One of the more unusual and endearing characteristics of Saint Paisios the Athonite was the way he spoke about the devil and demons. He frequently ridiculed them, making light of their attempts to frighten, deceive, and disturb people. Rather than treating them as terrifying beings deserving of our attention and fear, he exposed their foolishness, pettiness, and inability to accomplish anything without God's permission. He even had a characteristic name for them: tangalakia (ταγκαλάκια).
The word tangalaki is a colloquial Greek expression with a mocking and somewhat insulting tone. It can suggest a foolish troublemaker, a nuisance, or a petty rascal. It has also been associated linguistically with the Turkish word dangalak, meaning a fool, blockhead, or stupid and tactless person, although the precise etymology is not entirely settled. Saint Paisios used the expression in his characteristic manner, refusing to grant the demons the dignity or importance they sought to claim.
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