Hades vs. Demons

665 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The influence of Greek mythology on modern society

Hades vs. Demons

Greek Mythology and Religion

Mythology is the study and explanation of myth of a particular culture. Myth, is a cultural phenomenon that can have many different point of views. Mythology and religion in the past still influence today. It is difficult to imagine that ancient myth and history has had a tremendous impact not only in today's culture but also in lifestyle and religious beliefs. To some extend, people rather believe that there is no consequence in your sins in the afterlife. Mythic stories, for example, show how the world began, how humans and animals were created, and how certain manners, and specific human activities originated.

Ancient Greek religion has been the main stream of investigation and research from classic times to the modern day. In Greek mythology, Hades, also known as Pluto, is the god and ruler of the underworld, which is the kingdom of the dead. He is an egotistic god, who is greatly concerned with expanding his society. Often Hades is severely cautious and selective on permitting any of his people to leave. It's unquestionable that even the commander of the underworld had fallen in love with Persephone. Although the relationship between Hades and Persephone appears to have established badly, their union was peaceful. For most, life in the underworld was not enjoyable. It's more like a tormented and miserable dream, full of shadows, without sunlight or hope, a joyless place where the dead slowly fade into nonexistence. It's a realm not only for the sinners but also for the saints.

When we speak of demons we immediatelymagine of a red evil spirit with an extended pointy tail. But many of us ask ourselves, Demons? Where and how did demons come about? The word demon is derived from the Greek daimon, which in ancient times signified various kinds of spirits or semi-gods, which particularly weren't evil. The term "demons" was not always understood to have the absolutely negative indication that it does today. Our current use of the term "Demon" is a malignant spirit, which usually from the New Testament. However there is still great indecision as to whether or not demons are considered to be distinct and separate from the devil and his fallen angels. It is mentioned in the New Testament, chapter 5, verse 12, by Josepheus a method of exorcism which is prescribed by Solomon. "Prevailed or succeeded greatly among them down to the present time" .

Show More
Related

  • Internal Conflict In The House Of Hades

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    The House of Hades by Rick Riordan is a classic tale of good and evil. this book is the sequel to The Mark of Athena in the Heroes of Olympus series. Seven demigods are the main characters who set out to stop the evil Goddess Gaia from waking and destroying the world. The seven demigods are faced with both external and internal conflicts that help to shape the characters and the book.

    Read More

  • Greek God Hades Research Paper

    1734 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hades fell in love with Demeter’s daughter, Persephone. Persephone loved to live about in the fields that her mother made. Hades wanted Persephone as his bride. Zeus, the father of Persephone, did not deny but warned that Demeter would be furious. He captured her and forced her to stay in the underworld. To capture her, he arose from the depth with a chariot of horses. He stole her from the flowery field and took her to a dungeon of darkness. Persephone gained the name “core”. This was symbolizing her loss of girlhood. Demeter went looking for her daughter. She could not find her, and she almost came to the extent of barring the whole earth of the vegetation. Zeus could not let this happen, so he sent for Persephone to be received. Persephone would not eat, but Hades would not let her leave until she ate at least one thing. Hades gave her a forbidden fruit. Any fruit that was to be eaten in the underworld, the eater of that fruit must stay in the underworld. Her eating the fruit meant she had to stay in the underworld forever. A compromise was made between Demeter and Hades. Four months of the year Persephone had to stay with Hades and be the queen of the underworld. During this time the Greeks entered a cold and barren time called winter. The other eight months, Persephone spent her year with Demeter. During this time crops and vegetation would be abundant (Peterson and Dunworth 143). These were the times of spring and summer. When it was time for Persephone to rule the underworld, she was in charge of watching the special prisoners. The prisoners were the defeated titans (Calame, 266).

    Read More

  • Altruism in Everyday Life

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    To conclude everything that has been mentioned above altruism does not exist and it is a misconception, people do acts of kindness and no matter what it is they always get a reward in return whether the reward is tangible or not. People may also think that they are not getting a reward but they are and aren’t aware of it.

