Deities of Death and Other Entities

  • Creation of supernatural entities who represent death in various forms and functions

    • among most significant example of importance of death in human cultures

  • Within worldviews (created within contexts of religious beliefs) - need to explain death:

    1. what is it

    2. where deceased go after death

  • Religions serve many purposes for people including explaining unexplainable and mysteries of life and death

  • Unexplainable

    • applies to understanding of what happens after death

  • Difficult concept to grasp or explain is still natural for humans to create special supernatural entities to provide structure to:

    1. how one dies

    2. how they get to land of dead

    3. what land of dead is like

  • Already encountered some of ideas in previous sections of course

    • Valkyries recovered the bodies (souls) of the dead from the battlefield and carried them to the afterlife (Norse)

    • Charan, the ferryman takes souls of the dead across the River of Styx (Ancient Greece)

  • Variation in beliefs about and characteristics of entities cross-culturally.

  • All represent common fundamental idea: the psychopomp.

  • Psychopomp:

    • type of entity (deity, spirit, angel, demon, etc.) responsible for escorting or bringing souls of the dead to afterlife.

  • In some cases, psychopomps directly involved in “physical” movement of soul

  • In other instances, involvement less direct

    • although soul cannot arrive in afterlife without their participation

  • Christianity, Islam, and Judaism

    • Belief in archangel of death

      • name some version of Azrael or Samael:

        • e.g., Azra’il, Izrail, Ezraeil, Ozryel, etc Name “Azrael” - derived from Hebrew and Arabic roots (azra for “help/helper” and el in reference to God)

    • Translates to roughly mean - “Who Helps God”

    • In Koran and Bible:

      • no mention of anyone specifically called Azreal

      • Although “angels of death” (Malaikat al-Maut in Arabic or Malach ha-Mavet in Hebrew) and “messengers of God” appear in texts

    • Angels or messengers mentioned

      • assumption that Azrael assisted by other angels of death.

    • Azrael

      • one of four archangels (Jibril or Gabriel, Mikail or Michael, and Israfil or Raphael)

      • both guide that takes souls to Heaven and entity that initially separates soul from dead body

    • Usually depicted as angel of compassion and mercy

      • lovingly collects souls of dead.

    • Separation of soul from body requires Azrael’s touch.

    • Upon touching dying person, Azrael liberates their spiritual force or energy.

    • Name Azrael

      • not in primary religious texts

      • little information about origins of Azrael in these sources either.

    • Mentions of angels of death appear in Christian, Islamic, and Jewish texts

      • assumed to be references to Azrael.

    • Azrael plays another crucial role in terms of entry to Heaven.

    • Somewhat like Anubis in ancient Egyptian mythology

      • Azrael responsible for judgment of soul’s fate after death

      • in some interpretations, at least

    • Said to assist in weighing deeds of dead individual on a scale.

    • Like scales of justice:

      • divine judgement emphasized fairness and responsibility of person for actions in life.

    • Debate:

      • likeness of Azrael in various portraits

      • depicted in flowing robes and holding scythe

      • like the Grim Reaper

      • with book of deeds to be judged.

    • Occasionally, archangel of death presented or described with hourglass containing trickling stream of sand

      • amount of life remaining before death

  • Ancient Egypt

    • Usually referred to as God of Death:

      • Anubis responsible for leading souls to afterlife

      • and judging them based on their life’s deeds

    • God may be oldest in ancient Egyptian mythology.

    • Appears in various texts dated to the Old Kingdom (ca. 2700 – 2200 BC)

    • Old Kingdon times, Anubis is ruler of Duat (the Underworld).

    • Principal god of death until replaced by Osiris in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030 – 1650 BC)

    • After this, Anubis seen as aide to Osiris

    • Anubis:

      • powerful deity because of responsibility for bodies and souls of dead

      • Extremely important as protector of tombs and cemeteries and god of mummification

      • key figure in mythology of all Egypt

      • city of Cynopolis (“City of the Dog”) in Upper Egypt

      • home to cult of Anubis

      • depicted as man with head of jackal or simply as jackal with long ears and snout

    • Anubis’ head:

      • always depicted as black as is whole body when in animal form

      • Color black undoubtedly connected with death, as well as fertile soil of Nile River.

      • Posited that Anubis presented as jackal because real jackals scavenged dead in cemeteries

    • Typically portrayed carrying was and ankh

    • Was:

      • scepter with forked bottom and image of dog at top

      • symbolized Anubis’ authority as guardian of dead.

    • Ankh:

      • symbol that appears as Christian cross with loop on top

      • widely recognized as symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt

      • served as Anubis’ symbol of authority to guide souls to afterlife

    • In role of judging dead, considered Guardian of the Scales.

