Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles (also Mephisto, Mephistophilus, Mephist, Murphy, Mephy, Murphy Stoffelis, Mephistophilis, Mephostophiles, Mephostophiel, and Mephisophilus) is a name given to one of the chief demons of Christian mythology that figure in European literary traditions. While the name is frequently used as an alternative form of Satan or the Devil, it evolved during the Renaissance; the name Mephistopheles makes no appearance in the Bible.

Origins of the name Mephistopheles

The name is associated with the story of Faust, a scholar who sold his soul to the demon Mephistopheles for knowledge. There have been a number of attempts to guess where the name was derived from.

1. Some believe it is a play on "Me Fausto philos" and the Latin "Ne Fausto filius", which means either "Friend of Faust" or "No son of Faust".

2. Some believe that the name means "He who shuns the light."

3. Others trace it to the Latin word 'mefitis' (also spelt 'mephitis,' meaning pungent, sulphurous, stinking, and a noxious exhalation from the ground) and 'fel' (bile, poison), and orthographically dressed as a Greek name, as if transliterated from an imaginary Greek Μεφιστοφέλης.

4. Still others trace it to a rhyme with the name Αριστοτέλης (Aristotle), which connotes its opposite. They claim while the name 'Aristotelēs' means 'noblest purpose' in Greek, 'Mephistophelēs' means 'noxious bile,' in a semi-educated, or perhaps deliberately comic, mixture of Greek and Latin.

5. Some trace it to the Hebrew word "Tophel" which means liar. Also, Bachtold-Stäubli has other Hebrew explanations yet for the name. A look at how the name has changed elucidates the matter, although it does not elucidate why the name arose and changed. In the 16th century Faustbook, the first literary work about Faust, the name is Mephostophiles; which, in Greek, literally means "Not a lover of light," and could mean, "He who shuns the light". Also, he is Mephostophiles in Christopher Marlowe's 1604 play, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus ^*. In both, he is not Satan himself but a minion of Satan's.

That does not mean the name Mephistopheles did not start in the 16th Century. The Passauer Hollenzwang which was contemporary with the Faustbook mentions Mephistophiel and Mephistophiles. The first adds Hebrew to the Latin and Greek mix. In addition, Shakespeare mentions Mephistophilus, with its Latinate ending, in the "Merry Wives of Windsor (Act1, Sc1, line 64)." In the 1616 edition of the "Tragical History of Doctor Faustus", Mephostophiles became Mephistophilus. Did the name make the transition from being "He who shuns the light" to stinking and noxious, or was it a parallel development? We do not know.

Still, while the process was already begun in the 16th Century, it was not until the 19th century that Faust's demon was known as Mephistopheles. He appeared with that name in Faust (Part 1 (1808) and Part 2(1832)) by the influential German writer and humanist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Also, in both, Faust's demon became the Devil himself.

Several legends grew up about Mephistophiles. According to certain extra-biblical texts relating to Christian mysticism, and a number of related works written during the 17th century, Mephistophiles was the first to join with Lucifer during the rebellion against God at the beginning of time. When the rebel angels were banished from Heaven, Mephistophiles was the second to fall, after Lucifer. In exchange for his loyalty Lucifer granted him power in Hell, appointing him his second-in-command.

Another belief was that Mephistophiles was an angel that assisted God in the creation of the universe. He was known for the designing of orca whales, seals, and a few other ocean mammals typically working with a fellow angel named Cerenus. Eventually, he joined Lucifer's banner because of his jealousy for humans.

Mephistopheles is known throughout Goethe's plays as a "fallen angel" himself, as he clearly states to Faust. He rebels against the authority of God and is thrown out of heaven into hell.

In a passage from Marlowe's Faustus, Mephostophiles says:

"Why this is hell, nor am I out of it./ Think'st thou that I, who saw the face of God,/And tasted the eternal joys of heaven,/ Am not tormented with ten thousand hells/ In being deprived of everlasting bliss?"

