Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Represented in the Wizard of Oz Characters

To be honest I am never completely sure what importance the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse has to the world, at least not at the start of an examination. I instead let the extrapolated metaphorical archeology and the represented philosophy within the art determine the answer. The Horsemen appear in the Christian Bible in chapter six, the Book of Revelation and represent Conquest, War, Famine and Death. References to the Horsemen show up in popular media characters like the Wizard of Oz, the Hobbit and even the clockwork Orange Droogs. The Homeric and combined sacrificial components date back to ancient Greece and the development of preModern medicine. An early understanding of both physical and emotional health will be made. The conclusion will set humankind on a course to overcome emotions or experience an end all environmental event, described as Glacial Respiration. This sets the human species, on a course for birth or set for termination.
Let us begin with the biblical understanding of the Four Horsemen and explore their unique features. The white Horseman is Conquest and carries a bow and is given a crown, to go forth and conquer. Some interpret the rider of the white horse to be the anti-Christ or return of the warrior Christ. This symbiotic relationship will quantify them as the same person but describes his dual persona. The War Horsemen is red and carries a sword which he takes peace from the earth, and lets men kill one another. Famine is represented as black and carries a balance or weighing scale to bring forth famine. Death is represented as Pale or pale green and is followed by Hades.
In Greek mythology, Hades is the god of the underworld with Cerberus, the three-headed dog. Early Christians used the Greek word Hades to translate the Hebrew word Sheol, which is thought of as the "abode of the dead", the "underworld", or "pit". Hades in Greek mythology was also called Pluto which significance comes up later. The Book of Revelation has Death and his side-kick Hades, ride over a fourth of the earth, to kill with a sword, with hunger, and with the beasts of the earth.
Natural objects and geographic direction might be the root to creating four horsemen. As an objective they may well have origins in the four earth elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, which are at the genesis of most developed religions. The direction associated with the Four Horsemen could have the references to, North, East, South and West represented as separating the central leadership of the church from the four corners of the world. The church leaders might fear the far corners will brew the Horsemen.

These figures appear to be a force against the leaders of the church, as something they fear will eventually arise from the world’s population. They will need to be explored for references to a hero, villain and general public and not the abundant over tones to nature elements. Understanding of the importance to the natural elements has been already made in the H2onE2 book.
The Four Horsemen do not represent the classical stereotypical hero or villain category of characters. This is for one reason alone, never has four heroes or villains worked together. There has always been just one figure that stands out in history as good or evil, examples being Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Hitler or Stalin. So the horsemen do not stand out as unique to the villain class, which means they must represent the general public. Possible their homegrown hero or savor. One of the four primary characters always stands out as unique such as the Droogs, with Alex, Oz with Dorothy and the Hobbit with Frodo. He or she is represented as the leader; others follow at a lower contributing level.
It is also possible popular art, music and media actually further define the elements, such as the church, antichurch and the general public. What I am suggesting is the four horsemen, continue to be defined and redefined by the media, and the public that absorbs the chosen material. Unlike the church and antichurch forces which are predefined, well characterized and outlined, the public is open to change their opinion. And, the church feared one day, this day would come.
Beyond the natural objects and geographic components, the horsemen deity, representation shows up in popular media, primarily as the four major characters such as the Droogs, (Alex, Dim, Georgie and Pete), Wizard of Oz (Dorothy, Tin man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion), and the four hobbits (Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin). The primary feature to these four stereotypical characters is rooted in emotion. Each personality is suffering from some emotional characteristic, which holds them back from being happy or content. Each individual figure not only understands their emotional weakness but actively seeks help, as a patient to a doctor.
The Christian identities of the Horsemen are Conquest, War, Famine and Death which are the common troubles or tribulations of the H2 human population. In addition, these are the social problems headlined in stories, news and politics. Most of the worlds educated and more modern countries do not experience these four human troubles first hand. Living their lives understanding but dethatched from the parts of world, “THE FOUR CORNERS” of humanity, do encounter these dark forces.
The pinnacle point between historic cultures and “now” are the four human troubles are being brought to light in still and motion images, through printed media, TV and now with computers. The modern age brings the human troubles closer to the traditional four senses, sight, hearing, touch, smell, classification which were attributed to Aristotle philosophy. Note, there are five classical senses; taste is ejected for being off topic.
The common troubles or human tribulations produce emotions and feelings and these complex thoughts differentiate humans from animals. So a quick exploration into the development and understanding of emotions will be made. Emotion is often associated with mood, temperament, personality, and disposition classified by Ancient Greeks Stoics, Plato and Aristotle. Later Hippocratic broke new and revolutionary ground by classifying physical and emotional ailments away from the control of the gods and to natural environmental elements.
In ancient civilization, this was earth shattering, because prior to Hippocratic and his purposed humours theory, there were only supernatural powers of god, and the only treatment to ailments being prayer and sacrifice. Humoralism, or the doctrine of the humours is far-fetched in today’s standards, but gave birth to modern medicine. The theory explores the environment and the need to balance the bodily fluids. The four main body fluids called humors and include black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. These body fluids are the objects that give color to our Four Riders on the Storm.
Hippocratic Oath theorized when the humours were out of balance, the patient would be physically and emotionally unwell or unstable. A Hippocratic physician would prescribe a regimen of diet, activity, and exercise, designed to "void the body of the imbalanced humor”. Through the management of the body's evacuations (e.g.: the blood, urine, feces, perspiration, etc.). Hence the reason Bloodletting started in ancient Greece, and continued on until into the 20th century. Sir William Osler in 1923 was last noted as backing Bloodletting as a treatment within his textbook, The Principles and Practice of Medicine.

