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Hell / Underworld
The Fall of Wicked

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Illustration from the Jade Record: Sinners are being tortured in the sixth court of hell by hammering metal spikes into the body; skinnig alive; sawing body in half; and having to kneel on metal filings.
Illustration from the Jade Record: Sinners are being tortured in the sixth court of hell by hammering metal spikes into the body; skinnig alive; sawing body in half; and having to kneel on metal filings. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering In the study of Mythology and Religion, the underworld (gr κάτω κόσμος) is a generic term approximately equivalent to the lay term Afterlife Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient Niflheimr or Niflheim (" Mist Home" the "Abode of Mist" or "Mist World" Nifl being cognate with the Old English Naraka नरक ( Sanskrit) or Niraya निरय ( Pāli) ( Ch 那落迦 (variant 捺落迦 Nàlùojiā or 地獄 Dì Naraka is the Sanskrit word for the Underworld; literally of man. Jahannam (جهنم(in Turkish: cehennem in Bosnian: džehennem is the Islamic equivalent to Gei Hinnom, or Hell. for the Polish film see Gehenna (film See also Jewish eschatology Gehennam (or gehenom or gehinom (גהינום is In Egyptian mythology, Duat (or Tuat (also called Akert, Amenthes, or Neter-khertet) is the Underworld. for the Polish film see Gehenna (film See also Jewish eschatology Gehennam (or gehenom or gehinom (גהינום is Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Hel, the location shares a name with Hel, a female figure associated with the location Jahannam (جهنم(in Turkish: cehennem in Bosnian: džehennem is the Islamic equivalent to Gei Hinnom, or Hell. See also Intermediate state Purgatory|Heaven|Sheol|Hades in Christianity|Hell in Christianity In Roman Catholic theology Limbo (Latin limbus Naraka is the Sanskrit word for the Underworld; literally of man. See also Intermediate state Limbo|Heaven|Sheol|Hades in Christianity|Hell in Christianity Purgatory, in the original sense is the condition or process of purification Sheol (pronounced "Sheh-ole" in Hebrew שאול (Sh'ol is the "abode of the dead" the " Underworld " "the common In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place Yomi (黄泉 the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki The Devil is the The Harrowing of Hell is a doctrine in Christian theology referenced in the Apostles' Creed and the Athanasian Creed (Quicumque vult, which states that The problem of hell is an argument against the existence of God. In Christianity, the outer darkness is a place referred to three times in the Gospel of Matthew (812 2213 and 2530 into which a person may be "cast out" Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally The Jade Record or Yuli is an illustrated religious tract that circulated in various versions and editions in the 19th century in China.
16th century Ming Dynasty glazed earthenware figurines representing three of the ten Yama Kings
16th century Ming Dynasty glazed earthenware figurines representing three of the ten Yama Kings

Diyu (traditional Chinese: 地獄; simplified Chinese: 地狱; pinyin: Dìyù; Wade-Giles: Ti-yü; Japanese: 地獄, jigoku, literally "earth prison") is the realm of the dead or "hell" in Chinese mythology. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering Chinese mythology is a collection of Cultural history, Folktales, and Religions that have been passed down in oral or written form It is very loosely based upon the Buddhist concept of Naraka combined with traditional Chinese afterlife beliefs and a variety of popular expansions and re-interpretations of these two traditions. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Naraka नरक ( Sanskrit) or Niraya निरय ( Pāli) ( Ch 那落迦 (variant 捺落迦 Nàlùojiā or 地獄 Dì

Ruled by Yanluo Wang, the King of Hell, Diyu is a maze of underground levels and chambers where souls are taken to atone for their earthly sins. Yama is the name of the Buddhist Dharmapala and judge of the dead who presides over the Buddhist Narakas ( Pāli: Nirayas "Hells"

Incorporating ideas from Taoism and Buddhism as well as traditional Chinese folk religion, Diyu is a kind of purgatory place which serves not only to punish but also to renew spirits ready for their next incarnation. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices There are many deities associated with the place, whose names and purposes are the subject of much conflicting information.

The exact number of levels in Chinese Hell - and their associated deities - differs according to the Buddhist or Taoist perception. Some speak of three to four 'Courts', other as many as ten. The ten judges are also known as the 10 Kings of Yama. Yama is the name of the Buddhist Dharmapala and judge of the dead who presides over the Buddhist Narakas ( Pāli: Nirayas "Hells" Each Court deals with a different aspect of atonement. For example, murder is punished in one Court, adultery in another. According to some Chinese legends, there are eighteen levels in Hell. Punishment also varies according to belief, but most legends speak of highly imaginative chambers where wrong-doers are sawn in half, beheaded, thrown into pits of filth or forced to climb trees adorned with sharp blades.

