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This bronze amulet was believed to prevent spirits from coming back to haunt Mesopotamians. It also was believed to prevent disease from those around it. When people passed they would go to an afterlife that was much closer to a gray void of nothingness than the paradise concept we are used to. The spirits would try and escape if possible. This amulet and many other burial rites were done to prevent this. -
The Egyptian scripture written on papyrus. It describes the Egyptian afterlife as a 12 chambered battle with demons and serpents to earn the right to be judged by the gods. After weighing your soul against a feather if you are worthy you go on to paradise, and if not you are sent to hell. -
Much of ancient greek pottery was with greek stories illustrated on them. This piece shows the suicide of ajax, who kills himself out of pride after losing a battle to odysseus. -
This cloth is draped over lady dai and her family tombstones. These banners were for connection to the afterlife. We can split it into sections depicting her enjoying the afterlife and a scene of mourning -
Cicero was a statesmen and a student of Greek philosophy in ancient Rome who's public life was on display for all to see. When his daughter passed depression overcame him which is when he wrote these letters to himself. The letters were written in a attempt to heal himself and help others grieving loss. -
This is a roman graffiti depicting jesus as a donkey being crucified with a man praying to him. The interesting part comes from the text under which is translated to mean "alexamenos worships his god." This was made in a time without freedom of religion -
This shows a desperate prayer to ward off death. This painting was made in a very religious time and and in a country were death is seen more as a fear than a time for celebration like other cultures. -
This play is one of Shakespeare's most violent plays. We watch a quest for power to secure the throne end in almost all of our main cast at the beginning die. It was written to impress king James who came from a similar background of violence to the throne. -
An opera with a tragic ending of heartbreak. The story of a lover leaving driving the queen to suicide, and the dutiful soldier who puts love aside to do his job focused. -
This painting tells a story in one glance, the scene of Socrates last moments as told by Plato. It carries a ton of emotion from the spectators and Socrates's bold front. -
This poem is about remembering painful memories personified as a raven that only repeats one word nevermore. Edgar Allen Poe lost many loved ones to tuberculosis and in the poem our main character lost his love Lenore. There is clearly a lot of personal sorrow placed in this story. -
This piece is from the Art Nouveau movement and shows the multiple layers of human reaction to tragedy, detachment and the mask represents the displayed emotion of horror. -
This book is about the tragedy of indifference. A man slowly losing his grip on morality after his mother passes. You get to watch the main character fall into complete apathy. The book ends as the man accepts that there is no afterlife and he accepts his death penalty with peace. -
This film feels very shakespearian with its grim ending. The film builds into a third act of sorrow resulting in two of the main cast dying. We see a newer archetype of our main character who is far from a perfect hero -
This painting shows the aftermath of the battle of Karbala. Husayn ibn Ali (the grandson of prophet Muhammad) was killed in the battle and this paint made by Mahmoud Farshchian has the family mourning the loss.