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[[Category:Demon Names]]
[[Category:Demon Names]]
''For the Dungeons and Dragons deity see: [[Mephistopheles (Dungeons and Dragons)‎]].''
[[Image:Mephistopheles2.jpg|thumb|Mephistopheles flying over Wittenberg, in a lithograph by Eugène Delacroix.]]


'''''This article on SuccuWiki has two parts. The first refers to the name often given to one representation of the [[devil]] or [[Satan]]. The second part refers to the character in the Dungeons and Dragons RPG game.'''''


'''Mephistopheles''' (/ˌmɛfɪˈstɒfɪˌliːz/, <small>German pronunciation:</small> [mefɪˈstɔfɛlɛs]; also Mephistophilus, Mephistophilis, Mephostopheles, Mephisto, Mephastophilis and variants) is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend, and he has since appeared in other works as a stock character version of the [[Devil]].




==In the Faust Legend==
[[Image:Mephistophiles Passau 1527.jpg|thumb|right|''MEPHISTO_PHILES'' in the 1527 ''Praxis Magia Faustiana'', attributed to Faust.]]


[[Image:Mephistopheles2.jpg|250px|thumb|Mephistopheles flying over Wittenberg, in a lithograph by Eugène Delacroix.]]
The name is associated with the Faust legend of a scholar — based on the historical Johann Georg Faust — who wagers his soul with the Devil.
'''Mephistopheles''' (also ''Mephistophilus, Mephistophilis, Mephostopheles, [[Mephisto]]'' and variants) is a name often given to one representation of the devil or [[Satan]]. It is also the name used for the [[demon]] in the Faust legend.


==Satanic representation==
The name appears in the late 16th century Faust chapbooks. In the 1725 version, which Johann Wolfgang von Goethe read, ''Mephostophiles'' is a devil in the form of a greyfriar summoned by Faust in a wood outside Wittenberg.  
In contrast to the devil usually known as Satan, who appears with cloven hooves and horns, Mephistopheles is usually portrayed as more humanoid, often taking the form of a tall man dressed all in black. An image often associated with this form of the devil is the red book, which people who sell their [[soul]]s to him must sign. The Staff of Hell is also more closely related with the human Mephistopheles than the goat-like Satan.


==In the Faust legend==
From the chapbook, the name entered Faustian literature, many authors used it, from Christopher Marlowe to Goethe. In the 1616 edition of ''The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus'', ''Mephostophiles'' became ''Mephistophilis''.
[[Image:Mephistophiles Passau 1527.jpg|thumb|left|''MEPHISTO_PHILES'' in the 1527 ''Praxis Magia Faustiana'' attributed to Faust.]]
The name is associated with the Faust legend of a scholar who wagers his soul against the devil being able to make Faust wish to live, even for a moment, based on the historical Johann Georg Faust.


The name appears in the late 16th century Faust chapbooks. In the 1725 version which was read by Goethe, ''Mephostophiles'' is a devil in the form of  a greyfriar summoned by Faust in a wood outside Wittenberg. The name ''Mephistophiles'' already appears in the 1527 ''Praxis Magia Faustiana'', printed in Passau, alongside pseudo-Hebrew text. It is best explained as a purposely obscure pseudo-Greek or pseudo-Hebrew formation of Renaissance magic.
The word could derive from the Hebrew ''mephitz'', meaning "distributor", and ''tophel'', meaning "liar"; "tophel" is short for ''tophel shequer'', the literal translation of which is "falsehood plasterer".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mephistopheles |title=Mephistopheles |author=Online Etymology Dictionary |date= |work= |publisher=Dictionary.com |accessdate=4 December 2011}}</ref> The name can also be a combination of three Greek words: "me" as a negation, "phos" meaning light, and "philis" meaning loving, making it mean "not-light-loving", possibly parodying the Latin "[[Lucifer]]" or "light-bearer".<ref>The Broadview Anthology of British Literature Volume 2: The Renaissance and Early Seventeenth Century, Second Edition, ''The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus''pg. 423 (see footnote 11) ISBN 978-1-55481-028-4</ref>


From the chapbook, the name enters Faustian literature and is also used by authors from Christopher Marlowe down to Goethe.  In the 1616 edition of ''The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus'', ''Mephostophiles'' became ''Mephistophilis''.  
Mephistopheles in later treatments of the Faust material frequently figures as a title character: in Meyer Lutz' ''Mephistopheles, or Faust and Marguerite'' (1855), Arrigo Boito's ''Mefistofele'' (1868), Klaus Mann's ''Mephisto'', and Franz Liszt's Mephisto Waltzes.


