[Wings of Fire]

The reason that people attribute traits such as a bifurcated tail and red hue derives from peoples need to see things as absolutes. Evil must ugly. Good must be beautiful.

I contest that point, Christianity was one of the first widespread western cultures to make absolutes in this sense, in the so called 'noble' cultures of Ancient Greece a good antagonist, rival or enemy is one who possessed similar traits to yourself in order to make him a worthy adversary, one of these traits being beauty, think back to the story of the Fall and you can see this idea of worthy foes between Lucifer and Micheal.

Also, popular theological opinion (of that period certainly) would cite the beast in Revalations as an incarnation of Satan, and that certainly isn't described flatteringly.