User blog:Neowitch/The Poodle's Core

Or the Scottish Terrier's core, if you will.

This is just a little something that had me thinking when I read it.

In Goethe's "Faust" the dog that followed Faust into his study turned out to be the devil disguised as a traveling scholar. Or, more precisely, a traveling student. Contrary to what that name suggests, in medieval terms it didn't mean these folks were actively traveling, it just meant they had left home to pursue knowledge somewhere else. Usually they found employment as scribes in a monastery or something like that and then never left that place again. But medieval fiction liked to portray them in a way that is not unlike what people these days think of students, namely as vagabonds that traveled wherever they pleased, partied hard and just lived to enjoy themselves.

Now, doesn't that remind you of a certain principal with his ramblings about the pursue of knowledge but who really just messes around?

The scene goes on by Faust asking Mephistopheles for his name, and upon being asked why he would want to know such a trivial thing, stating that with spirits you can already tell their nature by their name.

That made me think of how Mephisto told Rin that he's actually the Demon King of Time, listing all the names he had in the past. And you immediately know what his deal is and what you are in for. He's the trickster god. And not just any but all of them. He is THE trickster god!

Lastly, Mephistopheles answers Faust's question by saying:

"Part of the Power that would / Always wish Evil, and always works the Good."

Mephisto should have this printed on a t-shirt. Manipulating people is clearly evil and doing so out of enjoyment to watch their struggles even more so, but when he does the outcome is usually something good.

The rest of the scene is less fitting for everyone's favorite Demon King, however, the part about the light that makes things beautiful but clings to the body and thus gets dragged down by it, so it would be better if the body didn't exist, does kinda fit someone else and is something to ponder about.

So much from me. Cheers!