Ördög (''Ürdüng'' in Old Hungarian) is a

shape-shifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...

, demonic creature from

Hungarian mythology Hungarian mythology includes the myths, legends, folk tales, fairy tales and gods of the Hungarians. Sources of knowledge Much of Magyar mythology is believed to be lost. However, in the last hundred years scholars of the history of Hungarian ...

and early Hungarian paganism who controls the dark and evil forces of the world. After

Christianization Christianization (or Christianisation) is a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...

, it was identified with the

devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...

. It is often said in Hungarian mythology that God (''Isten'' in Hungarian) had help from Ördög when creating the world. Ördög is often thought to look somewhat like a

satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr (, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( ), and sileni (plural), is a male List of nature deities, nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exaggerated erection. ...

faun The faun (, ; , ) is a half-human and half-goat mythological creature appearing in Greek and Roman mythology. Originally fauns of Roman mythology were ghosts ( genii) of rustic places, lesser versions of their chief, the god Faunus. Before t ...

, a humanoid with the upper torso of a human male and lower portions of a goat; usually pitch-black, with cloven

hooves The hoof (: hooves) is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, which is covered and strengthened with a thick and horny keratin covering. Artiodactyls are even-toed ungulates, species whose feet have an even number of digits; the ruminants with ...

, ram-like

horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...

s, a long tail ending in a blade; and he carries a

pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

. He can also be distinguished by his overly large phallus.Klaniczay, Gábor. 2006. Christian Demonology and Popular Mythology. Central European University Press. He dwells in the

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

or hell (''Pokol'' in Hungarian), constantly stirring a huge cauldron filled with souls of those who lived in sin (however, it is uncertain whether the underworld was regarded as place of punishment or not in pre-Christian Hungarian mythology, since the naming of it as Pokol developed after Christianization). Johann Grafen Mailáth: Geschichte der Magyaren, vol. 1, Vienna 1828, p. 26-27. When he does come to earth, according to some legends, he hides in the walls of victims and makes subtle noises that sound high pitched and even squeaky. In other legends, when he comes to earth, he takes the form of a fox, a dark flame or a Hungarian

shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

with dark, sparkling eyes. It is his habit to make bets with humans to see if they become corrupted. His long-term goal is to collect more human souls (''lelkek'' in Hungarian).

References

External links

Ördög
MEK, Magyar néprajz, Mitikus lények Hungarian legendary creatures {{Hungary-stub Demons Shapeshifting