    • Ritual performed for dead and method of judgement

      • well detailed in “The Book of the Dead”

      • with Papyrus of Ani

      • one of best-preserved examples, although incomplete

    • Soul’s fate:

      • weighing of deceased’s heart against weight of feather

      • goddess of truth and justice [Ma’at]

    • If deceased’s heart heavier than feather:

      • person (their soul)

      • devoured by female demon named Ammit

    • If heart lighter than feather, Anubis

      • shepherd deceased to god Osiris to be welcomed into afterlife

  • Aztec

    • Xolotl:

      • dog god of twins, death, sickness and deformities, bad luck, fire, and lightning

      • Also responsible for guiding souls to afterlife

    • Every night is accompanied western setting sun into land of dead.

    • Led sun through Underworld every night to eastern horizon

      • where rose again to start new day

    • Setting sun was his twin Quetzalcoatl:

      • the Sun of the Fifth World of Creation.

    • Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl represent duality of existence.

    • Quetzalcoatl:

      • sun in sky

    • Xolotl

      • god of death and Underworld.

    • Symbolism of dog as guide for souls of humankind

      • Aztecs believed that, during creation of Fifth World, humans and dogs created from same bones

    • Humans expected to care for dogs

      • in return, souls of their dogs lead them as they travelled for four years to reach Mictlan (land of dead)

    • Some versions, humans held dogs’ souls’ tails and were led through Underworld

    • Ironically, Aztec viewed actual dogs as dirty creatures

      • scavengers of dead things

      • connected to immorality

    • Xolotl frequently depicted as ragged-eared dog headed man with empty eye sockets

      • Sometimes, feet pointed backwards

      • May be seen as form of “little person jester god”.

    • In Nahuatl:

      • Xolotl translates into word “dog”

    • In Aztec mythology, sun created to begin Fifth World through the sacrifice of gods

    • Xolotl was often presented as executioner of gods

    • When Xolotl was the only one left it washis turn to sacrifice himself, and he could not do it

    • Xolotl so upset by cowardice cried relentlessly until eyes fell out

    • Mictlantecuhtli:

      • primary god of death and underworld

      • Also, deity of south, north, bats, spiders, owls, and dogs

      • Typically depicted as skeleton or skeletonized human with large eyes

      • sometimes splattered with blood

    • At times

      • shown wearing necklace of eyeballs, long black hair, and/or with human bones stuffed in his ears or with human bone earspools

    • Almost always wears headdress of knives, paper banners, and owl feathers and sandals on feet

    • Knives represent

      • “Wind of Knives” that human souls had to survive on four-year journey to Mictlan (the Underworld)

    • Owls were associated with death in Aztec mythology

    • Sandals among Aztec = high rank

    • In Underworld

      • Mictlantecuhtli live in house without windows with his wife Mictecacihuatl

      • Debate about where in Mictlan

    • Some versions of story

      • Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl

      • associated with north because they lived in northernmost layer of Mictlan (Itzancuitlan)

    • Other versions

      • Mictlantecuhtli:

        • god of south because house located in last layer of the Underworld (Chicunamictlan)

        • dead had to cross nine lagoons

        • so soul could be free of bodily suffering

    • Relationship between Mictlantecuhtli and Xolotl provided in Aztec myth

    • Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl

      • stole bones of previous generations of gods and fled from Mictlan

      • Upon discovering the theft

      • Mictlantecuhtli pursued them

      • failed to catch them

      • Mictlantecuhtli had large pit dug

      • fell into pit and dropped bones

      • Bones broke into many pieces

      • gathered up many of the pieces

      • brought them to Coatlicue, goddess of the earth and creator deity

      • Blood poured onto pieces

      • they became humans of Fifth Creation of Aztec world

      • Because pieces of broken bone were all different sizes

      • explains why humans not all born same size

  • Ancestral Maya

    • God of death by many names (Ah Puch, Ah Cisin, Cisin, Hunhau, Kisin, Kisim, Yum Cimil, and God A, among others)

    • Ah Puch:

      • multi-faceted entity of duality

      • both supernatural doom-bringer of disasters (earthquakes)

      • and lord of new beginnings, notably childbirth

      • Simultaneously represent both life and death

      • cyclical existence or co-existing states

    • Typically depicted as skeleton, like Mictlantecuhtli, or decomposing corpse, sometimes skeletonized

      • sometimes with black spots; at other times bloated

      • Most versions, skull has no eyes, only empty sockets

      • Frequently shown only wearing loincloth

      • decorated with bones

    • One version:

      • presented with owl’s head

      • owls may be depicted with Ah Puch

    • Mesoamerican cultures

      • owls = death

    • Maya owls are messengers or demons associated with Underworld

    • Quiche Maya:

      • Underworld - Xibalba

      • Yucatec Maya - Mitnal (the ninth level of the Underworld)

    • Occasionally, Ah Puch shown wearing bells fashioned from human eyes

    • Known as ‘flatulent one’

      • associated with bad smells of putrefaction/decomposition

    • Sometimes, presented as dancing skeleton

      • holding or smoking lit cigar or holding a torch or brazier

    • Camazotz:

      • god of death, sacrifice, and night

      • Portrayed as anthropomorphic bat nose and ears like those of modern leaf bat)

      • Fed on blood of humans

    • Association

      • bats, night, and death

      • bats emerge from caves and cenotes at night

      • openings in ground

      • entrances to Underworld

    • Some depictions, Camazotz holding stone knife and human heart

      • Knife used to decapitate victims

    • Some iterations, Camazotz interpreted as individual’s “spirit animal”

