The Origin of Banishers

“Exorizon”, an exorcism.

From the Old Greek root alemon (a wanderer), to the latin exulo (an exiler), to the Frankish bannjan (an exiler or banisher).

The wanderer exiler.

The banisher.

In ancient Greece was there the metragyrtes, a cult of wandering beggar priests. From place to place went they, singing songs and banging drums that the spirits of the dead be calmed. Or set free. Or…exiled. This they did in honor of the long-dead Thracian magician Orpheus–he whose love for Eurydice was so powerful that he followed her through the land of the dead and into the abyss, won her freedom, and near brought her back.

As the world grew, so too did the knowledge of these sons and daughters of Orpheus. But some did not embrace the new wisdom. They learned not and remained forever beggar priests. Through shapes and patterns seen and heard, from antiquity to modern times, these wanderers use the hidden laws of the universe, to open the gates and send the spirits of the dead away. To serve the living, the banishers destroy the dead.

But they know little. They have forgotten their parentage. They have lost touch with we who see the colors and the shades of all the light and all the dark, the good and bad in everything, living and dead. The banishers have their uses, yes, as a hammer has its use when driven a nail must be. But the hammer does not care about the plank or the nail, nor does it understand it is made of the same wood and iron. The banishers know nothing of the Hem. For they are not, and might never be, one of us. They do not stand between the world of women and men and everlasting darkness. They do not minister to the dead so that the living may live. They do not know. For they are not witches. They are yet the children of Orpheus and they do not look back.

From Letters to Theano, by Mother Shipton

All of these words we’re learning.

Witches and banishers are two different types of people that deal with ghosts in different ways, I suppose. Banishers don’t know about the Hem and that’s something that the witches work with. It almost sounds like the Hem is a magical, insubstantial space where witches can store things.

That’s probably not the case here, but I’m really reminded of this type of technique from urban fantasy books I’ve read.

Also, I thought the whole Orpheus tale sounded familiar. I had to look it up because I didn’t recognize his name or Eurydice, though they seemed familiar, and I was like, did this has something to do with Hades? And yes. But after reading the story behind it, I don’t think I actually remember this tale specifically. I was thinking of another mythological story.

The ending here, is it then saying that banishers refuse to look back, just like Orpheus, for fear of what they see being lost forever?