Since ancient times, people have endowed many stones and various objects with certain supernatural or healing properties. So, in Russia it was believed that water from seven different wells could heal a number of diseases, and some representatives of ancient cultures believed that ruby could cure diseases of the digestive system and activate blood circulation.
In addition to individual things, whole places were often endowed with special properties, and not always positive ones. The fame of places with negative energy is firmly entrenched in the lowlands and ravines. Over time, other objects were added to them, due to their characteristics on a subconscious level, causing a sense of danger and associations with the other world. We have found 10 such places that people consider to be the gates to the dark kingdom.
1. St. Patrick’s Purgatory, Ireland
It is believed that the cave on Station Island in the middle of Loch Derg in County Donegal is nothing more than a gateway to another world. According to legend, when St. Patrick spent Lent on the island in prayer, Christ appeared to him. He showed him the torments of sinners and the failure through which those who have faith and repentance can end up in purgatory. The pilgrims who came here believed that after death they would be freed from purgatory torments. Currently, the entrance to the cave is closed, and a chapel has been built next to it.
2. Darvaza, Turkmenistan
To prevent harmful gases from escaping, in 1971, geologists set fire to a gas-filled void formed during the exploration of an accumulation of underground gas, believing that in a couple of days the fire would go out. But the flame has not gone out since, burning continuously day and night. Locals and travelers have nicknamed the place “The Door to Hell.”
3. Pluto Gate, Turkey
In 2013, archaeologists discovered on the territory of the ancient city of Hierapolis, near modern Pamukkale, the ruins of a place called the “Gate of Pluto” or “Gate to the Underworld”. The geographer Strabo, who lived in the I century BC, wrote about them that “this place is filled with vapors so dense and saturated that it is difficult to see the earth; any bird that flies there immediately dies.” Researchers suggest that the “portal to hell” was used for sacrifices.
4. Sibyl’s Cave, Italy
According to Greek mythology, the Cuman Sibyl received as a gift from Apollo as many years of life as many grains of sand would fit in her palm. The fortune teller forgot to ask about eternal youth, so she gradually dried up. It is believed that the Cuman Sibyl lived in one of the caves in Cumae, near Naples. The Sibyl’s Cave occupies a special place in the underworld under Cumae. And not far from it is Lake Averno, which for the Romans and Greeks was the entrance to hell.
5. Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua
The volcano, 20 km southeast of Managua, originated 2,500 years ago. Although it is not particularly different from other volcanoes, the Spanish conquistadors considered it a place of evil and named the volcano “Mouth of Hell”. To expel the devil from the place, the Spanish priest installed a cross on the top, and a road was paved to it. Historians also call Masaya the center of paranormal phenomena.
6. Actun-Tunichil-Muknal, Belize
The Belizean Maya caves were used for ritual ceremonies and burial of the dead. The cave of Actun Tunichil Muknal is an archaeological monument of their civilization. It was this cave that the Maya considered as the entrance to the underworld.
7. Mount of Fear Osorezan, Japan
The surrounding landscape resembles descriptions of Buddhist hell and paradise, including eight peaks and the Sanzu no kawa River, which dead souls cross on their way to the afterlife. The mountain is considered the gateway to the afterlife.
8. Acheron River, Greece
According to ancient Greek mythology, Acheron is a river through which the ferryman Charon carries souls. But this river exists not only in myths, but also in the real world. The river flows in the Epirus region of Thesprotia, passing through the mountainous area of Kakozuli, a gloomy gorge with a length of 5 km, the plain of Epirus and disappearing into the lake-swamp Acherusia palus. In Dante’s Divine Comedy, the Acheron River encircles the first circle of Hell. Needless to say, many people try not to swim from one shore to the other here.
9. Feng Du, Fengdu County, China
There is a ghost town in Fengdu. It is full of shrines and temples and is considered a place where the devil lives. Next to the city is the Ming Shan Mountain, which is the home of the King of the Dead Tiantzi.
10. Hell, Norway
Norway is a cold northern country, however, if you look at the map, you can find that hell is located right here. By the will of fate or someone’s malicious joke, the town with a population of 1,500 people was named Hell, which means “Hell” in English. Unlike the generally accepted notions of hell, you can easily freeze in this if you get dressed too easily.
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