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{{short description|Legendary entrances to the underworld}}
{{About|supposed portals to the underworld from the surface of the earth|other uses|Gates of Hell (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2016}}
[[File:Gates of Hell at Fengdu Ghost City.JPG|right|thumb|300px|[[Fengdu Ghost City]]]]

The '''gates of hell''' are various places on the surface of the [[World (theology)|world]] that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the [[underworld]]. Often they are found in regions of unusual geological activity, particularly volcanic areas, or sometimes at lakes, caves, or mountains.

== Gates in the Greco-Roman world ==

Legends from both ancient Greece and Rome record stories of mortals who entered or were abducted into the [[underworld|netherworld]] through such gates. [[Aeneas]] visited the underworld, entering through a cave at the edge of [[Lake Avernus]] on the [[Bay of Naples]].<ref name="medieval culture">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3RtpCgAAQBAJ|title=Handbook of Medieval Culture|last=Classen|first=Albrecht|date=August 31, 2015|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG|isbn=978-3-11-026730-3|page=664|language=en}}</ref> Hercules entered the Underworld from this same spot. In the middle of the Roman Forum is another entrance, [[Lacus Curtius]], where according to legend, a Roman soldier named Curtius, bravely rode his horse into the entrance in a successful effort to close it, although both he and his horse perished in the deed.<ref>''The Marvels of Rome'' (New York: Italica Press, 1986).</ref>

[[Lerna]] Lake was one of the entrances to the Underworld.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Places/Lerna/lerna.html|title=Lerna|website=www.greekmythology.com|access-date=March 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gini-graham-scott/trump-and-the-many-headed_b_9545452.html|title=Trump and the Many Headed Monsters|website=The Huffington Post|date=March 25, 2016|access-date=March 28, 2016}}</ref>

[[Odysseus]] visited the Underworld, entering through river [[Acheron]] in northwest Greece.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=igrUAgAAQBAJ|title=History of Toxicology and Environmental Health: Toxicology in Antiquity|last=Wexler|first=Philip|date=May 22, 2014|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-800463-0|page=95|language=en}}</ref>

[[Orpheus]] traveled to the [[Greek underworld]] in search of [[Eurydice]] by entering a cave at [[Taenarum]] or Cape Tenaron on the southern tip of the [[Peloponnese]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2014/04/13/archeologists-discover-gates-of-hell-in-turkey/|title=Archeologists Discover 'Gates of Hell' in Turkey|website=JEWSNEWS|access-date=March 28, 2016|archive-date=April 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411204509/http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2014/04/13/archeologists-discover-gates-of-hell-in-turkey/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Pluto's Gate]], ''[[Ploutonion]]'' in [[Greek language|Greek]], ''Plutonium'' in [[Latin]], in modern-day [[Turkey]] unearthed by Italian archaeologists is said to be the entry gate to the Underworld; it is linked to the [[Classical mythology|Greco-Roman mythology and tradition]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/01/17554605-plutos-gate-to-hell-uncovered-in-turkey|title=Pluto's 'Gate to Hell' uncovered in Turkey|website=NBC News|access-date=March 28, 2016}}</ref>

Rivers [[Cocytus]], [[Lethe]], [[Phlegethon]] and [[Styx]] were also entrances to the Underworld.

The god [[Hades]] kidnapped the goddess [[Persephone]] from a field in [[Sicily]] and led her to the Underworld through a cleft in the earth so he could marry her.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mythmaniacs.com/homewk08.htm|title=Homework Page Eight|website=mythmaniacs.com|access-date=March 28, 2016}}</ref>

== Medieval gates ==
Into the [[Middle Ages]], [[Mount Etna]] in Sicily was considered to be an entryway to hell.<ref name="medieval culture" />

The gates of hell were commonly depicted as jaws, forming the [[Hellmouth]], which was simultaneously the entrance to hell and the mouth of a huge monster.

