The roots of this association trace back to ancient Greek religious cults, where musical instruments were commonly associated with special dieties and ethical attributes. Aristotle pronounced the aulos "not an instrument that expresses moral character; it is too exciting."

The modern violin emerged in the 16th century, and was often used as an accompaniment to dancing. Peasant performers in dances were denounced in the afterglow of the Protestant Reformation and Catholic counter-Reformation. Many writers blamed the devil for the very existence of dance. The devil, as agent of death and creator of dance, bcame linked to the violin during the Renaissance period, as depicted by paintings such as Pieter Brueghel's "The Triumph of Death" and Hendrik Goltzius's "Couple Playing, with Death Behind."

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