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Death. That word has become a taboo in many modern cultures. Even though this is inevitable to all living beings. Since the time of the Neanderthals, there have been rituals for burial and mourning. It is not clear when we humans began to make death as something that we can see, but the first case of personified death the first recoded case was in ancient Greece.
The Greeks saw death as for what it is, something that is inevitable and therefore not good or evil. They made death either into a bearded man with wings or as a young boy. What is curious about this is that they made death into a man and life into a woman. This is understandable since women give birth.
That said, the Polish version of death is similar to the stereotypical Grim Reaper, but the robe is white instead of black, also instead of a man it is a woman. The female death is not exclusive to Poland though, In Scandinavia, in Norse Mythology has a goddess of death. During the Black Plague this figure was personified as an old woman in a black hood that was named “Pesta,” which means “plague hag.” This was an interesting personification because in art works if she was seen in a town with a rake only a few would die, but if she was seen with a broom all would die. Sadly, the Scandinavians scummed to the image of death as what we think of death now, a skeleton with a scythe and black robe; the Grim Reaper.
With that in mind, why is death always a human? Whether it be a human with skin or a skeleton of a human, it is, nevertheless, human. I know that we cause a lot of destruction and murder in the world, but even when the skeleton is not death, humans are still scared of it. Now, I wonder, why would you want to see something you are terrified of as you die? Is the skeleton instead made to personify the fear of death rather than death itself? Also, if you were scared of your skeleton, why have we not made it into something cuter? Like a hamster or a bunny?
But why would you fear something that is inside all of us. I know that we cannot see our skeletons unless we undergo an x-ray, but just because we can only see it for others once they are dead and completely decomposed does not mean we should fear it. If anything we should be grateful we have it. As I am typing this, sure the muscles are working, but it is because I have phalanges (finger bones) for the muscles to attach to that I can. From typing to walking even to talking we need our bones to do these things.
Now when I asked the question that is the title to this blog, I didn't have an answer. I still don't. I just hope to reach out to anyone who reads this, don't be afraid of your skeleton. It is okay to be afraid of death, but why make it some form that you've learned to fear even if it is inside all humans. If anything this coalition between death and the human skeleton just increases fear. It does not need to be personified to be seen. It just happens.
The Greeks saw death as for what it is, something that is inevitable and therefore not good or evil. They made death either into a bearded man with wings or as a young boy. What is curious about this is that they made death into a man and life into a woman. This is understandable since women give birth.
That said, the Polish version of death is similar to the stereotypical Grim Reaper, but the robe is white instead of black, also instead of a man it is a woman. The female death is not exclusive to Poland though, In Scandinavia, in Norse Mythology has a goddess of death. During the Black Plague this figure was personified as an old woman in a black hood that was named “Pesta,” which means “plague hag.” This was an interesting personification because in art works if she was seen in a town with a rake only a few would die, but if she was seen with a broom all would die. Sadly, the Scandinavians scummed to the image of death as what we think of death now, a skeleton with a scythe and black robe; the Grim Reaper.
With that in mind, why is death always a human? Whether it be a human with skin or a skeleton of a human, it is, nevertheless, human. I know that we cause a lot of destruction and murder in the world, but even when the skeleton is not death, humans are still scared of it. Now, I wonder, why would you want to see something you are terrified of as you die? Is the skeleton instead made to personify the fear of death rather than death itself? Also, if you were scared of your skeleton, why have we not made it into something cuter? Like a hamster or a bunny?
But why would you fear something that is inside all of us. I know that we cannot see our skeletons unless we undergo an x-ray, but just because we can only see it for others once they are dead and completely decomposed does not mean we should fear it. If anything we should be grateful we have it. As I am typing this, sure the muscles are working, but it is because I have phalanges (finger bones) for the muscles to attach to that I can. From typing to walking even to talking we need our bones to do these things.
Now when I asked the question that is the title to this blog, I didn't have an answer. I still don't. I just hope to reach out to anyone who reads this, don't be afraid of your skeleton. It is okay to be afraid of death, but why make it some form that you've learned to fear even if it is inside all humans. If anything this coalition between death and the human skeleton just increases fear. It does not need to be personified to be seen. It just happens.
Umn ministry
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