Melody Angel's Guide to Heaven and Hell Read online

  Cerberus

  Cerberus is the giant, three-headed dog who guards the gates of Hell. Some accounts say he has more or less than three heads and others give him other roles, too. One particularly lovely description says he has three heads, a dragon's tail, a mane of snakes and the claws of a lion.

  Apparently, he fawns over those entering Hell, but he'll attack anyone who tries to leave. The exception to this is Persephone, who he adores.

  He seems to pop up in various places. Some say the mouth of the Acheron River; others the gates of Hell and Dante places him as the overlord of the third level of Hell, where the gluttonous and greedy writhe in their own filth.

  When Mel encounters him on Level Three, all three heads are hungry because the lazy demons who feed him have been slack. She takes pity on the poor, mutated puppy and gives him a snack fresh from the butcher.

  Charon

  Charon is the cloaked ferryman in Hades who ferries newly dead souls over the River Acheron and possibly the River Styx to the underworld. He requires payment, in the form of a coin that was placed in the dead body's mouth after death.

  He's described in various sources as being an old man with a long beard and poor hygiene.

  In Dante's Divine Comedy, he's said to beat slow-moving souls with his oar to get them into his boat.

  When he sees Mel, he refuses to carry her across the river – and he's even more emphatic in his refusal when he recognises her.

  Chiron

  Chiron is a centaur – half-man and half-horse – but he's unlike the others of his kind. This might be because he was the son of the nymph Philyra and Kronos, who transformed himself into a horse so his wife wouldn't recognise him while he was busy with Philyra. Other centaurs are the children of King Ixion and the cloud nymph Nephele.

  Considered very wise and just, Chiron was a teacher and mentor to many mythical heroes, including Jason, Hercules, Peleus, Asclepius, Patroclus and Achilles.

  He died after being accidentally struck by one of Hercules' hydra-poisoned arrows.

  Chiron is the leader of the centaurs in Hell, where they patrol the banks of the River Phlegethon in Level Seven, firing arrows at any of the violent souls who attempt to leave the river of fire and blood.

  Cresil

  Cresil is known as Sil in the HELL Corporation, where she works in the Human Resources department, conducting orientation and training for new staff. Cresil is a demon of impurity and laziness.

  Demeter

  Demeter is known in Greco-Roman mythology as the goddess of agriculture, fertility and the harvest. She had several children by different fathers, including Ploutos, Acheron and Persephone. While it's believed that Persephone's father was Zeus, Demeter will only say that Persephone's father was built like a Greek god, but about as useless in bed as one of his statues. She's Mel's cousin.

  One of the Dynameis, Demeter is responsible for agriculture and the conditions required to ensure its sustainability – though this is not always what humans would prefer, as droughts, floods and other weather variabilities still occur under her care.

  Dirae

  The Dirae are also known as the Furies or the Erinyes. They're the three daughters of Uranus and Gaia – Megaera, Alecto and Tisiphone. The furies are the bat-winged spirits of vengeance and they guard the gates of Dis, the city of the underworld. As well as administering punishment to those in Level Six in Hell, they take new souls down to the lower levels when they're delivered to the gates of Dis.

  These three are so implacable in their fury that most called them the Eumenides (soothed ones) or Semnai Theai (honourable goddesses) so as not to incur their wrath.

  Freyja

  Freyja is a goddess in Norse mythology. She chooses which souls may be suitable to be trained as Powers or Exousiai – so called for their power to banish demons. After they are trained, she selects which warrior souls are worthy of fighting demons on Earth in the present day and at the apocalypse.

  Gabrielle

  Gabriel (or Gabrielle, also called Jibra'il) can be either male or female. This angel's name means both man of God and God is mighty. She chooses to be female at the time of Mel Goes to Hell.