    Read More

  • Prosocial Behavior Theory

    1628 Words  | 4 Pages

    The most common is kin selection, social exchange norm, and the social responsibility norm. According to Cherry in 2015, the idea of kin selection suggests that helping a member of one’s own genetic family makes it more likely that the kin will survive and pass on genes to the future generation. Cherry states that survival is one of the most common reasons behind helping, and subsequently, prosocial behavior. Given this, Cherry (2015) concluded that since people only tend to help their family members instead of other people, they are more likely to become selfish towards strangers. Another theory is the social exchange theory, assumes that helping is much like other social behaviors. Humans are motivated by a desire to maximize rewards (Myers, 2015). This theory suggests that prosocial behavior is determined by the rewards the doer receives from helping others. The rewards may be material or nonmaterial such as monetary gain or improvement of self virtues. Finally, the social responsibility theory states that people tend to be more helpful towards the needy (Myers, 2015). Women, children, elderly, and the disabled are some examples of those which people offer help to without thought of future reward. This theory suggests that people are prosocial simply because other people need them to be. Either people choose to be prosocial or are conditioned to be so, prosocial behavior is deemed as a socially desirable trait and it is highly encouraged among people around the world for it promotes cooperation and

    Read More

  • Mythology In Mythology

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    Myths relate to events, conditions, and deeds of gods or superhuman beings that are outside ordinary human life and yet basics to it” ("Myth," 2012). Mythology is said to have two particular meanings, “the corpus of myths, and the study of the myths, of a particular area: Amerindian mythology, Egyptian mythology, and so on as well as the study of myth itself” ("Mythology," 1993). In contrast, while the term myth can be used in a variety of academic settings, its main purpose is to analyze different cultures and their ways of thinking. Within the academic setting, a myth is known as a fact and over time has been changed through the many different views within a society as an effort to answer the questions of human existence. The word myth in an academic context is used as “ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions: How did the universe and the world come to be? How did we come to be here? Who are we? What are our proper, necessary, or inescapable roles as we relate to one another and to the world at large? What should our values be? How should we behave? How should we not behave? What are the consequences of behaving and not behaving in such ways” (Leonard, 2004 p.1)? My definition of a myth is a collection of false ideas put together to create

    Read More

  • God and Devil

    1458 Words  | 3 Pages

    The question of identity regarding God and the Devil has been an ongoing dilemma for religious philosophers. No true identity can be formed due to the lack of undeniable evidence surrounding the figures. In addition, it has always been difficult to relate either characters to tangible or worldly matter; seeing how both are non-perceivable and equivocal figments in our minds. A start is to relate these supernatural beings to each other. The abilities of each are in contrast; God can create but not control, whereas, the Devil can control but not create. Creation is the act of making new matter, whereas the act of controlling is forcing matter to act based on the wishes of the controller.

    Read More

  • The Parallels of Jesus and Hercules

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Myths and religious doctrine are generally recognized as two entirely different things. Myths are usually referred to as a fictitious story or a half-truth; often they are stories shared between groups of people that are part of a cultural society. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, and purpose of the universe, and often containing an ethical code dictating appropriate human conduct. Although they differ in certain aspects, they still hold similarities. Comparable to parables within the Bible, myths have different versions which are both motivating, as well as entertaining. There are not only parallels to the idea of the stories but specific tales hold similar morals and equivalent characters.

    Read More

  • Radiolab: An Equation For Good

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    My attention was also drawn to several questions in this podcast, which made me eager to find the answers to these questions. For example, one interesting question I heard was “when you do see generosity how do you know it’s really generous” (Levy, 2010). This question stood out to me because it is one particular question I don’t think about often and made me wonder whether people help someone out because they see it as a duty. However, I believe the best answer to this question is the portrayal of the concept of norm of reciprocity, which indicates “the expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that they will help us in the future” (Akert, Aronson, & Wilson, 2013, p.303). This is true because “generosity” happens when both persons are nice to each other and if an individual helps another person then it’s easy to assume that the person who was

    Read More

  • The Role and Function of the Major Monsters in Dante’s Inferno

    1944 Words  | 4 Pages

    In examination of Dante’s Inferno, I have found that all of these major monsters fulfill their vital role and function perfectly, and there are two substantial viewpoints concerning the involvement of the seven monsters. One viewpoint shows the monsters in their role of the custodians and tormentors of Hell which is a tool to create terrifying atmospheres of Hell. In other words, the narrator Dante presents the monsters as scary creatures for the character Dante, for he considers that this technique is significantly important for the development of the story. Another viewpoint shows the monsters as symbols which reinforce the narrator Dante’s narration, for these monsters directly reflect the human’s sins as they represent the concept of God’s retribution for classification of sins.

