Russian Folktales · Character

The Devil

A devil who tempts or is outwitted by humans in moral tales.

minor

Also known as Devil

First appearance: The Smith and the Devil

The Devil's tie to The Soldier is one of the pressures that moves Russian Folktales—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

Invites Petrúsha as a guest and offers rewards; appears as a fine youth.

In the storyThe Sorry DrunkardOpen this moment free

See The Devil in The Sorry Drunkard Book page

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With The Soldier (rivalry): The Devil and the Soldier are locked in a cunning battle of wits, with the Soldier often outsmarting him. With The Soldier (rivalry): The Devil and the Soldier are locked in a cunning battle of wits, with the Soldier often outsmarting him. With The Soldier (rivalry): The Devil and the Soldier are locked in a cunning battle of wits, with the Soldier often outsmarting him.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of The Devil sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See The Devil in The Smith and the Devil

Character Web

29 connections

A slice of how The Devil sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Divine and mortal figures

+24 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because the Wise Woman’s imitation of the parents’ call introduces the fir…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

The Soldier
rivalry · negative
The Devil and the Soldier are locked in a cunning battle of wits, with the Soldier often… How this plays out →
The Soldier
rivalry · negative
The Devil and the Soldier are locked in a cunning battle of wits, with the Soldier often… How this plays out →
The Soldier
rivalry · negative
The Devil and the Soldier are locked in a cunning battle of wits, with the Soldier often… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See The Devil in The Smith and the Devil

In the story

The Devil appears across 10 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Sorry Drunkard
Invites Petrúsha as a guest and offers rewards; appears as a fine youth.
The Thoughtless Word
Appears as an old man, lures the boy to an underwater palace, and offers him a bride among twelve maidens.
The Soldier and Death
An old devil who is trapped by the soldier, forced to serve him, and later gives him a magical glass.
The Smith and the Devil
The devil, painted in the smithy, endures abuse from the smith's son before taking revenge by posing as an apprentice and tricking a rich couple.
God’s Blessing Compasses All Things
Appears in human guise to mislead the peasants, later revealed as the source of the devils' gathering.
The Feast of the Dead
Referenced indirectly as 'the Devil's poker' in the girl's answer to the bones.
The Quarrelsome Wife
A little devil found in the pit who becomes the peasant's servant.
The Journey to Jerusalem
Unclean spirit caught in holy water; bargains to serve the archimandrite by transporting him to Jerusalem.
Never-Wash
The little devil who contracts the soldier and later claims the souls of the two elder daughters who refused the soldier.
The Devil in the Dough-Pan
Appears as the demon Potánka who gets trapped in the dough.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for The Devil unlock in the free preview.

See The Devil in The Smith and the Devil

See The Devil in The Sorry Drunkard