Mefisto is also the title of a book by contemporary Irish writer John Banville. The novel treats the descent of a young math prodigy, and burn victim, Gabriel Swann, into a personal hell, accompanied by various Mephisotopholean characters, including Felix and Mr. Kasperl.

Mephistopheles in popular culture

Drama

1604 - Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus

Opera

1846 - Mephistopheles appears in the "Légende dramatique" entitled The Damnation of Faust (La Damnation de Faust) by Hector Berlioz.

Music

Horror Punk band The Misfits have a song called 'Mephisto Waltz'
"...Mephistopheles, who came for my soul" in the B-Side 'Then the Clouds Will Open For Me' by Placebo
Black Metal band Dimmu Borgir have a song entitled "The Maelstrom Mephisto"
Megadeth reference Mephistopheles in the songs 'Vortex' ("Mephistophelian transaction/A virgin soul the price is paid") and 'The Conjuring' ("Come join me in my infernal depths/ Mephisto's hall of fame/I've got your soul")
On Beethoven's Last Night, a concept album from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mephistopheles represents the devil himself.
Mephistopheles is referenced in "Wrapped Around Your Finger" from the album Synchronicity by The Police. The lyric says "Mephistopheles is not your name, but I know what you're up to just the same."
The concept album Epica by progressive metal band Kamelot tells the story of Faust, which is continued by its sequel, The Black Halo.
"The Devil Song" by Marcy Playground (from the soundtrack to the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) includes the line, "My real name is Mephistopheles, but you can call me baby..."
"The Sins of Memphisto" by folk singer John Prine came about as a result of an incorrect blending of the names Memphis, Egypt and Mephistopheles.
The R&B group Spooks referenced Mephisto in their song "Karma Hotel", in a verse which warned of the dangers of casual sex.
Japanese Rock and Visual Kei band 'Moi dix Mois's album 'Nocturnal Opera' contains a song named "Mephisto Waltz" which is referred to as a melody of sorrow.
Mephiskapheles is a ska band which plays the angle of being a demonic band. They are most famous for their song 'Bumblebee Tuna'.
On Stephen Lynch's song "Beelz" about Satan from his album The Craig Machine he says the line: "Mephisopheles to some!"
In 1993, Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, creates an alter-ego character for theirs Zoo TV tour show called “Mr. McPhisto”; which is an irony involving The Devil, Consumerism, Globalization and Stardom.
In 2006, the Radiohead song, "Videotape" mentions that "When I'm at the pearly gates/This will be on my videotape/Mephistopholis is just beneath/and he's reaching up to grab me."
There is an electronic band named Mephisto Odyssey who have collaborated with everyone from country singer Paula Frazer to Static-X.
Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire's song "Ides of Swing" from the album Thrills contains the line "Swooning to the charms of Mephisto's waltz, that's when you know you've got some schmaltz."
From Cradle of Filth's 2004 album, Nymphetamine, a song entitled "Absinthe With Faust" uses this stanza: Let us drink on the giddying brink, Of pools of excrement, All manner of shit for the glamour and glitz, Mephistopheles lent

Film

In the 1981 movie "Mephisto," which won an Oscar in 1982 as Best Foreign Film, actor Klaus Maria Brandauer plays a German stage actor who "sells his soul" to achieve fame.
In the 2006 film Thank You for Smoking, the central character, a spokesman for Big Tobacco with a questionable sense of morals, is once referred to as a "yuppie Mephistopheles."
In the 2005 film Batman Begins, Arrigo Boito's opera Mefistofele is being performed prior to the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents.
In the 1987 film Angel Heart, Mickey Rourke figures out that the Satan character "Louis Cyphere" is actually "Lucifer", and Satan's (Robert De Niro) response is "'Mephistopheles' is such a mouthful in Manhattan, Johnny."
In Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, the resistance group rebelling against the One State is called the Mephi.
In Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead, it is mentioned that Gail Wynand was once asked to sit for a painting of Mephistopheles.
Mephistopheles is the name of the character in the 2007 movie "Ghost Rider" who turns Johnny Blaze into the Ghost Rider.

