Melody Angel's Guide to Heaven and Hell Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Introduction

  Heaven

  Hell

  The Immortals Who Inhabit Heaven and Hell

  Alecto

  Ananiel

  Acheron

  Asmodeus

  Baraqiel

  Beelzebub

  Belial

  Camael

  Cerberus

  Charon

  Chiron

  Cresil

  Demeter

  Dirae

  Freyja

  Gabrielle

  George

  Geryon

  Grigori

  Hades

  Harpies

  Homusubi

  Imps

  Jehanette

  Jezebeth

  Kasyade

  Koyane

  Lilith

  Lucifer

  Megaera

  Meness

  Mephistopheles

  Merihim

  Michael

  Minos

  Muriel

  Nessos

  Nybbas

  Patrick

  Persephone

  Peter

  Philatanus

  Phlegyas

  Ploutos

  Raphael

  Samael

  Sarkis

  Saule

  Tisiphone

  Turiel

  Uriel

  Author's Note

  Part 1

  Part 2

  Part 3

  Welcome to Hell

  Updates

  About the Author

  Melody Angel's

  GUIDE TO HEAVEN AND HELL

  Demelza Carlton

  Copyright © 2015 Demelza Carlton

  Lost Plot Press

  All rights reserved.

  INTRODUCTION

  Not everyone has personal experience in both Heaven and Hell. Nor have many people met most of the immortals who inhabit one or both of these places – at least not those on Earth, the realm in between.

  There are countless more immortals than I have introduced you to here, but I hope this will serve as an introduction to my realms and those who live here with me.

  Melody Angel

  HEAVEN

  Heaven is the domain of angels, enlightened and non-damned souls.

  Three Triads

  There are nine choirs of angels, divided into three triads or spheres that each contain three choirs.

  The Lowest Triad

  The first and lowest triad consists of Angels, Archangels, and Principalities. These three choirs deal with the minutiae of the universe – including humans. Guardian angels are some of the lowest level of angels in this triad.

  The Middle Triad

  The middle triad is responsible for maintaining large-scale order in the universe, throughout both space and time. They delegate lesser tasks to the angels on the lowest triad. The choirs in this triad are the Powers, Virtues and Dominations.

  The Highest Triad

  The highest triad are the furthest from Earth, spending all their time in Heaven or on higher planes of existence. These are the ones who have a reputation for singing, as they are tasked with contemplating and conveying the glory of this universe and communicating with other universes. Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim are the three choirs that make up this triad.

  Seraphim

  The Seraphim are six-winged angels who stand highest in Heaven. Each pair of wings has its own purpose:

  One pair for covering their faces

  One pair to cover their feet

  One pair for flying

  In Hebrew, Seraphim means flaming, which is how these angels are meant to appear, as they are aflame with love for the higher beings they stand so close to, while they are adept at kindling love in those around them. Lucifer was once a Seraphim and this is probably where he gets his affinity for fire and his legendary capacity for seduction.

  Cherubim

  Cherubim are next down from Seraphim and they are said to be very wise, with many eyes and four wings. They are supposed to have the greatest knowledge of this universe and also the greatest capacity to convey this knowledge.

  Thrones

  Thrones (also called Ophanim and Galgallin) are the conduit between lower angels and higher beings, dispensing justice. They're symbols of the universe's highest authority and justice.

  The form of these angels is quite odd – they are described as wheels within wheels, with many eyes set around their rims. Admittedly, they sound a lot like modern reports of flying saucers.

  Dominations

  Dominions (also known as Dominations, Lordships or Hashmallim) are described as glowing or amber ones, as they are clearly recognisable as angels who wield light. They preside over all the other angels and nations on Earth, but they rarely make themselves known to humans.

  Their appearance is the closest to human – though they are meant to have a pair of feathered wings. They are freer than the higher triad of angels, so their service is voluntary. They help ruling bodies on Earth to govern with prudence and wisdom. Dominations are so named because of their control over their senses. They teach how to subdue dissolute desires and passions, through enslaving the flesh to the spirit, and how to rule one's will and be above temptation.

  Various sources name different angels as the leader of this choir of angels – some name Raphael; others Zadkiel, Hasmael, Muriel or Zacharael.

  Virtues

  Called Virtues, Strongholds or Dynameis (which means forces in Greek), these angels work miracles, or convey the power to work miracles on those who deserve them. They also assist those who are overburdened by those they owe fealty to, apparently, and grant patience to those who ask for it. They also control the elements, nature, seasons and celestial bodies. Stars, planets and satellites, of course. What were you thinking?

  Powers

  The Powers (also known as Potentates, Authorities and Exousiai) get their name from the power they hold over the devil and demons. They can prevent demons from harming people, restrain their power, and assist those who wrestle with demons. They have the power to cast out evil and conquer the devil and his demons, too.

