Chernabog

**Chernabog** is the main antagonist of the Disney movie, *Fantasia*.

He is the tyrannical ruler of a dark realm called Bald Mountain, where he summons demons and damned souls to sacrifice and do his bidding featured in the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" segment of *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 as he throws them into the mountain's fiery pit.

Described as "Satan" by host Deems Taylor, Chernabog has been praised as Disney's best representation of pure evil, and as animator Vladimir Tytla's greatest triumph. As a very "raw" representation of evil, he, in his original appearance, is not placed in the context of any real story. Furthermore, he and his minions' actions are not committed in pursuit of any discernible goal other than general tyranny. Some other media has attempted to give his character a more concrete context.

Despite the tonal contrast between the character and other antagonists in the Disney pantheon, Chernabog is a primary member of the Disney Villains franchise, most heavily featuring as a centerpiece in merchandise and other experiences. Chernabog also appears as a recurring antagonist in the *Kingdom Hearts* series, a recurring antagonist in *House of Mouse* and *Mickey's House of Villains*, the main antagonist of the *Kingdom Keepers* series, a major antagonist in the *Mickey Mouse* series, and the main antagonist of the upcoming live action film *Night on Bald Mountain*.

## History

### Fantasia

The Night on Bald Mountain 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 pleasure, they transform into dancing barnyard animals. He then transforms them into blue demons, who dance before him, causing him to grin maliciously. As the dancing continues, it becomes more frantic and chaotic. Harpies fly above the demons, occasionally grabbing them and throwing them into the inferno. The celebration culminates in a blinding flash of fire from the inferno. Chernabog, ready to continue, eagerly leers over his minions but is interrupted by the sound of bells, which herald the coming of the dawn. Though he initially ignores it, the sunlight forces him and his minions to retreat, and the ghosts return to their resting places. He raises his arms one final time, and closes his wings, protecting himself from the sunlight and becoming the mountain's peak once more.