The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

You might have watched the episodes of Supernatural where the "horsemen" make an appearance. I got interested in the origins of these horsemen and did some research. I found that they are not all named in the bible. In the bible, only one rider is actually named. The horsemen are the first 4 of 7 seals to starting the end of times. 

The four horsemen are as follows:

The first horseman rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown. In the bible, it says that the rider "...went forth conquering; and to conquer". 

The second horseman rides a red horse and carries a "great sword". The riders' power was to "Take peace from the Earth".

The third horseman rides a black horse and carries a pair of balances. He is essentially famine.

The fourth horsemen ride a pale horse and the riders name is Death. The bible says that Hell followed with him.

Together their power, as stated in the bible, is "...to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."

The Salt and the Sumerians

Have you ever knocked a salt shaker over and the salt spilled. Has anyone told you to toss some of the salt over your shoulder to avoid bad luck caused by knocking the salt over in the first place? This method to counteract the bad luck associated with spilling salt was started around 3,500 B.C. by the Ancient Sumerians.

Roman soldiers were, in a way, paid in salt rations. The Roman writer Petronius, in the Satyricon, originated "not worth his salt" as an insult for Roman soldiers.

The belief that throwing a pinch of salt would counteract the bad luck caused by spilling salt originated with the Sumerians and worked its way to the Egyptians, Assyrians, and the Greeks.

Journey to the Greek Underworld

    Ancient Greeks have a vast collection of gods and stories in their religion. They believed that death is not the end of the soul. Following a person dying, their soul leaves through an exhale or a little puff of wind. Hermes, known as the messenger of the Olympian gods, led the soul to the entrance of the underworld (Art, 2003). There they would wait for the ferry to carry them across the river Styx. The ferry was rowed by Charon. He was tasked with taking the souls of the dead to the gates of the underworld. The Cerberus, a three-headed dog, guarded the gates, making sure that the souls who went in did not leave. Three judges, Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus, would give a sentence based on their previous life. This sentence decided what region of the underworld the soul would inhabit. (The Underworld, 2019)

    Ancient Greeks describe the underworld as a sunless place where the dead go. The early writers said the underworld is one place, that, “All souls, regardless of how exemplary or dishonorable their earthly lives might have been, ended up in the same place after death.”. Later writings, such as the Odyssey, Iliad, and Aeneid, suggest the existence of at least 4 regions of the Underworld each serving a different function. These regions are named Tartarus, The Fields of Mourning, The Asphodel Meadows, and The Elysian Fields. The underworld also has 5 rivers that are named the Styx, Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Lethe. The Styx is the river of hatred and unbreakable oaths. It circles the Underworld seven times. Acheron is the river of sorrow and pain. Cocytus is the river of lamentation and wailing. Phlegethon is the river of fire that leads to Tartarus where the worst people go. Lethe is the river of oblivion and forgetfulness where dead souls can drink to forget their life. It is said that it is a place where the soul prepares for reincarnation. Most ordinary people go to the Asphodel Meadows while only the best reside in the Elysian Fields. Souls that inhabit the Fields of Mourning are those who were hurt by love. (The Underworld, 2019)

Works Cited

The Underworld. (2019, November 5). Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Places/The_Underworld/the_underworld.html

Art, A. D. of G. and R. (2003, October). Death, Burial, and the Afterlife in Ancient Greece | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved November 5, 2019, from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dbag/hd_dbag.htm

Golem

The Golem is a man-made creature in Jewish Folklore.  Golems are brought to life by rabbi's using ancient rituals.  They are made from clay or mud.  They do not have the ability to speak and also lack souls.  Rabbi Yude-Keyb ben-Betsale, born in 1525, was said to have been given the answer on how to combat evil in a dream.  The dream told him that the secret to how to bring a golem to life was in the Book of Creation.

Santa Claus

What do you know about Saint Nickolas?  Did you know, that he is the origin of the ever popular Santa Clause myth?  Well, this generous monk was born in 280 A.D. and was well known for giving help to the poor and sick. 

In 1774 a American news paper published an article about some families who celebrated to honor him.  They celebrated on December 6th, the anniversary of his death.  The Santa Claus legend evolved yet again in 1804 when someone from the New York Historical society gave away woodcuts of Saint Nickolas and in the background were stockings filled with toys.  The name "Santa Claus"  came is derived from St. Nicks dutch nickname Sinter Klaus. 

La Llorona

The tale of La Llorona goes like this... a woman discovers her husband cheated on her she drowns her children in madness.  After her madness fades she kills herself because of the guilt she has for drowning her children.

La Llorona is a  myth originating in Mexico.  La Llorona is a popular version of the woman in white  or weeping woman myth.  La Llorona translates to "the wailing woman".  Some people consider the wailing woman as being some version of a banshee do to their similar appearance.

In Mexico's La Llorona she appears in white near lakes or rivers crying because she drowned her children.

Lamia

One of the first vampire like creatures is from a Greek myth.  The Greek gods always seem to be creating monsters and mayhem.  This is no less true for Zeus.  During a messy love affair that Zeus has with Princess Lamia [ley-mee-uh] , his jealous wife ends up capturing and killing all of the Princesses children.

Lamia takes her revenge by stealing the babies of mortals and sucking the life out of them.  This myth, like any other,  changes throughout time.  In a later version, Lamia evolves into a " legion of unearthly beings with the upper body of a woman and lower shapes of a serpent."  These creatures were called lamaie [ley-mee-ee] and they sucked blood of children and could alter what they looked like so they could seduce men to lead them to their death.

The main lesson of this myth....don't cheat on your spouse.

Wishing Well

Why do we tell children to toss coins in a well and make a wish?  Well,  it depends whether you go for the European, Celts, or Norse tales and beliefs.  

Wishing wells were common in Europe.  It was believed that when a person spoke their wishes the spirits that lived in the water would grant them.  If they were bribed by dropping a coin into the water.

In the Celts history their is a famous temple around spring water that is dedicated to a Celtic goddess.  Archaeologists found small gifts like pottery, buttons, beads, and coins dating back to around 407 C.E.

Within Norse mythology there is a tale in which Odin throws his eye in the Well of Wisdom as payment for the wisdom he received. Now there are an abundance of cultures that have similar tales that ties back to the origin of the wishing well but these were the ones that I found most interesting.  I hope you did to!

Davy Jones

Have you ever heard sailors mention Davy Jones or his famous locker?  Do you know what is said to be in this locker?  Well, it is said that Davy Jones's locker is the resting place of thousands of sailors who drowned at sea. 

The first reference to Davy Jones was in the 18th century 1726.  The first reference to Davy Jones Locker was in 1803.  There are quite a few versions and debates concerning this myth.  The most prolific version is the ghost ship that is doomed to sail forever much like the Flying Dutchman in the Pirates of the Caribbean.  Davy Jones has also been thought to be the evil god of the sea.  In another version Davy Jones was a man who owned a pub and killed men who where drunk or sold them to slave ships.

Halloween

Why is there a holiday where we all dress up and hound our neighbors for candy?  Well, let me tell you, people didn't always dress up as Elmo or Ariel to get candy.  

2,000 years ago the Celtic's celebrated something called the Festival of Samhain (sow-in) on October 31st and November 1st.  November 1st was the start of their new years.  Sorta like how we have New Years Eve.  Anyway,  the people thought that the barrier between worlds were weaker on October 31st and that Fairies or Sidhs were able to pass through. They left offerings outside there villages and dressed up as monsters so that the fairies would't kidnap them.