Ördög

Sources record Ördög as an ancient figure of Hungarian mythic tradition; the Old Hungarian form Ürdüng attests the name's antiquity. In narrative accounts preserved in later sources Ördög is described both as a being who assisted Isten (God) in creating the world and as a resident of the underworld (Pokol) who tends a cauldron of sinful souls. After Christianization Ördög was identified with the Christian devil. The sources note uncertainty about whether the punitive meanings ascribed to Pokol developed only after Christian influence.

Ördög is commonly described as pitch‑black and humanoid in the upper body, with lower goat‑like portions (a description similar to satyr/faun imagery), cloven hooves, ram‑like horns, and a long tail ending in a blade. Some sources also note an overly large phallus. He is also explicitly said to be a shape‑shifter who may take other guises when on earth.

Ördög is described as a shape‑shifting, demonic creature able to take animal, elemental, or human forms (for example, a fox, a dark flame, or a Hungarian shepherd with dark, sparkling eyes). He dwells in the underworld (Pokol) and is depicted as stirring a large cauldron containing the souls of those who lived in sin; he is said to seek to add human souls to his charge. He is also described as testing or tempting humans, habitually making bets with people to see if they become corrupted. On earth he may hide in walls and emit subtle high‑pitched or squeaky noises.