Concepts of Death and the Underworld

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer looks at the subject of death among human beings. The writer points out that as far as one is aware, human beings are the only creatures who are aware of their own mortality. The writer claims that it is due to this knowledge that every known culture has created some mythology or religion regarding death and the underworld. In this paper, the writer discusses the relevant Sumero-Akkadian, Ugaritic, Biblical, Hittite and Greek mythology.

From the Paper:

"As far as we know, human beings are the only creatures who are aware of their own mortality. In many ways, this is more of a curse than a blessing, as it dooms us to living our lives in the certain knowledge that one day we will die. It is no doubt because of this awful knowledge that every known culture has developed some or other kind of mythology or religion concerning the issues of death and the hoped-for (or feared) after-life."

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