Meaning & Analysis
Someone who is exceptionally pious or well-behaved in their youth will become wicked or corrupt in their old age.
Insights
Hypocrisy and Appearance
The proverb warns that an early, perhaps superficial, display of virtue can be a mask for a corrupt nature that reveals itself over time. It suggests that true character is tested by life's experiences, not defined by youthful appearances.
Rebellion Against Restraint
An overly restrictive or pious youth can lead to a powerful backlash in later life. The 'devil' of old age symbolizes a rebellion against the suppressed desires and experiences of a 'saintly' upbringing.
Disillusionment and Cynicism
Intense youthful piety or idealism can lead to burnout and disillusionment. The 'old devil' represents a person who has become cynical and bitter after their early, perhaps naive, faith is eroded by the harsh realities of life.
Religious and Cultural Anxiety
Emerging from a deeply religious European context, this proverb reflects profound cultural anxieties about hypocrisy, apostasy, and the sustainability of virtue. The historical quotations, such as Latimer's 1552 sermon calling it the 'devil's own invention', reveal a societal tension between cynical folk wisdom and theological encouragement for early piety.
Psychology of Repression
The proverb offers a striking psychological insight into the nature of repression. A youth defined by excessive restraint or performative 'saintliness' may lead to a later-life rebellion, where suppressed desires and impulses—the 'shadow self'—erupt with destructive force. It suggests that a balanced, rather than extreme, youth is more likely to lead to stable adulthood.
Critique of Idealism
This proverb serves as a cynical commentary on the nature of human development, suggesting that youthful idealism and innocence are inevitably corrupted by time and experience. It stands in direct opposition to narratives of redemption, as highlighted by the cross-referenced proverb, 'A young devil an old saint'.
Rhetorical Devices
Antithesis
The proverb's power lies in the stark juxtaposition of 'young' with 'old' and 'saint' with 'devil'. This creates a memorable and dramatic statement about moral transformation over a lifetime.
Symbolism
'Saint' and 'devil' are powerful religious symbols that instantly evoke the ultimate poles of good and evil, giving the proverb a deep moral and cultural resonance.
Brevity and Parallelism
The proverb's four-word, parallel structure ('Young SAINT | old devil') is rhythmically balanced and extremely concise, making it easy to remember and quote.
Transcription
Quotations
It is a common prouerbe yonge saynt olde deuyll.
A yonge sainte an olde deuyll.
Sa that ze be nocht ane zoung sanct, And, syne, ane auld deuill.
In youth she was towarde and without euyll, But soone ripe sone rotten, yong seynt olde deuyll.
The old prouerb, Young saints, old devils .. is .. the devil's own invention; which would have parents negligent in bringing up their children in goodness.
Fie vpon such as say, young Saints, olde deuils: it is no doubt a deuillish and damnable saying.
Ane yong saint is ane olde devill.
De jeune Angelot vieux diable: We say, a young Saint an old diuell.
Young saint, old deuill: That still is not true; For some were yong deuills that olde saints do grow.
A young Heremite, an olde deuill.
A young Saint an old Deuill.
A young Saint an old Devil—viz. when they apostatize, as the Turkish Janissaries.
A younge saint an old Devill.
David began to be good betimes, a young Saint, and yet crossed that pestilent Prouerb, was he old devill.
[As in c1530 Youth].
A young Saint may prove an old Devil.
[As in c1530 Youth].
[As in c1530 Youth].
A young Saint may prove an old Devil.
It were a thousand pities he should; this is a devilish Prouerb, and often as devilishly apply'd.
[As in c1530 Youth].
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.