Who or what is this poem referring to?
I come from a cloud.
Some long streaks of light
And a glowing shroud.
But now out of sight.Seen in the summer,
Despite my nickname.
Many deaths occurred,
But I'm not to blame.
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asked Jul 13, 2015 at 15:22
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$\begingroup$ The answer is something I'm puking now!? $\endgroup$– AlexCommented Jul 13, 2015 at 15:26
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$\begingroup$ Lol I misread "Riddle Porn" $\endgroup$– o0'.Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 21:00
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5 Answers
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I think it's:
I come from a cloud:
The article mentions that Halley's comet could have originated from the Oort Cloud if it was a long-period comet at once.
Some long streaks of light and a glowing shroud
This is the contrails and "shield" that develop in front and behind, respectively, of the comet itself.
But now out of sight.
Halley's comet passed at a relative speed of 70.56 km/s when it passed in 1910.
Seen in the summer, despite my nickname:
thanks to Geobit's advice, comets are normally referred to as "dirty snowballs".
Many deaths occurred, but I'm not to blame.
this site claims that Halley's comet was the cause of the Middle Ages plague, which killed many. Also, comets were seen as heralds of death in those times, as a simple Google search will show.
Note from pacoverflow (since comments sometimes disappear):
Halley's comet is an acceptable answer. I was thinking about Comet Hale-Bopp and the Heaven's Gate cult. Hale-Bopp is interesting because it has three long streaks of light (tails) instead of the usual two that comets have.
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$\begingroup$ You are close - it's not Halley's comet that I had in mind. Also hail/winter isn't the nickname. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 16:46
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1$\begingroup$ Comets in general fit pretty well. Nickname is "dirty snowball". The other clues don't really need to be changed. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 18:43
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$\begingroup$ Hmm, I think it might really be referring to the Eta Aquariids meteor shower, with nickname Aqua, but I don't think the "death" part fits then... $\endgroup$– Nyk 232Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 18:46
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1$\begingroup$ Geobits is right about "dirty snowball". I wasn't aware of the connection between Halley's comet and death, so I can accept that as an answer. I was thinking Comet Hale-Bopp and Heaven's Gate. I should have said "three long streaks" to narrow it down to Hale-Bopp. It has three tails instead of the usual two: sirius.bu.edu/planetary/cometc.gif $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 19:04
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1$\begingroup$ @pacoverflow true, and most sites I read claim that the Oort cloud is only hypothetical right now, not proven. $\endgroup$– Nyk 232Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 19:13
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Very similar to Nyk 232, but a little more general:
A meteor
I come from a cloud.
Often originate in a cloud of space debris
Some long streaks of light
Meteors look like streaks of light as they burn up in the atmosphere.
And a glowing shroud.
Again, light as they fall.
But now out of sight.
Some shoot beyond the horizon, but others just burn up and disappear.
Seen in the summer,
Often seen in summer months when there are fewer clouds.
Despite my nickname.
Nickname of "Falling Star"
Many deaths occurred,
Some people claim to have been killed by meteors
But I'm not to blame.
If it actually gets to the ground, then it is a meteorite, rather than a meteor.
answered Jul 13, 2015 at 16:49
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$\begingroup$ +1 for a nice try, although Nyk 232 is much closer. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 16:52
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Rainbows.
I come from a cloud. Some long streaks of light
Streaks of light through water vapor causes the rainbow
And a glowing shroud. But now out of sight.
When a shroud of some sort causes shadows, the rainbow goes away.
Seen in the summer, Despite my nickname.
Summer is usually sunny, this only happens when it rains(?)
Many deaths occurred, But I'm not to blame.
The book Genesis in the Bible. The rainbow didn't cause the deaths.
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$\begingroup$ +1 not a bad try, but you didn't explain the nickname clue. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 16:59
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My best guess:
Hurricane. They have nicknames, occur in summer, come from clouds, block out the sunlight, can kill many, and aren't born of their own fault, but instead result by mixing of disparate pressure/humidity/temperature layers.
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$\begingroup$ Some long streaks of light And a glowing shroud. Seem mostly unaddressed but definitely an interesting answer. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 16:24
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Could it be:
Rain
I come from a cloud.
Clouds are made of water which will fall down as rain.
Some long streaks of light And a glowing shroud.
Clouds (the shroud) can glow, and sometimes when they have holes, you see streaks of light come from them.
But now out of sight.
As rain in the sky, it is not easy to see in comparison to clouds.
Seen in the summer,
It can rain quite frequently in summer (depending on your location)
Despite my nickname.
April showers can be used to describe rain (which is not in the summer)
Many deaths occurred,
Many deaths can occur from floods (or excess rain), or the 'reign' of a bad ruler.
But I'm not to blame.
I guess we just have to blame mother nature!
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$\begingroup$ +1 not a bad try, but I wouldn't say "reign" is a nickname for rain. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 16:58
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$\begingroup$ @pacoverflow Wat-er you trying to get at? $\endgroup$– Mark NCommented Jul 13, 2015 at 17:11
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$\begingroup$ You still need to explain how it's seen in the summer despite the nickname. :) $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 17:13