Absalom (father is peace, prosperity) In the Bible, O.T., King David’s third son, known for his physical beauty. He plotted against his father and “stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Sam. 15:6). Riding on a mule in the decisive battle at Ephraim, Absalom was caught by his long hair in an oak tree. He was found by one of David’s men, who killed him even though David did not want him killed. David lamented his death: “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam. 19:4). William
Faulkner picked up the lament for the title of his novel Absalom, Absalom! The English poet Dryden gave the name Absalom to the duke of Monmouth, Charles II’s natural son, in his satire Absalom and Achitopel (1681), which attacks Puritan attempts to exclude the duke of York from the throne of England because, although the legitimate heir, he was a Roman Catholic.

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Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow– Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante