document_title: Greek underworld

question_text: who went to the underworld in greek mythology

text: Greek underworld

text: Geography[edit]

text: Rivers[edit]

text: There are five main rivers that are visible both in the living world and the underworld. Their names were meant to reflect the emotions associated with death.[5]

text:
The Styx is generally considered to be one of the most prominent and central rivers of the Underworld and is also the most widely known out of all the rivers. It's known as the river of hatred and is named after the goddess Styx. This river circles the underworld seven times.[6]
The Acheron is the river of pain. It's the one that Charon, also known as the Ferryman, rows the dead over according to many mythological accounts, though sometimes it is the river Styx or both.[7]
The Lethe is the river of forgetfulness. It is associated with the goddess Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness and oblivion. In later accounts, a poplar branch dripping with water of the Lethe became the symbol of Hypnos, the god of sleep.[8]
The Phlegethon is the river of fire. According to Plato, this river leads to the depths of Tartarus.
The Cocytus is the river of wailing.
Oceanus is the river that encircles the world,[9] and it marks the east edge of the underworld,[10] as Erebos is west of the mortal world.

text: Entrance of the Underworld[edit]

text: In front of the entrance to the underworld live Grief, Anxiety, Diseases, and Old Age. Fear, Hunger, Death, Agony, and Sleep also live in front of the entrance, together with Guilty Joys. On the opposite threshold is War, the Erinyes, and Eris. Close to the doors are many beasts, including Centaurs, Gorgons, the Lernaean Hydra, the Chimera, and Harpies. In the midst of all this, an Elm can be seen where false dreams cling under every leaf.

text: The souls that enter the Underworld carry a coin under their tongue to pay Charon to take them across the river. Charon may make exceptions or allowances for those visitors carrying a certain Golden Bough. Charon is appallingly filthy, with eyes like jets of fire, a bush of unkempt beard upon his chin, and a dirty cloak hanging from his shoulders. Although Charon embarks now one group now another, some souls he grimly turns away. These are the unburied which can't be taken across from bank to bank until they receive a proper burial.

text: Across the river, guarding the gates of the Underworld is Cerberus. There is also an area where the Judges of the Underworld decide where to send the souls of the person — to Elysium, the Fields of Asphodel, or Tartarus.[11]

text: Tartarus[edit]

text: While Tartarus is not considered to be directly a part of the underworld, it is described as being as far beneath the underworld as the earth is beneath the sky.[12] It is so dark that the "night is poured around it in three rows like a collar round the neck, while above it grows the roots of the earth and of the unharvested sea."[13] Tartarus is the place that Zeus cast the Titans along with his father Cronus after defeating them.[14] Homer wrote that Cronus then became the king of Tartarus.[15] While Odysseus does not see them himself, he mentions some of the people within the underworld who are experiencing punishment for their sins.

text: Asphodel Meadows[edit]

text: The Asphodel Meadows was a place for ordinary or indifferent souls who did not commit any significant crimes, but who also did not achieve any greatness or recognition that would warrant them being admitted to the Elysian Fields. It was where mortals who did not belong anywhere else in the Underworld were sent.[16]

text: Mourning Fields[edit]

text: In the Aeneid, the Mourning Fields (Lugentes Campi) was a section of the underworld reserved for souls who wasted their lives for unrequited love. Those mentioned as residents of this place are Dido, Phaedra, Procris, Eriphyle, Pasiphaë, Evadne, Laodamia, and Caeneus.[17][18]

text: Elysium[edit]

text: Elysium was a place for the especially distinguished. It was ruled over by Rhadamanthus, and the souls that dwelled there had an easy afterlife and had no labors.[19] Usually, those who had proximity to the gods were granted admission, rather than those who were especially righteous or had ethical merit. Most accepted to Elysium were demigods or heroes.[12] Heroes such as Cadmus, Peleus, and Achilles also were transported here after their deaths. Normal people who lived righteous and virtuous lives could also gain entrance such as Socrates who proved his worth sufficiently through philosophy.[12]

text: Isles of the Blessed[edit]

text: The Fortunate Isles or Isles of the Blessed were islands in the realm of Elysium. When a soul achieved Elysium, they had a choice to either stay in Elysium or to be reborn. If a soul was reborn three times and achieved Elysium all three times, then they were sent to the Isles of the Blessed to live in eternal paradise.

text: Deities[edit]

text: Hades[edit]

text: Hades (Aides, Aidoneus, or Haidês), the eldest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea; brother of Zeus and Poseidon, is the Greek god of the underworld.[20] When the three brothers divided the world between themselves, Zeus received the heavens, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld; the earth itself was divided between the three. Therefore, while Hades' responsibility was in the Underworld, he was allowed to have power on earth as well.[21] However, Hades himself is rarely seen outside his domain, and to those on earth his intentions and personality are a mystery.[22] In art and literature Hades is depicted as stern and dignified, but not as a fierce torturer or devil-like.[21] However, Hades was considered the enemy to all life and was hated by both the gods and men; sacrifices and prayers did not appease him so mortals rarely tried.[23] He was also not a tormenter of the dead, and sometimes considered the "Zeus of the dead" because he was hospitable to them.[24] Due to his role as lord of the underworld and ruler of the dead, he was also known as Zeus Khthonios ("the infernal Zeus" or "Zeus of the lower world"). Those who received punishment in Tartarus were assigned by the other gods seeking vengeance. In Greek society, many viewed Hades as the least liked god and many gods even had an aversion towards him, and when people would sacrifice to Hades, it would be if they wanted revenge on an enemy or something terrible to happen to them.[25]

text: Hades was sometimes referred to as Pluto and was represented in a lighter way – here, he was considered the giver of wealth, since the crops and the blessing of the harvest come from below the earth.[26]

text: Persephone[edit]

text: Persephone (also known as Kore) was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and Zeus. Persephone was abducted by Hades, who desired a wife. When Persephone was gathering flowers, she was entranced by a narcissus flower planted by Gaia (to lure her to the Underworld as a favor to Hades), and when she picked it the earth suddenly opened up.[27] Hades, appearing in a golden chariot, seduced and carried Persephone into the underworld. When Demeter found out that Zeus had given Hades permission to abduct Persephone and take her as a wife, Demeter became enraged at Zeus and stopped growing harvests for the earth. To soothe her, Zeus sent Hermes to the Underworld to return Persephone to her mother. However, she had eaten six pomegranate seeds in the Underworld and was thus eternally tied to the Underworld, since the pomegranate seed was sacred there.[28]

text: Persephone could then only leave the Underworld when the earth was blooming, or every season except the winter. The Homeric Hymns describes the abduction of Persephone by Hades:

text:
I sing now of the great Demeter
Of the beautiful hair,
And of her daughter Persephone
Of the lovely feet,
Whom Zeus let Hades tear away
From her mother's harvests
And friends and flowers—
Especially the Narcissus,
Grown by Gaia to entice the girl
As a favor to Hades, the gloomy one.
This was the flower that
Left all amazed,
Whose hundred buds made
The sky itself smile.
When the maiden reached out
To pluck such beauty,
The earth opened up
And out burst Hades ...
The son of Kronos,
Who took her by force
On his chariot of gold,
To the place where so many
Long not to go.
Persephone screamed,
She called to her father,
All-powerful and high, ...
But Zeus had allowed this.
He sat in a temple
Hearing nothing at all,
Receiving the sacrifices of
Supplicating men.[29]

text: Persephone herself is considered a fitting other half to Hades because of the meaning of her name which bears the Greek root for "killing" and the -phone in her name means "putting to death".[21]

text: Hecate[edit]

text: Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the Moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery.[30][31]

text: The Erinyes[edit]

text: The Erinyes (also known as the Furies) were the three goddesses associated with the souls of the dead and the avenged crimes against the natural order of the world. They consist of Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.