== Art ==
[[Auguste Rodin]] was commissioned to make a pair of bronze doors to symbolize the gates of hell. He received the commission on August 20, 1880, for a new art museum in Paris, to exhibit at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, which ultimately did not open; however in 1900, some of them were part of his first solo exhibition in Paris. Rodin spent seven years making the doors, with over 200 figures appearing on it. He was first inspired by Dante's [[Inferno (Dante)|''Inferno'']] but focused more on universal human emotions. During his lifetime the model was never cast and it was first cast in 1925. ''[[The Gates of Hell]]'' was described as one of the defining works of Rodin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rodinmuseum.org/collections/collectiontheme/4.html|title=Rodin Museum : The Collection|last=Museum|first=Rodin|website=www.rodinmuseum.org|access-date=March 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>Albert Alhadeff, [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3048395 "Rodin: A Self-Portrait in the Gates of Hell"] ''Art Bulletin'' 48(3/4)(September–December 1966): 393–395. doi: 10.2307/3048395</ref> Having hoped to exhibit his ''Gates'' at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, but probably too busy to finish them, the sculptor stopped working on them circa 1890.
<gallery class="center" caption="" widths="170" heights="220px">
File:Gates of Hell sculpture by Rodin; angled view from right.JPG|Rodin's sculpture at Stanford University, California
File:Simon Marmion (Flemish, active 1450 - 1489) - The Gates of Hell and Lucifer - Google Art Project.jpg|Simon Marmion (Flemish, active 1450{{ndash}}1489){{snds}}The Gates of Hell and Lucifer{{snds}}Google Art Project
File:Bomarzo2013parco21.jpg|[[Orcus]] mouth in the [[Gardens of Bomarzo]], c.1560
</gallery>

== Other gates ==
[[File:Darvasa_gas_crater_panorama.jpg|right|thumb|The Door to Hell, a burning natural gas field in [[Derweze]], [[Turkmenistan]].]]
[[File:Volcán Masaya.jpg|thumb|right|Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua, known locally as the ''mouth of hell''.]]
* In China, [[Fengdu]] has a long history in the [[Taoist]] tradition of being a portal to hell.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eeo.com.cn/ens/biz_commentary/2008/09/17/113876.html|title=Rebuilding a Ghost Town|website=www.eeo.com.cn|access-date=March 29, 2016}}</ref>
* In [[Derweze]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Darvaza gas crater|a burning natural gas fire]] in the middle of the [[Karakum Desert]] is known as the Door to Hell or [[Darvaza gas crater]].<ref>{{Cite web| url= https://www.vice.com/en/article/turkmenistan-has-its-very-own-gate-to-hell/|title=Turkmenistan Has Its Very Own 'Gate to Hell'| last= Bland| first= Stephen| date= 2014-04-08|website=Vice.com |language=en-us|access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref>
* According to [[Folklore in Hawaii|Hawaiian folklore]], [[Waipio Valley]] contains an entrance to the lower world, [[Lua-o-Milu]], which is now concealed with sand.<ref>{{cite book |last=Thrum |first=Thomas |title=Hawaiian Folk Tales |url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/hft/hft08.htm |publisher=[[A. C. McClurg]] |year=1907 |page=12}}</ref>
* [[Hellam Township, York County, Pennsylvania|Hellam Township]] near [[York, Pennsylvania]], is the subject of a modern urban legend claiming that it contains the [[Seven Gates of Hell]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-seven-gates-of-hell|title=The Seven Gates of Hell|website=Atlas Obscura|access-date=March 29, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Mount Osore]] in northern Japan is said to be an entrance to hell.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/mount-osore-entrance-to-the-Japanese-afterlife|title=Mount Osore: The Dark Side of the River|website=Japan Talk|access-date=March 28, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/world/asia/21japan.html|title=As Japan's Mediums Die, Ancient Tradition Fades|last=Fackler|first=Martin|date=August 20, 2009|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=March 28, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Murgo]] ({{lit|"the gateway of darkness"}} in Tibetan<ref name="Kapadia2002">{{cite book|last=Kapadia|first=Harish|title=High Himalaya Unknown Valleys|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KNhJXSjSk70C&pg=PA307|date=March 2002|publisher=Indus Publishing|isbn=978-81-7387-117-7|page=307|quote='Gateway of darkness or hell' (Murgo, Mur: hell, go: gate).}}</ref>) was a caravan stop along [[Karakoram Pass]] during historical times. The valley to the east of Murgo is the furthest west in India, which the Chinese [[People's Liberation Army]] reached during the [[Sino-Indian War|India Chinese war in 1962]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/lessons-from-the-gate-of-hell/article5810987.ece|title=Lessons from the Gate of Hell |date= March 21, 2014|access-date=March 30, 2016|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref>
* [[Hell's Gate National Park]] is a National Park in [[Kenya]] which is named for the intense geothermal activity within its boundaries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hells Gate National Park - Kenya Wildlife Service |url=http://www.kws.go.ke/content/hells-gate-national-park |access-date=12 August 2020}}</ref>
* [[Masaya Volcano]] located in [[Nicaragua]] is known as another ''gate of hell'', it is part of the first national park in the country. According to local lore, the volcano was a deity unto itself. It is locally known to the indigenous as the ''"mouth of hell"''.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/09/04/where-are-the-gates-of-hell/| title = Where are the gates of Hell? - The Washington Post| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> In the park is a lava tube formed by lava flows; one can find bats and look inside and observe the glowing lava in the dark crater mouth of the volcano. It is an active volcano, constantly emitting gases. Daytime and nighttime visits are available at the park, it is a popular [[Tourism in Nicaragua|tourist attraction]] for locals and international tourists.<ref>[https://www.vianica.com/activity/2/visiting-masaya-volcano-national-park Masaya Volcano National Park]''vianica.com''</ref>

