Collectiondeath
Rulers of the Dead
Sovereigns of the afterlife who guide souls, judge the deceased, and guard the boundaries between life and death.
Across traditions
The figures
They share a theme; their roles, beliefs and histories differ from one tradition to the next.
Greek PantheonHadesIllustrationGod of the underworld and the dead.
Norse PantheonHelIllustrationGoddess and ruler of the underworld realm of the dead (also called Hel or Helheim).
Egyptian PantheonOsirisIllustrationGod of the afterlife, resurrection, and fertility.
Egyptian PantheonAnubisIllustrationGod of mummification and the afterlife.
Mesoamerican PantheonMictlantecuhtliIllustrationThe Aztec god of death and ruler of Mictlan, the deepest underworld realm.
Mesopotamian PantheonEreshkigalIllustrationQueen of the Underworld and sister of Inanna.
Japanese PantheonIzanamiIllustrationFemale primordial deity who created the Japanese islands and kami with Izanagi.
The stories
Orpheus in the UnderworldGreek PantheonThe legendary musician Orpheus descends to the realm of the dead to rescue his beloved wife Eurydice, moving even the gods of the Underworld with his song, only to lose her at the final moment.
Inanna's Descent to the UnderworldMesopotamian PantheonThe Queen of Heaven descends to the underworld to confront her sister Ereshkigal, passing through seven gates where she is stripped of her power at each one. She dies and hangs upon a hook, and is only revived through cunning intervention.
The Journey to MictlanAztec PantheonThe perilous four-year journey of the soul through the nine levels of the Aztec underworld, facing wind of obsidian knives, crushing mountains, and the final crossing to rest before Mictlantecuhtli.
Maui’s Attempt to Conquer DeathPolynesian PantheonHaving slowed the sun and fished up islands, Maui tries to win immortality by crawling through the body of Hine-nui-te-pō — and fails when laughing birds wake the goddess of death.
About this collection
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Collections group figures and myths by a shared theme. A shared theme is an editorial lens, not evidence that the traditions borrowed from one another.