, in this context, is "shadow."
Mythology
In Western tradition, darkness has often been associated with evil, evil
entities (e.g., demons or Satan) and Hell or, especially in Egyptian
mythology, the underworld. This concept can be seen personified in the
character of Darkness played by actor Tim Curry in the 1985 fantasy
movie, Legend, in which Darkness takes the form of a 15-foot-high
stereotype of Satan, complete with reddened skin, long horns and cloven
hooves.
Darkness was an important part of ancient gnostic religious systems, in
which it was usually associated with evil. According to the gnostics, the
world is a result of war between darkness and light.
In the Early Modern Period, the Middle Ages were commonly viewed as
The Dark Ages, in reference to the relative dearth of surviving written
records from, as well as to perceived scientific and technological
stagnation in, the Middle Ages.
Fiction
A haunting evocation of the never-ending quotidian struggles between
the forces of light and darkness — the latter, with its attendant "fear,
error and crime" — is found in Bolesław Prus' 1885 micro-story, "Shades."
Asian depictions of darkness as a force for evil include "dark miko."
"Dark tourism" is travel to sites associated with death and suffering.
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