Bald Mountain, according to tradition, is the gathering place of Satan and his followers. Here, on Walpurgis Night, which is the equivalent of our own Halloween, the creatures of evil gather to worship their master. Under his spell, they dance furiously, until the coming of dawn and the sounds of church bells, send the infernal army slinking back into their abodes of darkness.”
―Deems Taylor introducing the Night on Bald Mountain segment[src]
Chernabog is a demon featured in the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" segment in Disney's 1940 animated feature film Fantasia. He is based on the God of the Night in Slavic mythology. At Walpurgis Night (the Witches' Sabbath), he emerges from the peak of Bald Mountain to summon all of his minions, who dance furiously in tribute before being thrown into the mountain's fiery pit. His reign comes to an end with the morning sunrise, and the sound of church bells.
Described as "Satan" by host Deems Taylor, Chernabog has been praised as Disney's best representation of sheer evil, and as animator Vladimir Tytla's greatest success. As a very "raw" representation of evil, he is not placed in the context of any real story. Furthermore, he and his minions' actions are not committed in pursuit of any discernible goal other than general tyranny. Some other media has attempted to give his character a more concrete context.
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