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10 Types Of Animals That Symbolise Death And Why

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Death is among the most unpleasant and often scary topics to some. However, it is an unavoidable part of our life cycle. Some animal species are often associated with death because of myths in various cultures. Other animals represent death due to their predatory behaviors. Some may look harmless but play a vital role in the decomposition of the dead. These representations are often depicted in arts, paintings, superstitions, and traditions…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>> 

1. Bats

In Thailand, seeing a bat in broad daylight or around a temple foretells a person’s death.

Bats are nocturnal mammals from the Chiroptera order. The term “Chiroptera” is derived from the Greek words cheir and pteron, which mean “hand” and “wings,” respectively. Species of the Chiroptera order have forelimbs that also serve as their wings, hence the name.

Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained flight. Bats range in size. The smallest bat, called the bumblebee bat, weighs around 0.07 ounces, while other bat species, like the large flying foxes, weigh 1.3 to 2.4 pounds. Flying foxes have a wingspan of up to almost 6 feet.

There are more than 1,400 species of bats worldwide, playing an important role in the pollination of many plant species. However, many cultures have negative regard for bats. Encountering a bat brings bad luck. In Thailand, seeing a bat in broad daylight or around a temple foretells a person’s death. In New Zealand, Māori people associate bats with a mythical bird that foretells death.

2. Black Cats

Beautiful and Prettiest Cats - Bombay
Black cats have a reputation for bringing either bad or good luck, but it depends on the culture.

There are various black cat breeds worldwide. Among them are sphynx cats, Persian cats, oriental shorthairs, Turkish angoras, and many more. But only one breed of domestic cats, the Bombay, is exclusively black.

Black cats have a reputation for bringing either bad or good luck, but it depends on the culture. In Western cultures, black cats have become a symbol of Halloween and witchcraft. They are believed to be shape-shifting witches. Coming across a black cat symbolizes evil omens that may bring misfortune or death. However, in Japan, black cats are a symbol of good luck.

3. Butterflies

Golden Birdwing
A butterfly may represent the soul of a relative or loved one that has recently passed away.

There are around 18,500 butterfly species worldwide. In Irish culture, butterflies represent the trapped souls of the dead. In another instance, butterflies are a forewarning of death in the Philippines. They may also represent the souls of a relative or loved one who has recently passed away. Besides, the transformation from earthbound caterpillars to butterflies is believed to be the embodiment of humans becoming spirits after death.

4. Crows

Carrion crow (Corvus corone), black bird perched on branch.
Crows are known to gather in large numbers in regions where animals or people are about to die.

Crows are birds from the Corvus genus. They are often associated with death due to their feeding habits. Crows are scavengers that feed on carrion. They are often linked to battlefields, cemeteries, or any other areas with dead bodies. They are also known to gather in large numbers in regions where animals or people are about to die. One spooky fact about them is that a group of crows is called a “murder.”

5. Owls

male spotted owl
Owls are believed to bring bad luck, or worse, be an omen of death.

Owls are nocturnal birds from the Strigiformes order, with more than 200 species. They are among the symbols of Halloween and witchcraft. In ancient cultures, hearing an owl hoot was a very bad sign. They are believed to bring bad luck, or worse, be an omen of death. However, owls hoot to fend off predators or attract mates.

6. Ravens

ravens perched together
Ravens are often found in locations with dead bodies such as battlefields and cemeteries.

Ravens are nocturnal birds from the Corvus genus. They are close relatives of crows and share the same feeding habits — eating dead bodies. Like crows, ravens are often found in locations with dead bodies, like battlefields and cemeteries, which is the primary reason they are associated with death.

But in Norse mythology, ravens are messengers that deliver messages to the god Odin. The messages they deliver can be some kind of guidance, and some believe they can also guide people to the afterlife.

7. Snakes

Diadophis punctatus edwardsii
In the Bible, snakes symbolize Satan or Lucifer, an evil entity that brings death, curses, and sickness.

Snakes are predatory reptiles in the Squamata order, with almost 4,000 known species worldwide. They are often associated with the underworld. In the Bible, snakes symbolize Satan or Lucifer, an evil entity that brings death, curses, and sickness. Unfortunately, this is not just about mythology, superstition, or religion. Many species of snakes are venomous, and some may even cause instant death. Moreover, some are constrictors, meaning that even if they’re non-venomous, they can still constrict their prey to death.

8. Spiders

Animal Foot, Brown, Close-up, Color Image, Danger
During the Middle Ages, spiders were believed to be companions of witches, assisting them in casting spells.

Spiders belong to the class of animals called Arachnida. Spiders are one of the Halloween symbols. During the Middle Ages, they were believed to be companions of witches, assisting them in casting spells. Moreover, it was thought that eating a “spider sandwich” made witches more powerful.

9. Vultures

Red-headed vulture in flight
Due to their feeding habits, vultures are often associated with death.

