Return

The return of someone (or something) is a theme in fiction, religion, mythology, etc. This might be symbolising the eventual return of karma to the Rebel who can’t stave off the inevitable forever. This is an ongoing article.

Examples of a return include the following:

A dying-and-rising (death-rebirth) or resurrection deity is a religious motif in which a god or goddess dies and is resurrected. Examples of gods who die and later return to life are most often cited from the religions of the Ancient Near East, and traditions influenced by them include Biblical and Greco-Roman mythology and by extension Christianity. Examples include: Osiris, Jesus Christ, Tammuz, Adonis, Attis, Dionysus.

“I’ll be back”, says the time travelling cyborg in the sci-fi movie “The Terminator” (1984).

BOOMERANG – an ancient weapon that is a curved stick that can return to its’ thrower when thrown in a certain way. It’s possible that ancient civilisations used it to symbolise karma. Boomerangs play a key role in Aboriginal mythology, known as The Dreaming — mythical characters are said to have shaped the hills and valleys and rivers of the landscape by throwing the sticks around in the hunt. Aboriginals recognise an eternal Creator God (‘High Gods’) who initiated creation, but then retreated to a distant realm of heaven where human beings cannot reach him.

KING ARTHUR – One recurrent aspect of Arthurian literature is the notion that Arthur would one day return in the role of a messiah to save his people.

Some movies have the word RETURN in their titles, though this usually denotes a sequel. That said, some might be an occult reference, e.g. “Return of the Jedi”; “Batman Returns”; “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”; “Return of the Gunfighter” (1967).

THE PRODIGAL SON – a Biblical character. In the story, a father has two sons. The younger son asks the father for his inheritance, and the father grants his son’s request. However, the younger son is prodigal (i.e., wasteful and extravagant) and squanders his fortune, eventually becoming destitute. The younger son is forced to RETURN home empty-handed and intends to beg his father to accept him back as a servant. To the son’s surprise, he is not scorned by his father but is welcomed back with celebration and fanfare. Envious, the older son refuses to participate in the festivities. The father tells the older son “you are ever with me, and all that I have is yours, but thy younger brother was lost and now he is found”.