Exploring the Underworlds: A Comparative Look at Hades, Hel, and Naraka

What do we imagine when we hear the word “underworld”? Is it a fiery prison? A shadowy realm of spirits? Or a vast landscape shaped by karma?

Across ancient civilizations, the underworld was never just a place of torment. It was part of the soul’s journey—a reflection of beliefs, fears, and hopes.

In this article, we are exploring the underworlds of three major mythologies: Hades in Greek lore, Hel in Norse legend, and Naraka in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Each offers a window into how cultures saw death, justice, and what lies beyond.

Understanding these realms isn’t about believing in them literally. It’s about understanding the people who did—and how these myths continue to echo in art, religion, and philosophy today.

Hades: The Structured Realm Beneath Ancient Greece

For the Greeks, death wasn’t a final stop—it was a relocation. The underworld of Hades was meticulously organized, not just a pit of despair.

This subterranean kingdom had rivers, judges, sections for heroes, and punishment zones for the wicked. It wasn’t chaotic. It was a divine bureaucracy.

Hades, the god, ruled this realm with fairness, not cruelty. He wasn’t the Greek equivalent of the devil—he was more like a custodian of souls. His name became synonymous with the land itself.

Entry into Hades began with the River Styx. Charon, the skeletal ferryman, demanded a coin for safe passage—often buried with the dead. From there, the soul faced judgment. Those who lived virtuously entered the Elysian Fields, a paradise of rest.

Those with average lives wandered the Asphodel Meadows. But those who committed severe wrongs were condemned to Tartarus—a pit reserved for eternal punishment.

Despite its divisions, Hades wasn’t about endless torment. It was balance. A space for everyone, good or bad, to meet their fate.

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Hel: The Cold Embrace of Norse Finality

Where Greek myth organized the dead into a cosmopolitan spiritual city, Norse myth offered a bleaker, colder vision.

Hel, both the goddess and the place, governed the dead who didn’t die in battle. Those warriors went to Valhalla. But those who perished from illness, age, or accident ended up in Hel.

Hel the goddess was the daughter of Loki. She was half-living, half-dead—her body split down the middle. Her realm reflected this duality.

Located deep in Niflheim, Hel’s domain was not burning with fire but shrouded in mist, ice, and silence. It was neither heaven nor hell as we imagine them—it was something in between.

This place was not built on punishment. It was a place of shadows and remembrance. The souls rested, and while some myths suggest discomfort, others imply a neutral existence. The ambiguity is striking. For the Norse, death was complex.

Only those who died in valor found glory. The rest were simply forgotten—faded memories in the chill of Helheim.

Naraka: The Rotating Hells of Karma

Hinduism and Buddhism both describe a system of underworlds known as Naraka. But unlike Hades or Hel, Naraka isn’t final. It’s temporary—a station, not a destination. It’s a place where souls work off karma before reincarnation.

There are many Narakas. Some texts list 28, each with unique torments tailored to specific sins. For example, lying might send you to a pit of hot coals. Killing a cow could mean drowning in blood. But after suffering, the soul eventually moves on. Unlike the eternal damnation of Western models, Naraka is cyclical.

Yama, the god of death, is the ruler and judge. He reads each soul’s deeds and assigns punishment accordingly. His role is not evil—it’s judicial. He maintains moral balance in the universe.

The concept of Naraka reflects a worldview where cause and effect guide even the afterlife. Pain serves a purpose, and time offers redemption.

Morality and the Afterlife: What These Realms Teach Us

In every culture, the underworld reflects values. For the Greeks, it was about order and reward. For the Norse, about honor and fate. For Hindus and Buddhists, about responsibility and transformation. These realms weren’t created to scare—they were maps for living.

If you were a Greek, living well meant moderation and virtue. A Norse warrior aimed for bravery and strength. A Hindu or Buddhist focused on karma—every action weighed with spiritual consequence.

Even in their differences, each system offers guidance: be just, be brave, be mindful.

These underworlds were ethical landscapes. Their gods were reflections of cosmic order, not moral absolutes. And their punishments? Mirrors held up to human behavior.

Cultural Depictions: From Temples to Movies

These underworlds didn’t remain confined to ancient scrolls. They continue to inspire art, architecture, and popular culture.

In Greece, temples were built above caverns believed to be entrances to Hades. Oracles claimed to speak with the dead. Today, Greek mythology still inspires literature and cinema, with Hades often portrayed as a misunderstood antihero.

In Scandinavia, Hel’s image persists in Gothic aesthetics and even modern fantasy franchises. From Marvel’s Hela to video games like God of War, her cold dominion fascinates audiences with its bleak beauty.

Naraka, too, appears in temple carvings throughout India and Southeast Asia. Walls depict scenes of Yama’s court and the torments of sinners—not just to warn, but to remind visitors of the karmic path.

Modern media may reshape these myths, but their roots hold. Their endurance shows how deeply we still wrestle with death, justice, and what lies beneath.

Can These Myths Coexist in Today’s Beliefs?

We live in a global world. Eastern and Western stories often collide, mix, or coexist. What happens when someone believes in reincarnation but is fascinated by the River Styx? Or when a child in Sweden learns about both Hel and Naraka?

These myths are no longer isolated. They’ve become part of a collective human narrative. Rather than contradicting each other, they add layers of meaning. They show us that death, and what follows, has never had a single answer.

Instead of asking which myth is “correct,” we ask what each teaches. What does it mean to die well? To live honorably? To prepare for the unknown?

These stories don’t close doors. They open them—into mystery, ethics, and human imagination.

Questions About Exploring the Underworlds

1. Are Hades, Hel, and Naraka similar in their purpose?
Yes. Each serves as a spiritual realm for souls after death, but their structure and purpose differ by culture and belief.

2. Is Naraka considered a permanent hell?
No. Unlike Hades or Hel, Naraka is temporary. Souls are eventually reborn after working off their karma.

3. Was Hades seen as evil in Greek mythology?
No. Hades was more a neutral ruler of the dead than a malevolent god. He ensured order, not suffering.

4. Why do only some souls go to Hel in Norse mythology?
Hel receives those who die of natural causes. Warriors go to Valhalla or Fólkvangr, seen as more honorable afterlives.

5. Do these myths still influence modern culture?
Absolutely. Books, movies, games, and even art installations draw on these mythologies to explore death and morality.

Victor Sousa 30 de May de 2025