Psychopomp

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This article is about the psychopomp in religion, mythology and psychology. For the song by The Tea Party, see Psychopomp (song). For the album by Japanese Breakfast, see Psychopomp (album).
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Psychopomps (from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός, psychopompós, literally meaning the 'guide of souls')[1] are creatures, spirits, angels, demons, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife.[2]

Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply to guide them. Appearing frequently on

whip-poor-wills
, ravens, crows, vultures, owls, sparrows, and cuckoos. In the case of birds, these are often seen in huge masses, waiting outside the home of the dying.

Overview

Ancient religion

Classical examples of a psychopomp are the

Charon,[1] the goddess Hecate, and god Hermes, the Roman god Mercury, the Norse Valkyries, the Aztec Xolotl, the Slavic goddess Morana and the Etruscan Vanth
.

Modern religion

Heibai Wuchang, literally "Black and White Impermanence", are two deities in Chinese folk religion in charge of escorting the spirits of the dead to the underworld.

In Japanese mythology, the shinigami have been described as psychopomps.[3]

The form of Shiva as Tarakeshwara in Hinduism performs a similar role, although leading the soul to moksha rather than an after-life. Additionally, in the Bhagavata Purana, the Visnudutas and Yamadutas are also messengers for their respective masters, Vishnu and Yama. Their role is illustrated vividly in the story of Ajamila. In many beliefs, a spirit being taken to the underworld is violently ripped from its body.[4]

In the

Zoroastrian self-guide, appears as a beautiful young maiden to those who deserve to cross the Chinvat Bridge or a hideous old hag to those who do not.[5]

In Islam, Azrael plays the role of the angel of death who carries the soul up to the heavens. However, he only acts by the permission of God.[6]

The polytheistic concept of a specific deity of death is rejected by Judaistic monotheism because only God is regarded as the master of death and of life.[7] However, archangel Samael can be regarded as the Jewish psychopomp, whose role in Talmudic and post-Talmudic theology is as the Angel of death.

In many cultures, the

End of Life Doula
", which is another form of psychopomp work.

In Filipino culture, ancestral spirits (anito) function as psychopomps. When the dying call out to specific dead persons (e.g. parents, partners), the spirits of the latter are supposedly visible to the former. The spirits, who traditionally wait at the foot of the death-bed, retrieve (Tagalog: sundô) the soul soon after death and escort it into the after-life.[9]

In Christianity, Saint Peter, Michael the Archangel and Jesus are thought of as psychopomps either as leading the dead to heaven or, as in the case of Peter, allowing them through the gates.[10]

In Akan religion, Amokye is the woman who fishes souls out of the river and welcomes them to Asamando, the Akan realm of the dead. A deceased person is buried with amoasie (loincloths), jewelry and beads which they then pay to Amokye for admitting them to Asamando.[11]

Many mythologies and superstitions simply have a personification of death as psychopomp. Such personifications frequently present death as a reaper, even ascribing it the title

Grim Reaper.[12][13]

Psychology

In

Jungian psychology, the psychopomp is a mediator between the unconscious and conscious realms. It is symbolically personified in dreams as a wise man or woman, or sometimes as a helpful beast.[14]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b "ψυχοπομπός - Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott A Greek-English Lexicon". Perseus.tufts.edu.
  2. ISBN 1405182466
    .
  3. ^ "Shinigami, God of Death". Japan Avenue. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  4. ^ "The Mercury-Woden Complex: A Proposal", p. 27
  5. ^ Zoroastrianism's After Life & Funeral Customs. Accessed: March 2024.
  6. ^ "Death, Angel Of". Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Angel of Death". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  8. ISBN 963-05-8295-3. (The title means "Shamans in Eurasia"; the book is written in Hungarian, but it is published also in German, Estonian and Finnish; page 36 is used as the source.) Site of publisher with short description on the book (in Hungarian) Archived 2010-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ISBN 971-550-135-4
    .
  10. ^ "Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism: Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven's Door: Jewish Psychopomps". ejmmm2007.blogspot.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  11. ISBN 978-1-60413-415-5
    .
  12. ISBN 978-0618823628
    .
  13. ^ Menzies, Robert (1847). The Circle of Human Life. Edinburgh: Myles Macphail. p. 11.
  14. ISBN 0-9629002-9-X

Further reading

External links

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