text: They were particularly concerned with crimes done by children against their parents such as matricide, patricide, and unfilial conduct. They would inflict madness upon the living murderer, or if a nation was harboring such a criminal, the Erinyes would cause starvation and disease to the nation.[32] The Erinyes were dreaded by the living since they embodied the vengeance of the person who was wronged against the wrongdoer.[33] Often the Greeks made "soothing libations" to the Erinyes to appease them so as to not invoke the wrath of Erinyes, and overall the Erinyes received many more libations and sacrifices than other gods of the underworld.[34] The Erinyes were depicted as ugly and winged women with their bodies intertwined with serpents.[35]

text: Hermes[edit]

text: While Hermes did not primarily reside in the Underworld and is not usually associated with the Underworld, he was the one who led the souls of the dead to the underworld. In this sense, he was known as Hermes Psychopompos and with his fair golden wand he was able to lead the dead to their new home. He was also called upon by the dying to assist in their passing – some called upon him to have painless deaths or be able to die when and where they believed they were meant to die.[36]

text: Judges of the Underworld[edit]

text: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus are the judges of the dead. They judged the deeds of the deceased and created the laws that governed the underworld. However, none of the laws provided a true justice to the souls of the dead, and the dead did not receive rewards for following them or punishment for wicked actions.[37]

text: Aeacus was the guardian of the Keys of the Underworld and the judge of the men of Europe. Rhadamanthys was Lord of Elysium and judge of the men of Asia. Minos was the judge of the final vote.

text: Charon[edit]

text: Charon is the ferryman who, after receiving a soul from Hermes, would guide them across the rivers Styx and/or Acheron to the underworld. At funerals, the deceased traditionally had an obol placed over their eye or under their tongue, so they could pay Charon to take them across. To the Etruscans, Charon was considered a fearsome being – he wielded a hammer and was hook-nosed, bearded, and had animalistic ears with teeth.[12] In other early Greek depictions, Charon was considered merely an ugly bearded man with a conical hat and tunic.[38] Later on, in more modern Greek folklore, he was considered more angelic, like the Archangel Michael. Nevertheless, Charon was considered a terrifying being since his duty was to bring these souls to the Underworld and no one would persuade him to do otherwise.

text: Cerberus[edit]

text: Cerberus (Kerberos), or the "Hell-Hound", is Hades' massive multi-headed (usually three-headed)[39][40][41] dog with some descriptions stating that it also has a snake-headed tail and snake heads on its back and as its mane. Born from Echidna and Typhon, Cerberus guards the gate that serves as the entrance of the Underworld.[21] Cerberus' duty is to prevent dead people from leaving the Underworld.

text: Heracles once borrowed Cerberus as the final part of the Labours of Heracles. Orpheus once soothed it to sleep with his music.

text: Thanatos[edit]

text: Thanatos is the personification of death. He guards the Doors of Death.

text: Melinoë[edit]

text: Melinoe is a chthonic nymph, daughter of Persephone, invoked in one of the Orphic Hymns and propitiated as a bringer of nightmares and madness.[42] She may also be the figure named in a few inscriptions from Anatolia,[43] and she appears on a bronze tablet in association with Persephone.[44] The hymns, of uncertain date but probably composed in the 2nd or 3rd century AD, are liturgical texts for the mystery religion known as Orphism. In the hymn, Melinoë has characteristics that seem similar to Hecate and the Erinyes,[45] and the name is sometimes thought to be an epithet of Hecate.[46] The terms in which Melinoë is described are typical of moon goddesses in Greek poetry.

text: Nyx[edit]

text: Nyx is the goddess of the Night.

text: Tartarus[edit]

text: A deep abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans,[47] Tartarus was also considered to be a primordial deity.

text: Achlys[edit]

text: Achlys is the personification of misery and sadness, sometimes represented as a daughter of Nyx, sometimes as an ancient being even older than Chaos himself.[citation needed]

text: Styx[edit]

text: Styx is the goddess of the river with the same name. Not much is known about her, but she is an ally of Zeus and lives in the Underworld.

text: Eurynomos[edit]

text: Eurynomos is one of the daemons of the underworld, who eats off all the flesh of the corpses, leaving only their bones.

text: The dead[edit]

text: In the Greek underworld, the souls of the dead still existed but they are insubstantial and they flitted around the underworld with no sense of purpose.[48] The dead within the Homeric Underworld lack menos, or strength, and therefore they cannot influence those on earth. They also lack phrenes, or wit, and are heedless of what goes on around them and on the earth above them.[49] Their lives in the underworld were very neutral, so all social statuses and political positions were eliminated and no one was able to use their previous lives to their advantage in the underworld.[37]

text: The idea of progress did not exist in the Greek Underworld – at the moment of death, the psyche was frozen, in experience and appearance. The souls in the Underworld did not age or really change in any sense. They did not lead any sort of active life in the Underworld – they were exactly the same as they were in life.[50] Therefore, those who had died in battle were eternally blood-spattered in the underworld and those who had died peacefully were able to remain that way.[51]

text: Overall the Greek dead were considered to be irritable and unpleasant, but not dangerous or malevolent. They grew angry if they felt a hostile presence near their graves and drink offerings were given in order to appease them so as not to anger the dead.[52] Mostly blood offerings were given due to the fact that they needed the essence of life to become communicative and conscious again.[37] This is shown in Homer's Odyssey, where Odysseus had to give blood in order for the souls to interact with him. While in the underworld, the dead passed the time through simple pastimes such as playing games, as shown from objects found in tombs such as dice and game-boards.[53] Grave gifts such as clothing, jewelry, and food were left by the living for use in the Underworld as well since many viewed these gifts to carry over into the Underworld.[50] There was not a general consensus as to whether the dead were able to consume food or not. Homer depicted the dead as unable to eat or drink unless they had been summoned; however, some reliefs portray the Underworld as having many elaborate feasts.[53] While not completely clear, it is implied that the dead could still have sexual intimacy with another, although no children were produced. The Greeks also showed belief in the possibility of marriage in the Underworld, which in a sense describes the Greek Underworld having no difference than from their current life.[54]

text: Lucian described the people of the Underworld as simple skeletons. They are indistinguishable from each other, and it is impossible to tell who was wealthy or important in the living world.[55] However, this view of the Underworld was not universal – Homer depicts the dead keeping their familiar faces.

text: Hades itself was free from the concept of time. The dead are aware of both the past and the future, and in poems describing Greek heroes, the dead helped move the plot of the story by prophesying and telling truths unknown to the hero.[50] The only way for humans to communicate with the dead was to suspend time and their normal life to reach Hades, the place beyond immediate perception and human time.[50]

text: Greek attitudes[edit]

text: The Greeks had a definite belief that there was a journey to the afterlife or another world. They believed that death was not a complete end to life or human existence.[56] The Greeks accepted the existence of the soul after death, but saw this afterlife as meaningless.[57] In the underworld, the identity of a dead person still existed, but it had no strength or true influence. Rather, the continuation of the existence of the soul in the Underworld was considered a remembrance of the fact that the dead person had existed, yet while the soul still existed, it was inactive.[58] However, the price of death was considered a great one. Homer believed that the best possible existence for humans was to never be born at all, or die soon after birth, because the greatness of life could never balance the price of death.[59] The Greek gods only rewarded heroes who were still living; heroes that died were ignored in the afterlife. However, it was considered very important to the Greeks to honor the dead and was seen as a type of piety. Those who did not respect the dead opened themselves to the punishment of the gods – for example, Odysseus ensured Ajax's burial, or the gods would be angered.[60]

text: Myths and stories[edit]

text: Orpheus[edit]

text: Orpheus, a poet and musician that had almost supernatural abilities to move anyone to his music, descended to the Underworld as a living mortal to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice after she was bitten by a poisonous snake on their wedding day. With his lyre-playing skills, he was able to put a spell on the guardians of the underworld and move them with his music.[61] With his beautiful voice he was able to convince Hades and Persephone to allow him and his wife to return to the living. The rulers of the Underworld agreed, but under one condition – Eurydice would have to follow behind Orpheus and he could not turn around to look at her. Once Orpheus reached the entrance, he turned around, longing to look at his beautiful wife, only to watch as his wife faded back into the Underworld. He was forbidden to return to the Underworld a second time and he spent his life playing his music to the birds and the mountains.[62]


document_title: Wild Hogs

question_text: who plays jack's dad in wild hogs

question_tokens: who plays jack 's dad in wild hogs

root

text: Wild Hogs

text: Plot[edit]

text: Doug Madsen (Tim Allen), Woody Stevens (John Travolta), Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence) and Dudley Frank (William H. Macy) are four middle-aged everymen living in a Cincinnati suburb who find themselves bored with the pace of daily life and lack of adventure. Doug is a dentist who has trouble impressing his son Billy (Dominic Janes); Dudley is a single computer programmer who is afraid to talk to women; Bobby is a henpecked plumber whose wife has made him return to work after having taken a year off to unsuccessfully write a book; and Woody is a wealthy lawyer married to a supermodel. They find escape from their daily routines on weekends by riding motorcycles together posing as a biker gang called the "Wild Hogs".

