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| Heaven and Hell
It's a bit surprising that for Christianity, the "beyond" is more based on visions and later Christian writings, than the Bible itself. Many of the visions included the soul or spirit leaving the body (e.g., from an illness), a journey into the beyond, and a viewing of Heaven and Hell. Often such journeyers were accompanied by an angelic guide, which protected the soul from being attacked and carried away by demons. Also (perhaps not) surprisingly, most of these visions were experienced by monks or church clergyman, and by few laypeople. Following are descriptions of Heaven and Hell, mostly chronicled in The Pagan Book of the Dead by Claude Lecouteux. | | 1 |  | Black Sabbath
Heaven And Hell
In visions, Heaven was most often glimpsed from afar and not entered. The sun never set on Heaven, as it was never night. Possible physical locations for Heaven were envisioned (e.g., a mountain in the East or on an island in the Atlantic). A Norway dream song (date unknown) describes hell as at the bottom of the Sea. Heaven was described as a marble tower with five towers, and rivers flowing out of each tower (Legend of Saint Amaro). Heaven was sealed off by a wall (Orm 1125), which was long, high, and of blinding brightness (Book of Otloh of Sankt Emmaram). The Vision of Gunthelm described Heaven as a Golden City, with an entry gate decorated with precious stones. Peter the Venerable further indicated that the entry gate was pleasantly lit and flanked by towers with pinnacles. A second door was described, which was in ruins. | | 2 | | Black Sabbath
Heaven And Hell
Heaven was characterized by wonders, light, harmonious singing, and sweet fragrances. The Apocalypse of Paul described Heaven as a paradise, where a multitude of people were bathing. The Vision of Gunthelm portrayed heaven as a delightful place with plants, trees, birds, flowers, and fruits; four rivers ran through four parts of heaven. The city and garden of Heaven was comparable to Eden - full of apples, grapes, and figs. The Life of Saint Ansgar described Heaven as a miraculous radiance of inaccessible, intensely clear light - radiating happiness - and of the rarest colors, and dazzling the eyes and filling them with pleasure. | | 3 |  | Megadeth
Hell Wasn't Built in a Day
Recall that the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) provided little description of hell, or judgement and punishment for sinners. The notion of a fiery hell and place of punishment - as furthered in Jewish Apocalyptica and the New Testament - appears to be derived from Persian influence and Zoroastrianism, as well as multiple imaginative visions. And "surprise, surprise" - hell became more and more terrifying with future Christian writings and further visions. Hell goes by many names: Hades; Lake of Fire; Fatal Lake; Land of the Dead; Night Lands; Dark Land; Land of Oblivion; Tartarus; Gehenna; Erebus; Baratrum; Styx; Acheronta; and Flegeton. | | 4 | | Megadeth
Hell Wasn't Built in a Day
Ezekial (593 to 571 BC). This Jewish revelation described Hell as having 3 gates. The first gate opened to the Sea, the second opened onto a savage land; and the third onto unihabited parts of the world. Names were given to the seven compartments of hell including: Sheol, Abbaddon, Beer Shahat, Tit Ha-Yaven, Sha'are, Mawt, and Gehenna. There were nine different kinds of fire, as well as rivers of pitch that were fuming and seething sulfur. | | 5 |  | Kerry King
From Hell I Rise
The Gospel of Matthew (~75 to 100 AD) describes the decent of Jesus into hell, where Jesus spent 3 days and 3 nights (between his death and resurrection) in the heart of the Earth. This was further explained in the Questions of Bartholomew (2nd century AD) - Jesus, upon vanishing from the cross, visited Hades and brought up Adam and all that were with him. Jesus' descent into hell was also described in the Gospel of Nicodemus (361 AD). | | 6 | | Kerry King
From Hell I Rise
