Mythology
The scythe also plays an important traditional role, often appearing as weapons in the hands of mythical beings such as Cronus, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, specifically, Grim Reaper (Death). This stems mainly from the Christian Biblical belief of death as a "harvester of souls".
The French Baroque composer, Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer (1705-1755), composed "La Marche des Scythes" (from Pièces De Clavecin 1746), an opera transcription for harpsichord. It has been recorded by many harpsichordists (see YouTube). The website for the recording by Christophe Rousset on Arckiv Music has a quote from musicologist Johann van Veen describing the piece as "'tumultuous', with virtuosic scales and noisy chords."
Read more about this topic: Scythe
Famous quotes containing the word mythology:
“If science fiction is the mythology of modern technology, then its myth is tragic.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929)
“One memorable addition to the old mythology is due to this era,—the Christian fable. With what pains, and tears, and blood these centuries have woven this and added it to the mythology of mankind! The new Prometheus. With what miraculous consent, and patience, and persistency has this mythus been stamped on the memory of the race! It would seem as if it were in the progress of our mythology to dethrone Jehovah, and crown Christ in his stead.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past.... Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
—George Steiner (b. 1929)