  As an archangel, Gabriel is responsible for delivering messages from Heaven to individual humans. Some of the more notable people who received these messages were Daniel in the Book of Daniel; the Prophet Mohammad in the Qur'an; Mary, Jesus' mother, and Zacharias, John the Baptist's father. Because of Gabriel's important role as a messenger, he's considered to be the patron saint of communications workers.

  Gabriel is the archangel who first appeared to the Prophet Mohammad and revealed the scriptures of the Qur'an to him.

  At the beginning of the Mel Goes to Hell series, Gabi is working with the archangel Uriel, her partner, in Russia. As the situation in the HELL Corporation heats up, Raphael summons her to Perth to help Mel out in the office – and to positively identify Lucifer. Being the patron saint of communications workers, she's ideal for the position of temporary receptionist and switchboard operator.

  Gabrielle is a very traditional angel, who believes that demons are damned and should be shunned at all costs. You can't trust them not to taint anything – including the office coffee machine.

  A fan of sweet, iced, frothy coffee, Gabi makes it her mission to keep Mel out of Lucifer's clutches, enlisting the help of some well-built Grigori angels in the Agency – though Mel has already made her own plans.

  George

  Saint George was born in the third century AD in Cappadocia, which is modern-day Turkey. Following the death of his father, he became a soldier in the army of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He rose to the rank of Tribune, but he objected to the Emperor's campaign of persecution of Christians.

  In punishment, he was imprisoned, tortured and dragged through the streets of Diospolis (present-day Lodd) or Nicomedia (present-day Izmit) before he was beheaded. Understandably, he's a bit hazy on the details of which city it was.

  He's most famous for his defeat of a dragon. This dragon lived in a lake outside the city of Silene in Libya, where it terrorised the city and the surrounding countryside. The people of Silene appeased it by sacrificing sheep and then its own people. The human sacrifices were chosen by lot and one day the lot chose the king's unmarried daughter.

  George approached the gates of the city and noticed the princess, who exhorted him to leave before the dragon attacked him. Instead, he battled the dragon and had the princess lead the dragon into the city, where he killed it.

  The story of Saint George and the dragon first appeared in the 13th century in England, suggesting that this may have occurred as a miracle after his death and not during his life.

  As an angel, Saint George is one of leaders among the Exousiai, warrior angels whose sole purpose is to battle and banish demons.

  Geryon

  Geryon was the grandson of Medusa, but he quietly kept red cattle on the island of Erytheia with the help of Cerberus' two-headed dog brother, Orthrus. That is, until Hercules came to fulfil his tenth labour, by stealing Geryon's cattle. Hercules clubbed Orthrus, the watchdog, then Eurytion, Geryon's herdsman, so Geryon donned his armour and attacked Hercules. Hercules was the victor – Geryon died with a poison-tipped arrow in his forehead.

  Geryon is the guardian of the eighth level of Hell, where some of the worst sinners are sent. His demonic form has a human face, lion's paws and a wyvern's body, complete with leathery wings, and a tail with a venomous tip. He lives in the caves in the cliffs between Level Seven and Level Eight in Hell with his wife, the harpy Jezebeth.

  In the HELL Corporation, he's known as Gerry and he reports to Merihim in the Health Unit. He's particularly partial to a bit of bondage and discipline with his wife, Jezebeth, when he dons his mankini and she pulls out the flogger.

  Grigori

  Grigori are in the lowest choir of angels. With no wings and no higher rank than that of an angel, they are still very important. These angels are Watchers, watching humans and occasio
nally stepping in to assist them.

  Some of the first Grigori fell when they went native, taking human wives and siring children with them. These half-angel children are known as Nephilim.

  Working as a Grigori does have its risks because they work so closely with humans and forming close, personal relationships is very easy to do.

  Hades

  Known as the Greek god of the Underworld, Hades was Lord of the Underworld when Lucifer was still an angel. Neither an angel or a demon, he feels he's been hard done by in ruling over the dead and not the living. His main interest is in increasing his subjects. His weapon is a bident, much like Lucifer's.

