News & Politics
"In a subtle way, you can shake the world."
― Mohandas Ghandi
― Mohandas Ghandi
A Haunting Feelingby Sydney Teran '19 https://www.awwwards.com/sites/a-ghost-store Before the term ‘ghost’ was even created, the stories of them lived on and will continue to be passed down through tales, movies, books and other influences that keep them forever remembered. We grow up hearing about the dead who walk among the earth haunting people, places, and things. It never crosses your mind first, where did ‘ghost’ even come from? For some people, the thought of a ghost is terrifying and there’s many reasons for that. Maybe you’ve been in the mere presence of one, and you felt the chills running up your spine and hear your heart pounding in your ears. Or, maybe the thought of the dead just scares you. It’s different for every individual, and for every culture. More specifically, ancient cultures which have their own alternative of the afterlife. These ancient cultures vary from Mesopotamia, Roman, Egyptian and more. Irkalla the “land of no return” was a place the Mesopotamian people believed the dead would go to feed off dirt and spend their final days. The Sumerian poem The Descent of Inanna talks about no one, not even goddesses being able to leave. The only possible way was granted if souls had what we know as unfinished business. Another culture the Egyptian, strongly believed in Osiris, which translates to “God Of the Dead”. Osiris is a Egyptian Lord of the Underworld. A judge of the dead. He and 42 Judges after death, would place souls through a type of trial. Their heart would have to be lighter than the feather to move on to the afterlife, and if their heart wasn’t, the soul would be eaten by a monster. Once that happened the soul would no longer exist. Relative to the Mesopotamian belief it was possible for the dead to return to earth as a ghost, only if there was reason to do so. If ghosts are here for a reason, there’s an endless amount of possibilities. Cultures centuries ago believe the reasons had to be meaningful, what would a person want to fulfill back in those days? Going further back, in the King James Version of the Bible according to bibleinfo.com, link below, the word ‘ghost’ appears 108 times. Although it is used as spirits of those who have died. The “memory of them is forgotten” With their love, hatred and their envy perished (bibleinfo). Psalm 146:4, ESV says, when people die they return to the earth. Ghosts have a long history with different versions and beliefs explaining where they go and how they end up to be the ghosts we may see. A poll was taken last week with GHS students. 7% out of 900 students were asked if they believed in ghosts and also asked if they knew background information about ghosts. 73% said they believed and 26% answered that they did not. 49% knew background information. www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/ghosts http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/the-story-of-god-with-morgan-freeman/articles/how-the-ancient-religions-viewed-the-afterlife/ www.ancient.eu https://www.ancient.eu/osiris/ https://www.ancient.eu/article/215/inannas-descent-a-sumerian-tale-of-injustice The 7 Year Superstitionby Christina Maldonado '19
One of the urban legends I believe people still fear is bringing themselves misfortune for seven years by breaking a mirror. Do you believe in this legend? If so, do you know the history? If you do not believe in this legend, you might change your mind after you read this story. The ancient Greek, Hebrews and Egyptians produced mirrors made out of silver, gold, brass or bronze, so they're unbreakable. Early mirrors were considered extremely valuable and possessed mystical attributes. An ancient Greek divination, Catotromacy, who used shallow bowls filled with water to tell a person’s future based on the reflection revealed. A mirror is seen as an object with magical powers. That power is to see into the future, so when you break a mirror, then you will misguide your future. When you look into a mirror and see a shiny metal object, you will see your reflections and these reflections were seen as a way to receive messages from the gods. The bad luck that surrounds oneself when a mirror is broken leads back to before glass and metal mirrors were created. The reflection in the mirror was told to be the person’s soul. If the reflection was distorted then one would expect disaster to come. The soul is seen in the mirror, so when the mirror is damaged, then the soul is damaged. The bad luck would last for seven years. The seven year period originates from the Romans. In Roman time, each person’s body undergoes a physical regeneration every seven years. I interviewed Sage Addington on why she believed in this Urban legend. Maldonado: How did you break your mirror and what was your first reaction? Addington: I had a hand mirror on my bedroom floor. My bedroom was messy, and I stepped on it. I heard it crack and I thought, “Oh f**k! Seven years huh?” Maldonado: What was the first incident that made you believe that the curse was on you? Addington: (Laughing) I was at a summer camp at Rehoboth; my friend Levi and I were chasing each other, and I managed to trip on a speed bump. I got a gnarly scar on my left knee. Maldonado: Could you list the incidents that happened to you after the broken mirror? Addington: I was at a laundromat, and I was playing with the claw machine. I had a stuffed animal, but the claw dropped my stuff animal. It was really tragic, man. I have a lot of bad luck with claw machines and a lot of bad luck with tripping. One time, I slipped over nothing and ran into the wall. I gave myself a black eye and a busted lip. These incidents don't sound pleasant to me, and I don't think anyone else would want to, so make sure you don't break any mirrors in the future. https://www.csicop.org/superstition/library/mirrors http://psychiclibrary.com/beyondBooks/broken-mirror-superstition/ http://psychiclibrary.com/beyondBooks/broken-mirror-superstition/ WEEKLY POLLLast Week's Poll Results!Last week we asked Ambush! Poll takers if they thought it was inappropriate for the president to call other countries "sh*tholes" and 66% said absolutely while 44% said nope.
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