tag: p

text: One day, Woody finds out his wife is divorcing him thus leaving him bankrupt. He convinces his friends to go on a road trip on their bikes to California. After encountering several misadventures, they end up at a local bar, where they meet a much larger biker gang called the Del Fuegos, headed by Jack Blade (Ray Liotta). Jack calls the Wild Hogs "posers" and has his gang steal Dudley's bike after a bogus deal to exchange Dudley's bike for a new bike that is in fact used and derelict, forcing the men to leave with Dudley in a sidecar attached to Woody's bike.

text: Furious at their lack of respect, Woody returns to the Del Fuegos bar and retrieves Dudley's bike, cuts off their bikes' fuel lines in the process and fabricates a story to the other Wild Hogs of how he "negotiated" with them to return the bike. When the Del Fuegos hear the Wild Hogs riding back past the bar, they attempt to pursue them, only for the bikes to stall. Jack inadvertently drops his lit cigarette onto the ground, igniting the fuel leaking from the bikes which then causes the bar to explode. Woody, after witnessing the explosion from afar, convinces the others to keep riding. Eventually, the Wild Hogs run out of gas and end up stranded in the desert. They eventually push their bikes to Madrid, New Mexico, where they stumble into a diner and help themselves to water and beer without paying. As a result, the townspeople first mistake them for Del Fuegos. When the Wild Hogs explain their actions, they learn that the Del Fuegos have been terrorizing the town frequently, while the local police force are unable to do anything to protect the town. Although Woody is still anxious about the Del Fuegos, the others convince him to stay in the town overnight. During their stay in the town, Dudley falls in love with Maggie (Marisa Tomei), the diner's owner. While out searching for the Wild Hogs, Jack's closest biker members Red and Murdock spot the group and report their location to Jack. Jack tells the pair not to hurt the Wild Hogs until he gets there, leaving them unable to fight back when Bobby spots and confronts the pair by splashing beer and spraying ketchup and mustard on their clothes before finally laying a low blow to Murdock, thus scaring off Red. The Wild Hogs are hailed as heroes amongst the town's residents and celebrate well into the night with the townspeople.

text: The next day, Woody persuades the others that they must leave, but their departure is ruined when the Del Fuegos arrive. Jack threatens to wreck the town unless the Wild Hogs pay for the damage done to their bar. Woody admits to the Wild Hogs what he really did to get Dudley's bike back as well as the real reason for the trip, angering the others. Jack and the rest of the Del Fuegos take over Maggie's diner, but when he threatens to burn it, Dudley confronts them and is captured and tied from a rope against a tree. The others attempt to rescue Dudley but fail. They then decide to fight the Del Fuego gang letting Jack, Red, Murdock and a member trained in martial arts "Tiny" battle the group in a 4 on 4 fight but the Wild Hogs are repeatedly beaten up. The townspeople band together to battle the Del Fuegos, but just as Jack threatens to take on the rest of the town, Damien Blade (Peter Fonda), Jack's father and the founder of the Del Fuegos, arrives and stops the fight. Damien lectures Jack for letting four "posers" hold off an entire biker gang, questioning aloud just which side was the "posers". He also adds that the bar was merely an insurance scam and therefore was glad that the Wild Hogs destroyed it. Damien tells the Del Fuegos to leave town and ride the open road until they remember what riding is really about, mentioning as he leaves that Jack "takes after his mother". He then acknowledges the Wild Hogs by telling them his motto: "Ride hard, or stay home".

text: Doug and Bobby's wives arrive, and Doug reconciles with his son. Bobby's wife orders him to return with her, but he refuses and convinces her to let him finish the ride. The Wild Hogs leave and arrive in Southern California, where everyone except for Dudley crashes into a surfboard while he laughs. During the credits, it is revealed that the Wild Hogs called Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to give the Del Fuegos a new bar. The Del Fuegos react in joy at their new bar while the Wild Hogs watch the event on TV.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Tim Allen as Doug Madsen
John Travolta as Woody Stevens
Martin Lawrence as Bobby Davis
William H. Macy as Dudley Frank
Ray Liotta as Jack
Marisa Tomei as Maggie
Kevin Durand as Red
M. C. Gainey as Murdock
Tichina Arnold as Karen Davis
Stephen Tobolowsky as Sheriff Charley
Jason Sklar as Deputy Earl Dooble
Randy Sklar as Deputy Buck Dooble
John C. McGinley as Highway Patrolman
Peter Fonda as Damien Blade

tag: ul

text: Production[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: Travolta and Macy had previously worked together in the 1998 drama A Civil Action, where they originally came up with the idea for Wild Hogs. Liotta and Durand had previously appeared together in the 2006 action thriller Smokin' Aces. Lawrence and McGinley appeared in the 1997 comedy Nothing to Lose. Lawrence and Arnold had previously worked together on the television series Martin; many fans of the series found their pairing in this film humorous, as well as ironic, as in the series, their characters hated each other, while in the film they were husband and wife.[citation needed]

text: Though the film takes place in various places throughout the U.S., the entire movie was actually filmed in New Mexico (except the beach on the West Coast at the end).[citation needed] The opening scenes that supposedly take place in Cincinnati were actually filmed in and around Albuquerque; the final scenes said to depict Madrid were actually shot there.[citation needed]

text: Motorcycles[edit]

text: Harley-Davidson provided the motorcycles for the making of this film.[citation needed]

text:
XL1200C Sportster Custom for Dudley.
FXSTS Springer Softail for Bobby.
Black Fatboy with a chrome front wheel for Doug.
Screamin' Eagle Fatboy for Woody.

text: Many of the motorcycles utilized by the Del Fuego gang were customized choppers. The motorcycle used by Jack featured the logo for Orange County Choppers, run by Paul Teutul, Sr. with design work by Paul Teutul, Jr.. Both Teutuls have cameo appearances at the beginning of the film.[citation needed]

text: Tim Allen, a noted automotive designer and hobbyist, gave input to the design of his motorcycle. Of the bikes used in the film by the four main characters, his is the most customized model.[citation needed]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Wild Hogs opened on March 2, 2007 to mostly negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 14% based on 141 reviews with an average rating of 3.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Wild Hogs is a dreadful combination of fish-out-of-water jokes, slapstick, and lazy stereotypes."[2] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 27 out of 100 based on reviews from 29 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[3] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[4]

text: Ty Burr of The Boston Globe compared the film's merits to its titular motorcycles, believing it to be "a bumptious weekend ride... the engine could use tuning and the plugs are shot, but it gets you most of the way there." Although writing a negative review, Burr offered praise for the film's final act, believing it "takes a satisfying turn" and that, with the exception of Allen, each of the film's primary cast members "earned his designated chuckle." He also favorably compared the film to RV, another comedy film focusing on a road trip.[5]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Despite negative reviews, the film grossed $39.7 million on its opening weekend, ranking #1 in box office sales and nearly tripling the debut of fellow opener Zodiac.[6] The film performed well throughout its entire run, falling just 30.5% in its second weekend[7] and ultimately grossing $168.2 million domestically and $253.6 million worldwide,[1] becoming Travolta's first film since The General's Daughter in 1999 to gross over $100 million domestically.[citation needed]

text: Lawsuit[edit]

text: In March 2007, the Hells Angels filed suit against Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group alleging that the film used both the name and distinctive logo of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation without permission.[8] That suit resulted in voluntary dismissal.[9]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Wild Hogs was released on standard DVD and Blu-ray Disc on August 14, 2007.[citation needed]

text: Sequel[edit]

text: Because of the movie's strong box office performance, Disney announced that a sequel, Wild Hogs 2: Bachelor Ride, would be released in 2010. However, after Disney's next comedy starring John Travolta, Old Dogs (which co-starred Robin Williams), was a box office failure, Disney canceled both Wild Hogs 2: Bachelor Ride and Wedding Banned, a comedy that was to star Williams and Anna Faris.[10]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: People's Choice Awards

text:
2008

Nominated- Favorite Movie Comedy[citation needed]


document_title: List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union

question_text: what was the 50th state in the united states

text: List of U.S. states[edit]

text:
State

Date(admitted or ratified)

Formed from

1

 Delaware

December 7, 1787[8](ratified)

Colony of Delaware[b]

2

 Pennsylvania

December 12, 1787[10](ratified)

Proprietary Province of Pennsylvania

3

 New Jersey

December 18, 1787[11](ratified)

Crown Colony of New Jersey

4

 Georgia

January 2, 1788[8](ratified)

Crown Colony of Georgia

5

 Connecticut

January 9, 1788[12](ratified)

Crown Colony of Connecticut

6

 Massachusetts

February 6, 1788[8](ratified)