Television

In Warrior Princess, Mephastophilis is the original ruler of Hell. He is then replaced by Lucifer.
In the television series South Park, Dr. Mephesto is the name of a mad scientist who lives on an ominous hill outside of town.
In the second series of Sky One's Hex, Mephistopheles (played by Ronan Vibert) takes an active part in guiding the son of Azazeal towards his destiny, to bring about the end of days. In the end he turns against evil and helps the 'good side' as he believes the only thing truly worth fighting for is love.
As a recurring character of Jon Lovitz on Saturday Night Live
In the Australian ABC TV show Double the Fist as Mephisto
A chilling 1970s made-for-TV horror film by 20th Century Fox, "The Mephisto Waltz", stars Alan Alda, Curt Jurgens and Jacqueline Bisset in a satanistic soul-switching plot.

Literature

In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the book's protagonist, Charlie Marlow, describes a man who claims to be a brickmaker as a "papier-mache Mephistopheles", meaning that while he seems to be solid, he is really hollow.
In Marvel Comics, Mephisto is a prominent demon who controls an aspect of Hell and has at times claimed to also be the Biblical Satan.
In T.S. Eliot's poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-running musical stage adaptation, Cats, there is a cat named The Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.
In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, newspaper mogul Gail Wynand is said to have a face that belonged "to Ancient Rome," and he is asked to sit for a painting of Mephistopheles; he laughs and denies the offer, and the painter believes that the laugh made him look even better for it.
In Spawn (comics) the graphic novel originally created by Todd McFarlene, one of the main demons in hell is referred to as "Malebolgia", which is an editing of the word "Mephistopheles".

Video and Board Games

In Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Mephistopheles is an archdevil, one of the nine rulers of the plane of Baator, also called the Nine Hells. His domain is Cania, the eighth level of Baator, a frigid wasteland. In this role, he is the primary villain in the PC game Hordes of the Underdark, an expansion pack to Neverwinter Nights.
Mephisto is one of the three 'Prime Evils' in Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo (computer game) series. In Diablo II, Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, is one of the primary bosses.
Mephisto is the core villain of a cluster of maps in Heroes of Might and Magic IV.
In the popular Xbox game Phantom Dust, the skill Mephisto's Pact is named after the demon.
In the Magic: The Gathering card game, there is a card called 'Chains of Mephistopheles'.
In the Pencil and Paper RPG Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM), Cold Hands, Dark Hearts (CHDH, a gothic-horror installment) Mephisto is one of the Seven ruling Daemons created by the Djinn at the beginning of time. Each of the seven ruling Daemons seemed to be linked to one of the Seven major racial additions in the book. Mephisto was linked to the Oni, half-human half-Daemon hybrids.
In the Yu-Gi-Oh card game, there is a card called Mefist the Infernal General (in Japanese "Hellish General Mephisto") that is a Fiend (Japanese: Demon).
In the horror adventure game 7 Days a Skeptic, Mephistopheles is the name of the ship the events of the game take place in.
On a Neverwinter nights server known as Lala Land the Questmistress Lims Kragama often poses as Mephistopheles to terrorize new players.
In Animamundi, Mephistopheles is the devil that negotiates with the main character to save his sister's life in exchange for his soul.

Other

Mephistopheles' Stout is also a brew made by Avery Brewing company in Boulder, CO.
Mephisto is the name of a CMLL's Wrestler.
Mephisto is the brand name of a footwear company. Their webpage can be found at www.mephisto.com

Selected Reference for Origin of the Name

Burton, Jeffrey Russell. Mephistopheles. Ithaca, NY: Cornell, 1986, pp61

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