      • called a way or a nahual

      • In this form, bat god may be bringer of illness

  • Ancient Greeks

    • Although Hades, god who ruled Underworld in Greek mythology,

      • Thanatos was personification of death

    • Hades became Pluto in ancient Roman mythology

    • Thanatos became Mors (Latin – ‘mors’ – death)

    • Thanatos

      • brought soul of deceased to Underworld

      • after Fates or Moirai (three goddesses of destiny [Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos] who determined beginning and end of persons’ life

      • ended individual’s life

    • Greeks perceived person’s life as thread

      • spun at birth, continued to lengthen as they aged, and eventually cut

      • ending their lives

    • Argued that 3 witches in Shakespeare’s MacBeth inspired by Greek Fates

    • Thanatos’ family

      • mother Nyx (Goddess of Night)

      • twin brother Hypnos (God of Sleep)

      • sister Apate (Goddess of deceit)

      • brother Geras (God of Old)

      • sister Nemesis (Goddess of Retribution)

    • Even Charon - conceived of as brother to Thanatos

    • Some debate as to whether Hermes or Thanatos brought souls to Underworld

    • Over time, Thanatos emerges from Hermes as separate entity

    • Greek art and poetry:

      • Thanatos depicted in various ways

      • Some instances, appears as infant in arms of his mother, Nyx

    • Shown as young boy with butterflies or wreath of poppies

      • butterflies may be symbolic of released souls

      • poppies known for narcotic effect

      • euphoria, relaxation, loss of pain, and drowsiness

    • Adult form:

      • typically depicted as naked young man carrying inverted torch

      • symbolizing extinguishment of life and/or a sword

      • Versions may also include feathered wings

    • Representations as old man:

      • more disheveled with beard and hooked nose

    • Frequently, Thanatos recognized in artwork because appears with twin brother Hypnos

    • Some accounts,

      • Thanatos appears with sword and cuts off lock of the dying person’s hair

      • indicating end of life

    • Later years:

      • Thanatos transformed into more benevolent personification of death called Ephebe

      • transported souls to Elysium

  • Ainu of Japan

    • Ainu: Indigenous people from northern islands of Japan

    • Guide for spirit of deceased (ramat) was goddess Irura

    • Like ancient Egyptians and Aztec, dogs have afterlife role

    • Irura:

      • accompanied by her dog

      • leads spirit from grave post in the earthly world to 1 of 2 possible afterlife destinations

    • Determination of destination:

      • Fuchi (“Rising Fire Sparks Woman”)

      • goddess (kamuy) of fire, hearth, family, and household

    • Fuchi:

      • messenger between humans and gods

      • Hearth in home = gateway to afterlife

      • believed to live in hearth and never leave

      • fire in Ainu home never supposed to go completely out

      • young woman dressed in robe and girdle (kut)

      • Does not appear in Ainu traditional art (primarily weaving and woodcarving)

      • also allowed humans to speak to dead ancestors

      • responsible for placing spirits or souls into infants before birth

      • kept homes warm (fire in hearth)

    • Ainu women’s girdles:

      • associated with maternal ancestry

      • Ainu trace family backgrounds through the female line

    • Significant Fuchi - goddess of home and hearth – domain of women and center of family life

    • Soul of child who died in infancy:

      • kept by Fuchi in hearth of home until woman became pregnant

      • dead child’s soul could be passed on

    • Process of bestowing child with soul on a woman (essentially becoming pregnant)

      • thought to be due to Fuchi’s blessing

    • When someone dies, body goes cold

      • believed inner fire (ramat) of deceased left body

    • After person died, Fuchi examined soul

      • record of past life’s deeds and whether person had broken any taboos

    • Soul from person led honorable and honest life:

      • go to ‘heaven’ or paradise world (Pokna Moshiri)

    • Ramat of person that behaved poorly and broke many taboos

      • sentenced to the ‘wet’ afterlife world (Teine Pokna Moshiri)

    • ‘Wet’ afterlife:

      • land of suffering in never-ending freezing rain showers

      • Because ramat perceived as inner fire, land of extremely cold rain

      • ultimate punishment

  • Haida

    • Haida: Indigenous people of Northwest Coast of Canada

    • Haida religion

      • concept of duality and balancing of opposing forces in nature

      • Belief in duality and balance

      • permeated world in numerous ways

      • including life and death and different kinds of death

    • Distinction between peaceful deaths and violent deaths

    • Believe supernatural entities responsible for each one

    • Tia: goddess of peaceful death

    • Ta’xet (her brother): god of violent death

      • Ta’xet takes souls with no warning

    • Tia gives signs of impending death before taking person’s soul

    • Different roles, Ta’xet:

      • often equated with demon

      • could appear in form of deer

    • Ta’xet’s presence

      • groans heard

      • sometimes see headless corpse right before death

    • Both Tia and Ta’xet:

      • like many Indigenous supernatural entities

      • shapeshifters