Tertullian (197-222 AD), an apologist and moralist, described Hell as a jail, which was located and hidden within a deep trough of the Earth. There, the soul waits for judgement - in an infernal, divine fire. The gates of Hell will only open at the time of Christ's second coming. Conversely, according to the Vision of Saint Paul (end of 2nd century AD), Hell was solely cold and snow. | | 7 |  | Slayer
Hell Awaits
According to the Vision of Ezra (2nd Century), a visit to Hell required descending 6,007 stairs. Once in Hell, the punishment of adulterers, incestuous, greedy, etc. was observed. In hell, a river of fire existed, which was swarming with serpents and scorpions. | | 8 | | Slayer
Hell Awaits
The 3rd Century AD saw more description of Hell. The Apocalypse of Paul describes a river of fire, with 300 cubit deep pits of terrible stench. The deceased are immersed in cold, or standing on an obelisk being torn apart by beasts. Similarly, Prudentious (348-405/410 AD) described Hell as an abyss with lakes and caverns, resembling a volcanic region. There, souls are plunged into pits - and the raging firs only subside on the anniversary of Jesus' descent. The Life of Anthony (360 AD) describes Satan, described as an old man or even as Jesus Christ - with flaming torches and smoke emanating from his mouth, and hair on fire. | | 9 |  | Rob Zombie
Hellbilly Deluxe
The Revelation of Moses (3rd to 5th Century AD) saw men being tortured by Angels of Destruction in hell - being hung up by eyelids, ears, hands, tongues, sexual organs, or feet - and covered in black worms. Similarly, the Acts of Phillip (4th to 5th Century AD) described the punishment of sinners. | | 10 | | Rob Zombie
Hellbilly Deluxe
In the 7th Century AD, a monk visited Hell and witnessed pits of fire and miserable souls (in the form of wailing and shrieking black birds). He also crossed a river of fire before reaching heavenly Jerusalem. Bonellus, upon visiting hell with an Angel of light, also witnesses horrible howls and moans emanating from Hell. An Icelandic Poem (~1200 AD) also describes the souls of the deceased in Hell as birds; and punishments inflicted on thieves and murderers. | | 11 |  | Ozzy Osbourne
No Rest For The Wicked
~1100, Lucidarious visited Hell. There, he saw two hells, one higher and lower. The first was found on a high mountain and islands in the sea, and was a land full of torments. Here, pitch and brimstone burn, and souls are tortured. Also, this hell was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom; souls fall for eternity and never hit the bottom (only God knows the terminal depth). The second hell, inner hell, is at the end of the world - and no can live because of clouds and darkness. Similarly, Albertus Magnus (1200 - 1280 AD) described a higher hell as limbo for children, and a lower hell (Gehenna) reserved for the damned. Mechthild of Madebur (died 1238 AD) further divided hell into 3 parts: 1 for Christians; 1 for Jews; and 1 for Pagans. | | 12 | | Ozzy Osbourne
No Rest For The Wicked
Stephen o Bourbon (1180-1261 AD) described Hell as a hidden place, dark, frightful and blazing with fire - parched, frightful, foul, unclean, smoke-filled, poisoned, and noisy. No springtime every comes. Hell is an abyss and land of oblivion. | | 13 |  | Iron Maiden
Raising Hell (DVD)
Jacobus de Voagine (1230-1298), in the Golden Legend, describes Hell as a valley filled with shadows. Four fires (of mendaciousness, cupidity, discord, and impiety) exist in the air, some distance apart from each other. The fires examine the deceased by merit of their works. | | 14 | | Iron Maiden
Raising Hell (DVD)
Henry of Saltrey (12th Century AD), in the Tractatus de Purgatorio Santi Ptricii, sees the entrance to Hell, a dark, sulfurous, reeking flame/fire and a valley. At the entrance, the deceased souls await entry at the foot of a mountain. Moans rise out from the valley. Four fields were observed where sinners were tortured. A smoking house with pits was observed, where damned souls are bathed in molten metal. | | 15 |  | Pantera
Cowboys from Hell
Vincent of Beauvais (died 1264 AD) visited hell and provided the following description: "Snow, night, voices, tears, brimstone, thirst, heat: hammering and harsh sounds, lost hope, shackles, serpents". | | 16 | | Pantera
