Questions tagged [afterlife]
For questions about what a being may encounter after death, such as a heaven, hell, or underworld.
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What cultural significance and symbolism lie behind the ancestor figures in Osage Native American afterlife beliefs?
In the 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon, based on the non-fiction book of the same name, there's a poignant scene that depicts the final moments of Lizzie Q, an Osage Native American, as she lies ...
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Origin of Folk-Belief that the Faithful Dead become Angels
There is a common folk-belief among Christians that the faithful dead become angels.
As noted in this related question, this belief is not only unsubstantiated by scripture, but seemingly contradicted ...
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What is the original ancient Egyptian names for the "Book of Two Ways"?
After much research, I am asking for help with this matter. I can find no reverse translation for the "Book of Two Ways." Is it like the "Book of the Dead," a modern convenience ...
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Why do Mormons believe they will become gods when they die?
The LDS scriptures declare that the ultimate goal of a Mormon is to become a god and procreate for all eternity in their own worlds.
Why is the goal to become a god in their own world and rule over it?...
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What is the ancient Egyptian name for "The Book of Gates"?
The Book of Gates is an ancient Egyptian funerary text which describes the various bxn.t (gates), also known as a pylon (πυλών) in ancient Greek. I have been unable to find the full name of the Book ...
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Was Aaru considered part of the Duat (underworld) in ancient Egypt?
The sources I've found don't make a clear statement of whether Aaru was formally considered part of the Duat or distinct from it. I'm trying to understand if the deceased pass through the Duat and ...
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What is Tír Jovincon in Celtic Mythology?
In a song by Eluveitie, called "Black Water Dawn", we hear about a voyage across the sea, a journey to the Otherworld. At the end of the song the place Tír Jovincon is mentioned. The question is what ...
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What is the Native American term for Happy Hunting Ground?
The web has only the English term, or other European languages
(most of those translate to "eternal hunting land", rather than "happy"). Frustratingly, even native storytellers use the English ...
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Do all (or most) religions believe in the existence of an afterlife?
I'm talking about both modern and ancient religions that we know of.
Christianity -> Heaven, Hell
Greco Roman -> Hades
Egyptian -> Anubis, Osiris
among many others. Are there any exceptions to this ...
user5459
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Why are the three Judges of the Underworld Zeus's sons?
The Judges of the Dead in Greek Mythology are Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus.
Minos was a tyrant king of Crete. He made war with Athens because his son died there. He demanded 14 virgin youths, 7 ...
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What is the origin of the 'Light' as a ghost?
As a ghost (or after death), it is popularly believed that you will see a light and that light will take you to the afterlife. Where, and/or when, does this 'light' emerge in folklore's history?
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Did anyone make it to the Isles of the Blessed?
The Isles of the Blessed, also called the Fortunate Isles, was a place heroes went if they successfully were allowed entrance to Elysium, or the Elysian Fields, three times (the Greek believed in ...
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Do humans become angels when they die?
Where does the belief that humans become angels after death come from?
Who (which groups) have this belief? Is it an idea from other religions that has been incorporated into Christian beliefs? Has ...
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Why were the lungs left inside the mummy of Herakleides, instead of the heart?
In ancient Egyptian mummies, the heart was the only organ that stayed in the body. This was because the heart would be weighed against the feather of Ma'at in the Hall of Two Truths.
The Romano-...
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What sources describe the rivers of the Underworld?
Many stories about the Greco-Roman Underworld mention the rivers flowing through it: the Styx, the Acheron, the Lethe, the Pyriphlegethon, the Cocytus, the Eridanus, and sometimes others.
Sources ...
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