Crown Colony of Massachusetts Bay

7

 Maryland

April 28, 1788[8](ratified)

Proprietary Province of Maryland

8

 South Carolina

May 23, 1788[8](ratified)

Crown Colony of South Carolina

9

 New Hampshire

June 21, 1788[8](ratified)

Crown Colony of New Hampshire

10

 Virginia

June 25, 1788[8](ratified)

Crown Colony and Dominion of Virginia

11

 New York

July 26, 1788[13](ratified)

Crown Colony of New York

12

 North Carolina

November 21, 1789[14](ratified)

Crown Colony of North Carolina

13

 Rhode Island

May 29, 1790[8](ratified)

Crown Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

14

 Vermont

March 4, 1791[15](admitted)

Vermont Republic[c]

15

 Kentucky

June 1, 1792[16](admitted)

Virginia (nine counties in its District of Kentucky[d])

16

 Tennessee

June 1, 1796[18](admitted)

Southwest Territory

17

 Ohio

March 1, 1803[19][e](admitted)

Northwest Territory (part)

18

 Louisiana

April 30, 1812[21](admitted)

Territory of Orleans

19

 Indiana

December 11, 1816(admitted)

Indiana Territory

20

 Mississippi

December 10, 1817[22](admitted)

Mississippi Territory

21

 Illinois

December 3, 1818[23](admitted)

Illinois Territory (part)

22

 Alabama

December 14, 1819[24](admitted)

Alabama Territory

23

 Maine

March 15, 1820[25](admitted)

Massachusetts (District of Maine[f])

24

 Missouri

August 10, 1821[26](admitted)

Missouri Territory (part)

25

 Arkansas

June 15, 1836[27](admitted)

Arkansas Territory

26

 Michigan

January 26, 1837[28](admitted)

Michigan Territory

27

 Florida

March 3, 1845(admitted)

Florida Territory

28

 Texas

December 29, 1845(admitted)

Republic of Texas

29

 Iowa

December 28, 1846(admitted)

Iowa Territory (part)

30

 Wisconsin

May 29, 1848[29](admitted)

Wisconsin Territory (part)

31

 California

September 9, 1850[30](admitted)

unorganized territory (part)

32

 Minnesota

May 11, 1858[31](admitted)

Minnesota Territory (part)

33

 Oregon

February 14, 1859(admitted)

Oregon Territory (part)

34

 Kansas

January 29, 1861[32](admitted)

Kansas Territory (part)

35

 West Virginia

June 20, 1863[33](admitted)

Virginia (50 Trans-Allegheny region counties[g])

36

 Nevada

October 31, 1864(admitted)

Nevada Territory

37

 Nebraska

March 1, 1867(admitted)

Nebraska Territory

38

 Colorado

August 1, 1876[36](admitted)

Colorado Territory

39[h]

  North Dakota

November 2, 1889[38][i](admitted)

Dakota Territory (part)

40

 South Dakota

November 2, 1889[38][i](admitted)

Dakota Territory (part)

41

 Montana

November 8, 1889[39](admitted)

Montana Territory

42

 Washington

November 11, 1889[40](admitted)

Washington Territory

43

 Idaho

July 3, 1890(admitted)

Idaho Territory

44

 Wyoming

July 10, 1890(admitted)

Wyoming Territory

45

 Utah

January 4, 1896[41](admitted)

Utah Territory

46

 Oklahoma

November 16, 1907[42](admitted)

Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory

47

 New Mexico

January 6, 1912(admitted)

New Mexico Territory

48

 Arizona

February 14, 1912(admitted)

Arizona Territory

49

 Alaska

January 3, 1959(admitted)

Territory of Alaska

50

 Hawaii

August 21, 1959(admitted)

Territory of Hawaii

text: Articles of Confederation ratification dates[edit]

text: The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation for ratification by the individual states on November 15, 1777. The Articles of Confederation came into force on March 1, 1781, after being ratified by all 13 states. On March 4, 1789, the general government under the Articles was replaced with the federal government under the present Constitution.[43]

text:
State

Date

1

 Virginia

December 16, 1777

2

 South Carolina

February 5, 1778

3

 New York

February 6, 1778

4

 Rhode Island

February 9, 1778

5

 Connecticut

February 12, 1778

6

 Georgia

February 26, 1778

7

 New Hampshire

March 4, 1778

8

 Pennsylvania

March 5, 1778

9

 Massachusetts

March 10, 1778

10

 North Carolina

April 5, 1778

11

 New Jersey

November 19, 1778

12

 Delaware

February 1, 1779

13

 Maryland

February 2, 1781


document_title: Ain't No Grave

question_text: who wrote ain't no grave gonna hold my body down

question_tokens: who wrote ai n 't no grave gon na hold my body down

text: Ain't No Grave

text: Ain't No Grave (also known as Gonna Hold This Body Down) is a traditional American gospel song attributed to Claude Ely (1922-1978) of Virginia.

text: Claude Ely describes composing the song while sick with tuberculosis in 1934 when he was twelve years old. His family prayed for his health, and in response he spontaneously performed this song. Originally recorded by Bozie Sturdivant in 1941 in a slower, Appalachian gospel style and in 1946-7 by Sister Rosetta Tharpe with barrelhouse piano;[1] the song in Ely's version was recorded in 1953 but composed in 1934.[2] Many notable artists have performed the song, including Johnny Cash on the posthumous album American VI: Ain't No Grave.

text: In 1967 the song was featured in the film Cool Hand Luke while Luke (Paul Newman) is digging a grave, performed by Harry Dean Stanton.[3]

text: In 1989 Russ Taff covered this song on the album The Way Home and also as an extended version on the 1991 album Under Their Influence.

text: In 1997 it was featured in the film, The Apostle, performed by the movie's star Robert Duvall.[4]

text: In 2006 Crooked Still recorded the song on the album Shaken by a Low Sound.

text: In 2015 Tom Jones recorded the song on his Praise and Blame album.

text: In 2017, Bonfire Records Bluegrass recording artists, Wilson Banjo Co. recorded a cover of "Ain't No Grave" on their album SPIRITS IN THE HILLS, charting on the Roots Music Report and garnering significant attention to their music video on social media.

text: In 2017 a cover of the song by Hidden Citizens appears in the trailer for the film Aftermath.[5]

text: In 2018, the song was used as the end credits to the final episode of the first season of Altered Carbon.

text: Johnny Cash's version[edit]

text: Johnny Cash covered "Ain't No Grave" shortly before his death in September 2003. The recording was released on February 26, 2010, as part of a posthumous album titled American VI: Ain't No Grave.[6]

text: In 2010 Cash's version of the song was featured on the episode "Patriot Down" of NCIS.[7]

text: In 2011 WWE professional wrestler The Undertaker briefly used Cash's version as his entrance theme in the lead up to and including his match at Wrestlemania XXVII with Triple H.[8]

text: In 2012 Quentin Tarantino used Cash's version for the trailer for Django Unchained.[9]

text: In 2016 Cash's version was featured in the end credits to the first episode of Westworld.[10]

text: In 2017 Cash's version was featured in the second trailer for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.[11]

text: In 2017 Cash's version was featured in the 2017 BBC television documentary The Scottish Bounty Hunter starring Christian Matlock.


document_title: Indian epic poetry

question_text: what are the two great epics of india

question_tokens: what are the two great epics of india

text: Indian epic poetry

text: Sanskrit epics[edit]

text: The ancient Sanskrit epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata comprise together the Itihāsa ("History") or Mahākāvya ("Great Compositions"), a canon of Hindu scripture. Indeed, the epic form prevailed and verse remained until very recently the preferred form of Hindu literary works. Hero-worship was and is a central aspect of Indian culture, and thus readily lent itself to a literary tradition that abounded in epic poetry and literature. The Puranas, a massive collection of verse-form histories of India's many Hindu gods and goddesses, followed in this tradition. Itihāsas and Purāṇas are mentioned in the Atharva Veda[2] and referred to as the fourth Veda.[3]

text: The language of these texts, termed Epic Sanskrit, constitutes the earliest phase of Classical Sanskrit, following the latest stage of Vedic Sanskrit found in the Shrauta Sutras.

text: The Buddhist kavi Aśvaghoṣa wrote two epics and one drama. He lived in the 1st-2nd century. He wrote a biography of the Buddha, titled Buddhacarita. His second epic is called Saundarananda and tells the story of the conversion of Nanda, the younger brother of the Buddha. The play he wrote is called Śariputraprakaraṇa, but of this play only a few fragments remained.

