Santa Sangre

Odi et amo, Nihili est qui nihil amat.

[ "SALOME","ANDRAS","SAMURAI" ]

Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Philip the tetrach. Salome was only a teen when her mother Herodias left her husband Philip to marry Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee and Philip's brother. This infuriated the Jews. John the Baptist had condemned the marriage because under Jewish law, a man could not marry his brother's wife while he lived. Such a marriage was also condemned since Salome had been born of Philip. It landed John in prison. Herod had a birthday supper and invited all his lords, high captains and rulers of Galilee. Salome dance before Herod and the sensuality pleased Herod and those that were with him. The king said unto her, "Ask of me whatsoever you will and I will give it to you... unto half my kingdom." Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter in revenge for the embarrassment that John had caused. The tradition says that she died by passing over a frozen lake, the ice broke and she fell up to the neck in water. Salome's head was parted from her body by the violence of the ice fragments shaken by the water and her own fall. So she perished in the same way as she had killed John.

Andras is a great demon marquesse, and is seen in an angel's shape with a head like a black night raven, riding upon a black and a very strong wolf, flourishing with a sharp sword in his hand, he can kill the maister, the servant, and all assistants, he is author of discords, and ruleth thirty legions.

The samurai (or bushi) were the members of the military class, the Japanese warriors.Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of Bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stresses concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior. After a defeat or similar event, many samurai chose to commit ritual suicide (seppuku) by cutting their abdomen rather than die a dishonorable death.



[ October 2003/PHOTOSHOP]