In Biblical times, legend had it that Gehennathe valley of Hinnom supposedly housed apostates and idol-worshippers led by the kings of Judah, who sacrificed their own children by fire. Once a garbage dump that constantly burned, today in Israel, you can still visit Gehenna, located at the base of Mount Zion in an idyllic valley near the old city of Jerusalem. Of course the Judeo-Christian tradition already had its own hell, originally called Gehenna or Hinnom an actual historical place that people feared and avoided. Gradually this time-worn concept of Hel as a permanent, real place of eternal damnation and suffering took significant hold in the folklore of the far-flung lands the Vikings invaded and conquered, and spread widely.Įventually the mythological pagan Hel slowly transferred itself into Christian theology and its vocabulary as Europe Christianized over several centuries. The Norse God Odin appointed her to rule over vast mansions of Hel in a part of the kingdom called Niflheim, an icy cold abode of the dead fed by frozen rivers of tears. In the Norse myths, a female demon named Hel the daughter of the trickster Loki presided over the place of the same name.
So the ancient curse Go to Hel originated from the Vikings, who had the alarming idea that the only honorable death could come in combat. The Anglo-Saxons used the Old English words hel and helle to refer to the world of the dead.Īs I investigated the stories about hell, I realized something that surprised me, and might surprise you, too the concept of hell doesnt come from religion as much as it does from the mythic traditions.Īccording to Norse mythology, you went to Hel when you died of sickness or old age as opposed to dying nobly as a warrior in battle, which earned you a one-way ticket to Valhalla, the hall of the chosen dead. Several other languages have a similar word, generally used to describe a place no one would want to go. So I wondered: Where does the concept of hell come from, anyway Looking into the history of Hades, I soon learned that my ancient Viking ancestors saw Hel in Old Norse its spelled with only one L as a frozen wasteland rather than a fiery abyss.Ī kindly reference librarian showed me that the contemporary English word hell comes from either the Old Norse or proto-German word hel. Then, curious and a little fascinated, I tried to rid my own soul of the idea. I left the Lutheran church at the age of twelve, rejecting any God who would send souls to an eternal torture chamber named Hell. Service Life Justice Culture History Science News Spirituality Religion SEARCH field required Never miss an article Sign up for our newsletter and get all our latest content Sign up Thanks for Subscribing Check your email for the latest from Dismiss David Langness The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Bahai Faith. How do I become Bahai Religion The Myths of Hell and Eternal Damnation David Langness ptitleThe Myths of Hell and Eternal Damnation.
GOT IT About Us The Bahai Faith Video Podcasts Events Join Our Newsletter login login CAMBIAR A Espaol The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Bahai Faith. The official website of the Bahais of the United States can be found here:. The King James version, first published in 1611, attempted to come up with one official Bible, originally composed of various chapters from many different Koine Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic sources. Eternal Damnation Postal 2 By derbcontleco1984 Follow | Public
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