Ördög

The Ördög (Ürdüng in Old Hungarian and in Turkic mythology equivalent to Erlik) is a shape-shifting, demonic creature from Hungarian mythology which personifies the dark and evil aspects of the world. In Christian times, it was identified with the devil. It is often said in Hungarian mythology that Isten (God in Hungarian) had help from Ördög when he was creating the world. [1]

The Ördög is often thought to look somewhat like a faun: usually pitch-black, with hooves, horns, a sharp pointy tail, and he carried a pitchfork.[2] He also had a sulfurous stench. He dwells in the underworld or hell (Pokol in Hungarian) constantly stirring a huge cauldron filled with souls. When he does come to earth, according to some legends, Ördög hides in the walls of victims and makes subtle noises that sound high pitched and even squeaky. In other legends, when he comes to earth, he takes the form of a fox, a dark flame or Hungarian shepherd with dark, sparkling eyes. It is his habit to make bets with humans to see if they become corrupted. His long-term goal is to collect more human souls.

References

  1. ↑ Lurker, Manfred (2004). The Routledge Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons. Routledge. p. 143. ISBN 0-415-34018-7.
  2. ↑ "Magyar Néprajzi Lexikon". Mek.oszk.hu. Retrieved 2015-08-28.

External links


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