text: The famous poet and playwright Kālidāsa also wrote two epics: Raghuvamsha (The Dynasty of Raghu) and Kumarasambhava (The Birth of Kumar Kartikeya), though they were written in later Classical Sanskrit rather than Epic Sanskrit. Other Classical Sanskrit epics are the “Slaying of Śiśupāla” Śiśupālavadha of Māgha, “Arjuna and the Mountain Man” Kirātārjunīya of Bhāravi, the “Adventures of the Prince of Nishadha” Naiṣadhacarita of Śrīharṣa and "Bhaṭṭi's Poem" Bhaṭṭikāvya of Bhaṭṭi.

text: Kannada epic poetry[edit]

text: Kannada epic poetry mainly consists of Jain religious literature and Lingayat literature. Asaga wrote Vardhaman Charitra, an epic which runs in 18 cantos, in 853 CE,[4] the first Sanskrit biography of the 24th and last tirthankara of Jainism, Mahavira, though his Kannada language version of Kalidasa's epic poem, Kumārasambhava, Karnataka Kumarasambhava Kavya is lost.[5] The most famous poet from this period is Pampa (902-975 CE), one of the most famous writers in the Kannada language. His Vikramarjuna Vijaya (also called the Pampabharatha) is hailed as a classic even to this day. With this and his other important work Ādi purāṇa he set a trend of poetic excellence for the Kannada poets of the future. The former work is an adaptation of the celebrated Mahabharata, and is the first such adaptation in Kannada. Noted for the strong human bent and the dignified style in his writing, Pampa has been one of the most influential writers in Kannada. He is identified as Adikavi "first poet". It is only in Kannada that we have a Ramayana and a Mahabharata based on the Jain tradition in addition to those based on Brahmanical tradition.

text: Shivakotiacharya was the first writer in prose style. His work Vaddaradhane is dated to 900 CE. Sri Ponna (939-966 CE) is also an important writer from the same period, with Shanti Purana as his magnum opus. Another major writer of the period is Ranna (949-? CE). His most famous works are the Jain religious work Ajita Tirthankara Purana and the Gada Yuddha, a birds' eye view of the Mahabharata set in the last day of the battle of Kurukshetra and relating the story of the Mahabharata through a series of flashbacks. Structurally, the poetry in this period is in the Champu style, essentially poetry interspersed with lyrical prose.

text: The Siribhoovalaya is a unique work of multilingual Kannada literature written by Kumudendu Muni, a Jain monk. The work is unique in that it employs not alphabets, but is composed entirely in Kannada numerals.[6] The Saangathya metre of Kannada poetry is employed in the work. It uses numerals 1 through 64 and employs various patterns or bandhas in a frame of 729 (27×27) squares to represent alphabets in nearly 18 scripts and over 700 languages.[7] Some of the patterns used include the Chakrabandha, Hamsabandha, Varapadmabandha, Sagarabandha, Sarasabandha, Kruanchabandha, Mayurabandha, Ramapadabandha, Nakhabandha, etc. As each of these patterns are identified and decoded, the contents can be read. The work is said to have around 600,000 verses, nearly six times as big as the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.

text: The Prabhulingaleele, Basava purana, Channabasavapurana and Basavarajavijaya are few of the Lingayat epics.

text: Tamil epics[edit]

text: The post-sangam period (2nd century-6th century) saw many great Tamil epics being written, including Cilappatikaram (or Silappadhikaram), Manimegalai, Civaka Cintamani, Valayapathi and Kundalakesi. Later, during the Chola period, Kamban (12th century) wrote what is considered one of the greatest Tamil epics — the Kamba Ramayanam of Kamban, based on the Valmiki Ramayana. The Thiruthondat Puranam (or Periya Puranam) of Chekkizhar is the great Tamil epic of the Shaiva Bhakti saints and is part of the religious scripture of Tamil Nadu's majority Shaivites.

text: Out of the five, Manimegalai and Kundalakesi are Buddhist religious works, Civaka Cintamani and Valayapathi are Tamil Jain works and Silappatikaram has a neutral religious view.  They were written over a period of 1st century CE to 10th century CE and act as the historical evidence of social, religious, cultural and academic life of people during the era they were created.  Civaka Cintamani introduced long verses called virutha pa in Tamil literature.,[8] while Silappatikaram used akaval meter (monologue), a style adopted from Sangam literature.

text: Tamil epics such as Silappathikaram and Periya Puranam are unique in Indian literature as they employ characters and stories associated with the people and language of the poets (Tamil) and take place within the Tamil country. This is in contrast to other Indian languages which are based on Sanskrit works and deal with Sanskrit mythology based on North Indian works.

text: Hindi epics[edit]

text: The first epic to appear in Hindi was Tulsidas' (1543–1623) Ramacharitamanas, also based on the Ramayana. It is considered a great classic of Hindi epic poetry and literature, and shows the author Tulsidas in complete command over all the important styles of composition — narrative, epic, lyrical and dialectic. He has given a divine character to Rama, the Hindu Avatar of Vishnu, portraying him as an ideal son, husband, brother and king.

text: In modern Hindi literature, Kamayani by Jaishankar Prasad has attained the status of an epic. The narrative of Kamayani is based on a popular mythological story, first mentioned in Satapatha Brahmana. It is a story of the great flood and the central characters of the epic poem are Manu (a male) and Shraddha (a female). Manu is representative of the human psyche and Shradha represents love. Another female character is Ida, who represents rationality. Some critics surmise that the three lead characters of Kamayani symbolize a synthesis of knowledge, action and desires in human life.

text: Apart from Kamayani; Kurukshetra (Epic Poetry) (1946), Rashmirathi (1952) and Urvashi (1961) by Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' have attained the status of epic poetry.

text: Likewise Lalita Ke Aansoo[9] by Krant M. L. Verma (1978)[10] narrates the tragic story about the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri through his wife Lalita Shastri.[11]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: devraj to jyoti - Amaresh Datta - Google Books. Books.google.ca. Retrieved 2012-05-10.

Jump up ^ Atharva Veda 11.7.24, 15.6.4

Jump up ^ Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.1.2,4

Jump up ^ Jain, Kailash Chand (1991). Lord Mahāvīra and his times, Lala S. L. Jain Research Series. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 25. ISBN 81-208-0805-3.

Jump up ^ Jain, Kailash Chand (1991). Lord Mahāvīra and his times, Lala S. L. Jain Research Series. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 59. ISBN 81-208-0805-3.

Jump up ^ "Introduction to Siribhoovalaya, from Deccan Herald". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.

Jump up ^ "Usage of Saangathya and frame of 729, from The Hindu newspaper". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.

Jump up ^ Datta 2004, p. 720

Jump up ^ *Book:Lalita Ke Ansoo on worldcat

Jump up ^ Hindustan (Hindi daily) New Delhi 12 January 1978 (ललिता के आँसू का विमोचन)

Jump up ^ Panchjanya (newspaper) A literary review 24 February 1980

tag: ol


document_title: Sam Winchester

question_text: who brought sam winchester back from the cage

text: Sam Winchester

text: Background[edit]

text: Sam was born on May 2, 1983 to John and Mary Winchester in Lawrence, Kansas. He is one of two focal characters of the series. He is the couple's second child, four years younger than his older brother Dean.[2] He is named after his maternal grandfather, Samuel Campbell.[3]

text: When Sam was only six months old, his mother Mary was killed by the demon Azazel, whom his mother walked in on while he was feeding Sam demon blood. Sam is saved from the ensuing fire by his father, who then gives him to a four-year-old Dean to carry outside.[2] Since that moment, Dean has felt responsible for Sam and became Sam's protector, partially due to pressure from their father to keep his brother safe.

