A picture of Pious deal with the demon, from Bent Kirk.
The Tale of Father Pious is a cautionary tale written by Abbot Steinfeld in the final days of his life. It has been assumed that it was his personal life story.
Synopsis[]
Father Pious was anxious to become a Bishop. One night a demon appeared to him and offered him an Abbey if he signed his name in the Demon's book.
Pious signed the book and soon became Abbot. During his last days he had forgotten of his meeting with the demon, when the creature appeared in front of him in his study.
Pious was angered and told the demon to leave, throwing his ink bottle at him. The demon disappeared, leaving only a large inkstain on his wall.
Understanding the gravity of his situation, Pious, walked to the nearby swamp, where he went as deep as he could and there drowned, so that his dead body, if controled by the demon would not find its way back to the town.
Meaning[]
Though many claim the story is in fact a simplified version of Steinfeld's involvement with the Urn he found and the Lemegeton, composed to show his regret in his final days, the official position of the church is that the book is an allegorical tale that shows how the involvement of a man with evil will always come back to haunt him before the end.