Underworld Journeys: Christian, Jewish & Zoroastrian Legends

Mary has always been fascinated by the many different versions of the underworld in various myths, religions and cultures. What draws her to such texts most is how imaginative they are, how elaborately our human imagination works to avoid the ultimate unknown. Whatever our culture or moment in time, we create highly detailed worlds and beings, to fill in the yawning void of what happens to us after death. We do this to comfort ourselves, in a way, that death is not the end. It can also create a final arena where morality and justice prevail, which may be comforting, or not, depending on your beliefs and your version of yourself.

In the first session, Mary will be discussing Zoroastrian beliefs, and looking at early Christian and Jewish visions and apocalypses as important influences on medieval versions of the afterlife.  In the second talk, she will discuss various other medieval otherworld journeys and Dante's Inferno.