literary and mythological symbols of death

[sweetnpetite]

I'm planning a horror story and I'd like to work in some symbols of death, the underworld, ect.

Any symbols, information about such, mythology, links ect. would be most appreciated.

The first one I think of off the top of the bat is a raven or a black crow. I don't have much background on it, only that it's generally an ill omen. Would love more info, if anyone has knowlege.

Conversly, what are some symbols or symbolism that specifically stand for life, renewal, reserection, and re-birth? I can think of eggs, caves, water, baby animals, seeds...

Happy with any you can think of. thanks!

 

[Shendude]

Symbols of death:the skull, the skeleton, snow & ice, & the hourglass.

Symbols of life include the dung beetle, a blooming flower, a flame, & the dove.

 

[Clare Quilty]

The colour white and chopsticks standing upright in a bowl of rice are both symbols of death.

The Ankh is the only life symbol that leaps immediately to mind--I suppose rabbits are also symbols of life by way of their fecundity.

 

[marshalt]

I suppose rabbits are also symbols of life by way of their fecundity.

Is that a fancy way of saying they hump like, well, like rabbits?

 

[emap]

Ravens are symbols of bad luck/impending death/bad harvests. It rather depends on who you ask, or rather where they grew up, farmers see ravens as bad crops, usually because there are thousands of them just waiting for the crops to grow.

Of course there are some tribes of native americans who see the raven as either a sign of a passed loved one or tribal chief watching over the tribe, of course usually just before a battle. So they see them as being good luck.

Other signs of death include a red moon, especially to sailors and warriors, a red moon means either a fellow sailor has died, or that the coming battle will be bloody, they always were, but the one's after a red moon are thought of as being even bloodier.

Crossing the path of a black cat is supposed to be supreme bad luck, but if your egyptian they are the chosen creature of Ra and a good sign.

Upside down crosses are seen as denoting the presence of evil, a burning cross is supposed to show the power of god is with that army, or their is a problem with the church again depending on who you ask.

Spoiled milk is seen as a sign of bad things, usually death.

A egg filled with blood is the presence of supreme evil, a egg with a half formed chick is also seen as a sign of evil.

A shining cross is a sign of the power of god being present, basically safe haven here.

A white foal is a sign of good luck, or a white buffalo.

Dead frogs is a sign of evil/bad omen, though that's a large group of them.

There's more, but I can't think of them at present, I'm thinking I covered more than you needed anyway.

 

[LadiDarkMoon]

Is that a fancy way of saying they hump like, well, like rabbits?

Rabbits started as a symbol of life back in Egypt. Rabbits and Eggs...
Eggs stand more for the birth or rebirth of life while Rabbits are fertility.
If you want to lean that way you might want to look up some information on Ostara- that's the pagan festival Easter is based off of.

 

[Fitzdraco]

Well if you are writting based on a paticular culture it would be best if you found that cultures symbols. If you just want something in general then take what you like.

Some things that may be useful or may not.

The ancient greeks posed people who were dying in a specific fashion. The legs of the subject would be bent as if running and close together. Typicly when you see this pose in ancient Greek art it means the subject will die, is dieing, or dead. Not sure if this was intentional but in the recent movie Troy, Achillies was posed like this at his death and the Greeks would have posed him like that.

Another symbol that is misunderstood is the terrot card Death. Despite it's omnious name and visage the card usualy represents change, not necessaraly death. Of course it's meaning is dependent on it's posistion in the reading and weather or not it's reversed. If your story is going to feature some kind of divination based on cards I can help you with research.

Comets have traditionaly been seen as harbringers of doom. Had Hale-Bopp made an appearence 1000 years ago history might have been very different.

There are a number of poorly explained or understood scientific phenomina that could have been seen as a bad omen. For example a green sun, some planetary alingments, rains of fish and frogs. Meteors and meteorites would probably be be seen as a bad omen and misunderstood as well.

 

[marshalt]

Rabbits started as a symbol of life back in Egypt. Rabbits and Eggs...
Eggs stand more for the birth or rebirth of life while Rabbits are fertility.
If you want to lean that way you might want to look up some information on Ostara- that's the pagan festival Easter is based off of.

Eh, I'll just take your word for it.

 

[NASCARaddicted]

maybe I have missed it, but I think no one has mentioned it so far:

the pentagram

In the past, it was symbol for eternal life, because it could be drawn in one single movement, without lifting the pen from the paper (I hope you get what I mean, I don't know the right words in english).

Even though, it was a positive symbol, the catholic church didn't liked it, because it was a heathen symbol, and so they were against it.

Through the years, the meaning of the pentagram turned from good to evil.

However, some people say, the pentagram has 2 different meanings, depending on the way how it is drawn. If one of the rays of the star is pointing upwards, it's a good symbol. If it's upside down, so that one ray points down, it's a symbol of evil.

As an addition:

I have seen drawings of the pentagram that includes some more details. I saw an upwards pentagram with a human on it. The head was on the upper ray, while the the arms and legs are on the other rays.

And I have seen an invertet pentagram, with something like a demonic (goat) head on it. On the downwards spike, there is the beard of the goat. The horns of the goat are on the 2 upwards pointing spikes, while the other 2 represent the ears. - Many of you will know this symbol under the name "Baphomet" (or through several Heavy Metal Bands, especially because of "Venom" and their 2nd LP "Black Metal")

by the way: Some Christian watchdogs apparently think the pentagram is the devil's hoof print.

By the way: In the ancient past, a swastika also was a sign of good luck. But since the Nazis used it, it became the sign of pure terror and hate.

Some other symbols for death could be: a noose, a guillotine, a gun, a bullet. Also, symbols like the biohazad symbol, or the radioactive symbol are often used, when it comes to death ...

 

[nushu2]

You should be specific on culture. There's Hades and Tartarus, Dante's 7 layers, ......

But here's a start on symbolism.

http://members.aol.com/TombView/symbol.html

 

[doormouse]

Being an erotic horror author myself, I have a shit load of fantastic sites I use for research.

Are we allowed to post links on here?

They're all free...

 

[sweetnpetite]

specifically, naturally occuring symbols of death (but not evil)

thanks.

sorry so brief, in a hurry

 

[BillyBobJoeEd]

subtle symbols

The yew tree is a very subtle symbol of death and dying. J.K. Rowling has this all over Lord Voldemort, starting with his wand, which is made of yew. The yew is traditionally planted around graveyards in England.

 

[Sshafer]

symbols of

A owl hooting never a house is to forcast death of someone in the fammily. In fact I know of one fammily that live near me that still belive that. Their grandfather preached that to his grand kids when they were young. I myself find a hooting of an owl very nice at night. In the old day in the 1800 's someone seeing a white horse while someone was sick in the fammily ment that death was on the way. In the north a howl of a wolf was deaths calling card. And as you say a crow calling near a house was ment that death was comming to pay a vist. Thats just a few I can recall just off the top of head.

 

[sweetnpetite]

cool guys, thanks a lot

If you think of anymore, keep posting. this will really help me. thanks again.

 

[Sshafer]

symbols of

At the time when armys had a horse cavalry. To ride a white horse into battle was almost certion death. That was due to the fact that you were more visble on the battle field throught the smoke of the black powder. So any time you see a general on a white horse on the battle field in a painting its just an artist poetic licenice.

 

[sweetnpetite]

Being an erotic horror author myself, I have a shit load of fantastic sites I use for research.

Are we allowed to post links on here?

They're all free...

Yes, post the links!