There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, “Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw that it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.” The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw Death standing in the crowd. He said, “Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?” “That was not a threatening gesture,” she said, “it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”

I love this story. My mother used to tell me this when she put me to bed at night.

Now that I think about it, she may have been criminally insane.

this is a fairly common story. form England we have a man that has a vision that he will die at Westminster Abby in London. So he gets on his horse, and rides up to Oxford. as he dismounts form his horse he is suppressed to see death there having just taking a woman whom died in child birth. Death turns and is surprised to see him there. and says "thank you for saving me the trip to London"

Miss Clarity, most people are afraid ofthe unknown. Since they are not sure what will happen to them when they die, they are afraid to die. Since they are afraid to die, they fear death. The religious often do not, but those religious who know they are going to be punished normally do. As for death's gender, I believe death pull it's image from teh mind of the person it appears to, causing each to see what they expect.

Clarity

It depends on or back ground what we see when we see death in many ways. she is often seen as a raven by Celts, or as the Moragin The goddess of war and death Her totem is the raven. But many people see defrent things, There is also myths of the shadow lover, whom is death whom takes to form of some one the dying would find Attractive. Often taking the form of a dead loved one. The reason is to Comfort they dying and to ease the tradition between life and death. But people often see what the expect the Image of death form revelation is not uncommon. As in the 4th horsemen, the rider of a pail horse

We navajo actually see death as an old woman. Są́ , The One Who Brings Old Age. long ago when the Monster Slayer twins, the children of Asdzą́ą́ Nádleehé, 'Changing woman' in english, were hunting down the many monsters that plagued humanity, they sought out Są́. Changing woman had told them not to seek her out, but they did anyway. they found her as an old woman, wandering the mountains. they made to kill her, but she pointed out that killing her would be a bad thing. for if Są́ did not sap the strength of people over time, did not make them grow old and die, parents would not be able to make room for children to grow up, and to keep in harmony with the world, they would stop having children. Są́ you see, was part of the natural world and important to staying in harmony. so the Monster Slayer twins let her live, like they did Cold, Poverty, and Hunger.

of the dead themselves, we do not speak, for Chindi linger and can cause great trouble. better that they go their way unnoticed.


my friend Edward, Mr. E to you, called these personifications of death "psychopomps". apparently every culture has their own image.

Hannah wrote:Lt. Joe,

Welcome ot the forums. Seeing as you still speak of Mr. E I presume you believe he is still alive.

I sincerely hope that belief is rewarded.

Hannah

yes, i do think he is still alive. i'll beleive that until i see his dead body. even if that does break our taboos, attract a chindi, and thus need a cleansing way performed.

I think that Edward has just gotten into something over his head. i do wish he had confided in me before leaving however.