Burton (1992, p. 61) speculates on Greek elements that may have played a part in the coining of the name, including Greek ''mē'' "not", ''phōs'' "light" and ''philos'' "lover", suggesting "not a lover of light" in parody of [[Lucifer]] ("light-bearer", a common epithet of Satan); in that case the change from the presumed original ''mephoto-'' to ''mephist-'' may be due to a suggestion of Latin ''mephitis'' ("pungent"). Alternately, ''phosto-'' may be a variation of "Faust", yielding "not Faust-loving". Hamlin (2001, p. 9) suggests a derivation from the Hebrew ''Mephistoph'', meaning "destroyer of the good." Another possibility is a combination of the Hebrew words ''mephiz'' ("liar") and ''tophel'' ("destroyer").


Mephistopheles is also a name for the devil himself. Mephistopheles in later treatments of the Faust material frequently figures as a title character: in Meyer Lutz' ''Mephistopheles, or Faust and Marguerite'' (1855), Arrigo Boito's ''Mefistofele'' (1868), Klaus Mann's ''Mephisto'', and Franz Liszt's Mephisto Waltzes.
==Outside the Faust Legend==
Shakespeare mentions "Mephistophilus" in the ''Merry Wives of Windsor'' (Act1, Sc1, line 128), and by the 17th century the name became independent of the Faust legend. According to Burton Russell,<ref name="Burton Russell 1992, p. 61">Burton Russell 1992, p. 61</ref> "That the name is a purely modern invention of uncertain origins makes it an elegant symbol of the modern [[Devil]] with his many novel and diverse forms." Mephisto is also featured as the lead antagonist in Goethe's Faust and in the unpublished scenarios for the Walpurgis night, he and [[Satan]] appear as two separate characters.




==References ==
==Interpretations of Mephistopheles==
*Burton, Jeffrey Russell, ''Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell (1986); 1990 reprint: ISBN 978-0801497186
Although Mephistopheles appears to Faustus as a [[devil]]—a worker for [[Satan]]—critics claim that he does not search for men to corrupt, but comes to serve and ultimately collect the souls of those who are already damned. Farnham explains, "Nor does Mephistophiles first appear to Faustus as a devil who walks up and down in earth to tempt and corrupt any man encountered. He appears because he senses in Faustus’ magical summons that Faustus is already corrupt, that indeed he is already 'in danger to be damned'."<ref>Farnham, Willard. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Doctor Faustus. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,1969: 6.</ref>
*Hamlin, Cyrus, et al, "Faust", New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company (2001): ISBN 978-0-393-97282-8


Mephistopheles is already trapped in his own [[hell]] by serving the Devil. He warns Faustus of the choice he is making by "selling his soul" to the Devil: "Mephistophilis, an agent of Lucifer, appears and at first advises Faust not to forgo the promise of [[heaven]] to pursue his goals”.<ref>(Krstovic, J. O. and Marie Lazzardi. “Plot and Major Themes”. Rpt. In Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic and Marie Lazzardi. Vol. 47. Farming Mills, MI: The Gale Group, 1999: 202)
</ref> Farnham adds to his theory, “…[Faustus] enters an ever-present private hell like that of Mephistophiles”.<ref>(Krstovic 8)</ref>


==References==
===Bibliography===
* Burton Russell, Jeffrey, ''Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell (1986); 1990 reprint: ISBN 978-0-8014-9718-6
* Hamlin, Cyrus, et al., "Faust", New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company (2001): ISBN 978-0-393-97282-5
* Ruickbie, Leo: ''Faustus: The Life and Times of a Renaissance Magician''. The History Press (2009): ISBN 978-0-7509-5090-9


 
===Notes===
 
{{Reflist}}
== Mephistopheles - D&D Character ==
[[Image:DungeonMephistopheles.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|Mephistopheles, as portrayed on the cover of Dungeon Magazine #140. Art by Howard Lyon.]]
 
In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game, '''Mephistopheles''' is an Arch-Devil of Hell (Baator in later editions of the game), also known as the "Lord of No Mercy" and the "Cold Lord".
 
Mephistopheles (or ''Mephisto'' for short) is the lord of Cania, the eighth plane of Hell.  He was the main opponent of [[Baalzebul]] during the Reckoning of Hell, and still holds a claim to his own layer.  He seeks to take Baalzebul's layer away from him, that he may gain enough power to one day challenge [[Asmodeus]] for rulership of all the Nine Hells.
 