  When Persephone was very young, Hades abducted her from her mother, Demeter, ostensibly so that the girl could become his wife. Demeter went to great lengths to rescue her daughter from Hades, enlisting the favours of several other immortals before the girl was freed.

  Harpies

  Level Seven in Hell is where harpies are allowed to punish the damned as they see fit. Having spent some time up in the HELL Corporation offices, indulging their tastes for dark erotica, Lilith, Jezebeth and Ananiel have remodelled their level to look more like a modern-day BDSM dungeon. Taking inspiration from this genre of books, these ladies are dark, dirty and definitely in control.

  Homusubi

  Homusubi, whose name is made up of the kanji symbols for to shine and force or power, is known in Japanese culture as the god of fire.

  He's one of the Dynameis, the choir of angels who take care of the elements, and he's responsible for the volcanoes on the western side of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

  Imps

  Imps are a race of small, demon-like beings who were resident in Hell before Lucifer got there. Led by an imp named Sptlk, they specialise in creating illusions so realistic, they can even fool angels and demons.

  Lucifer has an arrangement with them for their assistance in running some of the lesser punishment levels of Hell, as their illusions reduce the number of staff and the power required to exact punishment on the souls confined to the first four circles of Hell. The imps' voyeuristic tastes are reflected in the payment they receive from Lucifer for their services – he allows them to watch his conquests.

  Jehanette

  Known to most modern readers as Saint Joan of Arc, the patron saint of soldiers and France, the girl's name in her own time was Jehanette.

  Born in 1412, Jehanette grew up in the village of Domremy in Champagne, France. From an early age, she was visited by Saint Michael, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret, but it wasn't until 1428 that they instructed her to go to the aid of King Charles VII of France (then known as the Dauphin, as he hadn't yet been crowned) and assist him to take back his kingdom from King Charles of England.

  She earned the name of the Maid of Orleans after she led a small army to lift the siege at Orleans in 1429. Following several more victories, she stood at Charles VII's side at his coronation in Reims.

  Taken prisoner by the English during a battle at Compiègne, she was imprisoned in Rouen. Following several months of imprisonment, Jehanette was tried for heresy and condemned to death in 1431. The next day, she was burned at the stake.

  In the present day, she is a messenger angel (Malakhim) who assists Saint Michael the Archangel.

  Jezebeth

  Jezebeth is a demon of falsehood and lies, which is why she naturally excels at public relations and graphic design in the HELL Corporation. Except for the unfortunate James Pond campaign, which brought Mel to Lucifer's attention.

  She's particularly skilled at possession and she prefers to take over humans when they're at the peak of fury. Naturally, that makes her perfect for her role as a harpy who tortures damned souls in Level Seven.

  As the wife of Geryon, she takes her dominatrix role seriously – both at work and at home.

  Kasyade

  Kasyade is one of the fallen angels guarding the gates of Dis and he often passes the time by playing poker with Merihim and Asmodeus, the other fallen angels on guard duty.

  Kasyade means both observer of the hands and covered or concealed hand or power. So while he's the dealer and generally the one who watches his fellow poker players for untoward behaviour, he's definitely demonic in cheating whenever no one else is looking.

  Koyane

  Ame No Koyane No Mikoto, known in the present day as Koyane, is one of the kami or deities of the Shinto religion in Japan. He's one of the four kamis of the Kasuga shrine in Nara, and he may have human descendants.

  One of the Hashmallim, he's the angel who advises the Emperor of Japan and other leaders in eastern Asia.

  Lilith

  Lilith is the leader of the harpies in the seventh level of Hell and the demon of waste. When on Earth among humans, she amuses herself by searching for children to kidnap or kill.

  In many religious sources, Eve (or Khavah in Hebrew) is supposedly the wife of Adam, who is described in Islamic, Christian and Jewish creation myths as the first man. Yet in early versions of the Jewish Talmud, Eve is Adam's second wife. The story runs that Adam was created from clay alongside Lilith – his first wife.

