It follows that, with the unique exception of women, no other creature throughout the history of culture has intrigued the imagination of artists as much as the Devil.

The incarnate Evil takes on many forms: it becomes a snake, a frog, an ancient deity, a monster, or a mythical creature. However, the most dominant form was born in the 12th century: a humanoid, hairy creature with pointed ears and the legs of a goat or horse. The horns and long tail are the necessary complement.

Giotto, Bosch, and Botticelli adorned their demons with bat wings, inspired by Chinese paintings in the style of the Li Long Mien papyrus. However, the horns and goat legs of Satan clearly have a Mediterranean origin: Pan, Dionysus, and satyrs shared the same distinctive traits, which in turn were borrowed from Paleolithic deities.