Not long ago, I talked about the mythic dimension of disembodied heads, how there were ancient cults surrounding severed heads, and of the magical properties they have been thought to have had at various times in history. I felt that the Dark Shadows writers were drawing on this archetype in making the head of Judah Zachary of focus of this storyline.
Now I'd llike to briefly draw attention to the other major mythic aspect of 1840, which is the ritualistic Mask of Ba'al.
Masks have been part of ancient ritual since prehistoric times when they were used by shamans in their spirit ceremonies.
Shamanism was the spiritual practice of most cultures before the development of religions. The term comes from a Siberian word, and shamanism is thought to have originated in Siberia and Central Asia. The shaman is analogous to the concept of priest, a broker between the earthly and supernatural spirit realm.
The purpose of the mask in shamanistic ceremonies was "to proclaim the incarnation of a mythological figure - a god, ancestor, or mystic animal. The mask effects the transubstantiation of the shaman, transforming him before everyone's eyes into the supernatural being he is impersonating" (
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/shaman.html).
The possession of Gerard by Judah Zachary is only complete when Gerard puts on the mask.
In using the mask in a ritualistic way, the Dark Shadows writers are drawing on ancient religious practices that have entered the realm of myth and archetype.
The other significant aspect of the mask is that it is referred to as the "mask of Baal [or Ba'al]."
Without getting into too much detail,
ba'al refers to a class of gods of the ancient Canaanite people. These gods had possession or lordship over various aspects of life. Later it seems that the term became a proper name for one individual god. The Hebrew people at various times practiced Baal worship, though this was always denounced by the prophets in the Bible.
I think the DS writers are using the term rather loosely, though, as a synonym for Satan. Ba'al worship came to be associated with evil in the Jewish tradition, and the Christian interpretation makes the association one with Satan. Angelique informs us that Judah Zachary was "a disciple of Lucifer's" and he is also referred to as the devil's son. I think the writers are just using Ba'al as a somewhat exotic name that we are meant to associate with Satan.
