Deal with the Devil
Videos
Page
A deal with the Devil is a cultural motif exemplified by the legend of Faust and the figure of Mephistopheles, as well as being elemental to many Christian traditions. According to traditional Christian belief about witchcraft, the pact is between a person and the Devil or another demon, trading a soul for diabolical favours, which vary by the tale, but tend to include youth, knowledge, wealth, fame and power.
Engraving of Faust's pact with Mephisto, by Adolf Gnauth (circa 1840)
Copy of a written deal by Christoph Haizmann from 1669.
Urbain Grandier's bogus diabolical pact
Pope Sylvester II and the devil in an illustration of c. 1460.
Faust
Videos
Page
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust.
Dr. Fausto by Jean-Paul Laurens
1876 'Faust' by Goethe, decorated by Rudolf Seitz, large German edition 51x38cm
Pan Twardowski and the devil by Michał Elwiro Andriolli. The Polish folklore legend bears many similarities to the story of Faust.
Marlowe Faustus in the Huntington Library, San Marino, California