text: Sam and Dean spent their childhood moving from town to town every few weeks while their father hunted supernatural beings and their mother's unknown killer. Until the age of 8, Sam believed that his mother had died in a car accident and his father was a traveling salesman, until Dean revealed to him the existence of the paranormal.[4] Sam apparently started hunting alongside his brother and father around the age of twelve,[5] however, he began wanting a normal life without monsters; years later, a teacher encouraged him to carve out a life away from the "family business" after reading Sam's story about a werewolf hunt.[6] At nineteen, after a heated argument with John, Sam leaves for Stanford University, thus leaving his family and their hunting crusade behind him.[2]

text: Storylines[edit]

text: Season 1[edit]

text: At the start of the series, 22-year-old Sam is seen as a senior at Stanford, applying for law school. Sam also has a girlfriend, Jessica, with whom he lives and secretly plans to marry. One night, Dean comes to Sam's apartment seeking his help after their father John goes missing. Sam eventually accompanies his brother. After defeating a woman in white and discovering a trail to lead them to their father, Sam returns to Stanford where he witnesses Jessica's death at the hands of a demon – exactly the same way his mother was killed. This incites him to go with Dean to find their father and to kill the demon in order to avenge the deaths of his mother and his lover.[2] In the consequent episodes, the brothers deal with dangerous mythical creatures and urban legends such as the wendigo,[7] Bloody Mary,[8] and shapeshifters.[9] During this time, Sam begins experiencing episodes of precognitive dreams[8] and once displays telekinesis.[10]

text: As the search for John continues, Sam argues with Dean constantly – mostly about the way Dean obeys his father's orders without question, while Sam questions them and resents his father's treatment of them as "loyal little soldiers". The brothers eventually split up, with Dean going to investigate a mystery his father has assigned him while Sam decides to search for their father elsewhere. The two are eventually reunited after Dean apologizes.[11]

text: Later in the season, John is captured by demons, and the brothers manage to rescue him. However, they soon learn that the demon who killed their mother is in possession of their father's body. Though John begs Sam to kill him, Sam instead shoots John in the leg using the Colt, and the demon escapes. As Sam drives his father and a badly wounded Dean to a hospital, a truck driven by a demon-possessed man crashes into them, totaling Dean's Impala and gravely injuring the Winchesters.[12]

text: Season 2[edit]

text: At the beginning of the second season, the Winchesters are at the Nashville hospital, with Sam and John escaping with minor injuries, while Dean is on the brink of death. In a deal with Azazel, John sacrifices his soul and the Colt in exchange for Dean's life.[13] While the boys mourn their father's death, Sam expresses much guilt about never having a chance to reconcile with John, leading him to believe that his father died knowing his own son hated him.[14]

text: As the boys start to take a more active role in hunting, Sam begins to search for psychic children like him to find out Azazel's plan.[15] Eventually Sam learns from Dean that, before their father's death, John told Dean that Azazel is planning to turn Sam evil, and that Dean must either save him or kill him.[16] Although angered at his father and brother upon learning this revelation, Sam decides to save as many people as possible so that he can change his destiny.[17] In the season finale, Sam is transported to an abandoned town along with Azazel's other chosen children. There he learns Azazel's plans: he and the other children must kill one another until there is one survivor – who will lead a demon army (as the Antichrist). Sam also discovers that Jessica was killed because her death would lead Sam back into hunting and Mary interrupted Azazel during the process of feeding Sam demon blood, and thus was killed. It is also revealed that Mary somehow knew Azazel. Although Sam tries to protect the other children, various fights ensue, and the children are killed off one by one. Eventually, only Jake Talley and Sam are left, at which point Sam is stabbed by Jake.[18] Sam dies in Dean's arms.

text: In the aftermath, a desperate and depressed Dean sells his soul to the Crossroads Demon for Sam's resurrection. With the help of fellow hunters Bobby Singer and Ellen Harvelle, Sam and Dean track down Jake, but are unable to stop him from opening a gateway to Hell on Azazel's orders. However, Sam subdues Jake and kills him in cold blood. Eventually Bobby and Ellen manage to close the gateway while Sam and Dean battle Azazel. With the help of John's spirit, Dean finally kills Azazel and John shares an emotional moment with his sons before finally moving on. Afterwards, Sam learns that he was dead and Dean sold his soul to bring him back. He then promises Dean that he will save him no matter what it takes.[19]

text: Season 3[edit]

text: Sam continues to do whatever he can to save Dean from going to Hell; he begins to become more ruthless and is willing to kill anything demonic even if his prey is part human (i.e., demonically-possessed humans),[20][21] human witches,[22] and even Gordon Walker who became a vampire.[23] Sam later reveals that he's trying to become more like Dean so that, if he fails to save Dean's soul, he's ready to face a world full of demons on his own.[22]

text: Season three also sees the introduction of the demon Ruby,[24] who tries to gain Sam's trust by helping the brothers in fixing The Colt,[20] saving them numerous times, and telling Sam she can save Dean from Hell,[24] even though in reality she can't.[22] Ruby also reveals that because Sam refuses to lead the demon army, another demon named Lilith has filled the power vacuum and is leading the army while carrying intentions to kill Sam;[25] she is also revealed to hold Dean's contract for his soul.[26]

text: In the season finale, Sam and Dean, armed with Ruby's demon-killing knife, confront Lilith in a last-ditch effort to save Dean's soul. Sam is incapacitated by Lilith and forced to watch as his brother is killed by a hellhound. Lilith then tries to kill Sam; however, her powers have no effect on him and she flees, leaving a crying Sam with Dean's mutilated corpse.[27]

text: Season 4[edit]

text: Four months after the season three finale, Dean has returned from Hell. He and Bobby meet up with Sam at a motel, where an overwhelmed Sam joyously reunites with Dean. While trying to figure out how Dean returned from Hell, Dean and Bobby confront the being who revived him, Castiel, an angel who was ordered by the Archangel Michael to resurrect Dean.[28] They discover that this came to be because the angels need Dean and Sam's help to stop Lilith, who is breaking the 66 Seals, and once they are all broken, Lucifer the first fallen angel will be freed from Hell, bringing the Apocalypse upon the Earth.[29]

text: It is revealed that in the months without Dean, Sam – depressed, drinking heavily, and carrying a death wish – tries to bargain with various Crossroads Demons in order to exchange his soul for Dean's. None of them accept the offer. Realizing he can't save Dean, Sam plans to kill Lilith in revenge. He makes contact with Ruby – now in a different host – who teaches him how to use his powers to exorcise demons. In time, he and Ruby become lovers and he appears to be moving on from Dean's death – to an extent, at least.[30] When Dean finds out about Sam's powers and all the secrets Sam has been keeping from him, Sam responds by saying that he does this because Dean looks and treats him like a freak.[31] Sam then promises Dean that he won't use his powers anymore but breaks the promise when it becomes apparent that his powers may be needed to prevent the Apocalypse.[32]

text: Sam's powers become an important part of the fourth season as they are shown to fluctuate – at times so weak that he can barely exorcise a demon,[33] whereas at other times they are strong enough to kill a demon.[34] It is revealed that drinking demon blood makes Sam's powers grow stronger[34] while at the same time making him "cold" and "arrogant". Sam eventually becomes addicted to demon blood, a fact that Dean soon discovers. With Bobby's help they lock Sam in a protected panic room[33] so that he can detox, but the withdrawal symptoms are painful and he begins experiencing hallucinations. Just as the process becomes easier for Sam, Castiel appears and frees Sam. He meets up with Ruby and learns that he will need to drink more demon blood than he has ever done in order to have the strength to kill Lilith. Dean finds and confronts them and tries to kill Ruby, but Sam intervenes. He and Dean argue about how to stop the Apocalypse, whereupon Dean tells Sam he's changing into a monster, leading to a vicious fight between the brothers. Sam is the victor and as he leaves, Dean tells him not to return – just as their father John, years ago, told Sam not to return when he left for college.[35]

text: As Sam begins to feel the guilt over abandoning his brother, he and Ruby capture a demon that knows Lilith's location. Using his powers to torture the demon, she gives the location, but as Sam is about to drink her blood, the demon gives control to her human host, inciting immense guilt in Sam. A message from Dean, altered by the angel Zachariah, manipulates Sam, pushing him to continue his original mission to kill Lilith; he then drains the woman of her blood anyway. Ruby and Sam go to St. Mary's Convent in Ilchester, Maryland, where they find Lilith. As Sam attempts to kill Lilith, Ruby holds the doors shut to keep Dean, who has just arrived, from interfering. Sam hesitates when he hears his brother yelling for him, but when Lilith mocks him for his inability to do the job – even after becoming a monster to do so – he finishes her off, fulfilling his true destiny as the "special child." Lilith's death breaks the final seal and begins forming a portal for Lucifer. At this point, Ruby reveals that she was leading Sam along the entire time so he would break the seal. Dean finally enters the room and kills Ruby with her own knife, while Sam holds her in place. Sam apologizes to his brother as a white light shows a portal beginning to open.[36]

text: Season 5[edit]

