Images of Death

[qos]

A friend shared, in a locked post, an entry about a particularly gruesome crucifix that has recently been removed from a church in West Sussex because it scared the children and did not create a welcoming atmosphere.

She also included a link to an image of the crucifix in question. And yes, it's fairly gruesome.

But as I absorbed the image, I was startled when I saw it not through the lenses of my Christian upbringing and symbolism, but through those of my current Underworld practices.

Ereshkigal is not a "death Goddess" -- but she is a Dark Goddess, and she is the Queen of the Great Below, the Land of the Dead. One of the discussions I've been having with myself is that my relationship with Ereshkigal is very positive, and Her image in my mind is usually attractive: and yet many of Her primary depictions in literature are grim and terrifying, reflecting humanity's fear of death and decay. Have I been avoiding dealing with that very real aspect of Her nature?

Seeing this crucifix, I saw an image of Inanna's rotting corpse hanging on the hook in Ereshkigal's throne room, a vivid reminder of the fatal end which no one, not even the Queen of Heaven, could escape -- and yet there is, as in Christianity, a simultaneous faith that death is not the end, that even in the midst of the most gruesome despair, there will be liberation, re-creation, transformation. My work with Ereshkigal is significantly about having the courage and faith to dare the dark places, the fear, the loss and the dis-memberment, and win through to transformation, and help others to do so as well.

"Let her paint on an inch thick, to this end she must come," said Hamlet to Yorick's skull. So must we all. . . and yet we will pass beyond. . .

So where does that leave me in my images of my Queen of the Great Below? I'm not sure. . . but I think I would be wrong to leave images like this out of my iconography.

Comments

[uncledark.livejournal.com]

I thought it was a rather nice piece of sculpture, actually. But then, I'm weird that way.

[watcher457.livejournal.com]

I don't like it simply because it looks like his embalmed corpse was crucified and not the man himself. I can see what they were trying to portray, though. He suffered, and most crucifixes don't show that.

I heard once that deities come to us in whatever way is best for us. Take Azrael, for example. He is the Archangel of Death, the Grim Reaper, and we all know how horrifying most images of the Grim Reaper are. However, while I do see him as wearing the black, billowing robes with a gleaming silver scythe, I see him as beautiful, gentle, calm, even a bit mischevous, and rather sad, in a way. Different people see him in different ways. To those who don't want to die, he's terrifying. (Not that I want to die, but I accept that I will one day, and the thought of death doesn't frighten me. How I die worries me, but that's something else.)

Anubis is another example. Now, he pretty much looks like Anubis, but he is the benevolent guide of the dead and has a fair and even hand when weighing the souls. However, can you name me one modern-day example of him in film, television, or common literature where he is a good guy? No. He is demonized, portrayed as vicious and evil, and there is no reason for it except for the fear of death.

I believe it is helpful to keep in mind these manifestations of the deities. I'm well aware that its said Anubis has an army of messenger demons at his disposal, and very aware that he will just as readily throw a soul to it's destruction as he will embrace one. However, deities and beings seem to present themselves to those they work with in the manifestations that means something to that person.

I guess what I'm saying is, while it's a very fabulous idea to be aware of all aspects of her, Ereshkigal quite possibly appears to you as a beautiful, dark goddess because the energy that it inspires within you is the energy she wants from you. Does that make sense?

I rambled, but this is something I think about, since most beings that are rather terrifying have been very gentle with me and one has to wonder why.

[shadowandstar.livejournal.com]

it looks like his embalmed corpse was crucified and not the man himself

That was my thought as well.

I also agree that the gods come to us in the forms we need, but that our perceptions of what they represent have a strong influence on how we perceive them. I think that's especially true of deities related to death and the underworld.

He is demonized, portrayed as vicious and evil, and there is no reason for it except for the fear of death

This is also true of Ereshkigal, who is often listed as a demon. People focus on Her portrayal in the Descent of Inanna (usually overlooking the fact that Inanna was violating a boundary she should not have crossed, and Ereshkigal's labor pains and generosity in response to empathy) overwhelms both "The Marriage of Ereshkigal and Nergal" and the fact that She was apparently kidnapped and confined to the underworld against Her will.

most beings that are rather terrifying have been very gentle with me and one has to wonder why

I suspect it's because you're open to them, and don't share the usual fear of what they represent.