26Chernabog is a demon featured in the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" segment of Disney's 1940 animated feature film Fantasia. He is based on the God of the Night in Slavic mythology. At Walpurgis N
Chernabog
Identity: Chernabog is a demon featured in the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" segment of Disney's 1940 animated feature film Fantasia. He is based on the God of the Night in Slavic mythology. At Walpurgis N
Background: Chernabog is a demon featured in the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" segment of Disney's 1940 animated feature film Fantasia. He is based on the God of the Night in Slavic mythology. At Walpurgis Night (the Witches' Sabbath), he emerges from the peak of Bald Mountain to summon all of his minions, who dance furiously in tribute before being thrown into the mountain's fiery pit. His reign comes to an end with the morning sunrise, and the sound of church bells.Being the representation of pure evil, Chernabog does not possess a dominant personality like other Disney Villains. He doesn't have a tragic backstory or a motive for his actions, he's evil just for the "fun" of it. However, most material outside of Fantasia depicts him as a ruthless monster, feared by all who encounter him. He is one of the most powerful villains Walt Disney has ever created for that reason. Many of his appearances also show him to be somewhat comedic, as seen in The Wonderful World of Disney, and House of Mouse. His power is shown to be incredibly demonic, being able to unleash hellish realms and spirits. The sequence takes place in a mountainous area, in which a village is overlooked by Bald Mountain. The latter's peak is revealed to be Chernabog's wings, which he spreads out as he looks at the village down below. Stretching out his arms, he casts a dark shadow over the village and summons ghosts, including the spirits of hanged criminals (who pass through the noose a second time as they rise from their graves), fallen warriors in the moat and grounds of a ruined castle, and the souls of all who are not buried in sacred ground. The ghosts join together to become a single mass, swirling around Chernabog, who summons fire and demons. As the latter emerge and gather below him, he grabs a number of them and disdainfully throws them into the fires of Bald Mountain, while his other minions dance on. He then uses flames to create images: first, the flames resemble elegant dancers; then, to his p