The Devil's Supper, by Shani Oates

OCTAVO Paperback Edition (1st Printing, 2021)

6 x 9 inches. 276 pages. German Binding. Gloss (Scuff Free) finish. Black & Red interior (illustrations and photography). Fine typography, printed on Lynx Cream 140M archive-quality paper. Fully illustrated by Lupe Vasconcelos & other classical artists.

Always, the Devil is presented as a beacon of decadence and indulgence, whether fair or foul. And, whether droll or tragic, he does – in spite of his bad press – appear always to have our best interests at heart. Perhaps this is why many of us have a soft spot for this notorious rebel who reflects, as he does, the all too human element within. As supreme chimera, he is without peer; his amorphous ambiguity allows him to cross continents, cultures, and time effortlessly; he afflicts art and society in ever more creative and challenging ways… To know his work, we must seek what lies beneath the final mask.

The Grande Sabbat Feast, The Night Visitations and the Faerie Rade – The Devil’s Supper is the sacred and profane history of a buffoon, racketeer, demon, daemon, trickster, Faerie King, Great Opposer, and the Lie.

From pre-history to post-modern times, the bogeyman behind folk tales and legends tells his long tale in this uniquely historical perspective – one that explores why Providence is the sacred duty of The Lord of this World. From Carnival to Utopia, and from Feast to Famine, the secret traditions of the Devil and all his Works are explored in considerable depth and explained by the people who feared and courted him, rather than ecclesiastical authorities. His tools of arte range from his holy trident to profane hallucinogenics, and from sacred cup to holy feast.

From Scapegoat to master of illusion, the Devil is ever present as the Great Opposer. He is the primeval master of disguise, and master of ceremonies; he is the grand host of the Sabbat.

Through incarnations and paradigm shifts, his coat is of many colours. From Heresy to Houzle, the enigma of the Devil is seductively astute. This narrative is an invitation to sup at his table as we profile him through theology and myth. As The Devil’s Supper tackles concepts of evil, sin, and retribution, what he has to say may just enlighten you!

CONTENTS:

Preface
Introduction
Origins: Shadow of the Dark Obstructer
Chapter One: Forgotten & Forbidden Gods
Chapter Two: Arcadia
Chapter Three: An Occidental Perspective
Chapter Four: Matters of Theology: Heresy & Evil Flux: The Middle Ages
Chapter Five: The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse
Chapter Six: The Maverick Anti-Hero
Chapter Seven: Cockaigne – A Fool’s Paradise
Chapter Eight: Faerie Lore & Folk Wisdom
Chapter Nine: The Grande Sabbat
Chapter Ten: Stagecraft – The Witch Craze Parody
Chapter Eleven: Demonologies: Textbooks of the Damned End Game: A Return to the Shadows
Chapter Twelve: ‘Agent Provocateur’
Chapter Thirteen: Ould Hornie: Trades & Guilds
Conclusion: Lifeblood of a Traditional Legacy
Appendices
Bibliography

Illustrations by Lupe Vasconcelos, as well as featuring art from: Baltens, Bosch, Bruegel, Dürer, Blake, Doré, Füssli, Holman Hunt, Giotto, Michelangelo, Van Eyck, Van Maële, Fuseli & Vasnetsov, Léopold Boilly, Hans Trapp, Wagrez, Taddeo di Bartolo, and Klinger.

• North American Customers are invited to order Directly from Anathema Publishing: https://www.anathemapublishing.com/purchase