Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles, the name of one of the best-known personifications of the principle of evil. The word has been very variously explained, but is probably of Hebrew origin, like most names of devils in the history of magic, confounded with, and approximated in form to, the Greek μηφιστοφίλης, 'one who loves not light.' Mephistopheles owes all his modern vitality to Goethe's Faust (q.v.).