Now the sneaking serpent walks: diabolic as a creation force in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, by William Blake

Abstract

: In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790-1793), William Blake offers a trail to fly through the Universe. His muse, the “sneaking serpent”, elucidates the concept that diabolic does not contain in itself the idea of evil – nevertheless it is an active springing from Energy, for every existence is holy. This study understands the prophetic trip narration to mystery as a way that the poetic voice erects against Reason (Good), to empower himself in the Energy of Devil (or of Hell). Hereby, it was adopted the idea of devilish as a vital force, avoiding dogmatic and religious definitions of the term, a thematic often struggled by the author, mainly concerning his rupture with the thoughts of Emanuel Swedenborg. Another point that was researched was in relation to distinct visual representations of the serpent myth in Blake’s illustrations, as in “The Serpent Attacking Buoso Donatin” (1826–7, reprinted in 1892), and in “The spiritual of Nelson guiding Leviathan” (1805-1809). Both in written and pictorial artworks, the author asserts that the serpent symbolizes the sacred that lives in all profane things.