When a single poem transformed Satan from a minor biblical character into a horned, pitchfork-wielding supervillain, it sparked centuries of hysteria that would culminate in 1980s America imprisoning innocent people for imaginary crimes against children who "remembered" flying teachers and underground tunnels that never existed.

CORRECTION TO THE EPISODE: While angels are often depicted with wings, the Bible doesn't consistently portray them this way. I said the bible does not describe angels with wings, but that is incorrect. Some angelic beings, like cherubim and seraphim, are described with wings (e.g., in Exodus 25:20, Ezekiel 10:5-7, and Isaiah 6:2-7), but other angels appear in human form without any mention of wings (e.g., Genesis 18-19, Hebrews 13:2).

Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate

Take the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast = https://weirddarkness.com/survey

IN THIS EPISODE: Hollywood portrays Satan as everywhere - controlling world leaders, possessing pastors, inhabiting Ouija boards and children's toys. Yet Satan appears only a handful of times in the Bible. The horned, red devil we picture comes not from scripture but from a poem. Most Satanists don't even worship the devil. While Satan poses real danger, we often give him too much credit - blaming him for our bad choices or wild conspiracy theories. Still, some cases make you wonder about his true influence. What does Satan really look like? What's behind 666? Do people kill in his name? Are certain places under Satanic influence? We explore it all.
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:01:41.330 = Show Open
00:03:52.663 = The Satanic Panic
00:14:08.430 = Satanic Elements And Imagery
00:28:05.309 = Your Idea of Satan is Wrong
00:46:25.485 = Satan’s Appearances In The Bible
01:01:05.931 = Teens Who Murdered In The Name of Satan
01:13:19.360 = The Devil’s Property
01:25:48.831 = Let’s Blame It On Satan
01:36:47.780 = The Truth Behind 666
01:43:52.118 = Show Outro
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
#ChurchOfTheUndead, “The Dangers of Demons And The Devil”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5chya3vk
#ChurchOfTheUndead, “Are We Wrong About How Satan Works?”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2wfmwbed
#ChurchOfTheUndead, “The Devil Might Be Deceiving You In These End Times”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/fw5z2z4f
#ChurchOfTheUndead, all episodes: https://weirddarkness.com/church
VIDEO: 20/20 “The Devil Worshippers”: https://youtu.be/vG_w-uElGbM
BOOK: “Michelle Remembers” by Lawrence Pazder M.D. and Michelle Smith: https://amzn.to/3QNB2F6
BOOK: “We Believe The Children – A Moral Panic In The 1980s” by Richard Beck: https://amzn.to/3ODWN7u
BOOK: “Republic of Lies - America’s Conspiracy Theorists And Their Surprising Rise to Power’ by Anna Merlan:https://amzn.to/3YNcfmC
“The Satanic Panic” by Alan Yuhas for the New York Times: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mr3me97t
“Satanic Elements And Imagery” by Jacob Shelton for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdzxhm3v
“Your Idea of Satan Is Wrong” by Inigo Gonzalez for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/895x9y8y; and BillyGraham.ca: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p858f5w
“Teens Who Murdered In The Name of Satan” by Jacob Shelton for Unspeakable Crimes: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdejvvjt
“Satan’s Appearances in The Bible” by Jodi Smith for Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckkrfus
“The Devil’s Property” by Jodi Smith for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ypmzdyza
“Let’s Blame it On Satan” by Jacob Shelton for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/42hxcp8y
“The Truth Behind 666” by Jacoby Bancroft” for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p877skp; and AMatterOfTruth.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2479ytt2=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: August 22, 2023
NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/satanicpanic
#SatanicPanic #HistoryOfSatan #BiblicalSatan #MichelleRemembers #McmartinPreschool #ParadiseLost #666Meaning #MarkOfTheBeast #LuciferOrigin #DevilWorship #SatanInTheBible #SatanicRitualAbuse #1980sPanic #FBIInvestigation #SatanMythology #DevilImagery #Baphomet #Pentagram #InvertedCross #SatanicMurders #ConspiracyTheories #Illuminati #OccultSymbols #WeirdDarkness #TrueCrime #Documentary #ChristianMythology #FallenAngel #ReligiousHistory #MoralPanic