However, most legends agree that once a soul (usually referred to as a 'ghost') has atoned for their deeds and repented, he or she is given the Drink of Forgetfulness by Meng Po and sent back into the world to be reborn, possibly as an animal or a poor or sick person, for further punishment. Meng Po ( is the Lady of Forgetfulness in Chinese mythology. Literally means Old Lady Meng Meng Po serves in Di Yu, the Chinese realm of the dead One description of Diyu can be found in the Jade Record. The Jade Record or Yuli is an illustrated religious tract that circulated in various versions and editions in the 19th century in China.

Contents

Eighteen levels of Hell

In Taoist and Buddhist mythology, hell is made up of ten courts, each ruled by one of the 10 Yama Kings and 18 levels in which wrongdoers are punished. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering Yama is the name of the Buddhist Dharmapala and judge of the dead who presides over the Buddhist Narakas ( Pāli: Nirayas "Hells"

In some literatures, there are references to 18 types or subtypes of hells, or 18 hells for each type of punishment, rather than just 18 levels of hell. In some literatures, there are different types of punishment on each level.

The concept of '18 levels of hell' started in the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Buddhist text Jian Di Yu Jing (間地獄經) mentioned 134 worlds of hell, but was simplified to 18 levels of hell for convenience.

  1. Chamber of Wind and Thunder – People who kill and commit heinous crimes out of greed are sent here for punishment.
  2. Chamber of Grinding – Wealthy men who do no good and waste food are ground into powder in this chamber.
  3. Chamber of Flames – People who steal, plunder, rob and cheat are sent here to be burnt.
  4. Chamber of Ice – Children who ill-treat their parents and elders are sent here to be frozen in ice.
  5. Chamber of Oil Cauldrons – Sex offenders such as rapists, lechers, adulterers are fried in oil in this chamber. A sex offender is a person who has been criminally charged and convicted of or has pled guilty to or pled Nolo contendere to a Sex crime.
  6. Chamber of Dismemberment by Sawing – Kidnappers and people who force good women into prostitution suffer the fate of being sawn in this chamber.
  7. Chamber of Dismemberment by Chariot – Corrupt officials and landlords who oppress and exploit the people are dismembered by a chariot in this chamber.
  8. Chamber of Mountain of Knives – People who cheat customers by earning more than they should, profiteers who jack up prices and cheat on the quality of goods are made to shed blood by climbing the mountain of knives.
  9. Chamber of Tongue Ripping – Gossips who stir trouble and liars suffer the fate of having their tongues ripped out in this chamber.
  10. Chamber of Pounding – Cold-blooded murderers are pounded in this chamber.
  11. Chamber of Torso-severing – Scheming and ungrateful men have their torsos severed in this chamber.
  12. Chamber of Scales – Crooks who oppress the innocent, people who cheat on the quality of goods and daughters-in-law who ill-treat their in-laws have hooks pierced into their body and hung upside down.
  13. Chamber of Eye-gouging – Peeping toms who go around peeking and leering have their eyeballs gouged out in this chamber.
  14. Chamber of Heart-digging – People with evil hearts have theirs dug out in this chamber.
  15. Chamber of Disembowelment – Instigators, hypocrites and tomb-robbers have their bowels dug out in this chamber.
  16. Chamber of Blood – Blasphemous crooks who show no respect to the gods suffer the fate of being skinned in this chamber.
  17. Chamber of Maggots – Crooks who use loopholes in the law to cheat and engage in malpractice are being eaten alive by maggots in this chamber.
  18. Chamber of Avici – Crooks who have committed heinous crimes, brought misery to the people and betrayed the ruler are placed on a platform above an inferno. In Buddhism Avīci ( Sanskrit and Pali: "without waves" also transliterated Avichi, Japanese and Chinese language: The unlucky ones fall off the platform into the inferno and burn while the lucky ones remain on the platform. These spirits are never to be reincarnated.

Alternate names in Chinese language

Among the more common names for the Underworld are (the most common ones near the top):

And terminologies related to hell:

See also

External links

For the spanish municipality see Obón. or just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased Spirits The Ghost Festival ( is a traditional Chinese Festival and Holiday, which is celebrated by Chinese in many countries Hell bank notes are a special and more modern form of Joss paper, an Afterlife monetary paper offering used in traditional Kṣitigarbha is a Bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism, usually depicted as a Buddhist monk in The Orient. Maudgalyayana ( Pali: Moggallāna also known as Mahamaudgalyayana or Mahamoggallāna, was one of the Buddha Shakyamuni 's closest disciples Meng Po ( is the Lady of Forgetfulness in Chinese mythology. Literally means Old Lady Meng Meng Po serves in Di Yu, the Chinese realm of the dead Ox-Head ( and Horse-Face ( are two fearsome guardians of the Underworld in Chinese mythology where the dead face judgement (and punishment prior to reincarnation Naraka नरक ( Sanskrit) or Niraya निरय ( Pāli) ( Ch 那落迦 (variant 捺落迦 Nàlùojiā or 地獄 Dì Yama is the name of the Buddhist Dharmapala and judge of the dead who presides over the Buddhist Narakas ( Pāli: Nirayas "Hells"
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