Alternate Names For Hell
Among the more common Chinese names for the Underworld are:
- Diyu (simplified Chinese: 地狱; traditional Chinese: 地獄; pinyin: Dìyù), "Earth Prison".
- Difu (Chinese: 地府; pinyin: Dìfǔ), "Earth Mansion".
- Huangquan (simplified Chinese: 黄泉; traditional Chinese: 黃泉; pinyin: Huángquán), "Yellow Springs", called yomi in Japanese.
- Yinjian (simplified Chinese: 阴间; traditional Chinese: 陰間; pinyin: Yīnjiān; literally "Yin dimension"), "Land of Shade".
- Yinfu (simplified Chinese: 阴府; traditional Chinese: 陰府; pinyin: Yīnfǔ), "Shady Mansion".
- Yinsi (simplified Chinese: 阴司; traditional Chinese: 陰司; pinyin: Yīnsī), "Shady Office".
- Senluo Dian (simplified Chinese: 森罗殿; traditional Chinese: 森羅殿; pinyin: Sēnluódiàn), "Court of Senluo".
- Yanluo Dian (simplified Chinese: 阎罗殿; traditional Chinese: 閻羅殿; pinyin: Yánluódiàn), "Court of Yanluo".
- Jiuquan (Chinese: 九泉; pinyin: Jiǔquán), "Nine Springs".
- Chongquan (Chinese: 重泉; pinyin: Chóngquán), "Repeating Spring".
- Quanlu (Chinese: 泉路; pinyin: Quánlù), "Road to the Spring".
- Youming (Chinese: 幽冥; pinyin: Yōumíng), "Serene Darkness".
- Yourang (Chinese: 幽壤; pinyin: Yōurǎng), "Serene Land".
- Huokang (Chinese: 火炕; pinyin: Huǒkàng), "Fire Pit".
- Jiuyou (Chinese: 九幽; pinyin: Jiǔyōu), "Nine Serenities".
- Jiuyuan (Chinese: 九原; pinyin: Jiǔyuán), "Nine Origins".
- Mingfu (Chinese: 冥府; pinyin: Míngfǔ), "Dark Mansion".
- Abi (Chinese: 阿鼻; pinyin: Ābí), "Avīci", the hell of uninterrupted torture, last and deepest of the Eight Hot Narakas.
- Zugen (Chinese: 足跟; pinyin: Zúgēn), "Heel".
- Fengdu Cheng (simplified Chinese: 丰都城; traditional Chinese: 酆都城; pinyin: Fēngdū Chéng), a reference to the Fengdu Ghost City.
Other terminology related to hell includes:
- Naihe Qiao (simplified Chinese: 奈何桥; traditional Chinese: 奈何橋; pinyin: Nàihé Qiáo), "Bridge of Helplessness", a bridge every soul has to cross before entering the Underworld, just like the River Styx in Greek mythology.
- Wang Xiang Tai (simplified Chinese: 望乡台; traditional Chinese: 望鄉臺; pinyin: Wàng Xiāng Tái), "Home-Viewing Pavilion", a pavilion every soul passes by on his / her journey to the Underworld. From there, they can see their families and loved ones in the living world.
- You Guo (simplified Chinese: 油锅; traditional Chinese: 油鍋; pinyin: Yóu Guō), "Oil Cauldron", one of the tortures in hell.
- San Tu (simplified Chinese: 三涂; traditional Chinese: 三塗; pinyin: Sān Tú), the "Three Tortures": Fire Torture (simplified Chinese: 火涂; traditional Chinese: 火塗; pinyin: Huǒ Tú), Blade Torture (simplified Chinese: 刀涂; traditional Chinese: 刀塗; pinyin: Dāo Tú), Blood Torture (simplified Chinese: 血涂; traditional Chinese: 血塗; pinyin: Xuě Tú; literally "spilling of blood").
Read more about this topic: Diyu
Famous quotes containing the words alternate, names and/or hell:
“Germany is a queer country: one can’t regard it dispassionately. I alternate between hating it thoroughly, stick, stock and stone, and yearning over it fit to break my heart. I can’t help feeling it a young and adorable country—adolescent—with the faults of adolescence.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“The names of all fine authors are fictitious ones, far more so than that of Junius,—simply standing, as they do, for the mystical, ever-eluding Spirit of all Beauty, which ubiquitously possesses men of genius.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“The Schofield Kid: It don’t seem real, how he ain’t gonna never breathe again, ever. How he’s dead, and the other one, too. All on account of pulling a trigger.
Will Munny: It’s a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he’s got and all he’s ever gonna have.”
—David Webb Peoples, screenwriter. The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett)