* Abaddon (various origins) - angel of death and destruction, demon of the abyss, chief of destruction of the underworld. Hebrew for the Greek name Apollyon. (ANGEL.1)
* Aituá - Maori god of Death. First born of Rangi and Papa (DPOLY.5)
* Ammut (egypt) - Devouress of the dead in underworld - a monster goddess - head of crocodile, body of lion/leopard, rear of hippo. Devoured the hearts of those who's hearts had not balanced with a feather and worthy for the afterlife, other parts of the soul disintegrated. (ME.66)
* Anubis (Egyptian) - Jackal headed god of death. Known for Enbalming and guarding tombs.When introduced to the Greeks, he became HermAnubis. (Identified w/ Hermes) (DM.24)
* Azrael - Islamic angel of Death (DM.40)
* Cihuateteo - ancient mexico - "horrific" warrior goddess representing women who had died in childbirth. (MEX.120)
* The Crone and later Cronus - Mother/Father time. The crone is the one that cuts the string of life. (the maiden spins the thread, the mother measures it, the crone cuts it) (WDS.154)
* Dis - God of Death (in Romanized Gaul) (WDS.463)
* Enodia - Goddess ruling the gates of death, possibly another name for Persephone. (WDS.137)
* Erebus (see places)
* Erra (see Nergal)
* Hades - Greek god of the underworld. (Roman: Dis, Orcus, Pluto) Rules the realm of death. Son of Cronus, brother of Zeus. Husband of Persephone. Is gloomy, stern, and deaf to appeals (no sacrifices were offered) (DM.24)
* Hecate - Queen of Underworld. The plant wolfbane/monkshed sacred to her. (WDS.448)
* Hel - Norse Goddess of the underworld. Dwelled in Nifleheim and in her kingdom were 9 levels reserved for those who died of different things or needing punishment. (according to the dictonart of mythology source i used, "her body has lividness of death and her countenance is forbiddin. Her hall called Eliudnir (den of sleet). She is waited on by Delay and Slowness. Also by the names of Holle, Hella, Halja, Hilde, Hol. (DM.119) Underground Earth Mother - her "firey eye always saw the truth. Mortal thoughts could not be consealed." (WDS.50)
* Hermes - Conducted souls of the dead to Hades (Greek) (DM.124.125)
* Morgan (Celtic) - Death Goddess. The pentacle was sacred to her. Pentacles were carried on blood red shields in her honor. (WDS.72)
* Nergal (or Erra) - Mesopotamian god of death/underworld (ME.96)
* Nut - Egyptian goddess of the sky. (WDS.22) Swallowed the sun each evening and gave birth to it at dawn. In funerary symbolism, she provides sustenance for the dead (check source) (see sky)
* Osiris (egyptian) - Lord of the underworld, god of the dead. Son of Earth and sky. brother and husband of Isis. Is the Judge of the underworld. (DM.198)
* Persephone (Greek, or Prosperpina - Roman) Goddess of fertility and death. Wife of Hades. Consented to her abduction by eating pomegranate seeds. Stays in underworld part time, the other time above. Vegitation stops when she is away. (because of her mother Demeter's sadness/anger) (DM.209)
* Pluto - Roman god of the Underworld (DM.217)
* Plutus - personifies wealth. Sometimes called Pluto because he came from underground. (DM.217) (like gems, gold, precious stones and minerals, also found underground)
* Saturn - Roman version of Cronus (father time, carrying lunar scythe) - and also used for an undeworld god. (WDS.154)
* Styx - A nymph of the river by the same name. (DM) Also, helped Demeter find her daughter Persephone. (check source) (DM.243)
* Thanatos - Greek personification of death. Son of Night and brother of Sleep. Hated by the gods. (DM.251)
* Ullr (norse) - an aspect of odin as death god in the winter - residing in the Yew Valley. (UNKNOWN)
* Yama (Hinduism) - In early vedic text, yama ruled an afterlife realm - the deceased enjoyed carnal pleasures. Jewish angel of death - (malakh ha - mavet_ At fisty under command of God. Our idea of an angel of death develops in post bibilical literature. Death is seen in different ways (evil, stupid, or benevolent) (ANGEL.20)
Creatures/Beings/People
* Banshee fae woman - Her wailing warns of, brings, or is a lamentation of death. (DM.42)
* Cerberus (greek) - 3 headed dog guarding the entrance to the lower world. Sometimes described with serpent tail and mane of serpents. (DM.54) Wolfbane/Monkshed said to have come from the saliva. (WDS.448)
* Dogs had mortuary symbolism in ancient mexico. (MEX.58)
* Garm - (norse) Dog snarling - guarding gates to Hel (DM.102)
* The Grim Reaper - (from medieval mystery plays) - wears skeleton suit and mask. His scyth cuts down just and unjust alike. (WDS.154)
* manes (origin?) - spirits of dead. needing proper fulfillment rites/ obligations or they may become vindictive. (DM.166)
* Myrrhophores - Pagan death priestesses, bearers of myrrh.(WDS.467)
* Owl - (olmec, ancient mexico) Owl are messangers of the lords of the underworld. (MEX.80)
* Sirens - half women, half birds, their song lured men to their deaths. They lived on islands near Scylla and Charybolis.(DM.238)
Places, Geographical Elements
* Acheron - (classical) River of Woe (DM.2) - at times used for a general name for the underworld.