==Description==
In the ''AD&D'' sourcebook ''Monster Manual II'', Mephistopheles is a nine foot tall, blue-black humanoid with handsome, yet diabolical features.  He has huge muscles that befit his great strength, and his speech is whispering wind. His wings, horns, and talons are deep blue and his scales are sooty black.  His eyes are pale blue with red irises and pupils. In the ''3E'' supplement ''[[Book of Vile Darkness]]'', he is nine feet tall, with red skin, white eyes, horns, bat wings, and straight black hair. He wears flowing black capes and wields a three-pronged ranseur.
 
Mephistopheles displays to the public world a face of charm, wit, and civility; however, he is infamous for flying into rages when in private and hides a terrible temper from public view.  He is a schemer and although he has told Asmodeus to his face that he will rule hell in Asmodeus' stead, the Lord of the Nine allows him to remain in his position due to his more extreme hatred for [[Baalzebul]].  His schemes are also always flamboyant and flashy.  For example, before the Reckoning he adopted the persona "Molikroth" and disposed of Mephistopheles using this method to ferret out traitors, killing any who aided "Molikroth" during this time.
 
===4th edition===
The 4th edition ''Monster Manual'' mentions that Mephistopheles is still the lord of Cania.
 
== Vassals ==
The following beings are among the most notable subjects of Mephistopheles.  The forces at their disposal are listed, where appropriate:
 
* [[Antilia]]- Lady Antilia, the High Cantor, is a beautiful half-devil/half-elven bard who leads her master's court in hymnals. It is rumored that she is his daughter. The result of a tryst between Lord Mephistopeles and a powerful elven queen turned hellfire cleric. She mirrors her "father's" appearance which further cements these suspicions. She is briefly mentioned in the ''Book of Vile Darkness''.
* Adonides - Steward (DR76)
* [[Baalphegor]] - Consort to Mephistopheles (DR76)
* Barbas - Chamberlain of Mephistar (DR76)
* Bele - Justicar (DR76)
* Bifrons - 26 companies of gelugons (DR76)
* Hutijin - 2 companies of pit fiends (MM2)
* Testaroun - Lord Testaroun is mentioned in the ''Book of Vile Darkness''.  He is an ancient red dragon who was brought to serve his new master through bribes of treasure. Testaroun's job is merely to make Lord Mephistopheles's throneroom look more foreboding.  Unlike regulars of his kind, Testaroun can now breathe hellfire and is immune to cold, thanks to the personal attentions of his new patron.
 
== Mephistopheles in other media ==
Mephistopheles appeared as himself, Lord of Cania, in the computer role-playing game ''Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark'', where he planned to invade the city of Waterdeep and lay claim to Faerun and later Toril.  The player is supposed to defeat Mephistopheles in order to finish the game.  As well, in the said game, Mephistopheles did not destroy his traitorous generals after the Molikroth Rebellion, but rather banished them by the power of their true names.
 
Mephistopheles is also the patron deity of characters Komiyan and Gort in the Keenspot webcomic ''Darken''.  He lays the quest upon Gort that drives the main plot of the comic forward.
 
== Creative origins ==
Mephistopheles is named for the Mephistopheles of Christian mythology.
 
== References ==
 
* Cook, Monte. ''[[Book of Vile Darkness]]'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
* Greenwood, Ed. "The Nine Hells Part II." ''Dragon'' #76 (TSR, 1983).
* Gygax, Gary. "From the Sorcerer's Scroll: New Denizens of Devildom." ''Dragon'' #75 (TSR, 1983).
* Gygax, Gary. ''Monster Manual II'' (TSR, 1983).
*Larme, John. ''Dangerous Games? Censorship and "Child Protection"'' [http://www.members.tripod.com/anthonylarme/gc/gamesthesis.pdf] ([[2000]]).
* Laws, Robin D, and Robert J Schwalb. ''Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2006).
* Olson, Dave. "Heart of Hellfire Mountain." ''Dungeon'' #140 (Wizards of the Coast, November 2006).
* Pramas, Chris. ''Guide to Hell'' (TSR, 1999).
 




== External Links ==
== External Links ==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephistopheles The first part of this article at Wikipedia]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephistopheles The original source of this article at Wikipedia]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephistopheles_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons) The second part of this article on the D&D Character at Wikipedia]

Latest revision as of 12:59, 3 September 2014

For the Dungeons and Dragons deity see: Mephistopheles (Dungeons and Dragons)‎.

