The Musical Devil Revisited
Vercelli Homily X and Satan’s Fiddle
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12445533 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christina M Heckman (0000-0003-1384-7262, Augusta University Augusta, GA USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 573-596 |
| Publication date | 2023-12-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religion and the Arts (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1079-9265 • E-ISSN: 1568-5292 |
| Publisher | Brill (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1163/15685292-02705007 |
| OpenAlex | W4393053441 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 13 |
This article argues that modern examples of the Devil as a player of plucked and bowed stringed instruments extend early medieval representations of the Devil’s music as a powerfully persuasive force that can be used to draw souls toward Satan and, conversely, to defend against his musical machinations. By examining Homily X of the Vercelli Book (c. tenth century) in relation to early medieval music theory, the legend of St. Dunstan, and modern examples of the fiddle-playing Devil, this article demonstrates that the musical Devil and his opponents show every sign of sustaining the motif’s power into the future
Aesthetics · Art · Homily · Legend · Literature · Motif (music · Musical · Relation (database · Sign (mathematics · Computer Science · Historical and Archaeological Studies · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |