Teaching Mythology Episode 14 Transcript: The Truth About the Greek Underworld

Listen to the Episode or Read the Show Notes Here.

Well, I’m back. If you’re listening to this in real-time. You know that I’ve been gone for a couple of months. To be honest, it’s been a rough fall for teachers. If you’re listening to this after the fact. It is currently December of 2021. And my last podcast episode was on the Fall Equinox, September 21st, 2021. 

[00:00:40] I don’t want to go into too much detail. 

[00:00:42] But. 

[00:00:43] I’m currently. Dealing with book banning in my State. Our own district policing and banning books within our own district. And part of my job is to help support the other English teachers as a coach. In our district. And so it’s been a lot of emotional meetings, a lot of emotional days. 

[00:01:08] A lot of fear. So I needed to really focus on work and my personal life and my own mental health. Before I could record some more episodes. So. I’ve decided that I’m just going to record episodes whenever I want. And then I’ll upload them. And so it might not be a weekly podcast episode. And it might come out more than once a week. 

[00:01:33] That’s okay. 

[00:01:34] So today we’re going to talk about the truth about the Greek underworld. And. This is something that I think we have a real misconception of what the Greek underworld was like. And most of that comes from a Christian influence of a belief that this is hell. And that Mount Olympus or where the gods live in heaven. 

[00:02:01] But that’s really not what the Greek underworld was like. Now in my classes, we always do an assignment. That is the map of the underworld and students read passages about the underworld or descriptions about the underworld. And then create a map of the underworld. Now I get them started. I give them kind of The basic outlay of what the underworld is. And what’s really interesting is that. Every time you read a description of the underworld, it’s going to be described just a little bit differently. And so what’s kind of fun is I have students who try to. 

[00:02:40] Find this map online and copy it because. They have such a hard time picturing. What the underworld would look like or where things are in the underworld. So in the assignment, they read this. Then they put symbols on the map of where things are and then define what those are On a chart. 

[00:03:02] So I thought today I would walk you through. The underworld as if We had just died and we’re going To the underworld ourselves as if we’re in the ancient Greeks. 

[00:03:17] Okay. So the first thing you need to know is that the ancient Greeks, they believed that the underworld was literally Underneath the earth. And there are cults dedicated to Hades and groups of people who worshiped Hades and the archeologists have found places Caves They go deep into the earth, where there are symbols for Hades and the underworld. 

[00:03:41] That they would go there to worship him. So this is not a satanic sort of thing. Remember that. 

[00:03:51] We are all, I think as human beings, we’re all fascinated of Concerned with what happens after we die. So this kind of cult and dedication to Hades Was just this. So According to the myths, There are only two people who know the way to the underworld. And that would be Hades and Hermes. And one of Hermes’ jobs was to escort the dead down into the underworld. Well, it’s a really funny thing in the myths, because there are a whole lot of people who make it to the underworld. 

[00:04:27] And in most of those myths Hermes shows up to help them. To name a few Hercules, Psyche, Orpheus. These are all people who go down into the underworld for various reasons. And those are by no, no means the only people who go down. There are several great rivers in the underworld. So the first is Oceanus, which is actually the outer river. And really it’s a great stream or an ocean, but in the ancient Greek world, they never traveled outside of the Mediterranean area. It’s one thing that makes Hercules so great as that he’s the first person to Go outside of the Mediterranean.  

[00:05:15] This is probably what we consider now, the Mediterranean sea. And it’s on the outer border of the underworld. Now. In this outer border, You will also have where the fates live And where Medusa lives. So they’re on the edges Of this land and they call it the land of Twilight. Right. There’s really no sun. It’s dark it’s Misty, those sorts of things. And they kind of live between two worlds, the world of the living in the world of the dead. 

[00:05:48] The other thing you should know about Oceanus is it’s described as winding about the earth and sea with nine rings, but it’s also an underground river, right? So. They really didn’t have this idea or really knowledge of what the world was like. 

[00:06:05] Next you have the river Styx. And it’s known as the river of hate. This is also a primordial figure. And the river Styx to said to be a daughter of Oceanus. Right. And this is where mythology gets kind of weird. Where sometimes things are described as gods or humanlike, and sometimes they are elements or places. 

[00:06:29] Just like Tartarus. So the Styx branches out from Oceanus and it flows out of a rock to form this 10th ring. Then there are five rivers within the underworld that create physical barriers in it. The first is Acheron, which is the LA river of lamentation. Cocytus, which is the river of whoa. 

[00:06:58] Lethe which is the river of forgetfulness. Phlegethon. Which is the river fire. And then we have Styx, right. Which is the river of unbreakable oath and hate. So. The river Styx is probably the most Well known river and the underworld it’s mentioned the most because you have to cross the river Styx. 

