All Soul’s Day is fast upon us when the veil between
dimensions stretches thin. Before you pop over to the other side for a cold
brewski, you might want to consider which hell is the right one for you.
Depictions of an afterlife, particularly one for naughty folk, have been part
of religious beliefs from the beginning. After this word ends, any person who
says the right prayers and acts according to the dictates of those in charge
gets a fast-pass to the next. A common belief is the journey; good go up to the
light, bad go down to a darker realm. No surprise there. Night was scary for
our ancestors. With no understanding of modern science, demons in the dark were
blamed for every bad thing that happened when the sun went down. Best stay
indoors and huddle around the fire.
Greeks even had a special word katabasis, meaning descent or downward to describe a journey to
Hades. For the Greeks, it wasn’t always a one-way trip; sometimes the road to
Hell resembled a superhighway. Although a place of fiery desolation, Odysseus
managed to drop in for a nice chat with his mom. Hercules went there to rescue
Theseus. Theseus was only trapped there because the dope muffed an attempt to
spring Persephone. For the Greeks, the trip to Hades could have an upside.
There was always the chance of snagging some mystical device, or at the very
least, coming back wiser and more insightful. A quest to Hell was often a part
of the hero’s journey.
The version of Hell in Judaism can be summed up in one word:
meh. Little mention is made in Judaic texts other than references to a place
called Sheol that is dark and deep (naturally.)
In general, there are no fixed notions of particular judgments or
punishments. Another place in Judaic texts is Gehinnom, but again the views are
mixed. Some scholars view it as a place of punishment and retribution, others
more of a section of the afterlife set aside for introspection to review
mistakes committed in life and then repent them. You didn't repent enough? Something
bad is bound to happen, but details are murky.
In Christian mythos, heaven and hell are ethereal planes that can’t be reached or seen by the common folk until after death. They are always characterized as “up” or
“down” in no uncertain terms as if AAA designed a TripTik. The route never
detours; heaven is up, hell is down, and it’s definitely one-way. Christians
had no doubts about punishment. They adopted earlier pagan beliefs that Hell
was a place of burning and eternal punishment reserved for the wicked. The term
‘wicked’ has relaxed over the years. Many notions of Hell can be trace to the 14th
century and Dante Alighieri’s epic poem. In the section of The Divine Comedy
called The Inferno, Dante described nine circles of Hell; limbo, lust, gluttony,
greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. Today, being consigned to
hell because you snagged the last piece of double fudge chocolate cake seems
unduly harsh, but gluttony meant more to folks in the Renaissance. Scarf down all the gruel first and the rest of the household starved to death.
While not all religions have an actual Hell, the up/down
movement of the soul after death is often present. In the case of Hinduism, it
is an ascending/descending judgment. After death the best of the best rise up
and are led by divine beings to the highest, immortal heaven of Brahman. Those
who led virtuous lives, but haven’t quite reached the top tier can be
reincarnated according to previous actions. You can come back (down) as a
person and try to live a more virtuous life. Those that reveled in sinful ways
don’t end up in Hell, but do descend to a lower life form, often one that lives
underground such as an insect. Tibetan Buddhism has a similar outlook. After 49
days in a limbo-type place called Bardo the soul either ascends to
enlightenment or, if the soul doesn’t make the cut, it’s back down to a rebirth
on Earth to try again.
In my fantasy Big Easy Shaman series, I incorporate a
mix of beliefs. Very bad people end up in the Lower Worlds. Yes, there are more
than one, but keeping with tradition, they’re all fairly miserable places
inhabited by demons, evil spirits, and all sorts of general nastiness. Terrible
places to visit and you definitely don’t want to live in any of them. So the
next time someone tells you to go to hell smile broadly, thank them for the
fine suggestion, and politely ask which one.
L. A. Kelley writes fantasy and scify adventure novels with
humor, romance, and a touch of sass. You can all go to hell with her as she
would enjoy the company. Check out The Rules for Lying
3 comments:
What a great post (and wicked graphics!). Going up or down suddenly takes on all sorts of different meanings. I'd still rather rise to the top than sink to the bottom.
Very interesting post. Loved the graphics. So many "definitions" of hell. I think our sense of justice had us make up places where the good are rewarded and the bad punished. I'd just as soon wait for a while to find out for sure. Like Nancy, I prefer rising to sinking.
Enjoyed your post!
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