Underworld

For other uses, see Underworld (disambiguation).

Religion and Mythology

Underworld is a region in some religions and in mythologies which is thought to be under the surface of the earth. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and, in some traditions, it is identified with Hell. In other traditions, however, such as animistic traditions, it could be seen as the place where life appears to have originated from (such as plant life, water, etc.) and a place to which life must return at life's end, with no negative undertones.

For example, in many Native American cultures the multiplaned solar universe is likened to a cosmic tree of many branches considered to be the World Tree or Tree of Life. For some North American peoples the spruce tree is its symbol, while for Mayans of Central America it is the ceiba. Life itself and human generations descend from the root through its branches to the earth or surface plane; in the Quiche-Maya language, for example, the verbs "to descend" and "to be born" are synonyms. This conception of the circulation of lives from top to bottom and on around the great cosmic tree in repetitive cycles of learning, experience, and growth is implicit in every major expression of native American spiritual thought. Physical death, therefore, is simply a temporary departure from the earth plane to others invisible to us, to be followed in due season by a return for resumption of unfinished tasks and duties.

Crime

Underworld is also a generic term which describes mafia or terrorist groups, which pressure the government of a certain country or state by means of money, terror or political influence to do their business, mainly drugs, kidnapping, assassination, and firearms.

See also

• Hell—A place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife in many religious traditions.
• Hades—The underworld in Greek mythology.
• Mictlan—The Aztec underworld.
• Naraka—Hindu-Buddhist underworld
• World Tree—A tree that connects the heavens, the earth, and the underworld in a number of spiritual belief systems.
• List of underworlds
• List of underworld rulers

References

http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/america/my-moff5.htm