[x]

Buy This Print close

Photo
Art Gifts

Browse More Like This

Download Image
JPG, 1280×1024 more ▶

More from ~vampbabe

View Gallery · View Prints

Featured in Groups:

Not currently featured in any groups.

Details

Submitted: August 16, 2008
Image Size: 550 KB
Resolution: 1280×1024

Link

Thumb

Statistics

Comments: 6
Favourites: 3 [who?]
Views: 162 (0 today)
Downloads: 7 (0 today)

[x]

Beware the Ghoulsby ~vampbabe

Photography / Photojournalism / Public Gatherings & Events

During the masked dances of the Hemis Festival (or Tse-Chu Festival), we saw a number of ghouls dance and parade. Now, many Tibetan artwork and portrayals of religious deities can appear quite fierce and first appearances can be very misleading. For example, in this shot, the ghouls appear quite gruesome and almost frightening. It was explained that the ghouls are to remind of impermanence and the after life. We have a tendency as human beings to take for granted our precious lives when in fact, the only certainty about life is that one day, we will all pass away. So the underlying message is "Hurry up and make the most of it!" rather than procrastinating till later. After all... there is no guarantee there will be a "later".

This shot was taken with a Canon Digital PowerShot S51S.

~zeldaconnetion Aug 16, 2008 Student Writer

Little tidbit about ghouls in mythology: It's said that if you attack and wound a ghoul once, it will die but if you wound it twice it will come back to life.

~vampbabe Aug 16, 2008 Hobbyist General Artist

Is that to ghouls in general or to a specific culture/tradition?

~zeldaconnetion Aug 16, 2008 Student Writer

not sure, I think general. Since it was a book on demonology ( A Field Guide To Demons Fairies, Fallen Angels And Other Subversive Spirits by Mack and Mack )

~vampbabe Aug 16, 2008 Hobbyist General Artist

Ah... fair enough.

~zeldaconnetion Aug 16, 2008 Student Writer

So are you back from the trip or still on it? Because either you seem to be putting them up in order of how they were taken or are posting them as you go ? No real reason for my inquiry except curiosity, but that is a good enough reason.

~vampbabe Aug 17, 2008 Hobbyist General Artist

I'm back and putting them up in chronological order so that it's easier for people to browse if they like a particular set of pictures.

More from ~vampbabe

Featured in Groups:

Details

Statistics

Beware the Ghoulsby ~vampbabe

The Journal Portal

Polls

What is your preferred drawing software?

deviantART [dee·vee·un'nt·ART]

Keep in Touch!

Deviousness

Add Media

Style