* Amelo - The lowest diversion in Po, the Polynesian underworld. Amelo is where the soul becomes non-existant. (DPOLY.9)
* Avernus - Formerly believed to be the entrance to the underworld. Is actually a lake in the crater of an extinct volcano west of Naples. got reputation because its vapors would kill birds. (DM.40)
* Caves and caverns - in ancient mexico, caves were thought to be entrances to the underworld. (MEX.79)
* Cocytus - (classical) River of lamentation (DM.60)
* Eliudnir - (den of Sleet) The hall of Hel, the Norse goddess of the Underworld.(DM.119)
* Elysium (classical) - Elysium fields. Island of the blessed. "resting wearly limbs at last in beds of asphodel" Sometimes part of Hades, sometimes not. (DM.81)
* Erebus - Mysterious darkness under Earth - Sprung from chaos. The dead had to pass through to reach the realm of Pluto. Charon is the son of Erebus. (DM.84)
* Land of Hades - The greek underworld - not a place of punishment or pleasure, just endless dull.(DM.113)
* Helheim - world of the dead in Norse myth. (WDS.71)
* Lethe - (classical) River of Oblivion (DM.158)
* Phlegethon - (classical) River of fire flowed into Acheron (DM.214)
* Po - Polynesian underworld. The lowest diversion is Amelo, where the soul becomes nonexistant. (DPOLY.9)
* Styx - River of hate - wove 5 times around the underworld. Also a nymph of the river. (DM.243)
* Tamoanchan - Mayan - land of rain or mist (MEX.61) The paradise inhabited by gods and ancestors of humans. (MEX.18)
* Tuat Possibly Egyptian Underground (check source WDS.77)
* Yew Valley - (norse) abode of Odin as the Death God in winter, in his aspect "Ullr" (UNKNOWN)
Plants and Minerals
* Asphodel - little flower with greyish leaves - (see afterlife) - associated with death and immortality. Greek symbol of the underworld. Persephone wore garland of Asphodel. Hades wandered in Asphodel meadows. (WDS.424)
* Myrtle - (greek) worshippers of Adonis believed a wand of Myrtle could be used to communicate with the god of the dead (WDS.449)
* Myrrh - used by Egyptians in mummification process.see Myrrhophores.(WDS.467)
* Periwinkle - 'flower of death' used as a garland around ondemned criminals on their way to death. Previously placed on sacrificial animals (Rome) (WDS.432)
* Poppy - Death and Sleep. Demeter as death goddess with Poppies at Etruscan island of the souls of the dead - pictured with poppy decorations. (WDS.432)
* Wolfbane/ Monkshed - sacred plants to Hecate. Also said to have come from Cerebus's saliva. (WDS.448)
Objects
* Nagelfar (Norse) ghost ship made from dead men's nails - will bring ghosts to Ragnarok. (DM.180)
* clay pots - incised with human face represent the soul of the dead or the deity of the dead souls. (WDM.150)
* scyth - held by the Grim Reaper, cuts down just and unjust alike. (WDS.154)
* Gates of Death - common symbol, also for birth. Enodia was an underworld goddess ruling the gates of death, possibly another name for Persephone. (WDS.137)
* Keys mystical symbol of knowledge about the afterlife. In Lonia, (Ionia?) Iron keys were buried with the dead to unlock the gates of the underworld (WDS.140.141)
* Sword - symbol of doom. (death). The sword of Damocles - hanging over ones head - ceremonial beheadings. Tarot swords and spades in a deck of cards also represent doom. (see war)(WDS.30)
* Wells - Formerly sacred (in the British Isles) to underground goddess Hel and celtic counterparts, Morgan and Brigit. (WDS.163)
Symbols
*
Black Sun - Symbolizes Underworld Gods. The sun's dark twin brother. (see dark, sun) (WDS.3.4)*
Greek Letter Omega = "The End"(WDS.9)*
Eye of Horus (i need better description)*
Earth Diamond or eyes of fire in Nordic tradition (see the goddess HEL)- a diamond shape - the points are connected by a cross line through the middle. (WDS.50)*
Wheel Underworld sign in Egyptian Hierogliphics. (underworld = 'tuat') (WDS.77)*
Pentacle - sacred to Celtic Death goddess Morigan. the symbol was carried on a blood red shield in her honor. (WDS.72)*
Pluto symbol for Pluto, combination of P and L. (WDS.217)Other Concepts
* The 4 Elements as Ways to Dispose of the body. fire - cremation, air - exposure to carrion birds, water - sinking in waters, earth - burial (WDS.6)
DEATH POPCULTURE!
* Music Therion (epic dark metal, goth, chorus band) uses death mythology themes in their music.
More to come in this section.