Although most treatments of the devil picture him as an adversary of man, [58] several folktales tell of heroes who enlist the aid of the devil in one way or another and are thus able to succeed in their enterprises. The four tales which we shall cite seem to have no organic relationship with one another, in spite of the fact that the area of their popularity is much the same: Germany, the Baltic states, and Russia.
The first of these stories, well known through Grimms' The Three Journey men (Type 360), consists of three motifs which are often found independently or in other connections. The combination shown in the Grimm version is sufficiently stable, however, to have considerable distribution. The three journeymen make a bargain with the devil, who gives them money, in return for which they are to be in his power. In one way or another they gain the good will of the devil, and he becomes their helper. In the course of their adventures the boys take a pledge that they will always answer everything with the same words: "We three," "For gold," "That was right." They stay at an inn where the host commits a murder. They are accused and, since they will speak no words except those agreed upon, they seem to confess the murder. When they are to be hanged the devil rescues them from the gallows and brings it about that the host is hanged in their place. The devil, having received the soul of the host, is satisfied with his bargain and releases the boys from their obligation to him. The tale as a whole is known over most of Europe, but has not been reported elsewhere. The second part of the tale, concerning the men who speak only a single phrase, goes back at least to the fourteenth century, where it appears in the Summa Predicantium of John Bromyard. The story as told by Bromyard omits the relationship with the devil and puts its emphasis upon the troubles caused by the limited vocabulary; for his boys go to a foreign land, and each knows only a single phrase of the language. They are not able to defend themselves when accused. This anecdote (Type 1697) is told side by side with the longer tale and over much the same area. It seems to be a literary invention which has become established in European folklore only during the last three or four centuries. The last part of The Three Journeymen, in which the devil rescues the condemned boys, seems likewise to belong to literature rather than folklore. [59]
Another bargain with the devil which turns out successfully for the hero is found in the story of Bearskin (Type 361). A soldier, discharged after years of service, finds himself unwelcome at home and is in distress. The devil appears to him and makes a bargain. The man must take a bearskin [p. 66] coat and live in it for seven years without washing or combing himself; otherwise he is to belong to the devil. In return for these hard conditions it turns out that the coat has an inexhaustible pocket from which he can secure all the money he wishes. As time goes on he comes to look more and more like a beast, but he pays his way. Of the three daughters of an impoverished man whom he helps, the two elder treat him shamefully, but the youngest is kind to him in spite of his disgusting appearance. At the end of seven years the devil appears and rewards him for fulfilling his bargain. Cleaned and made handsome by the devil, he comes to the home of the three sisters and makes himself known by the broken ring which he has divided with the youngest. The two elder sisters are so chagrined that they hang themselves. The devil disappears, calling out to the hero, "I got two, you only one."
This tale has been told frequently in literature since the seventeenth century, but a strong oral tradition has also preserved the story. It is extraordinarily popular in the folklore of the Baltic states, of Sweden, Denmark, and Germany; and it is known over all parts of Europe. It has not thus far been reported from Asia, and would not seem to be Oriental.
Very closely related in idea to Bearskin is a story in which the hero heats the kettles in hell (Type 475). The two tales begin alike, with the devil's bargain by which the hero is to go seven years without washing or combing. In this case he must actively serve the devil during those years. Part of his duty is to heat the kettles in hell in which are languishing his former masters. In payment for his services he receives the sweepings of hell, which turn into gold. Later the host at an inn. robs him of his gold, but the devil helps him recover it. The area of popularity of this tale is the same as for the two which we have just discussed. In contrast to them, however, it does not seem to have appealed to the writers of literary stories.
In a fourth example of help from the devil, the emphasis is on his appearance as an advocate in the courtroom. The details of the bargain may differ, but, in any case, the hero is the subject of an unjust accusation. Instead of rescuing the falsely accused from the gallows, as in The Three Journeymen, the devil carries the judge from the courtroom (Type 821). In one form of the tale (Type 821A), the judge is confuted and in his chagrin cries out, "May the devil take me if—." The devil does. In the other type of the story he demonstrates the judge's absurdity before carrying him out (Type 821B). Usually the host has demanded an enormous sum for twelve boiled eggs which he claims that his guest has eaten many years before, since, by this time, they must have hatched out chickens which in turn have laid eggs, etc. The devil as advocate comes in and demands that the host cook his peas before planting them. The absurdity of the claim being made clear, the devil reveals himself and carries off the unjust judge.
The Devil as Advocate was one of the popular stories in the literary jest-books of the sixteenth century. [60] In these the first form —"May the devil take me if—"—is the favorite, but in the oral tradition both forms of the tale maintain about equal popularity. This is the only one of the stories of help from the devil which has been reported from Asia. It appears in Turkish [p. 67] jestbooks and in the tradition of south Siberia. It has also been told by Cape Verde Island Negroes in Massachusetts.
In the tales of supernatural adversaries and of extraordinary helpers we have given our principal attention to persons, animals, or other creatures who have assisted or opposed the hero in his adventures. The part these secondary characters have played is so important in these tales as to be the object of primary interest. The enlisting of their aid or the overcoming of their opposition is usually the motivating force in the action of the tale. They are not merely accessories to the plot but are so necessary to it that their absence is almost unthinkable. The same kind of fundamental importance of a seemingly subsidiary part of the plot holds true with those tales concerned with extraordinary objects, qualities, and powers which we shall now examine. The acquisition, possession, loss, or recovery of these powers or qualities is always the center of narrative interest.