When Devils are Nicer than Angels

By : Damian Arguimbau

Little Lucifer is in reality simply a ten-year-old little rascal whom those around him and his closest relatives are pretty tired of. You can't expect anything good to come of him, and so he doesn't expect any good to come of himself either, but then the ghost of his great-grandmother rises from the dead to tell him of a great danger threatening Denmark: " - Something terrible is coming, but I don't know what it is. I was only to tell you that you have been chosen."
   The scene is from Bent Haller's major novel, Lille Lucifer (1996) (Little Lucifer), about the conflict between good and evil. At first it is a very reluctant little boy who fulfils his great-grandmother's prophecy and sets out on his quest. All he carries with him is a bag containing ten tablets that will make him invisible, and an opponent in the form of a naughty little demon called Baffomet. Bent Hallers novel appeared on the authors fiftieth birthday, on the 5th of june.

Controversial
Being so controversial as to allow a guardian angel to be called Lucifer is typical of Bent Haller. His oeuvre is extremely varied and extensive. His books for children and young people include several that have been filmed, such as Fuglekrigen (1976) (The Bird War), Kaskelotternes sang (1981) (The Song of the Sperm Whales), Fredsaberne (1981) (The Peace Monkeys) and Blåfolket (1986) (The Blue Folk). But he has also written novels for adults, stage manuscripts and poems. His first publication was the novel Katamaranen (The Catamaran) in 1976. The portrait of the welfare state contained in it created such a furore that several libraries refused to buy it. But Haller also possesses a great store of humour and human warmth, which are clearly displayed in books such as Mig little ponni (1994) (Me Little Pony)in which the horses in a riding school decide to run away from the pampered girls looking after them.

The Little Demon
The mishaps coming in the wake of the demon Baffomet in Lille Lucifer are at first only small, but in time the events of which he is the cause become more and more threatening. We see the start of a quest across Denmark, though Little Lucifer is tricked into the little demon's clutches, and only later escapes from his power. The journey takes us not only through the kingdom of Denmark, but also through several layers of time, with a host of humorous episodes on the way. Thus Lucifer meets some of the great heroes of both past and present: Gorm the Old, the first King of Denmark; Hans Christian Andersen; Prince Hamlet, made immortal by Shakespeare; the modern Prince Joachim of Denmark; the football hero Michael Laudrup and many, many more, each of whom helps him on his journey. Each area also has its trolls, its ghosts, and these, too, Little Lucifer meets on his travels.

The Saving Demon
At one time Little Lucifer has the companionship of a girl called Liv, and together they try to hide from both the demon Baffomet, the police, journalists, a television crew and various well-intentioned citizens who all think the children ought to go home to their families. The red-haired Little Lucifer undergoes a process of constant change. Suddenly he would rather be called Ludvig, which is his proper name. His eyes become redder and redder and cannot stand the sunlight. Small wings begin to grow out of his back, whereby his similarity to a demon becomes more and more striking. But Ludvig is not evil; he is good, he says, and his only object is to get Baffomet.

Improving the World
Bent Haller's latest work is impressive, meticulously researched and with such a good sense of drama that you do not tire of it for a single moment. The plot holds you, but it is not all that easy to make out the novel's real meaning. A key to this, however, is Haller's repeated positive references to the Morning Star, Lucifer's star. There is a hint that Lucifer is really Ludvig's father, but the fallen angel Lucifer has changed character in Haller's book: He has parted from Satan, the evil one, and is now on the side of mankind in an attempt to improve an imperfect world. As Haller writes: "... the rebellious angel Lucifer, whom God cursed when He let the Flood wash over the Earth. When Lucifer refused to obey God's command to leave the Earth in everlasting darkness, God called him the evil one". With Lille Lucifer Haller has put Man on God's throne: If God can't overcome evil, Man had better do it instead.

Saga
Another weighty tale story in Bent Haller's oeuvre is Brage Kongesøns Saga (1995) (The Saga of Brage Kongesøn), which is a historical novel about the great expedition undertaken by the Teutons and Cimbrians against the Romans. In this novel we hear of both Greek and Norse gods, with a few hints of the Christian era that is to come. "Words create images and images are the story of your people and without them they will die. Like a tree that has its roots cut through," says one of the characters in Brage Kongesøns Saga, which itself provides its readers with a wealth of substantial and satisfying images. Perhaps this is why all four of this author's books have already been filmed. The images and the stories in his books are of such a mould that they fascinate both children and adults alike.

This article has also been published in Danis Children’s Literature no 10

Translated by W. Glyn Jones