HKB
32 passages · search this phrase →
Often appears with: funeral rites and burial · fate, destiny, and necessity · the fear of death · crime and punishment · religious persecution and toleration · myth and the gods of the nations · the nature and attributes of God · sacrifice and ritual · perception and the senses · marriage and betrothal · language, naming, and meaning · justice as a virtue
Usually: narrative (18) · confronting death (14) · curiosity (10) · skepticism (10) · argument (7) · detachment (7) · wonder (7) · grief and loss (5) · lament (5) · the fall of the great (3)
“And, O LORD, so far as it may be lawful in me, I commend to thy fatherly goodness the soul of my departed wife; beseeching thee to grant her whatever is best in her present state, and finally to receive her to eternal happiness.” James Boswell, Boswell's Life of Johnson · insight
“Draw closer to me, let us once more throw our arms around one another, and find sad comfort in the sharing of our sorrows.” Homer, The Iliad · insight
“By the name of ANGEL, is signified generally, a Messenger; and most often, a Messenger of God: And by a Messenger of God, is signified, any thing that makes known his extraordinary Presence.” Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan · insight
“My brother," returned Tingoccio, "as soon as I got down there, I met one that seemed to know all my sins by heart, who bade me betake me to a place, where, while in direst torment I bewept my sins, I found comrades not a few condemned to the same pains;” Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, Volume II · vivid
“Go to, fool, make thy mind easy; for here there is no account taken of gossips.' Which completely revived my drooping spirits.” Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, Volume II · wit
“Thus the first philosophy of man, which is at the basis of the ancestor-cult, is completed by a philosophy of the world.” Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life · insight
“The personages thus represented are not men who, after living the life of men, have been transformed into a sort of god by the fact of their death.” Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life · observation
“In order to have a real cult of the dead, it is necessary that after death real ancestors, the relations whom men really lose every day, become the object of the cult.” Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life · insight
“For the heart it shall go with the treasure -- go down to the sea in ships.” Rudyard Kipling, Verses 1889-1896 · vivid
“The general persuasion is, that they are both in that part of the land of souls where the sun never sets, where oil is always fresh, and provisions always warm.” Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen Volumes. Vol · observation
“One of the desires dictated by vanity is more general, or less blamable, than that of being distinguished for the arts of conversation.” Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen Volumes. Vol · insight
“Merriment, extorted by sallies of imagination, sprightliness of remark, or quickness of reply, is too often what the Latins call, the Sardinian laughter, a distortion of the face without gladness of heart.” Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen Volumes. Vol · vivid
The crew sails to Oceanus, reaches the land of the Cimmerians in perpetual night, performs Odysseus’s trench and blood rite, and sees many ghosts, including Elpenor and then the prophet Teiresias.
Odysseus, his descent into hell, and discourses with the ghosts of the deceased heroes. “Now when we had gone down to the ship and to the sea, first of all we drew the ship unto the fair salt water and placed the mast and sails in the black ship, and took those sheep and put them therein, and ourselves too climbed on board, sorrowing, and shedding big tears. And in the wake of our dark-prowed ship she sent a favouri…
Elpenor’s ghost recounts his death and begs Odysseus to bury him properly, while Odysseus then encounters his mother Anticleia and prepares to question Teiresias after restraining the sword from the blood.
my voice spake to him winged words: ‘Elpenor, how hast thou come beneath the darkness and the shadow? Thou hast come fleeter on foot than I in my black ship.’ “So spake I, and with a moan he answered me, saying: ‘Son of Laertes, of the seed of Zeus, Odysseus of many devices, an evil doom of some god was my bane and wine out of measure. When I laid me down on the house-top of Circe I minded me not to descend again by…
Odysseus describes to the Phaeacians the shades he saw in Hades, including Alcmene, Megara, Jocasta (Epicaste), Chloris, Oedipus’s mother, and other heroic wives and children, emphasizing divine fates and suffering.
