My Errant Mind

The Greeks laid the foundations of Western civilization and gave us some great ideas about government, warfare, and philosophy. They weren’t too shabby when it came to entertainment either. Epic stories, tragic plays, and extensive mythology were also some of the gifts of the early Greeks.

Oh, and the language!

They created terms to describe just about everything imaginable—which is only natural for a civilization that pondered and explored just about every philosophical point imaginable. One word they left us happens to encompass and involve all of the above topics and ideas, however, and does it with flair that is undeniable.

Apocalypse… It almost sounds sexy.

What The Hell Does Apocalypse Mean?

The Greek word apokalypsis is where our modern version comes from. It meant something similar to lifting or removing a veil, which—in practical terms—means revealing. In other words, it is the revealing of something hidden, a sharing of something that was secret and not known to the masses.

Ergo (no, no, that’s a Latin word) an apocalypse is something not generally known to the masses but is revealed to a few. But, there’s more to it than that. Otherwise, you could say that photos of pantiless Britney Spears and Paris Hilton by paparazzi recently were examples of an apocalypse.

Which is certainly arguable, but we won’t get into that here.

Not coincidentally, apocalypse is often associated with the word Hell. Why is that? Well, Hell is generally considered a bad place to be—unless you happen to be Australian rockers, AC/DC (one of my favorite bands, by the way). And, no, it isn’t Hell Pizza in New Zealand either.

We’re talking of the netherworld [Note: I just love that word.], the underworld, places where the dead reside in the afterlife. Down below. Where your soul is tortured for eternity, presided over by various demons, devils, and deities, such as Loki’s daughter Hel—who was ruler of the Norse abode of the dead that bore her name.

Back to the point. Hell is a bad place to be, it is generally believed. It has to do with eternal damnation. And the Bible mentions an apocalypse, explained in the final book, Revelations, that signifies the beginning of terrible things.

The Apocalypse Of John (In Greek)

The Book of Revelations was called something different in Greek—the Apocalypse of John. Apocalypse typically meant a revealing with respect to the notion of a god. It’s been around in other religions, and predates Christianity. But somewhere along the way, it took on a different meaning.

It gradually morphed over the years into something related with the end of times, end of days, and similar to such things as Ragnarok in Norse mythology. A general, all-around end of the world. Never mind that in the Bible, the term was usually an end of an “eon” or age in Greek. It’s much more dramatic and makes scribes seem sexier to the opposite sex if they are writing about the end of everything.

So, apocalypse morphed from meaning discovering hidden things to the end of the world. Which is much more dramatic and fitting for a word of Greek origins, wouldn’t you agree?

Many Civilizations Predict A Cataclysmic End Of Civilization

Cataclysm. Yet another Greek word, from kataklysmos, which means something like wash down, and refers to the Biblical flood. The big one, where Noah—who owned the only functioning super yacht (called Noah’s Ark coincidentally)—escaped divine destruction. You may have heard of it?

Well, cataclysm began to refer to any bad disaster largely because there weren’t very many English and Journalism majors running around the ancient world ensuring proper usage. Soon enough, someone figured out that if they combined the general notion of divine revelations with divine destruction, they would draw a bigger crowd and make a better living being a dramatist.

Some civilizations, such as the Maya, have had their own end of the world scenarios. Though their civilization is long gone, their apocalyptic legacy isn’t. According to the Mayan calendar and mythological cycles, the world will in fact end soon.

On Midwinter’s day, December 21, 2012—to be exact. Of course, it’s ancient stuff and there’s argument as to the interpretation. Others suggest that October 28, 2011 is the correct date.

Whatever.

Just count on New Year’s Eve—Dec. 31, 2010—to be your last major chance to party and plan to get ready for the apocalypse just after the Superbowl. You should be good to go with respect to the Mayans. No need to argue over a year here or there when it’s the end of civilization at stake.

However, other cultures have their own apocalyptic traditions. Surprisingly (or not), a lot of people still believe in them. Like the Iranian government.

Iran’s Ahmadinejad (And Rest Of Government) Urging Apocalypse Now

President Ahmadinejad of Iran says 2007 is the year of the return of the Islamic Messiah, the 12th Imam. Like the world needed the first 11.

There’s speculation that Iran will reveal its new military nuclear capabilities by the Spring Equinox, which is when they plan their celebration of full nuclearization (and the Islamic Messiah may show up for it too).

The Islamic Messiah will come back, Jesus will be his Lieutenant, and they’re gonna get busy. They’ll have a full schedule, laying waste to Israel and infidels all over the world. Oh, and the Prince of Wales might even be tied in with them somehow. The royal crest of Prince Charles matches the description of the beast in the book of Revelations in the Bible it seems.

Let’s get saucy and say that sounds intriguing, given recent speculation that the United Kingdom will cease to exist within the next ten years or so due to separatist and independence movements.

The Apocalypse As Entertainment

On the plus side, the word apocalypse has been responsible for some great entertainment. Books and movies abound that postulate the demise of civilization and the world.

Here are just a few of my personal movie favorites.

Movies:

• Wizards
• The Omega Man
• Tank Girl
• The Postman
• Hell Comes To Frogtown (you KNOW it was funny as Hell…)
• A Boy And His Dog (based on a Harlan Ellison story)

Back To Iran And A Nuclear Apocalypse

We’re ignoring Iran’s emerging nuclear threat at our peril. They’re dedicated to defying the international community. They’re dedicated to destroying our ally, Israel—it’s their official government policy. They support and train terrorists.

And in a few months, they plan to reveal their nuclear capability to the world. Worse, they really think they have a duty to fire up the engines of an apocalypse according to their own government news site.

America and the rest of the freedom-loving world that doesn’t want to live as slaves under Sharia law need to wake up and take action while the action to take can still be decided. Soon, Iran may dictate what can be done, simply because they will have acted, and all we will be able to do is react.

In the meantime, if you’re looking to outfit for the coming Apocalypse, you might as well do it for less. Check out CheaperThanDirt.com for all your post-apocalyptic needs.

If the Apocalypse does come, and you’re missing my interesting commentary on life, don’t worry. You can find me roaming and conquering the wastelands.