== Religious contexts ==

In 1878, Rev. [[Thomas De Witt Talmage]] delivered a widely reprinted sermon titled "The Gates of Hell" at the [[Brooklyn Tabernacle]], based on the [[Bible|scripture]] [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 16:18, message by Jesus to [[Saint Peter|Peter]] "...on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." Talmage's gates were metaphorical, including "infamous literature," "dissolute dance," "indiscreet apparel," and "alcoholic beverage".<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4754364/talmages_gates_of_hell_sermon_1878/ "The Gates of Hell; Talmage on Both Sides of Them"] ''The Times'' (October 28, 1878): 1. via [[Newspapers.com]]{{open access}}</ref><ref name="SeveranceSeverance2012">{{cite book|author1=Gordon Severance|author2=Diana Severance|title=Against the Gates of Hell: The Life & Times of Henry Perry, A Christian Missionary in a Moslem World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=op9NAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA2|date=October 22, 2012|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers|isbn=978-1-62032-525-4|pages=2–}}</ref>

In ancient Indian [[Hindu]] tradition the [[Orion (constellation)|Orion]] constellation where the [[March equinox|vernal equinox]] is stated to occur, the [[Milky Way]] and the [[Canis]] were considered to form the border between [[Devaloka]] (heaven) and [[Naraka (Hinduism)|Yamaloka]] (hell); the Milky Way forming the dividing river between heaven and hell and the [[Canis Major]] and [[Canis Minor]] representing dogs that guarded the Gates of Hell.<ref name="Sen2015">{{cite book|author=Joydeep Sen|title=Astronomy in India, 1784–1876|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0OA5CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA160|date=July 22, 2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-31843-9|pages=160–}}</ref>

==In popular culture ==
* In August 2010, the [[History (U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]] premiered a show entitled "The Gates of Hell" (''History Specials: Gates of Hell'' (Season 1, Episode 105), which visited caves and volcanoes in [[Nicaragua]], [[Belize]], [[Greece]], [[Iceland]], Ireland and [[Ethiopia]], to examine the origins of these myths. It featured archaeologists, scholars, explorers and others working in this field.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/08/tuesdays-tv-highlights-gates-of-hell-the-history-channel.html|title=Tuesday's TV Highlights: 'Gates of Hell' the History Channel|date=August 16, 2010|website=LA Times Blogs – Show Tracker|language=en-US|access-date=March 29, 2016}}</ref>
* The September 2012 edition of ''[[Weird NJ]]'' magazine describes a large tunnel, referred to by urban legends as "The Gates of Hell". It is a storm drain in [[Clifton, New Jersey]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://weirdnj.com/stories/gates-of-hell/ | title = The Gates of Hell | date = September 2012 | website = Weird NJ | access-date = December 27, 2015 }}</ref>
* The February 2016 edition of ''[[Weird Ohio]]'' magazine describes a similar sewer system referred to as "The Gates of Hell" or the "Blood Bowl" in the High Street area of [[Columbus, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://weirdus.com/states/ohio/local_legends/gates_of_hell_columbus/index.php | title = The Gates of Hell | date = February 2016 | website = Weird OH | access-date = February 21, 2016 }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Society|History|Mythology}}
* [[Batagaika crater]], a [[thermokarst]] depression growing in the [[East Siberian taiga]]
* [[Darvaza gas crater]], also known as the "Door to Hell"
* [[Hellmouth]]
* [[Rathcroghan]]
* [[Seven Gates of Hell]], a modern urban legend concerning the myth
* [[Stull, Kansas]] and the legend of Stull Cemetery
* [[St Patrick's Purgatory]] in Ireland
* [[The Well to Hell hoax]]
* "The Gates of Hell", a song performed in 2008 by Italian rappers [[Noyz Narcos]] and [[Duke Montana]]
{{clear}}

== References ==

{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
{{wikimedia|c=Gates of hell|wikt=gates of hell|d=Q5527132|b=no|v=Introduction to Art History-- M. Davis/Reflections/Connor}}
* Robert Lima, "The Mouth of Hell: Damnation on the Stage of the Middle Ages" in ''Stages of Evil: Occultism in Western Theatre and Drama'' (University Press of Kentucky 2005). {{ISBN|978-0-8131-2362-2}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Christian iconography]]
[[Category:Greek underworld]]
[[Category:Hell]]
[[Category:Medieval legends]]
[[Category:Roman underworld]]
[[Category:Mount Etna]]

Gates of hell - Revision history

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