominion. His subjects include the dark angels who joined
him in his rebellion and the souls of the damned. After the fall, he
is sometimes referred to as the DEVIL or as SATAN (although some religious
scholars insist the two are separate and distinct DEMONS). In the
bible, the names are used to refer to the same fiend: "I beheld Satan as
lightening fall from Heaven" (Luke 10:18).
Lucifer is described as the most beautiful
of all the angels, who has been given a place on honor in heaven. Yet
he is not satisfied with this position and wants to overthrow God.
This sin of pride brings about his banishment. After being damned to
hell, Lucifer is transformed into a grotesque demon who is terrible to
behold. Typical illustrations depict the fiend as a winged beast with
cloven feet, horns, and a tail. he is associated with pride, vanity,
and nihilism and is identified with the planet Venus (a pagan symbol), also
known as the Morning Star.
Lucifer is named the king of the
underworld in numerous literary and dramatic works, including THE DIVINE
COMEDY: INFERNO, THE PIGRIM'S PROGRESS, and PIERS PLOWMAN.
The fall of Lucifer and his damnation to hell are also popular themes for
MORALITY PLAYS including the epic LUCIFER by Joost van den Vondel.
(o)
Resource List - entry taken verbatim from the
original source:
(o) "The Encyclopedia of Hell."
Miriam Van Scott. St. Martin's Press. ©1998
|
