Topic awaiting preservation: Interesting/Odd Ritual

My wife and I the other nite' were talking about the death of the Pope when she said... 'I wonder if the 'silver hammer's' been used yet?'
Huh??? Learn something new every day.

quote:

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The Pope's death is officially determined by the Cardinal Chamberlain by gently tapping the late Pope's head thrice with a silver hammer and calling his birth name three time.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope

What I couldn't find was the history of this practice but 'flash-back' =) ... Beatles! "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and there in the lyrics a clue to a medical procedure (if you will)

Joan was quizzical, studied pataphysical
Science in the home
Late nights all alone with a test-tube
Ohh-oh-oh-oh...
Maxwell Edison majoring in medicine
Calls her on the phone
"Can I take you out to the pictures
Joa-oa-oa-oan?"
But as she's getting ready to go
A knock comes on the door...

Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon her head
Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that she was dead

I imagine tho' that when this practice was in vogue 'gently tapping' wasn't the order of the day... which could well explain the somewhat gruesome lyrics. Still a great song tho'... and for those who've not heard it...

http://www.iqm.ro/beatles/beatles/maxwells.wav

And if you like the Beatles...a pretty good page I thought.

http://www.iqm.ro/beatles/beatles

Just found it interesting. =)

I did to when I heard it the other day...about the practice that is and immediately thought of dear old Maxwell.

One does wonder, as you did, if the tradition stemmed from an earlier time when pope's became unpopular and someone had to "Make sure that they were dead".

"All religions are equally sublime to the ignorant, useful to the politician, and ridiculous to the philosopher." -- Lucretius, Roman Poet (94 - 55 BCE)

Is that along the same lines as vampires and silver bullets????!!?

Jason

Sometimes, I should just stick to lurking.

OK.... get it straight... this is the last time I'm going to tell you...

Only the Lone Ranger is allowed to use silver bullets!

http://www.snopes.com/religion/hammer.asp

"All religions are equally sublime to the ignorant, useful to the politician, and ridiculous to the philosopher." -- Lucretius, Roman Poet (94 - 55 BCE)

Very interesting.

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