It comes from a couple places: early associations with various pagan gods (ie Neptune) as Christianity tried more and more aggressively to demonize them and from the idea that Satan torments the souls of the wicked and the pitchfork being a fairly uncomfortable tool of choice for most people (of course, in modern day, he would probably be depicted as hosting American Idol.. pain and terror incarnate)
The devil's pitchfork is called a trident
In folklore and mythology, the pitchfork devil is often depicted as a malevolent figure who wields a pitchfork as a symbol of evil and temptation. This character is typically associated with the concept of the devil or a demon, representing the embodiment of wickedness and temptation in various cultural narratives.
The Puritans believed that the devil was a real entity with the power to cause sickness, crop failure and other hardships. They believed that a pious life would keep the devil from truly harming them.
He had a pointy beard and carried a pitchfork around... oh, and he also had this 10 foot tail...
A pitchfork is a fork that was originally used to collect hay and straw from the fields. A pitchfork is not a disease
This is a late victorian/early 1900's depiction of the devil. The red suit is a reference to hell and the pitchfork comes from the demoninzation of earlier gods (ie poseidon) but also from his torturing of the damned. In this form, the devil was typically lampooned rather than being the typical object of dread and fear most people might have of Satan.
Pitchfork Media was created in 1995.
Colin Pitchfork was born in 1961.
Pitchfork - album - was created in 1991-10.
Pitchfork Uprising happened in -1920-03.
Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork was created in 1976.
Pitchfork Music Festival was created in 2006.