Juggalo Beliefs. . .
The Juggalo faith is always going to be subject of interpretation, but I have gone through every source I could and have developed my own beliefs, and they may not be the same as every other Juggalo out there, but I hold them to be true. My own personal beliefs include:
The Dark Carnival is a supernatural Earthbound force. Eternally it roams collecting and judging the dead souls, and taking them to their final destination. It is what spreads he word of God eternally, so if anyone had told you of God or Jesus, it was by the will of the Carnival. It is called the Carnival because that is the way it adapted, it has become a great circus-like force because of the way it has been set up by God and the people who have been called to it. It also sets a bound for acceptance to all you would have to enhibit to be a part. Holy or evil, those who would turn away from strange ideas are not the type of people needed and sought out by the Carnival.
The Carnival has not always been around, it is fairly recent. It was creation, made for the purpose of the end of the world. Armageddon is believed to Juggalos to be coming very soon, now that the six have fallen, we are in a calm, and the Storm (the Tempest) is soon to come. The Carnival is the force that will destroy Hell and Earth to make way for a more perfect world, but that presents a problem In such dark times there are many more in hell than will be fighting them, and the Carnival acts as sort of a draft for this war of good versus evil. Those who will fight are those who were lost from the word of God, or those who were full of hate and sin, who were then saved and made faithful. They were the perfect candidates, they were Juggalos.
The Juggalo interoperation of death is that you die, and then the Carnival picks you up, you then are tested by the Joker’s Card’s and if you pass the test, you move on to Shangri-La, and if you don’t, you’re about to get mad hot. If you are a Juggalo, you stay with the Carnival to pick up other souls and await the Tempest. Those that pass over can still watch the living, it is believed that the dead watch us through eyes of crows and other birds.
The Joker’s Cards are the representation of the Carnival’s judgment of our lives and the weight of our sins. They each have a different impact on each life and their independent opinion is as important as the group together, because if you don’t pass even one of their tests then you go to Hell. The responsibility of each card goes as followed:
The Carnival of Carnage doesn’t act as a judgment card as much as a flag holder. A representation of the goal of Shangri-La. The term ‘Joker’s Card’ refers to this being, for it is the one who introduced the cards to Joseph Bruce.
The Ringmaster is the eater of your sins. The more sins you commit and do not repent for, he grows larger. At the end of your life the Carnival will issue you a dagger that represents your good deeds, and you will have to combat this monster. Win or lose, it is up to you now.
The Riddlebox is a stationary being kept at the bottom of a wagon of the Carnival’s caravan, you are brought to the top of this wagon and pushed on a spiral slide all the way down. At the bottom you are greeted by the third jokers card, concealed within his box like a turtle. You walk up to the box and embrace your fears, as you turn the crank on the side of the box. If you led a hate free life then you will be greeted by the Riddlebox, and descend to your next task. But if you have not, a trap door beneath you will open and you will be sent to Hell.
The Great Melinko is under the title of Necromaster. He can read thoughts, and if your thoughts are wicked, he will know. If you have wicked thoughts the bird that he carries will tell him the opinion of those passed on to Shangri-La, and he will use his wand to send you where you need to go.
The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, Jake and Jack. Brothers born in flame they are in constant war. They represent your soul. Jake is your love and compassion, eternally juggling your sins. Jack is your hatred and bigotry, trying to add to your sins so that the flame of them will grow too large and Jake may fumble them. If he does then your path to Shangri-La will be lost. The 3 balls of fire are focused on greed and lies.
The Wraith is not by definition a card, it does not influence or judge your life, all it does is take you to your tests and to your final destination. The Wraith is the only subject of the Carnival that has been around for all time, collecting all souls and finding his way into all sides of common mythology and tales. Depicted with a bible, the Wraith is a very Christian being. If you are Christian you will recall the connection between the crow carried by the Wraith to communicate with the Heavens, and the portion of the bible narrating the time in which Christ was dying on the cross: the sinner beside him on his crucifix had his eyes plucked out by a crow.
The Wraith, like the dead, sees through the eyes of crows, so that he may sore above and move quickly. He is unlike the Devil and God, and he is Earthbound, for that reason, he is considered a part of the carnival.
The order of the cards are reversed from the way they were introduced. Since the 6 on the featured Joker’s card was backwards, the order is said to be backwards also. First you die and are taken by the Wraith to the amazing Jeckel Brothers, and then to Melinko, etc.. It makes more sense to me, but like the rest of this religion it is a subject of faith and interpretation, as a result of the youth and un-organization of the religion.
But however, the Carnival has brought me great faith in a lot of ways, and I am so grateful to it. I am going to finish this up with this: You can accept it or reject it, believe it or not, and the truth is always going to be out there somewhere. The Carnival isn’t for every one, I am merely planting the seed. It is up to you to let it grow.
