Have you ever asked yourself is there life after death? What will happen
when your time will come? This is the fundamental questions that has haunted
humanity for millennia now. We don’t want to think of our time on this
wonderful planet as a finite experience, which is why we have the recurring
concept of heaven and hell across various mythologies and religions around the
world. I’d like to present you one of these concepts a place where you will go
when you do too many bad deeds, it’s a place of punishment after death or, in
more abstract terms, a state of spiritual damnation and this place is hell. Religions
typically locate hell in another dimension or under Earth's surface. The concept of hell has almost become
universally recognized now, and here is a list that comprises of different
versions of hell from various mythologies.
Hell
Christian belief is built upon the Jewish notion of hell, as a place of
punishment for the wicked and the home of Satan, the king of devil, and all his
evil demons, or fallen angels. There are many descriptions of hell but what I
want to show you is a vision of Hell created by Italian writer Dante Alighieri's Inferno. In his vision hell is divided into 9 circles, and each circle has different punishments that are based
on the sin that a person commits. As we move through the circles towards the centre,
the punishments get worse. The Ninth Circle is the final and innermost
circle, is reserved for the worst kinds of sinners those who have betrayed the
trust of someone or something close and special.
Tartarus
Tartarus was a prison for damned soul, Titans, monsters and gods in
ancient Greek and was placed far below actual underworld called Hades. Three
judges of the Underworld, Rhadamanthus, Aecus and Minos, decided who would go to the realm of Hades and who would be banished to Tartarus. Only the worst human beings were sent to Tartarus,
but their time there was not eternal. After serving appropriate punishment in
Tartarus soul would be washed away by one of the many great rivers that flows
through this realm.
Narak
Narak is the Hindu version of hell. This underworld is divided into around
25 realms. After death, king of underworld Yama
send his messengers called Yamadutas to bring
all beings to the court of Yama, where he weighs the virtues and the vices of
the being and passes a judgement and based on their sins send the sinners to one
of the hells where he will spend eternity horribly tortured.
Avici
This hell is a vision of Pure Land Buddhism. To get there you must
commit one or more of the Five Grave Offense (intentionally murdering one's
father, intentionally murdering one's mother, killing enlightened being,
shedding the blood of a Buddha, creating a schism within the Sangha). But don’t worry this is not eternal prison you only
need to spend there thousands of years and even if you die you will be reborn
there again and again until you exhaust all your bad karma. It is supposed to
be surrounded by iron walls, haunted by iron snakes and iron dogs
Helheim
It is a one of the nine worlds of Norse
mythology ruled by Hel daughter of Loki. It’s the place Vikings are sent if they die of old
age, disease or haven’t died a in battle. Once you enter Helheim, not even the gods can leave
because of the impassable river Gjoll that flows from the spring Hvergelmir and
encircles Helheim. It’s supposed to be an extremely cold place that is guarded
by a four-eyed, blood-soaked hound called Garmr, and a giant eagle called
‘corpse-eater’. Under Helheim there is place even darker and colder called
Niflhel, where the especially horrible Vikings are sent.
1.
Did you heard about some other version of hell? If not maybe you have
your own vision of hell?
2.
There is saying “it’s better to be king in hell then servant in heaven”
do you agree with this statement? Why ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naraka_(Hinduism)https://vikings.fandom.com/wiki/Hel
https://www.dailyinfographic.com/dantes-nine-circles-of-hell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartarus
https://www.learnreligions.com/buddhist-hell-450118
Comments
When it comes to the saying I don't really know what to say. I guess noone wants to be a servant but I don't want to be sent to hell even though I would rule there. So I guess the same thing is in the world. It's better to live a simplier and good life, try to help others and care for others than treat everyone like they are worse than you and make money off them.
I believe in heaven and hell but there is always that small thought about reincarnation.
Would you still be interested in reincarnation if you knew you would reincarnate as a worm, slime or something similar?
Have you ever asked yourself is there life after death?
it's one of paradigms of existential psychotherapy:)
1. Did you heard about some other version of hell? If not maybe you have your own vision of hell?
How we can know that we are not in the hell right now ?:)
2. There is saying “it’s better to be king in hell then servant in heaven” do you agree with this statement? Why ?
is it better to be a manager/director in some cheap place in bad country, or 'servant' in some Scandinavie country?:)
3. Do you believe in heaven/hell? maybe in reincarnation? or maybe something else?
Do u really need to be kind people to take some place in heaven or think that he is a bad man and he will fall in hell ?
i dont believe in it, accepting the fact of death can give u more then thinking that in next life or after death will be better, u had a chance, 1 chance, take it and do u life better right now.
No, I have not heard of other versions. But as for me the most plausible is Helheim. Cold and dark place.