[00:07:24] To. Get into the underworld. And so what’s interesting is that sometimes in the myths, they refer to the underworld as the underworld, and sometimes you refer to it as. The land of Hades or they’ll just call it. Hades. So. What happens when you come down into the underworld? You’ll actually first pass. 

[00:07:47] What’s known as the white rock. And we don’t know a whole lot about it, but it’s, it’s like a landmark. And then you pass underneath the gates of the sun. And this is where you move into a darkness or Twilight. 

[00:08:04] And then you will hit the land of dreams. Not a lot of description about that one either until you hit the Asphodel fields. Now The Asphodel fields is where you live as a spirit without any existence. Or you’re shadow or a Phantom. It’s not a place of punishment because you’re actually not in the underworld yet. You haven’t crossed the river Styx. But the people who go there. Are the people who did not receive a proper burial. 

[00:08:40] So in the ancient Greek culture, the reason why they were often buried, where they were supposed to be buried with coins over their eyes. Is that those coins would go with them into the underworld and they could pay. Charon. To ferry them across the river Styx. So if you weren’t buried properly, You were stuck in the Asphodel fields for a hundred years, wandering around as a shadow. 

[00:09:07] Now this wasn’t a great place. This is where grief, anxiety, disease, hunger, death. Agony. Sleep. Guilty joys, discord, all of these live here. And this is also where you see. Medusa or the Gorgons and other various monsters, like the harpies or the chimera the Hydra. And they even say centaurs. Can live in this land. So. It’s not a great place to be. Now if you’re lucky and you did get buried with coins. Then you have the ability to cross the river Styx and Charon. will take you there. He’s often known as the ferryman. To ferry you across this river. Now. Charon is described as Filthy eyes like jets of fire and an unkempt beard dirty cloak. And really, he looks kind of like A grim Reaper figure. 

[00:10:19] So once you cross the river Styx. You will see the gates of Hades There for you. And a front of the gates of Hades is Cerberus. He is Hades the God, he’s his pet with three heads. It’s a three-headed dog With a tail of a dragon And on the back of his heads are snakes. I think we’ve kind of made him Nicer and softer, maybe it’s Harry Potter that did it. I’m not sure, but. He really is quite a monster. 

[00:10:55] Now If you are being ferried. Across the river. And you are dead. He will let you pass. By him. With. 

[00:11:07] With no problems. But in some myths, as humans go down into the underworld or heroes, go down into the underworld. They have to appease Cerberus in some way. So. Hercules’. Actually gave him. A piece of cake and honey. With, like some kind of sedative in it. Orpheus. Plays a song, right? He plays his lyre. He falls asleep. 

[00:11:34] So. You know he’s kind of like that last guardian. Hopefully to prevent any living souls from coming into the underworld. 

[00:11:43] So once you pass the gates of Hades, you’re going to enter. The plain of judgment. 

[00:11:50] So in this plain. You will be divided. You will either go to the left to Tartarus. Or to the right to the Elysium fields. Or to The isle of the blest. 

[00:12:07] So. At the plain of judgment. There are three people there to judge you. One is. Aeacus. The king of Aegina. The second is Minos. The king of Crete. And the third is Radamanthys who was the brother of Minos. Now. Aeacus is, said to judge those who come from Europe. Rhadamanthus, judge those from Asia and. 

[00:12:38] Minos makes the final decision. 

[00:12:41] So you kind of get a two-step judgment and these are you’re being judged by. Former humans, right. Not Hades. Which is really interesting that in, in the Greek belief, you are going to be judged by someone who also lived on earth. You are not going to be judged by the gods. Once you pass that judgment, you will either go left or right. 

[00:13:05] If you go right, you will actually pass under the palace of Hades. To the Elysian fields. 

[00:13:12] So in Elysium. Those people who make it there were. Honorable people. It’s it’s the Greek idea of heaven it’s described as a wonderful place where everything’s delightful. There are soft green Meadows and groves and life-giving air and sunlight. And they say the sunlight glowed to soft purple and everyone’s happy and peaceful. 

[00:13:37] There’s music playing on pipes and lyres and banquets and feasts for whoever lives there. Sounds like a pretty great place to go. Right. 

[00:13:48] So. 

[00:13:49] Rhadamanthys actually rules kind of over this place. These are for good and great men heroes, poets, priests. Those who helped other people. It’s a dwelling place for mortals who found favor with the gods. . Now beyond the Elysian fields. You could cross the river Lethe. . And the river Lethe is the river of. 

[00:14:12] Forgetfulness. And you could be reborn. And go back to earth. Now. 

[00:14:20] This is something that they believe that only the greatest heroes. Did. 

[00:14:26] And if you went back to earth and you were again, found. Good and. Wonderful. And you earned your way back into the Elysian fields. You could then do it again. If you earned your way into the Elysian fields the next time, like three times. Then. That third time you earned your way back in, you would have lived three lives, basically. 

