1. Before LaVey, there was no documented instance of Satanism in history
Before LaVey, Satanism was confined to hearsay, slander, and clandestine occult societies operating amongst the bored European aristocracy. Drawing on his time as a carnie, LaVey’s greatest innovation was allowing non-members to witness rituals and rites, albeit adapted from false historic allegations against witches, the Knights Templar, and others, and straightforward fiction such as J.K. Huysmans’s La-Bas alike. For centuries, humanity had been intrigued by shadowy reports of diabolism, and LaVey the arch-huckster and showman saw an irresistible opportunity to capitalize. With the original Church and several copycat organizations still around today, our collective fascination shows no signs of ending.
Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“Anton LaVey Performs Satanic Baptism For His Daughter”
Austen, Jake, “Sammy Devil Jr.” Vice Magazine, May 1, 2008.
Introvigne, Massimo. Satanism: A Social History. Leiden: Brill, 2016.
Janisse, Kier-La, ed. Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s. Godalming: FAB Press, 2016.
LaVey, Anton Szandor. The Satanic Bible. New York: Avon Books, 1969.
LaVey, Anton Szandor. The Satanic Rituals. New York: Avon, 1976.
Richardson, James T. The Satanism Scare. London: Routledge, 2017.
Smith, Michelle, and Lawrence Pazder. Michelle Remembers. London: M. Joseph, 1981.
