Hell-painted icons: why in the old days they created disguised images with Satan and devils

Hell-painted icons: why in the old days they created disguised images with Satan and devils

Categories: Culture

Icons - sacred images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, apostles and saints, have been an obligatory attribute of Orthodox Christianity for centuries. But few people know that in addition to canonical icons, others were created, which were popularly called "hell-painted". They depicted the devil and his servants, and ordinary images of saints were painted on top. Why were they painted, and who was engaged in such a dubious business?

Hell-painted icons: why in the old days they created disguised images with Satan and devils

The enemy of the human race and his wicked servants were often depicted on icons in the past. Usually these were images illustrating the torments of sinners in hell, the temptations of saints or scenes of the expulsion of demons. Such subjects were instructive in nature and did not cause indignation among contemporaries.

Hell-painted icons: why in the old days they created disguised images with Satan and devils

Icons where devils became the main theme were perceived in a completely different way. The first such case is mentioned in the life of Basil the Blessed. A holy fool openly threw stones at the icon of the Mother of God on the Varvarskie Gate, causing indignation among Muscovites. The crowd was already preparing to deal with the blasphemer, but Basil pointed out the impious plot hidden under a layer of paint, revealing the true nature of the image.

Historians and art historians believe that the creation of hell icons was a special form of black magic. The devil and his servants were first depicted on a primed board, and after this layer dried, saints were painted. The purpose of such icons was obvious: to make the believer, praying to the saints, actually turn to evil spirits.

Hell-painted icons: why in the old days they created disguised images with Satan and devils

In the old days, there was a belief that the devil himself created hellish icons, using the icon painter as an instrument. For example, the plot of one of the frescoes of the Nativity Cathedral in Yaroslavl shows how the devil tempts Alimpiy Pechersky while he is painting the image of the Mother of God. But the appearance of such "damned" icons probably has a more realistic explanation. And scientists have several suggestions.

In the 19th century, journalists from Moskovskiye Vedomosti offered their own version of the origin of hell-painting, reminiscent of a conspiracy theory. They suggested that hell-painted icons could have been the work of the Old Believers. In this way, the Old Believers allegedly tried to discredit the "Fryazhsky script", close to Western canons of icon painting, which was actively used in new works.

Russian writer Nikolai Leskov also supported the Old Believer version, but offered a simpler explanation. In his novella "The Sealed Angel," he tells the story of a merchant who ordered an icon depicting devils on gesso (ground). Together with an accomplice, he went to sell it at a fair.

Hell-painted icons: why in the old days they created disguised images with Satan and devils

When the buyer was ready to pay for the icon, the accomplice would come up and "expose" the seller, showing hidden images of devils on the bottom layer of the icon. After that, the buyer would be offered to buy another, genuine icon, supposedly painted according to all the Old Believer canons.

Traveling merchants who sold haberdashery, books, popular prints and icons were called ofeni. These people bought goods where they were cheaper and resold them for maximum profit.

Peasants, coming to fairs, gladly bought icons from the ofeni, created by unknown artisans. Such images were much cheaper than those painted in monasteries. It was among these inexpensive icons, according to rumors, that hell-painted ones were most often encountered. Perhaps they were painted for the sake of mischief or an evil joke, because there were always those who liked to make a fool of someone or make an evil joke.

Hell-painted icons: why in the old days they created disguised images with Satan and devils

The writer Maxim Gorky, who worked in an icon-painting workshop in his youth, recalled that he often encouraged the masters to paint hidden horns on the saints. After he was fired, one of the artists gave him a small icon depicting the devil. The "petrel of the revolution" treasured this gift and did not part with it even while serving time in the dungeons of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Some experts completely deny the existence of hell-painted icons. They believe that inexperienced peasants could have mistaken scenes of the Last Judgement or images of saints with unusual appearances for “sinful”. For example, until the 18th century, Saint Christopher was often depicted with a dog’s head, which could have caused confusion among ordinary people.

Hell-painted icons: why in the old days they created disguised images with Satan and devils

Since no examples of such creativity have survived to this day, it is possible that the “unclean” images are just part of folklore. Perhaps individual examples did exist, but they were more likely a rare exception or the result of someone’s daring joke.

The stories of hell icons are shrouded in mystery, controversy and legends that continue to excite the imagination. But were they reality or did they remain just part of folklore and fantasy? Do you think such icons could have existed, and what does this say about the perception of sacred art in different eras? Share your thoughts and versions in the comments!

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