[00:14:52] And you cross the river Lethe, you would actually go across the river to the Isles of the Blest. And this is a special place. Really just for heroes. And there isn’t a lot. That we know about it, but. If the Elysium fields are described so beautifully. Then the isle of the blessed is even more, even more beautiful, even more God-like existence. 

[00:15:21] But we don’t know much about it. So that’s, if you were great. If you were not great. 

[00:15:27] Then you would actually. 

[00:15:30] Go to the . Left. You would cross the river Phlegethon. And enter Tartarus. Now there are gates at the beginning of Tartarus. And these gates. are. Described as being like huge pillars of solid. adamantin. And not even the gods could break this gate. At the top of each tower. Entering into Tartarus sits that Erinye Tisiphone Which is really like, Guards. And. Tisiphone 

[00:16:10] was one of the Erinyes or the Furries right. And her two sisters Alecto and Megaera are also there. So you have this. Huge. Metal gate with an indestructible metal and at the top are the three Furries. Now. These three Furries. are scary. Super scary. And they’re described different ways with like bat wings and, you know, 

[00:16:42] Horrible faces and claws like Eagles and. They’re just there. They’re scary. They’re scary. Broads. Each one of these sisters would kind of focus on punishing. Different crimes. So the people went to Tartarus committed one of these crimes. So. The first one, Tisiphone, she punished murders, pear parricide fratricide and homicide. 

[00:17:08] Alectco is in charge of what they call moral crimes. Like anger. Especially moral crimes against other people. And then Megaera. Is the one who punishes those who have jealousy. envy marital infidelity. . So. These three monsters are there and then. If you go to Tartarus then you are. 

[00:17:36] Punished. For the rest of your days. So when we talk about future. Myths. Or for example, we talked about Sisyphus he had to push the rock up the hill that was within Tartarus. And. 

[00:17:51] It’s an is not a place that you want. 

[00:17:55] And they believe that you would be. In one of these four places for eternity. So really. I think of the underworld is really having five main areas. You have the fields of Asphodel. You have the plain of judgment. You have the Elysian fields. And then across the river Lethe, you have the Isles of the Blest. 

[00:18:19] And then you have Tartarus on the other side of Phlegathon. 

[00:18:22] so this is the underworld and. 

[00:18:25] I know when we think of Hades. We think of him living in darkness, but his palace remember is on the way to the Elysian fields. You actually pass. Under his palace to get there. And I. I mean, it’s never stated, but I believe his palace. Is located so near the Elysian fields that he has sunlight and. 

[00:18:48] Trees and flowers and groves. And remember Persephone. Lives with him in the underworld for six months out of the year. People always question how she could stay there. And In my last episode, we talked about the two myths surrounding Persephone and why we have seasons. 

[00:19:06] I didn’t mention this in that episode, because I knew I was going to be doing this one next. That. 

[00:19:11] It’s not a horrible dark. Evil place. It’s light and beautiful. It’s heaven, there’s feasts. And. Song. And music. And fresh air or life giving air is how it’s described. Right. So when we talk about the underworld and when we talk about Hades, I think we too often. Put a westernized Christian view. 

[00:19:39] On the underworld and we focus so much on Tartarus that we forget about these beautiful places. There are also in the underworld. And I wonder sometimes if that’s a metaphor for our lives. That we focus so much on the negative. And not as much on the positive we have this. You know, fatality focusing. 

[00:20:03] Instinct within us. So there’s the Underworld. A short description of it. If you’re interested in doing the map of the underworld with your students, I’m going to link it below for you. I will warn you that I have students who described this as the hardest assignment they have ever had to do in high school. 

[00:20:26] Which is totally crazy to me. But I think it’s because it’s not told in order. There’s a lot of details they have to sift through. And also students don’t know. How to like, read for detail anymore and read. To picture. So usually I have to walk them through the first paragraph of the passage that we read. 

[00:20:52] And they have the map and I have the first two landmarks. Ready for them to go. It’s like giving directions. 

[00:20:59] And so then I start. With the passage. And this is how it says, this is how it reads. Between the world of the living and the dead there are in a said, great rivers and dreads streams. First greatest and outermost is Oceanus which winds about the earth and sea with nine rings. But it’s also a subterranean river. 

[00:21:23] And then. I like walk them through and we find it on our map. They label it. And. We move through. The underworld. And I will do one paragraph with them. And then they’re on their own. So I usually do spend a whole class period on this. I let them work in teams or by themselves. And. They create codes for their maps. It’s really kind of amazing. 

[00:21:52] What they are able to do. But it’s hard. So. It’s a good exercise. It’s a different way of reading text and. Learning about the underworld rather than just, you know, me standing up and telling them stories or reading myths. So. Check it out. I think it’s really cool. 

[00:22:14]