# Why is Satan often shown as having Goatlike features? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 26, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647 "2009-12-26T20:51:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/21 "2014-11-26T13:44:03Z")
All I know is that it is very popular in the Philippines to say that Satan cannot visit the northern Philippines. With his cloven hoofs, hairy legs, beard, and horns, he is terrified that the Ilocanos will mistake him for a goat. (Goat adobo is a popular dish in Ilocandia.) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/22 "2014-11-26T14:35:14Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I am surprised that no one brought up the squid — or does that only get mentioned in ATMB posts? Squidward, who actually looks more like an octopus, has rectangular pupils, which moved me to look up cephalopod eyes once. ---
**Author:** ![HakunaK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9de0a6/32.png) [@HakunaK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HakunaK)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/23 "2014-11-28T17:07:55Z")
After reading the various translations, I believe that the words “satyr” and “Lilith” are probably closer to the original translation, as these both represent mythological beings belonging to the Hebrews’ pagan contemporaries. I think someone else said this earlier, and I agree, that it was commonplace for your enemies’ gods to become your demons. I also agree with what another person said, that these words likely were edited out, either to “dumb it down” for the masses or for political purposes. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/24 "2014-11-28T21:06:54Z")
> [@HakunaK](#): > > After reading the various translations, I believe that the words “satyr” and “Lilith” are probably closer to the original translation, as these both represent mythological beings belonging to the Hebrews’ pagan contemporaries. I cannot make head nor tail of “original translation”, and original Greek satyrs had horses’ legs or human legs. The goat legs actually belonged to Roman fauns, who were, but much too late to have affected the Hebrew Bible, confused with satyrs. Use “satyr”, if you like, to describe the thing that the ancient Hebrews may have had in mind, but they didn’t get the idea from the Greeks. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/25 "2014-11-28T21:57:44Z")
Lilith was unmistakably human. She was created alongside some dude in the first chapter of Genesis. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/26 "2014-11-29T00:17:38Z")
Besides its scriptural origin, I think there’s another reason the goat/Satan connection has persisted. A stylized goat’s head graphic fits snugly–nay more, almost perfectly-- into the outline of the inverted pentagram; I’m sure the iconography has been used not only by the publishers of admonitory Christian tracts, but also by avowed Satanists. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/27 "2014-11-29T00:51:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Lilith was unmistakably human. She was created alongside some dude in the first chapter of Genesis. Nah. That couple never sinned, so they and their offspring were promoted to angels. Or something like that (I’m not making this up; I’ve read it somewhere.) ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/28 "2014-12-02T18:50:41Z")
I wanted to weigh in on the pitchfork. Cecil stated it was inspired by Neptune’s trident. I thought it was from Dante’s _Inferno_, where the Malebranche fly over the grafters swimming in the molten tar (pitch) of the 5th pouch, occasionally catching the with their long (pitch)forks. Or does Dante’s image follow from earlier ones? ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/29 "2014-12-02T20:17:12Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Lilith was unmistakably human. She was created alongside some dude in the first chapter of Genesis. I . . . do not remember this. Nor can I find it at [Gen 1 NIV - The Beginning - In the beginning God - Bible Gateway](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen+1&version=NIV). According to Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > The Hebrew term Lilith or “Lilit” (translated as “night creatures”, “night monster”, “night hag”, or “screech owl”) first occurs in Isaiah 34:14, either singular or plural according to variations in the earliest manuscripts, though in a list of animals. Indeed, the whole “Lilith and Adam sittin’ in a tree” thing didn’t come along until somewhere around 800AD. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Dracula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/54ee81/32.png) [@Count\_Dracula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Dracula)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/30 "2014-12-02T21:08:22Z")
I’ve personally met Satan. He’s an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647/31 "2014-12-02T22:35:06Z")
> [@Count\_Dracula](#): > > I’ve personally met Satan. He’s an asshole. I dunno. When he was a poster here, he was pretty cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-satan-often-shown-as-having-goatlike-features/522647.md?page=1)