Spirit Guide: Hamlet

HAMLET

Also Known as The Ghost of Hamlet’s Father

The Ghost of Hamlet was a spirit at the center of a curious affair concerning madness, incest, and poisoning which took place at the Royal Court of Denmark in the winter of 1602. The account, as relayed by Hamlet’s friend, Horatio, formed the basis of the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare

It should be noted that there is some confusion over the use of the name “Hamlet” due to the fact that the deceased King and his son, the Prince, shared the same name. Therefore, for the point of clarity, this article will refer to the prince as Hamlet, and the spirit as the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father.

The known facts are that the King died exceptionally suddenly, with no proceeding symptoms. This event, coupled with the sudden marriage of Claudius (the deceased king’s brother) and Gertrude (the widow of the deceased king) immediately following the funeral led to rumors of the king being assassinated by his brother. This marriage also had the effect of elevating Claudius to the office of the King, usurping Hamlet’s rightful claim.

In this climate of political intrigue, the Ghost first appeared to several of the palace guards, but would not speak. It is also notable that the Ghost did not appear in the clothes in which he died in, or even his normal attire, but instead appeared in full armor, topped by a helmet with a visor that was worn in the raised position.

When informed of the haunting, Hamlet wished to investigate, and so joined the watch. He was not disappointed, as the Ghost appeared. However its behavior had changed so that instead of wailing and moaning, he silently beckoned Hamlet to follow him. Despite the reservations of his companions, Hamlet followed, and after achieving some distance alone, The Ghost began to speak to Hamlet. Over the course of the conversation, the former King gave to his son the details of his death, and then exhorted him to take revenge on his murderer, Hamlet’s uncle. After some measure of debate, Hamlet eventually decided to exact that revenge, resulting in not only his and his uncle’s deaths, but also the demise of the majority of the Danish Court.

There are several noticeable aspects about this specter which set it apart from others. The first of these characteristics is that the spirit was driven predominately by revenge, rather than seeking justice.  The other noticeable aspect was that the spirit had two rather suspicious weaknesses.

The first of these weaknesses was the break of day. This is in fact rather common among spirits. As the sun rises, the barriers between the worlds rise as well, making it difficult for spirits to remain in the mortal plane. There is also some belief on the subject that since spirits require a tremendous amount of energy to manifest even in a weak form, they are simply drowned out of the subconscious during a mortal’s normally busy day.

The second weakness was that the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father was unable to remain after it heard a rooster crowing.  This is actually a rather potent Christian symbol, as it deals directly with the acceptance of Jesus Christ. (This is discussed at length in the Four Gospels)

Given the Ghost’s hatred of Christian symbols, as well as the results that followed the encounter, it may be safely assumed that the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father is malevolent in nature. Precautions should be taken accordingly, the first of these being a refusal to believe what the spirit is saying. If the specter proves to be a greater threat, religious symbols should be used for protection against the spirit. This will force the spirit to depart temporarily. A barrier may then be set up of salt, holy water, or by keeping a religious relic in the room to banish the spirit from the locality. 

Spirit Guide: The Pelican

THE PELICAN

Class VI Harbinger Phenomena

The pelican (family Pelecanidae) consists of eight separate species of waterfowl, distinguished by their large beaks and throat pouches. With a largely global distribution, the pelican has been a staple in legend and folklore, and is considered by many (especially sailors) to have powers in relation to the winds and act as a token of good luck. Cultures around the world all have legends concerning the animal, and its relations to humans.

Ancient Egypt:

The henet was known as a goddess associated with life and death. In addition, it was said that the pelican had the powers of prophesy in its ability to foretell safe passage through the underworld for the souls of the dead. The pelican was also often invoked for protection from snakes.

Aboriginal Populations:

The Murri of Australia and the Moche peoples of Peru both mentioned the Pelican in their origin stories.

Medieval Europe:

In the medieval period, it was believed that the Pelican would be self-sacrificing, and would nourish its brood with its own blood if necessary. This was repeated in several medieval bestiaries, and as a result of this, the Pelican was associated with both the Crucifixion and the qualities of self sacrifice in the defense of others. Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225- 7 March 1274) noted these qualities in his Adoro te devote, and in particular Elizabeth I of England (7 September 1533-24 March 1603) took the Pelican as a symbol for herself and the defense of England. It is also notable that at this time in England, parallel stories were being told of the Pelican on the Indian subcontinent.

The Age of Sail:

The stories of the Pelican’s luck and powers of control in the ocean come in to play particularly during the Age of Sail (c1600-1850)

One of the earliest legends tells of a group of mariners who were drowned during a shipwreck, and were unable to rest because they had not been properly buried. Their souls petitioned Neptune, lord of the Seas, and he struck a bargain with them. The sailors would be transformed into the Pelicans, and when they had caught enough fish to fill the holds of their sunken ships, their souls would be released. In return, Neptune offered the sailors protection, proclaiming that any who harmed the birds would be punished with misfortune, and those who assisted the Pelican would receive favor. There are several notable accounts of this coming to pass, one particularly famous mention being in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Coleridge, 1798), where he discusses at length what befell the mariner when the albatross was killed. 

It should also be noted that there is a certain reticence even to this day for a sailor, fisherman, or even a dock worker to scare away or chase off a Pelican from the daily catch for fear of catching some nautically based misfortune. The wiser course of action may be to follow in their footsteps, and allow the birds to pass unmolested, if only to avoid any possible injuries that may occur from the strong beak of the bird should it decide to defend itself.