text: As the portal for Lucifer opens, Sam and Dean are teleported onto an airplane by an unknown force (God). Sam loses his demon powers, claiming that the force that transported him and Dean onto the plane cleaned him up. He feels tremendous guilt for starting Armageddon and is told by Dean that he doesn't think he can trust Sam anymore due to Sam choosing a demon over his own brother.[37] Over time, Sam realizes that he is too dangerous to be involved in hunting, and he and Dean go their separate ways.[38] During this time, Sam tries to start living a normal life, but is approached by Lucifer in his dreams in the form of Jessica, who tells him that Sam is his true vessel in conjunction with Dean being the true vessel for Michael.[37][39] Sam decides to start hunting again with Dean as he is tired of demons controlling his life and seeks redemption for starting the Judgment Day; although Dean refuses at first, after he is sent to a nightmarish future in which he sees how awful things got with him and Sam not being together, he decides to join up with Sam once more.[40]

text: On their search to find a way to defeat Lucifer, the boys attempt to use the Colt and look for God, but it is revealed that the Colt cannot kill Lucifer and God does not care about the Apocalypse.[41][42] These actions make Dean decide to become Michael's vessel even if the end result is the deaths of millions of people,[37] however, Sam's faith in Dean pulls him back into finding another solution.[43] Upon the death of the Archangel Gabriel, the brothers discover that by using the rings from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, they can reopen and trap Lucifer back into Hell.[44] As Dean and Sam already have War and Famine's rings, they search for Pestilence and Death's location, leading Sam to meet his old college friend Brady: the guy who introduced Sam to Jessica and the demon ordered by Azazel to kill Jessica. Although tempted to kill Brady immediately, Sam realizes that Brady is needed to find Pestilence's location and with the help of the demon Crowley they discover the horseman's location – after which Dean allows Sam to kill Brady.[45]

text: After Castiel captures Pestilence's ring and Death hands his ring to Dean,[5] both Bobby and Dean reluctantly decide to go with Sam's plan – that is, for Sam to agree to being Lucifer's vessel, then jump into the cage trapping them both in Hell.[45] Upon arriving in Detroit, Sam begs Dean to go live a normal life with his old flame Lisa Braeden and says his goodbyes to Bobby and Castiel. He then proceeds to confront Lucifer, who reveals that he knows about their plan. Seeing no other options left, Sam says yes anyway. A bright light shines and Dean looks upon an unconscious Sam as he opens the portal to Lucifer's prison. Although "Sam" says that he has Lucifer under control, it is shown that Lucifer was just taunting Dean. Lucifer closes the portal and takes the rings before disappearing. At an unknown location, Sam continues to fight Lucifer internally for control over his body. While talking through a mirror, Lucifer tries to persuade Sam to embrace their union by slaughtering demons that were watching Sam throughout his entire life.[46]

text: During Lucifer's confrontation at Stull Cemetery with Michael (using Adam as his vessel), he beats Dean, slamming him against the door of the Impala. As Lucifer is about to deliver a fatal blow, he catches a glimpse of a toy soldier stuck in the car's ash tray triggering Sam's memory of jamming the soldier in there as a boy. The sudden arousal of Sam's childhood memories and those of the bond of brotherhood he shares with Dean allows him to overpower Lucifer and regain control of his body. Sam takes out the rings, reopens the portal, and prepares to throw himself in. Having been temporarily banished by Castiel, Michael returns and attempts to stop him, but Sam jumps in, pulling Michael also with him – trapping both Lucifer and Michael in Lucifer's cage. The ground closes up with a stunned, devastated Dean watching. Later, it is shown that Dean fulfills his promise to Sam and has gone back to find Lisa. As he sits down with her and Ben for dinner, a street light outside goes out, and underneath it inexplicably is Sam secretly watching the three with a blank look on his face.[46]

text: Season 6[edit]

text: Almost a year has passed since Sam went to Hell, and he reappears to Dean after saving him from Djinn poisoning. Upon their reunion, Sam reveals that he has been back this whole time searching for whatever force brought him back and hunting with his mother's side of the family, the Campbells, led by their grandfather Samuel who was also resurrected.[47] While hunting with Sam again, Dean quickly notices how different he acts. These include using a baby as bait, allowing a child to go through a torturous treatment to gain information, and allowing Dean to become a vampire.[48][49][50] After facing the goddess Veritas, Dean and Castiel question Sam's behavior. Castiel then reveals that Sam's soul is not with him and is still trapped in Lucifer's Cage.[51][52] It is revealed that Crowley brought back Samuel so that they could help him find Purgatory, the afterlife of monsters, and that Samuel has been working for him. Crowley then states that if Sam and Dean help him he will return Sam's soul, but if they do not help him he will send Sam back to Hell.[52][53] Although Sam still retains his memories, likes, dislikes, and is capable of making rational decisions, he is completely without emotion and appears almost inhuman.[51][53]

text: Upon Dean's request, Death retrieves Sam's soul from the Cage and returns it to him at the end of the sixth season's mid-season finale "Appointment in Samarra". He gives Sam's mind a "protective wall" to prevent any negative effects it might have on him otherwise, but Death also warns him not to scratch at the wall he has built, or his memories from Hell will destroy him.[54] However, Castiel, in an attempt to distract Dean and Bobby while he attempts to enter Purgatory, brings down the wall, ultimately causing Sam to remember his time in Hell. In the season finale, Sam spends much of the episode attempting to recoup his shattered soul, including the memories of his soulless self and tortured self. Once complete, he reawakens, though still struggling with the visions of the Cage that his soul endured.

text: Season 7[edit]

text: After Castiel's actions result in the release of the Leviathans – God's first creations – Sam is left struggling with the restoration of his memories of his time in Hell, even if he remains dedicated to helping Dean and others stop the Leviathans. During this time, he has a reunion with his old Kitsune friend, Amy Pond, who has become a mortician feeding on the dead to sustain her, although Dean nevertheless kills her when he discovers that she has been killing to help her sick son. As Sam experiences hallucinations of Lucifer taunting him with the idea that he is still in Hell, he initially tries to control them by focusing on wounds he sustains in the real world, but matters become worse when he is forced to rely on information from the hallucination to save Dean. As his mental state becomes worse, Sam foregoes sleep to stop his visions, but is sent to an asylum when he is hit by a car while running away from Lucifer. While trying to find a healer who may be able to repair Sam, Dean encounters an amnesiac Castiel, who, when restored to his full powers, sacrifices himself by taking Sam's mental damage. Sam is shown to possess great guilt about this and rejects hope that Bobby's ghost may be helping them out after an attempt to communicate with him fails. Sam is initially happy when it is shown that Bobby's ghost is there helping them, but changes his mind after Bobby shows more and more signs of becoming a vengeful spirit. During the final battle at Sucrocorp, Sam rescues Kevin Tran – a Prophet who can read the Word of God – and is horrified to hear of Dick Roman's plan to kill all the skinny people in the world through poison in their coffee creamers. He and Kevin head to the lab where they find Dick Roman being killed by Dean and Castiel. After Dick explodes, Dean and Castiel disappear and Crowley appears and takes Kevin, leaving Sam completely on his own, not knowing Dean and Castiel are now trapped in Purgatory.

text: Season 8[edit]

text: The year Sam spends while Dean and Castiel are trapped in Purgatory is revealed through various flashbacks in the first half of the season. Now left on his own, Sam believes that Dean had been killed when Dick exploded, and gives up hunting. After several months, he accidentally runs over a stray dog and, panicked, takes it to an animal hospital. The veterinarian who saves the dog's life – Amelia Richardson – convinces Sam to take responsibility for the stray by adopting it.[55] Despite a rocky start, Sam and Amelia fall in love and even buy a house together in Kermit, Texas.[56] They later find out that her husband Don, who she had believed was killed in action,[57] was actually still alive.[56] Sam wants to stay with Amelia, but ultimately decides to leave and give her the opportunity to reconnect with Don.[58]

text: In the season premiere "We Need to Talk About Kevin", Sam runs into Dean and learns that Dean had just escaped from Purgatory; upon learning about what Sam had been doing the past year, Dean is upset that Sam had not even tried to save him or continued hunting. They find out that Kevin had managed to escape from Crowley six months ago and left Sam a string of desperate voice messages, begging for help. Sam feels guilty and joins Dean in tracking down Kevin, who reveals that he has discovered a passage in the Word of God that would banish all demons from Earth forever.[55] The spell requires three trials be performed by one person. Although Dean tries to do it himself in order to protect Sam from any possible consequence of the trials, Sam ends up completing the first trial (killing a hellhound and bathing in its blood) in "Trial and Error" to protect Dean; he persuades his brother to let him finish the rest by reasoning that Dean would be all-too-willing to sacrifice himself for the trials whereas Sam would fight so that both of them could live. However, taking on the trials quickly begins "damaging" Sam, which worries Dean.[59][60]