Zethus, who founded first the place of seven-gated Thebes, and they made of it a fenced city, for they might not dwell in spacious Thebes unfenced, for all their valiancy. “Next to her I saw Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon, who lay in the arms of mighty Zeus, and bare Heracles of the lion-heart, steadfast in the fight. And I saw Megara, daughter of Creon, haughty of heart, whom the strong and tireless son of Amphitryon …
Odysseus continues his Hades story, describing Agamemnon’s ghost telling how he was killed by Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, and urging Odysseus to keep secrets from his wife, especially in fear of treachery.
me therefore of those wondrous deeds. I could abide even till the bright dawn, so long as thou couldst endure to rehearse me these woes of thine in the hall.” And Odysseus of many counsels answered him, saying: “My lord Alcinous, most notable of all the people, there is a time for many words and there is a time for sleep. But if thou art eager still to listen, I would not for my part grudge to tell thee of other thi…
Hermes leads the souls of the wooers to the underworld, where they are seen among shades; meanwhile, Achilles and other heroes speak, and Agamemnon’s ghost questions the fate of Amphimedon.
The Ithacans bury the wooers, and sitting in council resolve on revenge. And coming near the house of Laertes, are met by Odysseus, and Laertes with Telemachus and servants, the whole number twelve, and are overcome, and submit. Now Cyllenian Hermes called forth from the halls the souls of the wooers, and he held in his hand his wand that is fair and golden, wherewith he lulls the eyes of men, of whomso he will, whi…
In his grief Aeneas returns to the burning city, finds Grecians occupying key sacred areas, searches for Creusa, and is finally reassured by her ghost with a prophecy of later life in Italy.
knew not, or reflected, till I meet My friends, at Ceres’ now deserted seat. We met: not one was wanting; only she Deceiv’d her friends, her son, and wretched me. “What mad expressions did my tongue refuse! Whom did I not, of gods or men, accuse! This was the fatal blow, that pain’d me more Than all I felt from ruin’d Troy before. Stung with my loss, and raving with despair, Abandoning …
In Bishopsgate Churchyard’s narrow passage, a man claims to see a ghost that appears at eleven and frightens people away; Defoe reports he sees nothing yet notes the crowd’s certainty.
the alms-houses are on the left; and a dwarf-wall with a palisado on it on the right hand, and the city wall on the other side more to the right. In this narrow passage stands a man looking through between the palisadoes into the burying-place, and as many people as the narrowness of the passage would admit to stop, without hindering the passage of others, and he was talking mightily eagerly to …
The Life of Cimon section begins with Damon Peripoltas of Chaeronea: after a murder of a Roman captain and magistrates, Damon’s allies are punished, then Damon is later killed, and his story is used to explain local ghost tales.
attempts and warlike habits, exposed themselves to so many dangers, in the invasions of the Mede, and in battles against the Gauls, that at last they were almost wholly consumed. There was left one orphan of this house, called Damon, surnamed Peripoltas, in beauty and greatness of spirit surpassing all of his age, but rude and undisciplined in temper. A Roman captain of a company that wintered in Chaeronea became p…
Cimon is said to have gained trust during the Persian war by signaling a shift from cavalry to naval defense, later becoming admiral and countering Pausanias through persuasion and humane leadership, including the tale of Cleonice’s revenge haunting Pausanias.
his promotion was Aristides, who early discerned in his character his natural capacity, and purposely raised him, that he might be a counterpoise to the craft and boldness of Themistocles. After the Medes had been driven out of Greece, Cimon was sent out as admiral, when the Athenians had not yet attained their dominion by sea, but still followed Pausanias and the Lacedaemonians; and his fellow-citizens under his co…
Dion sees a Fury-like apparition, then his son dies by suicide; meanwhile Callippus spreads a succession rumor and gains confidence through staged denials and sacred oaths before the plot turns to murder.