    Read More

  • The Nonexistence of Kindness: George Price

    981 Words  | 2 Pages

    People perpetrate seemingly selfless acts almost daily. You see it all over the news; the man who saved that woman from a burning building, the mother who sacrificed herself to protect her children from the bomb blast. But how benevolent are these actions? Are these so-called “heroes” really sacrificing themselves to help others? Until recently, it was the common belief that altruism, or selfless and unconditional kindness, was limited primarily to the human race. However, within the last century, the works of several scientists, most prominently George Price, have provided substantial evidence concluding that altruism is nothing more than a survival technique, one that can be calculated with a simple equation.

    Read More

  • Native American Folklore As Mythology

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Essentially, there are three typical characteristics of mythology. Classic myths often include gods or supernatural heroes, are “closely linked to religion,” and “generally take place in a primordial age, when the world had not yet achieved its current form” (“Mythology” Wikipedia). Furthermore, myths provide an explanation for the existence of life and how the world came to be.

    Read More

  • Altruism: The Illusion of Self-Interest

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    Altruism can be found in various places like Primates, Humans, and even Bacteria. Reciprocal altruism is often mixed up with altruism, a good difference of them can be found in the common expression, “I scratch your back, and you scratch my back....

    Read More

  • How Has Greek Mythology Changed Over Time

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mythology is an essential part of all cultures. Through myth, ancient cultures attempted to explain the world and make sense of their daily lives. Myth helps us to live in the minds and time period of people who lived many centuries ago with no technology, no running water, and a basic education. Greek myth is possibly the most commonly recognized myth simply because it is likely the most developed and best recorded. Modern Greek myth originated around 1000 B.C. in the writings of the famous Greek poet Homer in the Odyssey and the Illiad. Although early Greek myths are often vague and contain many primitive elements regarding their understanding of death, sacrifice, and fate, later myths show Greek culture developed and changed over time.

    Read More

  • History Of Terracotta Pottery

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to “Persephone, Demeter, and Hades” It starts off with “Persephone who is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture (farming). Hades who is her uncle, abducts Persephone while she was picking flowers with her companions in a meadow.” According to “Classical Mythology” it states “Hades had other plans for Persephone: he would steal her innocence and virginity and turn her into the dreaded goddess of the Underworld.” It also states how “Persephone was gathering flowers one day on a plain in Sicily. Hades appeared, thundering across the plain in his four-horse chariot. The god then jumped down upon Persephone, and scooped her up with one arm. After abducting her, he carries her off to the Underworld. Demeter who is Persephone’s mother soon came to retrieve her daughter, but was unable to find a trace of Persephone. She traveled to the corners of the earth, searching for nine full days and nights without ever stopping to eat, drink, bathe, or rest. Demeter was in a fury so in retaliation she destroyed lands, crops, and livestock as she complained to the loss of her daughter. She threatened to make the earth unproductive forever and thus destroy all of humankind if she did not find her

    Read More

  • EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY

    2116 Words  | 5 Pages

    Mythology is defined as a collection of interrelated stories of a given culture. Myths are intended to explain and describe the mysteries of nature and give understanding about the world that surrounds us. Each culture has their own mythology that reflects their values and beliefs. Myths were also generated to tell the story of the first people to inhabit the earth. The Egyptian mythology elevated these people to the level of Gods and Goddesses by giving them supernatural and special powers. These myths of creation were passed from one generation to the next, either orally or by hieroglyphs painted in sacred temples, pyramids, and sanctuaries.

    Read More

More about Hades vs. Demons

Open Document