Cowboys from Hell
Gossouin de Metz (13th Century AD), in the Mirror of the World, describes Hell as enclosed in the earth. Hell is further described as: ugly, dark, and hideous; full of stench; full of fire and brimstone; full of filth and every evil venture. Souls remain in Hell eternally, and still live while dying - experiencing fear, pain, anguish, sorrow, hunger, and thirst. Hell is also characterized by perilous rivers of fire and ice, filled with venom and beasts making great racket. | | 17 |  | Sepultura
Dante XXI
Also in 13th Century AD, Dante Alighieri described Hell in his narrative poem, the Inferno (the first part of The Divine Comedy). Dante is guided through hell by Virgil. He sees that Hell consists of nine circles - each guarded by a mythical monster (e.g., Charon, Pluot, Minos, Cerberus, etc.). The Circles formed an inverted funnel, with greater punishment as one goes deeper. "Abandon hope all ye who enter here". | | 18 |  | Rob Zombie
Hellbilly Deluxe 2
Henry D'Arci (13th Century AD), in the Vision of Saint Paul, describes hell as a furnace - where devils are casting souls into an oven. The deceased undergo seven cruel tortures: snow; fire; snakes; blood; ice; lightning; and pestilence. | | 19 | | Rob Zombie
Hellbilly Deluxe 2
Visio Lazari (15th Century AD) describes Hell as five cells corresponding to five torments - fire, ice, total darkness, stench, smoke, brimstone, and pitch. The damned are attached to pillars with chains of fire. Devils (also suffering from the fire) tear off bits of flesh with flaming tongs. Sins that lead to hell include pride, avarice, jealously, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. | | 20 |  | DevilDriver
The Fury of Our Maker's Hand
Regarding Satan, found an interesting note regarding the Morningstar. This designation likely derives from the Planet Venus. Venus is the third brightest object in our heavens, observable in the dawn sky (thus called the morning star). Venus falls below the horizon periodically, completing five settings over an eight year timeframe. During this time, and for each cycle, Venus inscribes the same five pointed star. | |
chemicalmarriage
12.30.24 | If there is a heaven, and if it is full of Christians, then Hell is the place for me | artificialbox
12.30.24 | it’s interesting to see how the depictions of hell become more elaborate and extreme over time. | Dedes
12.30.24 | They also seem to have a surprising level of disagreement as to what sort of set-up/hot or cold/absolute damnation or -possible- damnation which I think should really drive home the idea that hell is more than likely a way to fearmonger morals in any religion. As much as I can appreciate the idea of the Christian value when applied correctly I def don't think the driving force as being an eternal punishment as a healthy enforcement | ShadowRemains
12.30.24 | most of the worst people in the united states are christian | Dedes
12.30.24 | Oh I mean for sure
I just think if more people applied it in a healthier fashion i.e the ACTUAL betterment of the self and didn't suckle from the teet of the (catholic especially) church it'd be a much better ideology to follow. One of my best friends is a v devout Christian but he's aware of the mass corruption of the church and is v accepting of all people groups whether he understands it or not, which is something I wish more Christians understood, to not be such diehard enforcers of their own religion. | JDubb
12.31.24 | @Dedes - As it was put in "The Pagan Book of the Dead", the Church realized the potential of heaven/hell visions and tales - especially those of hell - and used them to accentuate a pedagogy of fear. And unfortunately, as the book "Life After Death" points out, the afterlife may be seen as a projection of our/Society's desires and goals, suited to our interests at that specific time - thus explaining the disagreements in description. | ToSmokMuzyki
12.31.24 | >They also seem to have a surprising level of disagreement as to what sort of set-up/hot or cold/absolute damnation or -possible- damnation
why does this seem familiar... |
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