who would not be drawn in advised Dion that he was tampered with, he was not troubled or concerned at it, believing Callippus did it in compliance with his directions. While this conspiracy was afoot, a strange and dreadful apparition was seen by Dion. As he sat one evening in a gallery in his house alone and thoughtful, hearing a sudden noise he turned about, and saw at the end of the colonnade, by clear daylight,…
Doña Rodriguez explains her duchess’s health by claiming she has drainage “issues” in her legs, Don Quixote reacts medically, then masked attackers begin silent beatings of Doña Rodriguez and pinching of Don Quixote.
disagreeable breath that one cannot bear to be near her for a moment; and even my lady the duchess—but I’ll hold my tongue, for they say that walls have ears.” “For heaven’s sake, Doña Rodriguez, what ails my lady the duchess?” asked Don Quixote. “Adjured in that way,” replied the duenna, “I cannot help answering the question and telling the whole truth. Señor Don Quixote, have you observed the comeliness of my lad…
Durkheim summarizes Tylor’s animist theory that the idea of the soul arises from dreams and other cases of temporary insensibility, treating the soul as a double that can leave the body.
LEADING CONCEPTIONS OF THE ELEMENTARY RELIGION I.--*Animism* Armed with this definition, we are now able to set out in search of this elementary religion which we propose to study. Even the crudest religions with which history and ethnology make us acquainted are already of a complexity which corresponds badly with the idea sometimes held of primitive mentality. One finds there not only a confused system of belief…
He develops the animist account by arguing the soul becomes a spirit through death, forming ancestral spirits that can cause health, illness, and events, and prompting sacrifices, prayers, and funeral rites.
the same. Therefore we can unite these two doctrines in the exposition which follows, if we mark, at the proper moment, the place where the two diverge from one another. In order to find the elementary form of the religious life in these animistic beliefs and practices, three *desiderata* must be satisfied: first, since according to this hypothesis, the idea of the soul is the cardinal idea of religion, it must be s…
Durkheim extends the critique by introducing Spencer, who claims primitives can distinguish animate from inanimate and therefore should not move from ancestor worship to nature worship from lack of discernment.
to humanity was addressed. Thus the first rites were funeral rites; the first sacrifices were food offerings destined to satisfy the needs of the departed; the first altars were tombs.[102] But since these spirits were of human origin, they interested themselves only in the life of men and were thought to act only upon human events. It is still to be explained how other spirits were imagined to account for the other…
Durkheim argues that Australian rites honouring fabulous ancestors are not ancestor cults of real dead relatives, since the ancestors are endowed with mana and the rites mainly represent mythic deeds, with cults of the dead limited to death’s immediate aftermath.
exist as persons, and have fallen to the rank of anonymous and impersonal charms. In this condition they are the object of no cult; they serve only for magical purposes. However, there are certain Australian tribes which periodically celebrate rites in honour of fabulous ancestors whom tradition places at the beginning of time. These ceremonies generally consist in a sort of dramatic representation in which are rehe…
Durkheim replies to the claim that animism extends the cult of the dead to all nature, rejecting the idea that humans merely project themselves from an instinct, and arguing human mental life is reshaped by society, not copied from animals.
historians of religion who do not admit the animism properly so-called, such as Brinton,[122] Lang,[123] Réville,[124] and even Robertson Smith himself,[125] it is necessary to make an examination of it. This extension of the cult of the dead to all nature is said to come from the fact that we instinctively tend to represent all things in our own image, that is to say, as living and thinking beings. We have seen tha…
Durkheim claims primitive spirits are not analogous to the human soul’s residence within the body, since spirits of nature (as described for Melanesia) are more like ghosts haunting places and acting upon travellers, challenging the animist origin story.