text: After meeting Benny – the vampire who helped Dean escape from Purgatory in exchange for Dean resurrecting him[55] – at the end of "Blood Brother", Sam immediately distrusts him, and asks Martin (a friend of their father's who had previously appeared in Season 5's "Sam, Interrupted") to monitor Benny. Martin contacts Sam in "Citizen Fang" to tell him that he believes Benny killed somebody, bringing the Winchesters to Carencro, Louisiana to help investigate. However, upon receiving an emergency text from Amelia and being unable to get a hold of her, Sam tears back to Kermit. He finds Amelia happily reunited with Don, and realizes that the text had been a trick by Dean to divert him from Benny. Enraged, Sam initially refuses to continue hunting with Dean in the following episode. Castiel – who has been mysteriously rescued from Purgatory – enlists his help in saving the angel Samandriel from being tortured by Crowley, forcing the brothers to reluctantly work together again. When forced by both Dean and Amelia to choose, Sam decides to rejoin his brother and fully commit himself to sealing Hell over returning to his normal life with Amelia.[61] Around this time, Sam and Dean encounter their time-traveling paternal grandfather Henry Winchester and discover that through him, they are the legacies to an extinct secret society of compilers of supernatural information and artifacts known as the Men of Letters. Although they manage to subdue the demonic Abaddon, who has pursued Henry into the present, their grandfather is killed, leaving Sam and Dean the last link to the Men of Letters.[62] They then inherit the bunker of the Men of Letters as their first real home.[63]

text: Sam completes the second trial – saving an innocent soul (in this case, Bobby) from Hell and sending it to Heaven – in "Taxi Driver" with the help of Benny, who sacrifices himself in the process of guiding Sam and Bobby out of Hell and thus finally causes Sam to admit to Dean that he had been wrong about Benny.[64] Unfortunately, Sam's illness from the trials worsens to the point that Dean temporarily restricts him from hunting out of worry for his condition.[65] Nevertheless, Sam remains determined to finish the trials and seal Hell because, viewing all the times he has failed Dean in the past (such as not looking for him when he was in Purgatory) as his worst sins, he has become obsessed with not letting Dean down anymore.[66] He and Dean attempt to use Abaddon for the third trial, that of restoring a demon's humanity, but she escapes while they are distracted by a call from Crowley, who has begun murdering everyone they've ever saved to force them to call off the trials.[67] After Crowley kills Sam's love interest Sarah Blake from Season 1's "Provenance",[67] Sam is devastated and briefly contemplates giving in to Crowley's demands, but he and Dean ultimately feign surrender to lure Crowley to them and take him prisoner in the season finale "Sacrifice" so that they can use him for the third trial instead. Sam is on the verge of fully restoring Crowley's humanity when Dean finds out that completing the trials will kill Sam. Although Sam, having fallen into deep guilt and despair due to constant reminders from Dean of how he'd failed him, wants to finish the trials anyway, Dean convinces him to let it go. The effects of the trials remain, however, leaving Sam in dire condition in the final moments of the finale.[66]

text: Season 9[edit]

text: Sam is close to death in the premiere, "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here"; it is revealed that the trials have severely burned his internal organs as well as cut off oxygen-flow to his brain, and that he has virtually no chance of survival. Having slipped into a coma, Sam has a dream in which he realizes that he is dying and struggles between whether or not he should even try to fight, eventually electing to let himself die with the guarantee that this time he cannot be revived and cause anymore damage. However, the angel Gadreel is called in by Dean to save Sam through any means necessary. Disguised as Dean, Gadreel convinces Sam to let him save him and Sam agrees, unwittingly providing permission to Gadreel so that the angel can possess him due to Gadreel's ambiguously-worded question. Gadreel spends the next eight episodes healing Sam from within without Sam realizing it. In fact, Sam is completely unaware of Gadreel's presence, as the angel spends most of this time laying dormant in Sam's subconscious and he and Dean go to some lengths to prevent him finding out about it because Sam could prematurely expel Gadreel if he found out.

text: Sam is alerted to Gadreel's possession of him by Crowley in the later episode "Road Trip", at which point he revokes his permission and forcibly expels Gadreel from his body by ordering the angel out. To his horror, he also finds out that Gadreel has killed Kevin using his body to prove his loyalty to Metatron. Sam is appalled and angry at how far Dean will go to keep him alive, feeling betrayed that Dean not only helped Gadreel possess him and hid the truth from him but also for persuaded him not to finish the trials and thus kept the gates of Hell open and allowed demons to continue wreaking havoc, all to keep Sam alive. Sam lets a guilt-ridden Dean leave at the end of the episode. In the following episode "First Born", Sam works with Castiel to extract a lingering piece of Gadreel's grace (angelic energy) so that they can track him. Feeling guilty over the deaths he could have stopped, especially Kevin's, Sam urges Castiel to extract all of the grace still inside him, even though it may kill Sam because the grace is keeping him from reverting to his deathly state prior his possession. However, Castiel refuses to risk Sam's life. As a result, the amount of grace they gather is insufficient to track Gadreel.

text: Sam runs into Dean on the same case in "Sharp Teeth". Although Dean tries to divert Sam from the case so that they won't have to work together again, Sam reveals that he is willing to work with Dean again so long as it is on a strictly professional basis, telling him that they cannot work on a brotherly basis anymore because Dean has lost his trust. At the end of "The Purge", Sam responds to Dean's attempts to justify his decisions by saying that Dean's choices are not as selfless as Dean paints them and that he would not have done what Dean did given the same situation, which stuns Dean into silence.

text: The two eventually begin to come back together as Sam learns more about Abaddon's history and plans after he learns that she has been taking souls while leaving the victims 'alive', much like he was after his escape from Hell. They eventually manage to determine the location of a portal to Heaven that allows Castiel to trap Metatron while Dean kills Abaddon with the First Blade – acquired from Cain himself and the only weapon capable of killing a Knight of Hell – but Castiel is left dying of the grace he stole to regain his powers while Dean is transformed into a demon due to the First Blade's influence.

text: Season 10[edit]

text: After spending six weeks tracking the transformed Dean – along with a brief confrontation with a man named Cole whose father was killed by Dean on a prior hunt – Sam manages to capture Dean while he is distracted, taking him back to the bunker to treat him with the demon cure. Despite demon-Dean's attempts to undermine his and Sam's relationship through his demonically-warped perspective, Sam is eventually able to cure Dean and restore him to humanity, although he continues to be concerned about Dean's emotional state after his time as a demon and the possibility that the Mark of Cain could transform him again.

text: Powers and abilities[edit]

text: Sam's supernatural abilities are the result of him being fed Azazel's demon blood while he was an infant. Sam exhibits signs of precognition throughout the first season, manifesting as dreams of others' deaths and later as visions.[8][10] Sam has also shown signs of sensing spirits, once displayed telekinesis, and immunity to certain demonic powers.[10][13][27][68] Sam states that his abilities are connected to Azazel and anything related to his actions, such as the other special children.[69] This argument was further proven after Azazel's death, as Sam stopped having visions of both the demon and the other psychics,[24] however, according to Ruby his powers were simply dormant.[27] After training with Ruby, Sam develops new abilities, such as exorcising demons with his mind, and his telekinesis becomes more potent.[28] By drinking demon blood Sam's power become stronger, to the point where he can outright kill demons and even torture them while in their human hosts; by drinking at least three gallons of demon blood, he can kill demons just by concentrating and willing it to happen.[36][46] After being affected by the Horseman Famine, Sam uses his powers to defeat him by attacking the demon spirits that Famine had recently consumed, although Dean and Bobby were subsequently forced to lock Sam in the panic room to detox.

text: In addition, with the training given to him by his father, Sam is a skilled fighter, proficient with firearms, shotguns and melee weapons. Like his brother Dean, he possesses many abilities that are frowned upon by law, including but not limited to: lock picking, computer hacking, disguised conning, and carjacking. Throughout the series, Sam has been shown to be highly intelligent with reading and recalling Latin incantations, which can be used to summon, exorcise, and vanquish demons;[25] typically, when the two brothers are working together, Dean is the superior physical fighter while Sam's expertise lies in carrying out research and recalling information to determine the nature of the threat that they are currently facing. Through Ruby, he knows how to make hex bags to cloak himself from demons and angels.[37] Sam also displays the ability to read one's "poker face" and has a great sense of direction and time, at one point being able to find a vampire's nest while blindfolded by keeping track of the time and the turns of the car.[70]