Behemoth (russian: link=no, кот Бегемот) is a character from the novel ''

The Master and Margarita ''The Master and Margarita'' (russian: Мастер и Маргарита) is a novel by Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐf ...

'' by the Russian writer

Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...

. He is an enormous (said to be as large as a hog) demonic black cat who speaks, walks on two legs, and can even transform to human shape for brief periods. He has a

penchant In psychology, economics and philosophy, preference is a technical term usually used in relation to choosing between alternatives. For example, someone prefers A over B if they would rather choose A than B. Preferences are central to decision theo ...

for

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...

pistols A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...

, and obnoxious sarcasm. He is evidently the least-respected member of

Woland Woland (russian: Воланд) is a fictional character in the novel ''The Master and Margarita'' by the Russian (Soviet) author Mikhail Bulgakov, written between 1928 and 1940. Woland is the mysterious foreigner and professor whose visit to Mosco ...

's entourage; Margarita boldly takes to slapping Behemoth on the head after one of his many ill-timed jokes, without fear of retribution. He is known for his jokes, which he never stops telling. Russian word ''begemot'' means

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...

, however his name refers to the legendary Biblical monster.

In the novel

Behemoth is part of

's entourage, depicted as a huge black cat. In the Bible,

Behemoth Behemoth (; he, בְּהֵמוֹת, ''bəhēmōṯ'') is a beast from the biblical Book of Job, and is a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the beginning of creation; he is paired with the other chaos-monster, Leviathan, and ...

is an example of an incomprehensible godly creation and one of the traditional names for a

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

, Satan's sidekick. The character is a

werecat A werecat (also written in a hyphenated form as were-cat) is an analog to "werewolf" for a feline therianthropic creature. Etymology Ailuranthropy comes from the Greek root words ''ailouros'' meaning "cat",< and ''anthropos'', meaning "human" ...

, who can be "an enormous black cat with cavalry moustache, that walks on two legs" or a "fat shorty in a torn cap" with a cat–like face. As a human, he starts a row at the Performance Committee, sets

Torgsin Torgsin (Russian: ) were state-run hard-currency stores that operated in the USSR between 1931 and 1936. Their name was an acronym of ''torgovlia s inostrantsami'' (Russian: '), "trade with foreigners." Unlike the later Beryozka stores, Torgsi ...

and Griboyedov's House on fire, and beats up Varenukha at a public toilet, but most of the time he appears as cat and shocks people with his human-like behavior. Bulgakov's Behemoth comically combines philosophical ponderings and manners with roguishness and aggressiveness. He first appears in the scene where Ivan Bezdomny chases Woland and escapes by hopping onto a tram; he then appears in front of a severely hungover Stepan Likhodeyev drinking vodka and chasing it with pickled mushroom; he then, together with

Azazello Azazello (in early versions of the book, Fiello, russian: link=no, Азазелло) is a character from the novel '' The Master and Margarita'' by the Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov. A demon, a member of Woland's entourage. "The demon of the w ...

, beats up Varenukha. Behemoth is close with

Korovyev Korovyev (spelled Koroviev in the Penguin Classics edition) is one of Woland's entourage in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel, ''The Master and Margarita.'' He presents himself to others as "professor" Woland's "assistant and translator," and is capable ...

, another member of Woland's entourage. In Chapter 28, "The Last Adventures of Koroviev and Behemoth," the gruesome twosome wreaks havoc around town, sowing confusion at Smolensky marketplace and starting a fire at Griboedov's, a restaurant and meeting house for Russia's literary elite.

Quotes

: "
Noblesse oblige ''Noblesse oblige'' (; ; literally “nobility obliges”) is a French expression from a time when French (more specifically, Anglo-Norman) was the language of the English nobility, and retains in English the meaning that nobility extends beyo ...
," said the cat and poured Margarita some clear liquid into a conical glass. : "Is this vodka?" asked Margarita weakly. : The cat jumped resentfully in his chair. : "Forgive me, my lady," he croaked, "Would I ever allow myself to pour vodka for a lady? This is pure alcohol!"-After Woland's Ball.

: "Well, so I sent the telegram. What of it?" -To Maximilian Andreevich, speaking while in full-on cat form.

: "You're not Dostoevsky," said the citizeness, who was getting muddled by Koroviev. : "Well, who knows, who knows," he replied. : "Dostoevsky's dead," said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently. : "I protest!" Behemoth exclaimed hotly. "Dostoevsky is immortal!" -When seeking entry at Griboedov's.

: “And I really look like a hallucination. Note my silhouette in the moonlight." : The cat got into the shaft of moonlight and wanted to add something else, but upon being asked to keep silent, replied: : "Very well, very well, I'm prepared to be silent. I'll be a silent hallucination."

: Behemoth cut a slice of pineapple, salted it, peppered it, ate it, and then tossed off a second glass of alcohol so dashingly that everyone applauded.

References

Fictional cats Mikhail Bulgakov characters Talking animals in fiction Fictional demons and devils Fictional shapeshifters Male characters in literature Anthropomorphic cats Literary characters introduced in 1967 Comedy literature characters {{novel-char-stub