But he is so little deceived by his own fiction that he would be the first to be surprised if it suddenly became a reality, and his toy bit him![129] Let us therefore leave these doubtful analogies to one side. To find out if men were primitively inclined to the confusions imputed to them, we should not study animals or children of to-day, but the primitive beliefs themselves. If the spirits and gods of nature were …
Achilles refuses to wash until Patroclus’ cremation and burial are done, then rests by the sea and receives Patroclus’ ghost demanding proper burial and eventual joint commemoration.
may duly take into the realm of darkness; the fire shall thus burn him out of our sight the sooner, and the people shall turn again to their own labours.” Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. They made haste to prepare the meal, they ate, and every man had his full share so that all were satisfied. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, the others went to their rest each i…
Cassandra expands her vision of the killing: she describes spectres of murdered children, identifies the plot as new crime beyond old legends, and predicts Agamemnon’s specific doom, while the Chorus remains shocked yet unable to decode her meaning.
banks, O river fair, I grew in tender nursing care From childhood unto maidenhood! Now not by thine, but by Cocytus’ stream And Acheron’s banks shall ring my boding scream. CHORUS Too plain is all, too plain! A child might read aright thy fateful strain. Deep in my heart their piercing fang Terror and sorrow set, the while I heard That piteous, low, tender word, Yet to mine ear and heart a crushing pang. CA…
The notes describe the “marriage of the dead” among Tartars, providing a Chinese-source ritual in which contracts are negotiated, burned or used with paper effigies, and the dead couple appears in dreams to relatives, and add supporting claims about origins and related punishments and burial-like practices.
Parker’s note is erroneous.—See Laufer, *Chinese Clay Figures*, Part I. LV., p. 267. “They [the Tartars] have another notable custom, which is this. If any man have a daughter who dies before marriage, and another man have had a son also die before marriage, the parents of the two arrange a grand wedding between the dead lad and lass. And marry them they do, making a regular contract! And when the contract papers ar…
The narrative reports that Ajut and Anningait’s lovers’ fate inspired myths: they may be star-crossed, sea-transformed, or living in an eternal, sunlit land where oil and provisions stay fresh.
entered it without hesitation, and telling those who wondered at her rashness, that she was going in search of Anningait, rowed away with great swiftness, and was seen no more. The fate of these lovers gave occasion to various fictions and conjectures. Some are of opinion, that they were changed into stars; others imagine, that Anningait was seized in his passage by the genius of the rocks, and that Ajut was transf…
Boswell rejects Sir John Hawkins’s claim about a frightening apparition of Johnson’s wife, describes Johnson’s remorse-prayers, Johnson depositing her remains in Bromley churchyard in Kent, and the excellence of Johnson’s funeral sermon.
'SAM. JOHNSON.' That his sufferings upon the death of his wife were severe, beyond what are commonly endured, I have no doubt, from the information of many who were then about him, to none of whom I give more credit than to Mr. Francis Barber, his faithful negro servant, who came into his family about a fortnight after the dismal event. These sufferings were aggravated by the melancholy inherent in his constitution;…
In conversation with Sir Alexander Macdonald, Johnson critiques narrow specialization in law, comments on English pronunciation for Scots, and later debates ghost stories and what would matter if spirits appeared.
On Saturday, March 27, I introduced to him Sir Alexander Macdonald, with whom he had expressed a wish to be acquainted. He received him very courteously. SIR A. 'I think, Sir, almost all great lawyers, such at least as have written upon law, have known only law, and nothing else.' JOHNSON. 'Why no, Sir; Judge Hale was a great lawyer, and wrote upon law; and yet he knew a great many other things; and has written upon…
Boswell describes a dinner at Thomas Davies’s where Johnson mocks Colley Cibber, discusses women on stage and “genteel” characters, and then launches into political praise and criticism of English kings.
On Thursday, April 6, I dined with him at Mr. Thomas Davies's, with Mr. Hicky, the painter, and my old acquaintance Mr. Moody, the player. Dr. Johnson, as usual, spoke contemptuously of Colley Cibber. 'It is wonderful that a man, who for forty years had lived with the great and the witty, should have acquired so ill the talents of conversation: and he had but half to furnish; for one half of what he said was oaths.'…
Hobbes says people thought Christ was a “spirit” on the sea, but that angels and spirits in the Bible usually denote real or at least dimensional, moveable “subtle bodies” or supernatural visions.
