Symbol Dictionary: Underworld
Hell: This Christian version of the Underworld, consistency follows the dualist reality of Hell and Heaven. Derived from the name Hel, the Norse Queen of the Underworld (a Crone goddess), Hell is a repository of souls for the afterlife, a womb of regeneration. Positive and negative connections have been placed on this world, but originally it was a place souls went to await rebirth. The Underworld has been ruled by many, Persephone or Hecate, Pluto or Hades. Barbara Walker in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983) points out “The early ‘hell’ seems to have been a uterine shrine or sacred cave of rebirth, denoted by the Norse hellir.” The early image of hell as a womb of fire may have lent itself to other images, that of the volcanic Mother mountain of the Hawaiian volcano-goddess Pele, another keeper of souls until rebirth; the Christian inferno of the Hell that non-Christians are sent to upon death; the Romans believed that the “oven is the mother” and souls and birthed in her oven-like womb (Walker, 1983). These early version of Hell are of a place of judgment and rebirth. Patriarchal ascetic religions like Zoroastrian Persia created the first images of torture in hell for damned souls. Jewish tradition held that Hell was the alternative for those unfit for spending eternity with God in Heaven, and most women were doomed to live in Hell due to their subversive natures. Christianity later added the idea of eternal torture. Christians developed a fascination with Hell and spent much time categorizing the demons of Hell, creating artistic renditions of Hell, preaching sermons on Hell-fire and damnation, and telling children horrendous stories of Hell in order to impress upon them the “fear of God.” However, as Walker (1983) explains, “In the end, scholars were forced to renounce hell because it made God look more vindictive than man, though few dared admit that the vindictiveness sanctioned and stressed by the church was really man’s alone. Shaftesbury said it was impossible to adore a God ‘whose character is to be captious and of high resentment, subject to wrath and anger, furious, revengeful.’”
Infernus: Latin term for the underworld, meaning “the place within.”
Khert-Neter: Also called Amenti and Tuat, this is the Egyptian title for the underworld. Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983) says, “Khert-Neter was the land of ‘many mansions,’ ruled nominally at least by the mysterious neter, an archaic ‘divinity’ that seem to have meant maternal ancestors.”
Tophet: Another name the underworld, Solomon offered fire sacrifices to the Tyrian god Heracles-Melkart or Holech by burning victims who “passed through the fire to eternal life” (meaning they became gods) on the shrine of Tophet, according to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983).
The fire-burning death was also used for heroes and kings. See Hell.
Tartaras: Greek word for hell.
Tuat: Egyptian term for underworld, sometimes envisioned as a womb, or a great snake. See Hell.
Underworld Guardian: See Gods/Underworld Guardians.