Journeys to the Underworld and Heavenly Realm in Ancient and Medieval Literature

[The idea of heaven and hell is one of the oldest and most widespread religious beliefs of human civilization. In the history of western literature, this spiritual concept was frequently embedded in stories of underworld and heavenly journeys. A variety of topics related to the nature of the universe, life on earth and the existence of the gods are explored in these stories. In the ancient western world, otherworldly journey narratives appeared in a wide variety of literary contexts including mythology, poetry and philosophical writings. Later in medieval times, otherworldly journey narratives remained a popular form of literary expression. By focusing upon the “sacred cosmos”, the content of these stories is primarily religious in nature. Rather than discussing mundane existence on earth, these tales describe a fantastic world filled with supernatural beings and miraculous happenings. [Journeys to the Underworld and Heavenly Realm in Ancient and Early Medieval Literature] examines these fascinating tales of wonder as they appear in the literature of the ancient west and early medieval Europe.]

John C. Stephens is an adjunct professor of religion at San Joaquin Delta Community College in Stockton, California.