You've all no doubt seen the struggle for good and evil depicted when a protagonist must make a decision, and an "angel" and a "devil" pop up on either side of the protagonists head, both offering advice. Could anyone tell me the term for these "creatures?"

ah, that's a good one!

hmmm, conscience and desire?
maybe, conscience and ....?
maybe just conscience?

have to think about this some more...

Superego?

Superego and id?

I dunno. I just wanted to mention that I have earrings on this theme, one an angel whispering into my ear, the other a devil. You can probably guess which one I listen to...

I'll be interested to see what decision we ultimately arrive at ~ it's a great question!

these are demons (regardless of their disparate messages) and are jointly demonizing (i.e., tormenting) you with their conflicting demands.

Ah! It's not it. It's a demon name. It's a spirit name. I think it's Greek, but I don't remember. It's been in the back of my mind for a long time. I keep thinking of the word "imp"

an "angel" and a "devil" pop up on either side of the protagonists head, both offering advice

Homunculi?

Damn, I think this is another one like the "Noun for socially destructive person"!

(Hi ethosprophet)

I think that's it! Thanks! Oh, and hi =)

FB:

I have a collection of cartoons about writing. One of my favorite is a drawing of a man sitting at a typewriter (sort of dates the cartoon a bit!) He has an angel sitting on one shoulder, whispering into his ear, "Write an epic novel about the beauty of life, tying together the threads that make up our civilization, and showing how the human condition can be improved....." On his other shoulder is a devil, shouting into his ear, "Tits and ass, man, tits and ass."

My absolute favorite, though, is Charles Dickens sitting across a desk from his publisher, who is whining at him, "Now, Mr. Dickens, was it the best of times or the worst of times? You can scarcely have it both ways."

TEd

TEd,
I'm waiting for the pun to drop...

..Charles Dickens sitting across a desk from his publisher, who is whining at him, "Now, Mr. Dickens, was it the best of times or the worst of times? You can scarcely have it both ways."

That sounds very much like "Through History with J. Wesley Smith," a cartoon featured regularly in The Saturday Review of Literature, more years ago than I care to remember. My favorite among these depicted a gentlemen sitting in front of his lawyer's desk, briefcase bearing the monogram AS, and hearing his suggestion: "No, this contract is entirely too much in favor of Mr. Gilbert, and I should advise you to terminate the partnership immediately..."

On the subject of cartoons, there was once a book that spoofed The New Yorker, including cartoons. One showed Jimi Hendrix sitting across the desk from a businessman, in what looked to be a job interview. The businessman was asking "So, are you experienced?"

Re: Homunculus/Homunculi. I am not sure this would be the proper term for a pair of angels (one fallen) on somebody's shoulders. An homonculus literally is a little man, and generally refers to a creature created out of witchcraft or magic. Then again it might be appropriate since they are sometimes represented as little forms of the protagonist on whose shoulder they sit. (i.e. a little devil Bugs Bunny and a little angel Bugs Bunny.)

The term is also used in medicine to describe the mapping of nerve endings to the brain, e.g. "the sensory homonculus."

The two angels, often featured in Warner Bros. cartoons, represent conscience and desire, or superego and id in Freudian terms.

...represent conscience and desire, or superego and id in Freudian terms.

...and to generalize that conscience and desire / superego and id are synonymous with 'good and evil'... well why don't we just call them 'smart and stupid' or 'old and young'...

Howabout 'religious' and 'spiritual' [eg]

why don't we just call them 'smart and stupid' or 'old and young'...

OK, wise guy, which is which?

I wonder if anyone is familiar with a series of books written by Giovanni Guareschi about a priest called Don Camillo. The chapter headings contain little stylised sketches of the two main characters often with a little devil and/or angel by their shoulders. The books are set in the Po Valley shortly after the second world war and contain droll short stories about the priest and the local mayor who is a communist. Both characters had been in the Italian resistance and have the good of their community at heart beneath their feuding and differences.

I had forgotten these books until reading this thread, but now feel compelled to read them again. I thoroughly recommend them as light but thoughtful reading giving insights into personalities, feuds and life at that time in rural northern Italy. Trust me - you will enjoy them! I think the first book is called “The Little World of Don Camillo”. Thank you for bringing them back to mind. Now I just need to find where I have them!

dxb

I agree. Absolutely marvelous little books. I too have them SOMEWHERE!

I know where my copies are. And it ain't here. But you're right, dxb, they're brilliant.

This trio of recommendations has moved me to find the books. I look forward to reading the original works, since I enjoyed the TV series made from them, which series was my introduction to the work of Brian Blessed.

“The Little World of Don Camillo”

Oh yes, David! Read them ages and ages ago - though far too young to appreciate them fully, I loved them.

Trip to Amazon in order, I think..

Thank you for reminding us.

>stories about the priest and the local mayor who is a communist.

what?! did Graham Greene steal these characters for his "Monsieur Quixote", which tells the quixotic adventures of a priest and an ex-mayor who is a communist?

Monsieur Quixote

I knew this story line sounded familiar, but couldn't recall which Italian author I had read it in. I do love Graham Greene.

a totally silly reference to homonculi(homonculee or homonculie? ):

http://www.brunching.com/homonculi.html

I love Brunching! It's one of my quick-draw bookmarks on my browser taskbar (right next to AWAD, as a matter of fact). I hadn't seen that one before, etaoin. Very cute!

I recently went to (mainly 11th-14th C) Lincoln Cathedral (http://www.lincolncathedral.com if you can handle excess Flash with no HTML alternative ) where I heard something which makes an interesting addition to this thread.

The Lincoln Imp is a famous little statue planted fairly prominently inside the Cathedral near the Shrine of St. Hugh - which was second only to Thomas a Beckett's Shrine at Canterbury Cathedral as a destination for pilgrims. As it's inside the Cathedral it isn't a gargoyle, even though it looks quite a bit like one.

The legend of the Imp is quite good: http://www.theimp.lincolnfans.co.uk/lincoln.shtml but our Guide reckoned the Imp's origin was a little more intentional and clever. People apparently used to believe in the literal truth of (a or the?) Devil being behind their left shoulder and an Angel (or God) being behind their right shoulder. This is the origin of throwing spilt salt over the left shoulder, thereby preventing bad luck (by blinding the Devil, presumably).

The Lincoln Imp sits atop a pillar on the left side of the Shrine of St Hugh. As you adopt the position of a pilgrim, kneeling before the Shrine, a glance up and to the left reveals the Imp looking down at you, one leg casually crossed over the other, waiting for you to slip up (check the Imp link above for a pic). In other words: "Watch it, mate - you're nothing special even though you've made this great pilgrimage. Get holier-than-thou, and I'll have ya!" Our Guide added that Lucifer fell through Pride, making this perhaps the greatest sin.

Lincoln Cathedral is awe-inspiring, BTW. As our Tour Guide said more than once, without overstating his case: "We think we're clever".