Woman and the Devil

Chapter2 provides a background for the main motifs of the study. It commences with a survey of the development of the figure of Satan and Satanism, and then discusses Genesis 3, the narrative that lies at the root of most of the later ideas about Satan’s intimate ties to woman. The interpretations of this text by Gnostics, Church Fathers, and reformers are delineated. This is followed by an examination of the notion of the Devil as a woman, whereafter the enigmatic entity Baphomet—an example of how Satan has been given female or hermaphroditic traits in esoteric writings—is considered. Thereupon, some background is provided on the Jewish demoness Lilith, who was seen as the first feminist in several nineteenth-century interpretations. Next, some motifs in folklore and witchcraft trials are treated, followed by a brief exploration of ideas concerning erotic relations between women and Satan.