  Like a far more modern woman, when Adam decided he was superior to his wife, Lilith told him to get stuffed. She wasn't the submissive sort. Then she left him for Lucifer. Though both she and Lucifer corrupt many lovers as the desire takes them, she still considers the Lord of Hell her personal property.

  Lilith is Lucifer's mistress and one of the senior demons in Hell, which naturally entitles her to be one of the senior managers in the HELL Corporation. She's also Mel's boss, inventing odd tasks to make Mel's work day Hell and deriving considerable enjoyment from it.

  What neither of them counted on was that Mel and Lili, as she's known in the office, look similar – making Mel very much Lucifer's type. As he's had Lili for millennia, his eye is most certainly caught by the fresh-faced angel.

  Lucifer

  The mythical figure commonly known as the devil and the prince or lord of Hell has many names. The most common ones are Lucifer, Iblis and Satan (also spelled Shaitan or Shaytan).

  Lucifer's name means lots of things:

  Light of the morning

  Morning star

  Son of the morning

  Daystar

  Shining one

  Son of the dawn

  Light-bringing

  None of these meanings match the concept of a dark, demonic figure and that's because, according to various religious sources, Lucifer was a Seraphim – one of the highest choirs of angels. He was reputedly as close to perfect as an angel could be:

  "...the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." – Ezekiel, 28:13

  He is believed to have fallen from his exalted position through pride. Christian Biblical sources indicate he wished to be worshipped as a god and Heaven objected to this. He was thrown out of Heaven by the archangel Michael, which was a calculated insult, as archangels are a much lower choir of angels than the Seraphim. According to Saint Jerome, the name Lucifer is what the devil laments losing in his fall from Heaven.

  Jewish sources suggest he was cast out of Heaven because he was envious of Adam, the first human man. Adam had been granted dominion over Earth and Lucifer refused to bow in homage to the man.

  In Islam, the Qur'an indicates that Iblis, as he is known, was banished from Heaven because he wouldn't bow before Adam. Iblis isn't confined to Hell in Islam – instead, he spends his time tempting human beings away from the true path of their religion, thereby condemning the erring humans to Hell.

  Aside from his supposed perfection and six wings that marked him as a Seraphim, Lucifer is described as being able to change his form and appearance. He's reputed to be able to appear as a snake, a dragon, a cormorant, an angel with dark wings and a demon in various shapes.

  He's portrayed in all of these forms in art throughout the ages – though few chose to show him in his initial perfection, preferring to give him one of his more bestial forms to match the dark s
oul within.

  Christian sources suggest that he actively tries to subvert humans and win their souls through trickery so that they can worship him in Hell, as he's reputed to have tempted Jesus during his time on Earth. Some Christian works, like Dante's Divine Comedy, suggest that Lucifer is confined to Hell for eternity.

  Conversely, Islamic sources indicate he only tempts humans to reveal their true nature, as he has no power over those who are true to their religion.

  In the present day, Luce Iblis is the overbearing, alpha-male CEO of the HELL Corporation. A superb body, an apt mind and a penchant for power make him hard to resist, but he is a fallen angel and synonymous with evil in many religions. As a villain, he comes equipped with a fiery underground lair and myriad minions with a capacity for violence and pain.

  Whether he's a villain or a possible hero who can win the angel he's set his sights on, though...only one thing is for certain: he's a sexy devil to watch out for.

  Megaera

  Megaera is one of the three Dirae. Megaera's name means grudging or jealous rage. In Hell, she's one of the guardians to the gates of Dis and she's responsible for torturing the inhabitants of Level Six.

  Megaera not only works in Hell, but occasionally mans the reception desk for the HELL Corporation. She was the receptionist on the day of Mel's interview and grudged the angel everything from information to common politeness to a smile.