They have something mystical.
Almost all religious teachings of the world are United by a single point is the concept that those who have done terrible things in life, will be forced to suffer in the afterlife. Hell, Sheol, Hades, Gehenna — the name of this place changed, but in all cases it was underground. Accordingly, there were places that people could get. These 10 real locations at different times were considered portals to the underworld and to this day retains a mystical aura.
Houska Castle
Czech Republic
To the North of Prague in the Czech Republic is Houska castle, which is said to have been built over a pit that leads straight to hell. According to legend, king Ottokar II was so curious that he was willing to forgive any prisoner who agreed to descend into the hole. This daredevil found and pulled down. When he raised up, the poor were completely insane and shouting just scary words about the unknown creatures living at the bottom.
The Gates Of Pluto
Turkey
Pluto’s gate was another entrance to the underworld in the mythology of the ancient Greeks and Romans. A small cave near the temple of Apollo was often filled with noxious fumes that caused hallucinations, everyone who breathed them. These pairs were killing birds and animals, so there was always a lot of dead bodies. no Wonder the Greeks considered a fast way to get to the underworld and tried to stay out of the way.
Hell of a pond
Japan
Buddhist texts Dating back to 700 ad describe natural reservoir is surprisingly red. In the text he is called Chinoike Jigoku — blood pond hell. The temperature in the pond is about 78 degrees Celsius, and in ancient times it was often used to torture prisoners. Now the pond is a Spa resort.
The Sibyl’s Cave
Italy
One of the oldest known of the alleged gateway to the underworld is in the sibyl’s cave. Two thousand years ago the Romans started writing about this place as the devil’s doors. In the classic work of Virgil’s “Aeneid”, he talks about the cave where Aeneas meets 700-year-old Oracle, and the priestess sibyl, who serve as his guides during the descent to hell.
Mount Hekla
Iceland
Since the colonization of Iceland by Vikings in the 12th century, mount Hekla the gateway to hell. In 1341 in the annals of the Benedictine monks described flocks of black birds that flew to the mountain and disappeared in her spurs. It was the souls of the damned, which went straight to purgatory.
Acheron
Greece
Acheron left quite many traces in classical mythology is the river which flows in North-Western Greece. Today Acheron is known as the river Rises. The ancient Greeks believed that on its banks are several entrances to Hades. On the banks of the river sat the souls who took neutrality in the choice between good and evil.
Cenote Maya
Mexico
Bottomless pits, often interconnected, throughout Central America. The ancient Maya considered them portals to the underworld and often helped living to get there in sacrifices and rituals to please the gods of death and the underworld.
The Isle of St. Patrick
Ireland
Purgatory of St. Patrick — the Irish monastery on the island of Lough Derg, which was founded in the 15th century. It is said that when St. Patrick first visited the island, was haunted by visions of the torments of hell. They brought him to the cave, where the Saint found a hole — a narrow passage leading straight to purgatory. In the troubled place it was decided to build a monastery to live the good people don’t accidentally wandered into purgatory, and on the reverse side of the white light is not useful evil.
Ghost town
China
Ghost town in China is a sacred place in Chinese mythology. It was a few thousand years, and all this time, according to the myths of the Chinese, under the ground there lived a host of ghosts, demons, and mythical creatures. Eternity they spend waiting for sinful souls, the lack of which do not.
The Masaya Volcano
Nicaragua
The indigenous people who settled the foothills of the Masaya volcano, believed that the volcano was the gods lived. When they replaced the conquistadors came, they immediately knew something was wrong — the volcano has been equipped special expedition, which included the most zealous priests and exorcist. They had several rites of exorcism and finally cemented the glory of the volcano the “gateway to hell”.