The word “vulture” is a collective term that applies to scavenger birds that feed on carrions. Due to their feeding habits, they are often associated with death. However, they are also an essential part of the ecosystem. These opportunistic feeders clean up the remains that may contain harmful microbes and pathogens that cause diseases.

10. Worms

Asian jumping earthworms
In the Bible, worms are sometimes depicted as creatures of Hell that bring endless death.

Worms refer to several groups of animals. Earthworm species belong to the Annelida phylum, while parasitic worms, such as roundworms, belong to the Nematoda phylum, and tapeworms to the Cestoda phylum.

In mythology, worms refer to any crawling animals with long bodies and no legs. The term “worm” was derived from the Old English ‘wyrm’ which means serpent.

The word “worm” was a general term for small, harmless animals like earthworms, maggots, caterpillars, and large or dangerous creatures such as snakes and dragons.

Worms have various symbolism in different cultures. In the Bible, worms are sometimes depicted as creatures of Hell that bring endless death. A worm is a literary symbol commonly representing man’s death and mortality.

In science, the word worm also refers to maggots, fly larvae that eat the flesh of dead bodies and help with the decaying process. Other decomposers include earthworms, termites, and millipedes.

Summary of 10 Most Common Animals That Represent Death

Infographic of 10 Animals That Most Commonly Represent Death
Crows, ravens, and vultures are often associated with death due to their habit of feeding on carrion.

Here’s a recap of the 10 animals we looked at that are most often associated with death.

Number Animal Associations With Death
1 Bats Encountering a bat brings bad luck; seeing a bat in daylight or around a temple foretells a person’s death
2 Black Cats Symbol of Halloween and witchcraft; believed to be shape-shifting witches; symbolizes evil omens that may bring misfortune or death
3 Butterflies Represent trapped souls of the dead; forewarning of death; may represent the souls of a loved one recently passed away
4 Crows Associated with death due to feeding on carrion; linked to battlefields, cemeteries, or other areas with dead bodies; gather in large numbers in regions where animals or people are about to die
5 Owls Symbols of Halloween and witchcraft; hearing an owl hoot was a very bad sign; believed to bring bad luck, or worse, be an omen of death
6 Ravens Associated with death due to feeding on carrion; linked to battlefields, cemeteries, or other areas with dead bodies
7 Snakes In the Bible, snakes symbolize Satan or Lucifer, an evil entity that brings death, curses, and sickness.
8 Spiders Believed to be companions of witches, assisting them in casting spells
9 Vultures Associated with death due to feeding on carrion
10 Worms Sometimes depicted in the Bible as creatures of Hell that bring endless death; literary symbol commonly representing man’s death and mortality

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Guy Fawkes’ punishment was one of the most severe in English history – here’s what happens when a body is hung, drawn and quartered

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Fawkes and his co-conspirators were sentenced to hanging, drawing and quartering. Crispijn van de Passe the Elder/ Wikimedia Commons

After their infamous plot to destroy parliament was foiled, Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators received one of the most severe judicial sentences in English history: hanging, drawing and quartering. According to the Treason Act 1351 , this punishment involved…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

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  • Michelle SpearProfessor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution, where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.

This process aimed not only to inflict excruciating pain on the condemned, but to serve as a deterrent – demonstrating the fate of those who betrayed the Crown. While Fawkes reportedly jumped from the gallows – which meant he avoided the full extent of his punishment – his co-conspirators apparently weren’t so lucky.

By dissecting each stage of this medieval punishment from an anatomical perspective, we can understand the profound agony each of them endured.

Torture for confession

Before his public execution on January 31 1606, Fawkes was tortured to force a confession about his involvement in the “gunpowder plot”.

The Tower of London records confirm that King James I personally authorised “the gentler tortures first”. Accounts reveal that Fawkes was stretched on the rack – a device designed to slowly pull the limbs in opposite directions. This stretching inflicted severe trauma on the shoulders, elbows and hips, as well as the spine.

The forces exerted by the rack probably exceeded those required for joint or hip dislocation under normal conditions.

Substantive differences between Fawkes’ signatures on confessions between November 8 and shortly before his execution may indicate the amount of nerve and soft tissue damage sustained. It also illustrates how remarkable his final leap from the gallows was.

An engraving depicting a person being tortured on the rack.
The rack slowly pulled a prisoner’s limbs in opposite directions. Wellcome Collection/ Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA

Stage 1: hanging (partial strangulation)

After surviving the torture of the rack, Fawkes and his gang faced the next stage of their punishment: hanging. But this form of hanging only partially strangled the condemned – preserving their consciousness and prolonging their suffering.

Partial strangulation exerts extreme pressure on several critical neck structures. The hyoid bone , a small u-shaped structure above the larynx, is prone to bruising or fracture under compression .

Simultaneously, pressure on the carotid arteries restricts blood flow to the brain, while compression of the jugular veins causes pooling of blood in the head – probably resulting in visible haemorrhages in the eyes and face.