Seventhly, For Aeriall Bodies The Disciples of Christ, seeing him walking upon the sea, (Mat. 14.26. and Marke 6.49.) supposed him to be a Spirit, meaning thereby an Aeriall Body, and not a Phantasme: for it is said, they all saw him; which cannot be understood of the delusions of the brain, (which are not common to many at once, as visible Bodies are; but singular, because of the differences of Fancies), but of Bod…
After the Thracian women murder Orpheus, nature mourns his death; his head and lyre reach Lesbos, a serpent attacks the head but Apollo turns it to stone, and Orpheus’ ghost seeks Eurydice.
fields; they, seeing this {frantic} troop, run away, and leave the implements of their labour; and there lie, dispersed throughout the deserted fields, harrows and heavy rakes, and long spades. After they, in their rage, have seized upon these, and have torn to pieces the oxen with their threatening horns, they return to the destruction of the bard; and they impiously murder him, extending his hands, and then for th…
After Lorenzo is killed by Lisabetta’s brothers, he appears to her in a dream, tells where he was buried, and she secretly disinters his head, preserves it in a basil pot, and mourns beside it.
called piteously to him, and besought him to come to her, and bewailed his long tarrying with many a tear, and ever yearning for his return, languished in total dejection. But so it was that one night, when, after long weeping that her Lorenzo came not back, she had at last fallen asleep, Lorenzo appeared to her in a dream, wan and in utter disarray, his clothes torn to shreds and sodden; and thus, as she thought, h…
Tingoccio and Meuccio, friends, secretly love the same beautiful woman, both conceal motives, Tingoccio dies, returns at night, and reports punishments while reassuring Meuccio about gossips.
can speak with her as often as he pleases, he will do all he can to make her hate me, and so I shall never have any favour of her. Now, the two young men being thus, as I have said, on terms of most familiar friendship, it befell that Tingoccio, being the better able to open his heart to the lady, did so order his demeanour and discourse that he had from her all that he desired. Nor was his friend's success hidden f…
At Glubbdubdrib’s palace, Gulliver is presented to the magician governor whose necromancy dismisses attendants instantly as spectres, and Gulliver dines and stays days, increasingly acclimating to commanded ghost-servants.
dead, and commanding their service for twenty-four hours, but no longer; nor can he call the same persons up again in less than three months, except upon very extraordinary occasions. When we arrived at the island, which was about eleven in the morning, one of the gentlemen who accompanied me went to the governor, and desired admittance for a stranger, who came on purpose to have the honour of attending on his highn…
Pliny asks Sura whether ghosts truly exist, recounts stories of Curtius Rufus and a haunted house at Athens involving chains and a buried skeleton, and begins a second personal ghost story.
LXXXIII -- To SURA THE present recess from business we are now enjoying affords you leisure to give, and me to receive, instruction. I am extremely desirous therefore to know whether you believe in the existence of ghosts, and that they have a real form, and are a sort of divinities, or only the visionary impressions of a terrified imagination. What particularly inclines me to believe in their existence is a story w…
Seneca warns that a gift can injure, so benefactors must consider the end and future usefulness of what they give, refusing harmful requests even when begged.
that no one will think them greater men for so doing, and that excessive pride is a mere delusion which leads men to hate even what they ought to love. XIV. There are some things which injure those who receive them, things which it is not a benefit to give but to withhold; we should therefore consider the usefulness of our gift rather than the wish of the petitioner to receive it; for we often long for hurtful thing…
A dying soldier, speaking to “Dickie,” rationalizes betrayal and vows fidelity to a wife he idealizes, then imagines shipboard death by flooding as Dickie learns what death is like.
Flesh o' my flesh, my dearie, for ever an' ever amen, That first stroke come for a warning; I ought to ha' gone to you then, But -- cheap repairs for a cheap 'un -- the doctors said I'd do: Mary, why didn't *you* warn me? I've allus heeded to you, Excep' -- I know -- about women; but you are a spirit now; An', wife, they was only women, and I was a man. That's how. An' a man 'e must go with a woman, as you coul…