  Led by Freyja, angels considered candidates for this choir are subject to extensive training before being selected for duty.

  Principalities

  Principalities (also called Archai) are a lesser form of Dominions – they, too, are responsible for maintaining order in the universe, but they convey orders from Dominions to angels and archangels, as well as carrying these out themselves. They are assigned to groups of people to help them choose good leaders and to individual leaders, in order to assist them in good government.

  Archangels

  Archangels are heralds and they are allowed to reveal knowledge, prophecies and a deeper understanding of the higher authorities' will. These angels frequently appear in religious texts, as they interact with humans and enlighten a select few. Gabriel, Michael, Uriel and Raphael are described as archangels.

  Angels

  While all those in the nine choirs of angels are angels, those in this lowest choir are just angels – angels of no higher rank than that of an angel (sometimes called Malakhim). These angels have the most frequent contact with individual humans and are always with them. They are guardian angels, messenger angels (Elohim), angels who escort souls to judgement and Grigori or watchers, angels who observe humans – just to mention a few roles these angels play.

  HELL

  Hell is also known as the Pit, the Inferno, a place where damned souls go after they die and they don't come out. It's run by demons, devils and Lucifer. It has nine circles, plus a vestibule and a po
ol, specially designed for Satan himself.

  Before humans were allowed into Heaven when they died, their souls were sent to the Underworld, consisting of Tartarus and the Elysian Fields. The Underworld eventually became far too crowded and a new solution was needed, which included Heaven and Hell.

  The Gates of Hell

  Hell's gate appears to be simply a cave entrance, with the following description over the arched portal:

  Through me you pass into the city of woe

  Through me you pass into eternal pain

  Through me you pass among the lost.

  Justice moved the founder of my fabric,

  Divine power raised me

  With the highest wisdom and primeval love

  Before me, nothing but eternal things

  Were created, and eternal I endure.

  All hope abandons ye who enter here.

  Hell's Vestibule

  The vestibule of Hell – the bit just inside the portentous gate – is full of people who did nothing in their lives to warrant an afterlife in a specific place. They're not truly in Hell, nor anywhere else, either. Their punishment is to be plagued by stinging wasps and hornets, while their blood and tears are drunk by maggots and other insects. Plenty of suffering for a place that's not even Hell yet.

  The Vestibule is separated from Hell proper by the Acheron River.

  Acheron River

  This river gets its own special mention, as the souls of the damned need to cross it in Charon's ferry to reach Hell proper. In Greco-Roman myth, Acheron was originally a god who got himself turned into a river by offering the wrong gods refreshment during battle.

  First Circle of Hell

  This circle is described as a lesser version of Heaven for unbelievers who have lived good lives – similar to the Greco-Roman Elysian Fields. It has a castle with gardens.

  Second Circle of Hell

  This one's reserved for those who've committed the sins of lust or adultery and their punishment is to live in a realm of constant storms. Strong winds, hail, heavy rain...blowing them around the way their passions did in life. Because of the constant storms, they know neither peace nor rest.

  Third Circle of Hell

  The third circle of Hell is for gluttons – those with addictive habits, be it food, drink or drugs. Their realm is one with continuous, icy rain, turning the ground into a constant, muddy slush. This is where Cerberus, the legendary three-headed dog lives.

  Fourth Circle of Hell

  This is where greedy people get sent. The guardian of this realm is Ploutus, the god of wealth. Souls sent to the fourth circle of Hell spend their time fighting each other with great weights, pushing either the weights or each other with their chests, much like a pack of aggressive elephant seals.

  Fifth Circle of Hell

  Angry and sullen souls end up in the fifth circle of Hell, which is in the swampy River Styx. The angry ones fight each other on the surface, while the sullen ones gurgle on the riverbed.

  The River Styx guards the walls of the underworld city of Dis, which contains the deeper, darker circles of Hell.

  City of Dis

  Dis is a walled underworld city, surrounded by the River Styx. Guarded by fallen angels, the city gates can only be opened by an angel.

  Sixth Circle of Hell

  The sixth circle of Hell is for heretics, whose fate is to buried in flaming tombs, burning for eternity.

  Seventh Circle of Hell

  This one's for violent criminals, divided into three circles, each of which has differing levels of punishment. Those in the outer circle are submerged in a river of boiling blood and fire. The depth they're submerged is dependent on their crime – and there are centaur archers patrolling the outside of the circle, ready to fire arrows at anyone who tries to get out of the river. Those in the middle circle are at the mercy of the harpies and whatever punishment the harpies conjure up. The inner circle is subject to burning rain falling from the sky in a desert of burning sand – and this includes usurers or anyone who lends money for interest.

