Crack of doom

Crack of doom

The Crack of Doom is an old term used for the Christian Day of Judgement, referring in particular to the blast of trumpets signalling the end of the world in Chapter 8 of the Book of the Apocalypse. A "crack" had the sense of any loud noise, preserved in the phrase "crack of thunder",[1] and Doom was a term for the Last Judgement, as Doomsday still is.

The phrase is famously used in the Day of Judgement sense by William Shakespeare in Macbeth, where on the heath the Three Witches show Macbeth the line of kings that will issue from Banquo:

'Why do you show me this? A fourth! Start, eyes!
What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?
Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no more:'

(Act 4, scene 1, 112–117)- meaning that Banquo's line will endure until the Judgement Day, flattery for King James I, who claimed descent from Banquo.

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Professor of Old English plays upon the phrase to provide the literal Crack(s) of Doom, physical cracks — fissures within the great volcano of Orodruin, also known as Mount Doom.

In the Time Tunnel episode, "The Crack of Doom", Tony and Doug try to convince scientists studying the volcano Krakatoa, that it is about to erupt cataclysmically.

In the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode, "Crack of Doom", a poker player finds himself digging deeper and deeper towards ruin.

"Crack of Doom" is the English title of a currently out of print novel by German author Willi Heinrich, which is set in the Second World War. It is about German troops fighting partisans and Soviet forces in Eastern Europe during the closing stages of the war.

"Crack of Doom" is also the title of Tiger Lillies hit from Bad Blood and Blasphemy album.

"At The Crack Of Doom" is a song by Warbringer from the album "War Without End." It features the lyrics, "Satan claims his throne at the crack of doom."

Notes

  1. ^ OED, "Crack"

See also

  • The Crack of Doom (1989 Addison-Wesley Software Adventure computer game)

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • crack of doom — ► crack of doom a thunder peal announcing the Day of Judgement. Main Entry: ↑crack …   English terms dictionary

  • crack of doom — n. [phr. in Macbeth, IV, i] the signal for the beginning of Judgment Day …   English World dictionary

  • crack of doom — noun (New Testament) day at the end of time following Armageddon when God will decree the fates of all individual humans according to the good and evil of their earthly lives • Syn: ↑Judgment Day, ↑Judgement Day, ↑Day of Judgment, ↑Day of… …   Useful english dictionary

  • crack of doom — a thunder peal announcing the Day of Judgement. → crack …   English new terms dictionary

  • crack of doom — 1. the signal that announces the Day of Judgment. 2. the end of the world; doomsday. * * * …   Universalium

  • crack of doom — Judgment Day, day when God will judge humans for their sins …   English contemporary dictionary

  • crack — ► NOUN 1) a narrow opening between two parts of something which has split or been broken. 2) a sudden sharp or explosive noise. 3) a sharp blow. 4) informal a joke or jibe. 5) informal an attempt to do something. 6) Irish enjoyable entertainment; …   English terms dictionary

  • Crack — Crack, n. 1. A partial separation of parts, with or without a perceptible opening; a chink or fissure; a narrow breach; a crevice; as, a crack in timber, or in a wall, or in glass. [1913 Webster] 2. Rupture; flaw; breach, in a moral sense. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • doom — I n. 1) to seal smb. s doom 2) (misc.) the crack of doom II v. (D; tr.) to doom to (he was doomed to oblivion) * * * [duːm] (misc.) the crack of doom to seal smb. s doom (D; tr.) to doom to (he was doomed to oblivion) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • crack — /kræk / (say krak) verb (i) 1. to make a sudden, sharp sound in, or as in, breaking; snap, as a whip. 2. to break with a sudden, sharp sound. 3. to break without complete separation of parts; become fissured. 4. (of the voice) to break abruptly… …  

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