No MARVEL it is if the imps follow when the devil goes before

Meaning & Analysis

It is not surprising that lesser demonic spirits (imps) would be found following their master, the devil.

Insights

The Influence of Leadership

The proverb asserts that subordinates or followers (the 'imps') will inevitably emulate the behavior and morality of their leaders (the 'devil'). If a leader is corrupt or wicked, their followers will naturally adopt the same characteristics.

Cause and Effect

It illustrates a clear principle of cause and effect, where negative actions or examples set by a powerful figure will predictably lead to similar negative outcomes among those they influence.

The Inevitability of Corruption

The proverb warns that once corruption is established at the highest level of a hierarchy, its spread to lower levels is a natural and expected consequence, not an anomaly.

Historical and Religious Symbolism

The proverb draws its power from the rich visual and symbolic tapestry of Christian demonology, where the Devil is the arch-deceiver and imps are his lesser agents. This immediately understood hierarchy makes the abstract concept of leadership influence concrete and morally charged.

Political and Social Critique

This proverb serves as timeless political commentary on the nature of power. It suggests that corruption within a state or organization is not random but flows downwards from the top, implicating leaders as the primary source of systemic decay.

Psychological Dynamics of Followership

The saying reflects the psychological principle of social modeling, where individuals, particularly subordinates, emulate the behavior of authority figures. It captures the dark side of this tendency, illustrating how a toxic leader can normalize and perpetuate unethical behavior throughout a group.

Rhetorical Devices

Metaphor

The core of the proverb is a powerful metaphor where the 'devil' represents a corrupt leader and 'imps' symbolize their followers, translating a complex social dynamic into a simple, evocative image.

Understatement (Litotes)

The phrase 'No marvel it is' is a form of understatement. By framing the outcome as unsurprising, the proverb ironically emphasizes its absolute certainty and inevitability.

Symbolic Imagery

The proverb uses vivid, culturally potent imagery from religious folklore—a procession of demonic figures—to make its point memorable and emotionally resonant.

leadershipcorruptioninfluencehierarchyfollowershipcause-and-effect

Analyzed with gemini-2.5-pro on September 7, 2025

Transcription

Quotations

— 1616, DR., no. 926.

Related Proverbs

K137 Set a KNAVE on horseback and you shall see him shoulder a knight 92.5%D304 Up with it if it be but a DEVIL of two years old 92.2%G451 Whither goest, GRIEF? Where I am wont 91.7%W928 An ill WOUND is cured, not an ill name 91.6%C245 Thou dost not bear my CHARGES that thou shouldst command me 91.6%C692 Ill COUNSEL mars all 91.5%K141 When a KNAVE is in a plum tree he has neither friend nor kin 91.4%M359 A poor MAN wants some things, a covetous man all things 91.4%T364 When thou dost drink beware the TOAST, for therein lies the danger most 91.4%G327 A GOOD FELLOW¹ is a costly name 91.4%K131 No KNAVE to¹ the learned (old) knave 91.3%W33 He that bewails his WANT has begged sufficiently 91.3%C413 Hasty CLIMBERS have sudden falls 91.3%O106 The OX is never woe till he to the harrow go 91.3%P53 A mad PARISH must have a mad priest 91.3%H1 A holy HABIT¹ cleanses not a foul soul 91.2%V68 To nourish a VIPER (snake) in one's bosom 91.2%C256 CHATTING to chiding is not worth a chewet 91.2%S325 When SHEFFIELD PARK is plowed and sown then little England hold thine own 91.2%C381 Though you see a CHURCHMAN ill yet continue in the church still 91.2%

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