This is my 666th post.
It should be something creepy or evil shouldn’t it. What actually sprung to mind though was growing up in conservative white South Africa in the eighties and there being a general hysteria about the number.
From those ridiculous eighties Pentecostal preachers howling and wailing about the number of the beast to searching Iron Maiden album covers for secret 666 markings it was a number that was just often there in popular culture.
Kids would joke about it, bushy bearded racist Afrikaner pastors would warn against it and eighties horror films featured it heavily. If you’ve seen the omen you will surely recall the head shaving bit where the numbers are revealed.
In school I recall sitting through lessons where we were made quite aware of the dangers of all things modern and particularly anything relating to Iron Maiden and quite specifically ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zepplin which, if our teacher was to be believed, would inevitably lead you to all manner of beastly activities including masturbation, smoking marijuana and fornication.
Makes me realise that we really have not come that far as a species when we pay such heed to superstitious nonsense though ‘Stairway’ does remain one of my favourite tracks to this day.
Happy Friday 🙂
Afterwards 