Devil Stories: An Anthology — Context and Discussion

From Moral Fable to Literary Trickster

The anthology’s arrangement traces a shift from didactic medieval tales to more ironic, character-driven narratives. Early entries like “The Devil in a Nunnery” present the devil as a crude tempter whose schemes are foiled by piety. By contrast, Machiavelli’s “Belphagor” (1549) recasts the devil as a bureaucratic figure who flees hell to escape marriage, blending satire with social commentary. Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” (1824) further secularizes the pact narrative, embedding it in American folklore with a sharp critique of greed. Rudwin’s selection thus highlights how the devil transforms from a theological menace into a vehicle for humor, irony, and moral ambiguity.

Recurring Images of Confinement and Release

Several stories feature devils trapped in bottles, phials, or other containers, a motif that recurs across cultures and centuries. In the Spanish tale “The Devil’s Mother-in-Law,” a demon is imprisoned in a phial “borne like a pimple on the nose of the mountain” and released only after bargaining with a soldier. Similarly, Gogol’s “St. John’s Eve” involves a demonic figure bound by ritual constraints. These images of confinement—often followed by explosive release or failed escape—underscore the devil’s paradoxical power: though feared, he is repeatedly outwitted or contained by human cunning. The phial motif also appears in the anonymous “The Printer’s Devil,” linking physical entrapment to the devil’s diminished stature in later folklore.

Bargains, Demands, and Unreliable Promises

Pacts with the devil form the anthology’s core narrative engine, but the terms are rarely straightforward. In “The Painter’s Bargain,” Thackeray’s protagonist negotiates for artistic skill, only to face ambiguous consequences. The demon in “The Devil’s Mother-in-Law” promises “four dollars daily” but lacks the funds, leading to a comedic standoff. Poe’s “Bon-Bon” treats the pact as a philosophical dialogue, with the devil as a gourmand critic. Across these stories, the devil’s promises prove unreliable, and the human characters often exploit loopholes or renegotiate terms. Rudwin’s commentary notes the devil’s role as a “trickster” whose word is never binding, a pattern that reinforces the moral that no bargain with evil is safe—or final.

Movement Between Sacred and Profane Spaces

The anthology’s settings oscillate between religious institutions and worldly locales, reflecting the devil’s dual nature as both spiritual adversary and social commentator. “The Devil in a Nunnery” takes place within a convent, while “St. John’s Eve” unfolds in a Ukrainian village during a pagan festival. Thackeray’s “The Devil’s Wager” shifts between a gambling den and a churchyard, blurring the line between sacred and profane. This geographical and symbolic movement underscores the devil’s ubiquity: he appears in cloisters, taverns, and mountaintops alike. Rudwin’s selection emphasizes that the devil is not confined to hell but infiltrates everyday spaces, making his presence both familiar and unsettling.

Readers approaching this anthology will find a curated journey through the devil’s literary incarnations, from medieval morality to Romantic irony. Rudwin’s editorial notes provide context without overwhelming the stories, making the collection suitable for both casual reading and scholarly study. Pay attention to the recurring motifs of confinement, bargaining, and spatial transgression—they reveal how each author adapts the devil to their cultural moment. The volume’s chronological structure invites comparison across centuries, highlighting the devil’s remarkable versatility as a character.

That gray afternoon, drifting through Devil Stories, I kept circling back to Washington Irving’s sly devils—less monstrous than tired, negotiating with ordinary greed. The anthology’s scholarly notes felt like rain on a window, comfortable and distant. Later, restless, I picked up A Popular Schoolgirl — Story, Setting & Ideas and found the same quiet bargaining, scaled down to a girl’s small, earthly wishes.