Prince of Darkness (Manichaeism)
Prince of Darkness (Manichaeism) — a short overview
In Manichaean belief, the world of darkness invaded the world of light, ruled by five evil archons—a demon, a dragon, an eagle, a fish, and a lion. Together they form the Prince of Darkness.
The Father of Greatness fights back by calling forth beings who sacrifice themselves and are absorbed by the Prince of Darkness. Tricked by the Father, these beings now depend on the light they absorbed. To stop the light from returning to its divine source, they give birth to two demonic beings: Sakla and Nebroel.
The Prince of Darkness cannot create from nothing; it can only reproduce through intercourse, making it the anti-thesis of pure light.
Some Christian thinkers accused Manichaeism of polytheism and dualism. Faustus of Mileve argued that the Prince of Darkness has no divine essence and is not a second god; Manichaeism sees two eternal, distinct principles, with the light inside humans being part of the Divine.
Manichaean missionaries adjusted the name of the Prince of Darkness for different audiences: to Christians he was called Satanas; to Muslims he appeared as Iblīs al-Qadīm (Ancient Iblis) or al-Šayṭān; in Iranian Manichaeism he was Ahriman; in Old Turkish he was šmnw.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:22 (CET).