10 deals with the devil

“Selling your soul to the devil” is not an unfamiliar theme. Many popular movies, television shows, books, plays, and so on, have been based off of this idea. Why is it that this theme is so popular? It could be because it was based off of true accounts in history. Perhaps thinking that Faust’s story could happen in real life makes this theme even more terrifying and exciting for people. Faust’s character is based off of an actual person who was born in the fifteenth century, who supposedly traded his soul in exchange for knowledge. Knowing that this story of Faust actually happened (for those who believe this kind of thing is possible) makes it exponentially more interesting. There are accounts of other people from different times and places around the world who have been accused of similar circumstances. I found an interesting article online about 10 different people from history who are reported to have sold their souls to the devil. The real Faust is included in this list. They each had unique motivations. One was a musician who wanted to improve his technique, some wanted riches, and some wanted knowledge like Faust. They are each frightening in their own way. I think what is most horrifying about some of them is the way that their decisions effected the people around them. Just like Faust’s decision effected people in his life (i.e. Gretchen becoming pregnant and ending up in prison), some of the people in this list clearly effected people around them. It really is an interesting article.

http://listverse.com/2010/05/10/10-people-who-sold-their-soul-to-the-devil/
 

Here’s a picture of one of the people mentioned in the article and the description given-

"Gilles de Rais was considered intelligent, courageous and very attractive with a bluish black beard. Born to one of the most distinguished families in Brittany, he came into his own when his father died in Gilles’ 20th year. He found himself with untold wealth and power which eventually led to his downfall. Gilles got an attack of “keeping up with the Joneses” which ultimately led to the loss of much of his wealth. In desperation he began to experiment with the occult under the direction of a man named Francesco Prelati, who promised that Gilles could help him regain his squandered fortune by sacrificing children to a demon called “Baron.” Over the course of his killing spree, Gilles raped, tortured, and murdered between 80 and 200 children. He was tried, found guilty, and executed by hanging and burning."