Mephistopheles flying over Wittenberg, in a lithograph by Eugène Delacroix.


Mephistopheles (/ˌmɛfɪˈstɒfɪˌliːz/, German pronunciation: [mefɪˈstɔfɛlɛs]; also Mephistophilus, Mephistophilis, Mephostopheles, Mephisto, Mephastophilis and variants) is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend, and he has since appeared in other works as a stock character version of the Devil.


In the Faust Legend

MEPHISTO_PHILES in the 1527 Praxis Magia Faustiana, attributed to Faust.

The name is associated with the Faust legend of a scholar — based on the historical Johann Georg Faust — who wagers his soul with the Devil.

The name appears in the late 16th century Faust chapbooks. In the 1725 version, which Johann Wolfgang von Goethe read, Mephostophiles is a devil in the form of a greyfriar summoned by Faust in a wood outside Wittenberg.

From the chapbook, the name entered Faustian literature, many authors used it, from Christopher Marlowe to Goethe. In the 1616 edition of The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Mephostophiles became Mephistophilis.

The word could derive from the Hebrew mephitz, meaning "distributor", and tophel, meaning "liar"; "tophel" is short for tophel shequer, the literal translation of which is "falsehood plasterer".[1] The name can also be a combination of three Greek words: "me" as a negation, "phos" meaning light, and "philis" meaning loving, making it mean "not-light-loving", possibly parodying the Latin "Lucifer" or "light-bearer".[2]

Mephistopheles in later treatments of the Faust material frequently figures as a title character: in Meyer Lutz' Mephistopheles, or Faust and Marguerite (1855), Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele (1868), Klaus Mann's Mephisto, and Franz Liszt's Mephisto Waltzes.


Outside the Faust Legend

Shakespeare mentions "Mephistophilus" in the Merry Wives of Windsor (Act1, Sc1, line 128), and by the 17th century the name became independent of the Faust legend. According to Burton Russell,[3] "That the name is a purely modern invention of uncertain origins makes it an elegant symbol of the modern Devil with his many novel and diverse forms." Mephisto is also featured as the lead antagonist in Goethe's Faust and in the unpublished scenarios for the Walpurgis night, he and Satan appear as two separate characters.


Interpretations of Mephistopheles

Although Mephistopheles appears to Faustus as a devil—a worker for Satan—critics claim that he does not search for men to corrupt, but comes to serve and ultimately collect the souls of those who are already damned. Farnham explains, "Nor does Mephistophiles first appear to Faustus as a devil who walks up and down in earth to tempt and corrupt any man encountered. He appears because he senses in Faustus’ magical summons that Faustus is already corrupt, that indeed he is already 'in danger to be damned'."[4]

Mephistopheles is already trapped in his own hell by serving the Devil. He warns Faustus of the choice he is making by "selling his soul" to the Devil: "Mephistophilis, an agent of Lucifer, appears and at first advises Faust not to forgo the promise of heaven to pursue his goals”.[5] Farnham adds to his theory, “…[Faustus] enters an ever-present private hell like that of Mephistophiles”.[6]

References

Bibliography

  • Burton Russell, Jeffrey, Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World, Ithaca, NY: Cornell (1986); 1990 reprint: ISBN 978-0-8014-9718-6
  • Hamlin, Cyrus, et al., "Faust", New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company (2001): ISBN 978-0-393-97282-5
  • Ruickbie, Leo: Faustus: The Life and Times of a Renaissance Magician. The History Press (2009): ISBN 978-0-7509-5090-9

Notes

  1. ↑ Online Etymology Dictionary. "Mephistopheles". Dictionary.com. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mephistopheles. Retrieved 4 December 2011. 
  2. ↑ The Broadview Anthology of British Literature Volume 2: The Renaissance and Early Seventeenth Century, Second Edition, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustuspg. 423 (see footnote 11) ISBN 978-1-55481-028-4
  3. ↑ Burton Russell 1992, p. 61
  4. ↑ Farnham, Willard. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Doctor Faustus. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,1969: 6.
  5. ↑ (Krstovic, J. O. and Marie Lazzardi. “Plot and Major Themes”. Rpt. In Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic and Marie Lazzardi. Vol. 47. Farming Mills, MI: The Gale Group, 1999: 202)
  6. ↑ (Krstovic 8)


External Links

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