  Eighth Circle of Hell

  A demon named Geryon presides over the eighth circle of Hell, which is divided into ten "bolgies" – each bolgia separated from the others by stony ditches with bridges between them. Punishments and crimes vary between each of the bolgies, but they include being forced to march while being whipped by demons; burial head-first in a rock; having their heads twisted around so they walk backwards; sitting in a lake of boiling pitch if you're a corrupt politician; being bitten by snakes and lizards if you're a thief; concealment in individual flames; repeated dismemberment by demons; and affliction with various diseases if you're an alchemist.

  Ninth Circle of Hell

  This circle is reserved for treachery. All the residents of the ninth circle are frozen in an icy lake. The depth they're frozen in depends on the extent of their crimes. This part of Hell really is frozen over.

  Centre of Hell

  The centre of Hell is where Lucifer lives in his own icy prison. If you make it there, he might give you a guided tour.

  THE IMMORTALS WHO INHABIT HEAVEN AND HELL

  Alecto

  Alecto is one of the three Dirae. Alecto's name means endless or unceasing in anger.

  Ananiel

  Ananiel's name means rain of God and she's a fallen angel.

  As one of the harpies in Level Seven in Hell, Ananiel's job is to mete out punishment to damned souls at the end of a whip, burning brand or other torture implement. Far from being a natural dominatrix like Lilith or Jezebeth, Ananiel prefers to be on the receiving end of such treatment, so she's frequently in trouble for turning the tables and allowing damned souls to enjoy themselves as they punish her instead.

  In the HELL Corporation, Ana works in Human Resources, recruiting administrative staff for Lucifer to corrupt before using them as prostitutes in her illegal brothel in the HELL Corporation building's food court toilets. She has a deep, abiding hatred for Mel.

  Acheron

  Acheron is both a river in Hell and a man. It's also a river in the Epirus region of Greece, but this entry is only about the man and the infernal river Acheron.

  Acheron was the son of Helios by Demeter, though some say his mother was Gaia. As he shares a mother with Persephone, this makes him Persephone's half-brother. When Zeus was fighting the Titans, Acheron offered the Titans a drink, which refreshed them and prolonged the fight. The angry, victorious Zeus cursed him, turning him into the river.

  Now, Acheron crouches in the river in Hell that bears his name, lonely and forgotten, as no one can see through Hell's illusions to the man in the water.

  Asmodeus

  Rumour has it that Asmodeus is the son of the angel of prostitution, Naamah, and Adam, the first human man, so it may come as no surprise that he's the demon of lust. He's also responsible for inciting gambling and most of the gambling in Hell is overseen by him.

  He once fell in love with a woman named Sara, murdering her husbands until the archangel Raphael chased him away from her and back to Hell. His favourite pastime is tormenting newlyweds with all sorts of problems – both in the bedroom and in the rest of their lives.

  In Hell, he guards the gates to the underworld city of Dis, along with Kasyade and Merihim. They generally play cards to pass the time. He once had a brief love affair with Lilith, before she grew bored.

  In the HELL Corporation, he's known as Mo, the policy officer in the Brothel Regulation Unit who seems to always have to fill the printer with paper – a dangerous task in stationery shortages.

  Baraqiel

  A fallen angel and former Grigori whose name means lightning of God. He is reputed to have taught humans astrology in the time of Jared or Yered. He's possibly also the father of Hazael.

  In the modern day, he was the first Chief Financial Officer at the HELL Corporation, because of his (self-reported) talent at financial predictions. When his talent proved to be losing money on bad investments, Lucifer sent him back to Hell in dis
grace and didn't replace him. The HELL Corporation's financial standing improved immediately.

  Beelzebub

  A prince of demons known as Lord of the Flies, Beelzebub was originally a Philistine deity and oracle. There are rumours that he once successfully led a revolt of the forces of Hell against Lucifer, but this seems unlikely, as Beelzebub is one of the demons Lucifer often leaves in charge of Hell in his absence.

  Not only is Beelzebub one of Lucifer's most senior demons, he's married to another, equally important demon – Mephistopheles, who calls him Bob. Occasionally, he acts as CEO to the HELL Corporation when Lucifer is called away on urgent business. He lacks Lucifer's long-term views on business strategy and makes some very short-sighted decisions as a result.

  Belial

  Once an angel, Belial is now one of Lucifer's most senior demons. With a name meaning without worth, Belial brings about both wickedness and guilt. In the HELL Corporation, he's known as Lial and he's the director of the state-run art school.

  Camael

  Samael and Camael are twin fallen angels whose names mean the blind God and one who sees God, respectively. People often confuse the two, because the brothers are identical. They were the angels of death before Lilith seduced the two brothers and they both fell together.