Death

Death is an aspect of life that everyone becomes acquainted with sooner or later. Throughout time, people have had obsessions with death and all things related to death and the afterlife.

In past times, people would form cults around death gods and figures. Saint Death, or the personification of death, is currently worshiped by many in Mexico and other countries in Central America. Day of the Dead, November 2, is a celebration for the dead in Saint Death's honor. The ancient Egyptians are most famous for their fascination of death by mummifying their dead and building exquisite tombs, like the pyramids of Giza, for their dead. The Greek underworld, Hades, was ruled by the god Hades, and had five rivers that flowed through it. The rivers were: Acheron, river of sadness; Cocytus, river of lamentation; Lethe, river of forgetfulness; Phlegethon, river of fire; Styx, river of hate.

In China, Japan, and Korea the number 4 is often associated with death because the sound of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean words for four and death are similar.

In the Middle East is belief that the dead people are still alive, death being just a separation of the soul from the body. In Persian mythology is belief that the body is separated from the soul and the body remains impure, the material part of the human being, the part that is unnecessary after death. The soul would be judge in accordance with the person's action during his life.

The Coran says that "every soul will taste the death" and it's pointless to avoid it. Instead, the Buddhist religion believe in reincarnation, depending of one's karma.

The Christian religion says that there are two places where the soul ends, depending of the persons actions: heaven and hell. The Catholic also believe in purgatory, a place unlike heaven and hell, where human souls can be delivered of the small sins.

Death has been personified as a figure or fictional character in mythology and popular culture since the earliest days of storytelling. Because the reality of death has had a substantial influence on the human psyche and the development of civilization as a whole, the personification of Death as a living, sentient entity is a concept that has existed in many societies since the beginning of recorded history. In western culture, death is usually shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe, and sometimes wearing a midnight black gown with a hood.

Today there are a number of commenters who have spoken on the fascination people have with death. "If it bleeds it leads" is a phrase related to this, meaning that in the media, the most popular material - as well as most of the material in general - is based on death. For example - death as a topic in the news. Musician and artist Marilyn Manson often talks and bases his music and artwork around the way people are fascinated with death, as well as fame. He comments on how people will use death to gain a certain immortality in the minds of others.

Death may be the most misunderstood subject in the world today. To many it is enshrouded in mystery and evokes feelings of fear, uncertainty, and even hopelessness. Buddha said: "Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.", so people should live their life level-headed, without thinking about death needlessly.

"Life's up and downs they come and go but when I die I hope I live in the sky pray to God when I die that I live in the sky. It's true what

goes around comes back you know. So when I die I hope I live in the sky. Tell God I wanna fly and let me live in the sky "