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Sigil

Herio

The Pyschopomp

In Basque mythology, Erio (also known as Herio) is the personification of death, responsible for collecting souls and guiding them to the afterlife. The constant barking of a dog announces Herio’s arrival, signaling that death is near for someone in the nearby houses. While sometimes depicted as a skeletal figure carrying a scythe, likely due to Christian influences, Erio is more often symbolically linked with vultures.

Herio

The Pyschopomp

In Basque mythology, Erio (also known as Herio) is the personification of death, responsible for collecting souls and guiding them to the afterlife. The constant barking of a dog announces Herio’s arrival, signaling that death is near for someone in the nearby houses. While sometimes depicted as a skeletal figure carrying a scythe, likely due to Christian influences, Erio is more often symbolically linked with vultures.

Herio

The Pyschopomp

In Basque mythology, Erio (also known as Herio) is the personification of death, responsible for collecting souls and guiding them to the afterlife. The constant barking of a dog announces Herio’s arrival, signaling that death is near for someone in the nearby houses. While sometimes depicted as a skeletal figure carrying a scythe, likely due to Christian influences, Erio is more often symbolically linked with vultures.

Herio

The Pyschopomp

In Basque mythology, Erio (also known as Herio) is the personification of death, responsible for collecting souls and guiding them to the afterlife. The constant barking of a dog announces Herio’s arrival, signaling that death is near for someone in the nearby houses. While sometimes depicted as a skeletal figure carrying a scythe, likely due to Christian influences, Erio is more often symbolically linked with vultures.

Herio

The Pyschopomp

In Basque mythology, Erio (also known as Herio) is the personification of death, responsible for collecting souls and guiding them to the afterlife. The constant barking of a dog announces Herio’s arrival, signaling that death is near for someone in the nearby houses. While sometimes depicted as a skeletal figure carrying a scythe, likely due to Christian influences, Erio is more often symbolically linked with vultures.

Vultures, serving as purifiers by cleaning up the remains of dead animals, parallel Erio’s role in collecting and guiding souls, maintaining the natural order. This connection underscores death as a transformation and renewal.

Since there is little traditional depiction of Herio, I have embraced creative freedom in illustrating Erio as an anthropomorphic vulture, emphasizing its role as a psychopomp. A bronze billhook, reminiscent of ancient druidic tools, serves as a natural scythe, while a Basque beret and a traditional headstone stela with vulture imagery root Erio in Basque heritage.

In my version, I’ve also included an argizaiola, a traditional Basque funerary object used to honor the deceased. The argizaiola holds a spiral of wax with a candle atop it, symbolizing the connection between the living and the dead, and is placed on graves during rituals to guide the souls of the departed. This object is an essential attribute for my Erio, reflecting his role as a guide for souls.

Additionally, I’ve added a "macabre" and slightly gothic touch to the design, incorporating shapes inspired by Giger and neo-gothic imagery (typical of basque provinces located in the "Spanish side"), giving Erio a darker, more ethereal presence, blending traditional symbols with a modern edge.

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