2. There is saying “it’s better to be king in hell then servant in heaven” do you agree with this statement? Why ?
I agree with this statement, no one wants to serve someone, although there are exceptions, it is easier for some people to obey and serve.
3. Do you believe in heaven/hell? maybe in reincarnation? or maybe something else?
Each version has a place to be, we will not know that after death we will not die yet. In general, who described what hell or heaven looks like? But most likely there is nothing after death.
1. Did you heard about some other version of hell? If not maybe you have your own vision of hell?
Yes, I had. The most popular one is made by Dante in his divine comedy, but you've already mentioned it. There is also a quite funny approach in anime called "Devil works part time", where hell is kind of battfield, but devils and angels/heroes must fight, they do not do it, because they need to. When the main devil goes to earth by accident he can be his true self and he become... a part timer in McDonald ;)
2. There is saying “it’s better to be king in hell then servant in heaven” do you agree with this statement? Why ?
Haha, hard to say. Still, heaven is better IMO.
3. Do you believe in heaven/hell? maybe in reincarnation? or maybe something else?
No, actually I'm not faith person :( but I'm not saying that our world is simple etc. perhaps there is something more after death.
1. Nope, I did not hear about some other version of hell and really I do not care about my own vision of hell. I do not think about that. I am young, I am living now. I do not care about what will happen when I die.
2. I am just a simple man, this thinking is not for me, so I can neither agree with this statement nor agree. Just do not care.
3. I admit that sometimes I thought about it, reincarnation, to be specific, but I came to the conclusion that it is pointless, because I will neve know about that. Nobody will ever know what it looks or works. It's just speculation.
Nice topic! I think hell is basically being alone and feeling alone, with no one around you. It's the one thing that drives a man crazy. Imagine a world you would live alone in. What a horrible concept! People are born to be with other people.
2. There is saying “it’s better to be king in hell then servant in heaven” do you agree with this statement? Why ?
Well, as long as being the king of hell, you're not the one hell atrocities are inflicted on. On the other hand, that would mean that you would either inflict it on others or run the whole place and have your men do that. I would not be OK with that, I am no sadist and that would bring me no joy. So I guess it is better to be servant at heaven, at least in my case.
3. Do you believe in heaven/hell? maybe in reincarnation? or maybe something else?
Let's put it that way: I believe it cannot be game over when you close your eyes ;)
I haven’t heard about any other vision of hell, I think that I have some kind of my own vision but to be honest I’d rather not think about that so I don’t really know how to describe it.
2. There is saying “it’s better to be king in hell then servant in heaven” do you agree with this statement? Why ?
No, I don’t agree with this statement. Why? Let me use an example, I’d rather work in a company that I feel good in with less money, than work at company that I hate and feel sick thinking of, with much better paygrade.
3. Do you believe in heaven/hell? maybe in reincarnation? or maybe something else?
I do believe in some kind of heaven and hell, but I don’t have an opinion how it looks. Hey, maybe reincarnation is the way of sorting us to heaven (good, easy life) or hell (hard life, full of pain).
Anyway, if there is no life after death, I think the only hell we can get to, is the one here on Earth. I mean that what other purpose there is in our life then just to live our life as good and as fun as we can. My version of hell is living a boring life.
I’m not sure if I agree with this saying, I think that as long as you like what you do the way you live is good for you.
Unfortunately, I have not heard from others. Thanks to this article, I even learned a couple of new variations. I have little idea of hell, which is probably why the Goethe version seems optimal to me.
2. There is saying “it’s better to be king in hell then servant in heaven” do you agree with this statement? Why ?
I'm not quite sure what awaits us after death. Because of the alternative of options, you begin to doubt the authenticity of any of them. But I think the proverb advises to take everything from life, and not to live righteously. After all, in the end, there is no evidence of an afterlife. But as we are all servants of God, then a priori it is obvious that since he is in heaven, then if you get there you will have to serve him.
3. Do you believe in heaven/hell? maybe in reincarnation? or maybe something else?
I am an agnostic. I would like to believe, but logic tells me that religion is created for manipulating the masses. I just believe in something or endless space, another dimension. But not in those religions that exist.
Heaven reigning over hell could get boring over time, but being in heaven guarantees eternal happiness, which is the ultimate goal of anything really.
I do. It terrifies me to think of myself just blinking out if existence.
2. It is difficult to relate to something I have no idea about. It depends on what is happening in hell and heaven.
3. No, I believe in science.
2. Some people find fulfilment in servitude. There is honour in service and many take pride in shouldering the hardships of their kin. So it really seems to be a point of personal preference. I could probably be happy to serve someone worthy. Assuming I ever find such a person, it would make this entire point mute.
3. I believe I will find out eventually. Until then, lets not make assumptions. I’m definitely a fan of Pratchett’s version, where everyone gets what they believe they will get.