The Wizard of Oz stands out as the most descriptive of all the media representations of the four Horsemen. First a physical comparison will be made between the horseman and the primary characters of the Wizard of Oz. The emotional characteristics will also be investigated. Lastly, the Wizard of Oz will also be surveyed for the fifth horsemen Hades, which rides as a companion to Death.
A physical comparison of the Wizard of Oz and the Four Horsemen goes far beyond the four character reference. To start horses in ancient times are used primarily on a path or road, in the Oz story the path is defined by the yellow brick road. The yellow brick road is represented as separating two of the four corners of Oz. The Wicket Witch of the West and East represent the line separating the other two corners. The "Emerald City" is the southern point of Oz and the Good Witch of the North represents the other far end. This crossroad describes a geographic map feature, called True North Arrow found on any map legion and a metaphorical Christian cross. Now with an arrow, the Conquest Horsemen, the one who carries a bow and crown is fully armed and weaponized.

The objects the four horsemen hold are symbolized with the four characters of the Wizard of Oz. The Horsemen hold objects, to judge and prosecute humanity such as the bow and crown, sword, scale and Sickle. The objects the Wizard of Oz characters hold include the lion with his tail, Tin man with his axe, scarecrow with a wooden cross, and Dorothy with a basket that simulates the scale and balances held by Famine. The Tin Mans axe is a clear reference to the sickle Death carries and metaphorically references the worlds Northern Grain Belt.

Lastly let’s examine Toto, Dorothy’s dog and closest companion. The Four horsemen from Revelations are really five entities, if you count Hades. Since Hades was also called Pluto, in Greek mythology, the name Toto fits into the classical puzzle and in the Wizard of Oz, is a representation of the fifth horsemen. The relationship is so close that the writer enforces the relationship with a rhyming name. Rhyming can be the key to conscious recognition or subconscious deception. Originally Oz series of children's books were created by L. Frank Baum's. On his death bed his last words were, "Now we can cross the Shifting Sands.” In life, Baum could not name Dorothy’s dog as Hades, but in death he left both a rhyming and historically significant puzzle.

The primary characters in the Wizard of Oz suffer from emotional instability. The cowardly Lion suffers from fear, Tin Man lacks a heart represented as love, and the Scarecrow requires a brain demonstrating a weak conscious. Dorothy represents someone compelled by her curiosity. This is clearly a form or alternate example of Humoralism.

The Four Wizards of Oz characters outline the evolving human emotions which is the sole force inhibiting humanity. This keeps them from making their own path and freeing themselves. Dorothy represents the sacrificial leader. The other three characters are controlled by feeble emotions and unable to act on their own. The Oz movie symbolizes the munchkins as a slave class completely controlled and unable to perform clean and complex emotions; more comparable to animals.
The conclusion is that modern media represents the four horseman as the public and their savior. The Oz story explores the emotional status of people viewing suffering from around the world, with technology. These effects within the modern age stimulates all four senses, now directed at the common troubles or tribulations of humanity. The four primary characters represent a group, theorized by Biblical writers that will evolve from the lower intellectual class, the slaves corresponding to the munchkins.
The emotions expressed in the Wizard of Oz characters represent what fears humankind needs to overcome. These emotions represent the blood and the humours of humanity. If humans do not balance their emotions, find an inner strength to make it to the end of the road, the yellow brick road, they will be destroyed. The yellow brick road is a very simple metaphor because all roads are built with money or gold. The yellow represents the money needed or donated to pave the way to the Emerald City.