Author: Oleg Maltsev
Mythical image, casting fear is used in the cinema, and in science fiction stories. But have you ever wondered why Death is depicted with a scythe? Who is she really: an old woman or an old man? Such heroes necessarily have a history of their origin in the very image in which they appear before us. In order to understand these questions we should turn to the mythology of ancient divine beings.
Why does death need a scythe?
The image in black robes and with a scythe has long existed in European folk culture. There is no reliable information about why an old woman needs a scythe, but scientists believe:
- The scythe in this image is a symbol of the harvest. But only not of the harvest, as it usually happens, but of human souls who are ready to go to the other world;
- According to the second assumption, the implements of agriculture have always been used in rebellions and revolts. Thus the scythe became a symbol of blood and death;
- The blade of the scythe is very similar to the mysterious rim of the moon. And the moon in turn appears as a symbol of eternal life, which mortals can never reach.
Most likely the image in the form of a priest in a black cloak came from the ancient god Thanatos. According to legend, he always wore a black cloak and had wings. Flying from one house to another, he used his sword to cut off a strand of hair from a person preparing to die and take his soul with him.
It is noteworthy that to this day some believe that death with a scythe comes only to ordinary people, and for royalty she has a sword prepared.
There is also a version that the prototype of the old man with a scythe is the Roman god Saturn. He was often depicted with a similar instrument and a bundle of hay. Perhaps this is where the name "Grim Reaper" came from.
Where did the scythe come from?
Sickle-shaped blades were popular with warriors who often died on the battlefields and took their lives. But, peasants often had a modified sickle - an innovative tool on a long handle and with an elongated blade. With such a tool it was easier to seize spikelets, and it was much faster to mow enemy heads.
In the 14th century, during the time of the pneumonic plague that was killing everyone, a personified image of death began to appear in Europe in the form of a reaper with a scythe. A grim skeleton in a black robe held a scythe in his hand and caused fright just by looking at him. Sometimes he was depicted seated on a horse, emphasizing the enormity of the tragedy.
Why do I dream of death with a scythe?
A person is unable to control his dreams. If you have a nighttime dream, you may be frightened by it, although the predictions of dream interpreters are very comforting. If one night you dreamed of an ominous image with a scythe, it could scare you, although the predictions of dream interpreters are very comforting.
Many compilations on the interpretation of dreams say that it is a positive sign. You are promised a change in life. However, beware of previously made mistakes and do not repeat them.
But in order to more accurately determine the meaning of the appearance of such a character in a dream, you should recall all the details as much as possible:
- In the case where you saw her far enough away from yourself, in reality you need to take care of an old matter that no longer needs to be delayed;
- If it is in your house or on your doorstep, then good changes are about to come;
- If you meet the image on the road - you are in for a fascinating journey;
- The old woman standing beside you promises you small troubles, which will make you look at life differently.
Thus, as always in dreams, the negative phenomenon is a harbinger of prosperous changes.
In a family photo.
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This is a greatly enlarged fragment of a family photo posted online as an admonition to those who think that all the supposed shots of mysterious dark figures are just a play of light and shadow, cleverly captured by the photographer. Here a tall black hooded and faceless figure is clearly visible on a sunny day against a bright wall, and does not allow anyone to doubt its reality.
Mercedes commercial - Death with a scythe
About a year ago, the big car giant, the manufacturer of Mercedes cars released an advertisement that features the image described. The essence of the commercial is that a young man is driving his car along a forest road and suddenly a bald old man in a black cloak and with a scythe appears next to him.
And a split second later, the driver notices the arm in front of him, removing the broken tree, which at this time is aimed directly at the windshield of the car. Of course, the clever Mercedes saves its owner from imminent death thanks to its auto-braking function before the obstacle. And the old man, in turn, remains discouraged by his defeat.
The reel is well done, but that's no surprise. And how one should treat the very fact of the presence of such an image in the media, each consumer must decide for himself.
During a break.
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This is another shot from a hospital surveillance camera. It's as if a shadow in a raincoat lay on an empty bed in the hallway. But according to the staff, no one was on the bed at the time! And you can't wear a raincoat in hospital corridors. Could it be that Death is gaining strength after the battle with the doctors, in which the latter won?
The Image of Death in Different Cultures
The image of death is not the same in all cultures.
