Comments on: Standard Religious Iconography to Show Subject is Demonic/Unholy?

Question: Standard Religious Iconography to Show Subject is Demonic/Unholy?

DaShiv — Sun, 30 May 2004 15:16:59 -0800

In religious iconography, there are standardized symbols to depict "holiness" in figures--haloes, rays, flames, those little horns on Moses's forehead, etc. Are there equivalent "anti-haloes" for demonic/unholy icons? Any links to examples would be appreciated. Non-western examples welcome.

By: caddis

caddis — Sun, 30 May 2004 15:32:37 -0800

Horns on Moses? This sounds like that whole Jews have horns mess. What are you talking about?

By: i_am_joe's_spleen

i_am_joe's_spleen — Sun, 30 May 2004 15:51:57 -0800

Yes, horns on Moses.

By: caddis

caddis — Sun, 30 May 2004 16:30:20 -0800

Right, horns on Moses. That is where the very anti-semitic idea of Jews having horns comes from. There are some people that still believe that Jews have horns (and of course that sort of equates Jews with the Devil now doesn't it). So, horns on Moses is not some innocent religious symbol, but rather represents something much darker.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Sun, 30 May 2004 16:38:37 -0800

They're due to a mistranslation of the word "rays" from Hebrew. That's what I've heard. Moses came down from the mountain with "rays" coming out of his head, mistranslated as "horns".

That statue by Michaelangelo's mostly to blame.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Sun, 30 May 2004 16:42:04 -0800

Here's some stuff.

By: milovoo

milovoo — Sun, 30 May 2004 16:42:19 -0800

I can recommend a great resource on demonology, deliriumsrealm.com
You might also ask for some examples on the forum there,
it's quite an impressive group with some very helpful and knowledgeable people.

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Sun, 30 May 2004 16:47:15 -0800

That is where the very anti-semitic idea of Jews having horns comes from.

Not according to this analysis. It seems complicated, but to say "horns on Moses"="anti-semitic" is certainly an oversimplification.

That statue by Michaelangelo's mostly to blame.

See the link above: the statue is predated by a long series of horned depictions of Moses.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Sun, 30 May 2004 16:48:19 -0800

(Michelangelo's Moses has horns because one of the biblical translations of "rays of light" became "horns" in Italian. Because of this mistranslation, depictions of Moses with horns has become somewhat commonplace.)

By: interrobang

interrobang — Sun, 30 May 2004 16:52:14 -0800

I guess mr_roboto's right. I didn't know that horned depictions of Moses predated the Michaelangelo piece.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Sun, 30 May 2004 17:01:25 -0800

This article blames Saint Jerome's translation of the bible for the misunderstanding. Jerome lived in the 400s:

Michelangelo takes the horns from Jerome's mistranslation of a biblical passage. Where it says that rays of light issued from Moses' face, Jerome wrote horns. Michelangelo was aware of the mistranslation. He put horns on Moses, anyway.

By: caddis

caddis — Sun, 30 May 2004 17:02:03 -0800

Whether some ancient mistranslated some biblical passage or not, today this carries a dark meaning. Please read A Brief History of anti-semitism.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Sun, 30 May 2004 18:41:06 -0800

Wait, are you asking "what are the marks of the beast?"

There are lots of those! But since the Devil's minions are rarely depicted in iconography, I'm not sure where you're going to find representations of these in art. Look to literature.

By: LittleMissCranky

LittleMissCranky — Sun, 30 May 2004 18:53:36 -0800

caddis, I'm confused at how exactly your article relates to horns on Moses. Yes, some perjorative "art" has depicted jews with horns, but that's not really what's going on with Moses. After all, Moses is a revered figure in Christianity as well. In fact, most traditional interpretations of Christianity would say that Moses was a Christian, according to the doctrine of supercession of Christianity over Judaism as it existed before the resurrection of Jesus. Now, is that doctrine antisemitic in and of itself? Oh, hell yes. But because of it, Moses, Abraham, and the other patriarchs are almost exclusively coopted by Christian culture, not used as tools of antisemitic insinuation.

By: LittleMissCranky

LittleMissCranky — Sun, 30 May 2004 19:00:00 -0800

Also, the Moses/horns thing isn't the source of that particular Jews-as-devil bullshit. Rumors of certain races having horns (and thus being evil) have been widespread since at least the time of Alexander the Great, so it considerably predates Jerome's mistranslation. Horns were initially symbols of great power (which may have been one reason that Jerome didn't question that particular translation more carefully), but, as power often breeds contempt, became signs of a lower, animal nature, and then of evil.

By: caddis

caddis — Sun, 30 May 2004 19:12:18 -0800

The Holocaust Project article is a bit general. This is more specific.

By: milovoo

milovoo — Sun, 30 May 2004 20:07:10 -0800

Jeez! If you want Jews with horns, just listen to Jews with horns.

By: mr.marx

mr.marx — Sun, 30 May 2004 20:49:38 -0800

damien says: three 6s on the scalp

but anyway, aren't the whole goat-thing very evil? horns, hooves, tail and all?

By: mr.marx

mr.marx — Sun, 30 May 2004 20:50:13 -0800

isn't. isn't. isn't.

By: skallas

skallas — Sun, 30 May 2004 22:05:33 -0800

I swear I've seen black (or dark blue?) halos before, perhaps at a Greek Orthodox church.

By: oissubke

oissubke — Sun, 30 May 2004 22:16:21 -0800

I've heard of Mormons having horns, but I didn't realize until now that this was probably extension of this whole mess. Cool.