Overview

The Underworld is the realm of the dead. It is a universal feature of mythology, representing the unknown, the subconscious, and the ultimate destination of all living things.

Core Idea

The core idea is separation. The dead are not gone; they are elsewhere. This place is usually physically “down” (buried), dark, and difficult to return from.

Formal Definition

The supernatural world of the dead, located below the surface of the earth. Also known as the netherworld or chthonic realm.

Intuition

It’s the basement of the universe. It’s where you put things you want to hide or things that are finished. But sometimes, heroes must go down there to find lost things (souls, knowledge).

Examples

  • Hades (Greek): A gray, misty place where shades wander aimlessly. Not necessarily a place of punishment (that’s Tartarus).
  • Duat (Egyptian): A perilous landscape full of monsters that the soul must navigate to reach paradise.
  • Hel (Norse): A cold, damp realm for those who didn’t die in battle.
  • Xibalba (Mayan): The “Place of Fear,” ruled by death gods who challenge visitors to deadly ball games.

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: Underworld = Hell.
    • Correction: The Christian Hell is a place of punishment. Most mythological underworlds are just holding pens for all dead souls, good or bad.
  • Misconception: Satan rules the Underworld.
    • Correction: In most myths, the ruler (Hades, Osiris, Hel) is a legitimate god, not a rebel or demon.
  • Katabasis: The hero’s descent into the underworld (e.g., Orpheus, Dante).
  • Chthonic: Relating to or inhabiting the underworld (as opposed to Ouranic/Olympian sky gods).
  • Necromancy: Communicating with the dead.

Applications

  • Psychology: Jung viewed the descent into the underworld as confronting the unconscious.
  • Literature: Dante’s Inferno is the ultimate tour of the underworld.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Fear: The concept of the underworld reinforces the fear of death and the dark.

Further Reading

  • The descent of the Goddess (Inanna’s myth)
  • The Odyssey (Book 11)