- The ancient Aztecs depicted it as a bloody skeleton. Its constant companions were the bat, spider and owl;
- In Buddhism, the deity Mara in the form of multi-armed demon carries destruction. At the same time he acts through temptation;
- In the Maori religion, death is a woman who, according to legend, went to the underworld out of shame because her husband is her father;
- The giantess Hel, who has one half of her face blue and the other half pale, and her lower torso and limbs with elements of cadaverous decomposition is a fearsome image of the Germanic-Scandinavian religion;
- In the Voodoo religion the harbinger of imminent demise is depicted in a tailcoat and cylinder;
- The Greek god Thanatos represented death in contrast to the guardian of the underworld Hades;
- The Armenian deity Groh - translated as "writing down" - keeps a count of man's good deeds during his life and violations of divine laws. And afterwards he reports the deeds to God's judgment;
- The Romans feared Orcus, a furry flying demon who carried the souls of the dead to the afterlife.
Obviously, humans have always and everywhere represented death. This is not surprising, since almost all phenomena that could not be explained in one way or another had a human appearance.
Ancient deities with a sickle
In ancient religions, deities responsible for the transition between worlds had the tool of the sickle.
Ancient Egypt. Osiris, the god of fertility, holds like a scepter and a mace in his hands a chain for threshing grain and a sickle. At the very beginning of his life he was the God of Fertility. Already after his assassination and resurrection he became the administrator of the Kingdom of the Dead.
Ancient Greece. Charon, the carrier of souls, demanded the smallest coin, the obol, for his services. If the dead man had nothing to repay the boatman, Charon would blow the head off the wicked man with a single stroke of his sickle. For this reason, even the poorest Greek had a copper penny placed under his tongue at his burial.
Ancient Rome. The prototype of the ancient Greek Cronus, the keeper of time, was Saturn. In his hands was a sickle. If it was found that a person was too long on Earth, this weapon was used to cut the lifeline of a mortal, and the soul was conveyed to Pluto.
Ancient Slavs. Morana (Morzhana, Morena, there are also other spellings) was the Goddess of Death and responsible for the cult of the Moon. The sickle in her hands is associated with the shape of the night luminary in the 1st and 3rd phases.
Who was she: an old woman or an old man?
In Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman mythology, death appears as a a man with an indeterminate age. However, there are opinions that she has a female face. Such a theory is based on the assumption that this whole image is created in opposition to life:
- Life is a symbol of fertility, while death is a figurative harvest;
- The living person is always fresh and blooming, while death is depicted as a skeleton devoid of vital energy;
- Death betrays before us the old, for it is this state of withering that is closest to it;
- The symbol of life is God, and in contrast, the symbol of death is the woman.
There is another version of the female essence of the mythical hero. It proceeds from the fact that Only a woman is capable of giving life to a man and only she has the right to take it away.
Thus, the question of why death is depicted with a scythe can be pondered from different points of view. Perhaps this image has a divine origin, and perhaps this attribute was attributed to her by the peasants from a lack of choice. One way or another, this colorful image even in our time frightens people and makes them think about the transience of life.
Why does death have a woman's face?
As we can see, the image of death in different religions and cultures has undergone changes over time. In its majority, death was drawn in images: reaper, skeleton, witch, kikimora.
They held swords, sickles, scythes and hourglasses as symbols of the passing of life. In the end, the harbinger of demise was a female image. Perhaps this is due to the fact that a woman is associated with the stages of life. She gives new life, carrying a child, and she also has the right to be involved in the sacrament of death. The logic of reasoning is confirmed by the religious mythology of many peoples, where death acts only as a new stage, the transition to another state and eternal life.
Monuments at the graveSmall monumentSmall monumentVervertical monumentHorizontal monumentMonument with a crossArchmentDouble monumentsElite monumentChapels and tombsMemorial ComplexesMarble monumentTsokol on the graveFence on the graveFlower on the graveTombstone Tables and benchesTable on the graveTable on the graveDecor on the monumentCrosses of graniteInlay on the monumentTiles on the tomb
Feelings of sleeping
Nightmares with mystical creatures in a black cloak usually frighten people. But after awakening from a dream can remain other sensations.
The interpretation of dreams depending on the emotions of the sleeper:
- Experiencing joy after a dream speaks of spiritual cleansing and release from obligations.
- Restlessness after awakening represents the emotional instability of the sleeper. He needs to stop digging into himself.
- Confusion means that the person is spoiling his own life. If he doesn't stop doing this, then he will have serious problems.
- When a nightmare leaves a feeling of fear, then in reality the person will have a serious illness.
Sometimes people can't understand what they are experiencing after waking up. Strange and incomprehensible sensations indicate a wrong choice that the sleeper made in reality. But he has the opportunity to fix everything.
In the bus window.
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The fellow who fell asleep on the bus snapped it for a laugh, but after looking at the pictures, they realized that they had taken the clearest and clearest possible picture of Death peeking through the bus window. Probably, if one could find out how the lives of the passengers had turned out in the days following the trip, one could discover chilling acts.
