The Evolution of the Demonic Figure in Turkic Literature: A Case Study of Huseyin Javid's Iblis

Abstract

This study explores the theological and mytho-philosophical concepts of God-Demon, Angel-Demon, and Demon-Human – legendary and religious-abstract constructs deeply rooted in Eastern mythology and Islam. While primarily focusing on Huseyn Javid's drama Iblis (The Devil), the research addresses the archetype of the Devil across cultures: his creation, his origin as an angel, his rebellion against God, his expulsion from Heaven, and his subsequent cosmic mission. According to religious traditions, Iblis (Haris/Azazil/Satan) was commanded to bow before humanity but refused out of pride, leading to his condemnation to Earth, where he continuously tempts mankind toward evil. The demonic image appears as a personification of evil across Western and Eastern literary traditions, as seen in Dante's Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy), Calderón's El mágico prodigioso (The Wonder-Working Magician), Ben Jonson's The Devil Is an Ass, Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, Milton's Paradise Lost, Andreyev's Дневник Сатаны (Satan's Diary), and Dostoevsky's Бесы (Demons). Similarly, Azerbaijani literature features prominent treatments of this theme, including Abdurrahim Bey Hagverdiyev's Pəri Cadu (The Fairy Witch) and Xortdanın cəhənnəm məktubları (Hell Letters of Hortdan), Abdulla Shaig's İblisin huzurunda (In the Presence of the Devil), and Huseyn Javid's İblis. Among these, Javid's verse tragedy holds a unique position; rather than focusing on individual fates, Javid addresses the collective destiny of humanity, seeking answers to fundamental historical and societal questions through rich symbolism and philosophical paradoxes.