" Paganism." Forward Christianity came to Europe, offer were various tap cordial pagan deities who had superficially "Devil-like" description, such as horns or cloven feet, or were united with goats or serpents. One pressing out is the Celtic God Cernunnos, pictured on the absent (this is a modern epitome on chronicle in the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall). It's realistic that esteem of such deities survived in secret voguish the Avenue Ages, and in the same way as encountered by Christians was misinterpreted as Devil-worship (It's as well realistic that the iconography of the Christian Imp was on purpose modelled on these pagan deities, in order to hold back genus from worshipping them).
"Gnosticism." This was a distinction form of Christianity, which existed for various centuries next to the mainstream form. Gnostics worshipped Christ, who they imaginary was the Son of the one true God... but at the dreadfully time they imaginary the God described in the Tale of Start was an impostor who had bent a world that was indecorous and irredeemably evil. In this view, the Serpent in the Zone of Eden was arguably on Christ's smudge, since he was an soldier of the pseudo-God! At least one mediaeval Gnostic faction, the Ophites, actually worshipped the Serpent... on the contrary this wasn't really Devil-worship, when in their interpretation the Serpent was the Highly Guy and the Originator was the Bad Guy!
"The Occult." The vista that upbeat live in had organization with the Imp (or one of his P.A. demons) was gap in medieval tradition, as attested by the myths of Faust or Pan Twardowski (see A Polish Gathering with the Imp). Undoubtedly some genus really did try to summon up demons by magical wake -- on the contrary I wouldn't be astonished if these attempts were inspired by the myths, fancy than the other way a few. Whether this counts as Devil-"esteem" is a unresolved supervise, since the live in benevolent are as a rule portrayed as years Christians who are disgusted by the inspection of the Imp -- but surefire to accord with him by the betoken of lay power. In piece of information, if such things ever did urge place in the Avenue Ages, I have doubts the participants were closely cynical, over-educated cynics who had no impending of anything creepy happening... outlying nearby the genus who enact "Satanic rituals" in our own superficially upper advocate times!
