Powers and Attributes of the Evil One

In order to know the Evil One, it is important to understand her powers. From the time of her arrival in Sweden, she demonstrates certain attributes that distinguish her from her mortal contemporaries.

SUPERNATURAL ORIGINS

She proclaims with hubris that her mother is an "angel in heaven" and that her father is an evil man, a "cannibal king." It should be noted that she takes after her evil side, which is revealed when the police officer Klank states, "My God, she has fallen down." She may have once been in grace, as was Satan.

BIZARRE BEHAVIOR

Not being fully from this world, Pippi is not familiar with our earthly ways. For example, she waters her garden while it is raining and sleeps with her feet on a pillow, rather than her head, which, of course, rests on her seven crowns of Lautu.

SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH

Having a supernatural origin, Pippi is physically superior to men. She can, for example, lift horses and airplanes and throw boys into trees (where, presumably, they are later sacrificed by druids or druid-like evil priests).

FLIGHT

It isn't until the fourth work in the Pippi Cycle that we are allowed to see her flying ability, which she accomplishes with the use of a broom, like a witch.

SUPERHUMAN BREATH

In the second work, the evil one demonstrates that her breath has the power of a hurricane as she blows away her opponents Thunderklausen and Blum.

PHYSICAL BLEMISHES

In the first work, Pippi goes to see a druggist, requesting quarts of medicine for her "warts and blisters." These attributes are in keeping with others of her demon kind.

ABILITY TO GROW LEMONADE IN A TREE

Pippi reveals one of her more mundane powers when she pulls bottles of lemonade for Tommy and Annika from a tree trunk, which she claims to have grown there.

WATER SINKING

Again, proof that Pippi is an evil supernatural being. She explains to Tommy and Annika that she's going to "walk on water," but instead proceeds to sink. You will recall that it was Jesus who walked on water. A devil, of course, could not accomplish the same feat but would be expected to do the exact opposite. Thus she mocks the Savior when she proclaims her intent to walk on water and then sinks.

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