Because the larynx and trachea (both essential for airflow) are partially obstructed, this makes breathing laboured. Strain on the cervical spine and surrounding muscles in the neck can lead to tearing, muscle spasms or dislocation of the vertebra – causing severe pain. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Fawkes brought his agony to a premature end by leaping from the gallows. Accounts from the time tell us:

His body being weak with the torture and sickness, he was scarce able to go up the ladder – yet with much ado, by the help of the hangman, went high enough to break his neck by the fall.

This probably caused him to suffer a bilateral fracture of his second cervical vertebra, assisted by his own bodyweight – an injury known as the “hangman’s fracture” .

Stage 2: Drawing (disembowelment)

After enduring partial hanging, the victim would then be “drawn” – a process which involved disembowelling them while still alive. This act mainly targeted the organs of the abdominal cavity – including the intestines, liver and kidney, as well as major blood vessels such as the abdominal aorta.

The physiological response to disembowelment would have been immediate and severe. The abdominal cavity possesses a high concentration of pain receptors – particularly around the membranous lining of the abdomen . When punctured, these pain receptors would have sent intense pain signals to the brain, overwhelming the body’s capacity for pain management . Shock would soon follow due to the rapid drop in blood pressure caused by massive amounts of blood loss.

Stage 3: quartering (dismemberment)

Quartering was also supposed to be performed while the victim was still alive. Though no accounts exist detailing at what phase victims typically lost consciousness during execution, it’s highly unlikely many survived the shock of being drawn.

So, at this stage, publicity superseded punishment given the victim’s likely earlier demise. Limbs that were removed from criminals were preserved by boiling them with spices. These were then toured around the country to act as a deterrent for others.

Though accounts suggest Fawkes’s body parts were sent to “the four corners of the United Kingdom”, there is no specific record of what was sent where. However, his head was displayed in London .

Traitor’s punishment

The punishment of hanging, drawing and quartering was designed to be as anatomically devastating as it was psychologically terrifying. Each stage of the process exploited the vulnerabilities of the human body to create maximum pain and suffering, while also serving as a grim reminder of the consequences of treason.

This punishment also gives us an insight into how medieval justice systems used the body as a canvas for social and political messaging. Fawkes’s fate, though unimaginable today, exemplifies the extremes to which the state could, and would, go to maintain control, power and authority over its subjects.

The sentence of hanging, drawing and quartering was officially removed from English law as part of the Forfeiture Act of 1870 .

 

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OPINION: 4 Children Who Were Sentenced to life imprisonment At A Young Age And what They Did

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There are many unusual things happening across the world. Children are charming and lovely, yet others are really dangerous and have been involved in a variety of illegal activities in society.

In this post, we’ll look at four children who were condemned to life in jail Please keep in mind that some of these children are now adults…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

1. Joshua Phillips:

Joshua Phillips stabbed his neighbor’s eight-year-old daughter and put the girl’s body under his bed at home. After eight days, his mother discovered the body.

Joshua Phillips was fourteen years old when he committed this act, according to reports, and he was sentenced to life in jail.

Take a look at how Joshua Phillips is now.

2. Eric Smith:

Eric Smith, according to sources, was condemned to life in jail many years ago. Eric Smith was just 13 years old when he hit a 4-year-old boy with a rock and killed him.

Following multiple conversations with Eric, he stated that he was bullied by several senior kids at his school and that he killed the youngster because he was irritated and upset. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

3. Lionel Tate:

Lionel Tate was one of the youngest people to get a life sentence.

According to sources, when he was 13 years old, Lionel Tate killed his neighbor’s six-year-old daughter.

Lionel Tate claimed he was boxing with the young girl.

4. Brian Lee Draper:

Brian Lee Draper was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 for murdering a classmate, according to reports.

The murder was committed by Brian Lee Draper and his friend Torey Adamcik, who was sixteen years old at the time.

Parents should always endeavor to teach their children how to be good children, as well as pray for them.

 

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Lady Caught Feeding Neighbor’s Baby With Faeces & Urine Speaks From Prison, Gives This Ugly Reason

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A woman named Stella Namwanje was arrested in Uganda for allegedly committing an atrocious act against her neighbor’s baby. Reports indicate that she was caught on video defecating and urinating on the infant before feeding him the waste. This shocking behavior has drawn widespread condemnation and raised serious concerns about the child’s welfare…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

The incident took place in the Binyonyi A area of the Nyendo-Mukungwe division. Local authorities acted swiftly after the disturbing footage circulated on social media, prompting community outrage. The police have since taken Namwanje into custody to investigate the circumstances surrounding her actions and ensure the safety of the child.

The case has sparked discussions about the need for stronger measures to protect vulnerable individuals, especially children, from abuse. It highlights the alarming reality of child torture and the psychological issues that may drive such behavior. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

As the investigation unfolds, the community is rallying to support the affected family and prevent similar incidents in the future. The legal proceedings against Namwanje will likely focus on the extent of her actions and the necessary repercussions for such a heinous crime.

 

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