#the harrowing of hell

[cuties-in-codices]

christ releasing hell's captives

miniature in "lancelot en prose", france, 15th c.

source: Paris, BnF, Français 113, fol. 117r

#15th century #the harrowing of hell #descent into hell #hellmouth #demons #hell #christian iconography #medieval art

[orthodoxsoul]

I didn't get a chance to post this on Holy Saturday, but I keep thinking about and giggling so I'm posting it now

#holy saturday #orthodox christianity #orthodox #the harrowing of hell #the descent into hades

[catholicsapphic]

I’m taking the time to really Think about the Harrowing of Hell. I’m thinking about Jesus descending. What did he find at the gates of Sheol? Was His Father’s army already there? Did the Powers and Dominions open way for their King to pass? Did all the angels bow down and sing praise as He walked amongst them, His wounds still wet and open? What did their song sound like? Was it anything like the one they sang upon His birth, over three decades before? I wonder how the angels felt at that moment, knowing that God had done it, the thing humankind had been waiting for for eons, even if we didn’t know exactly what It was. I wonder if they felt humbled by the King living and dying horrifically, all to save the children He loved with such burning strenght. I wonder if it deepened their resolve to protect creation.

I wonder if, as Jesus walked to the front, Archangel Michiael went to meet him. I wonder how he felt to see the Son of God standing there, amongst them again at last, and ready to lead them into that most important mission. He with his flaming sword. Jesus with His flaming heart. I wonder if Gabriel was there too. I wonder if he kneeled before God, and took His pierced hands into his, and held back tears. He, who had announced His birth, now witnessed the moments after His death. I wonder if he had been the angel to console him in the garden. I wonder if he felt guilty for not having been at the foot of the cross as well. I wonder if Jesus gently untangled His hands, put them under Gabriel’s chin, and made him look up at Him. I wonder if He smiled at him, both with gratefulness for His Father’s messenger and with a clear attempt to say ‘it’s okay, I’m here now, all will be well’.

I’m thinking about what it must have been like, when they barged open the gates of Gehenna. Because for all that the angels of all different orders have their weapons, literal or not, I struggle to imagine the Christ taking up arms. The Man who welcomed the children, the Man who spared the sinners, the Man who had forbidden his disciple from hurting the people who wanted to capture Him mere hours before. Did He now take up a sword, so little time after taking up a cross? Maybe. But I wonder if the sight of Him alone was enough to make demons perish. I wonder if the sight of Him alone was enough to make demons run. Most of all, I wonder if the sight of Him alone was enough to make demons fall to their knees and weep. What have I done, what have I done, what have I done. 

I wonder  what Sheol looked like. I wonder if He could immediately see his children scattered around, looking at the unusual commotion with a spark in their eyes, with the first smidge of hope they’d had in millenia. I wonder if He felt compassion deep inside of him when He looked at them, like when He saw the hungry crowd. For once, I think I know the answer for that one. I wonder if He teared up, looking at all the souls that had been trapped there, and sent up praise to His Father for not having let the cup pass from him. I wonder if He walked up to the nearest people and comforted them, saying it would be okay, and I wonder if Michiael had to tell Him they needed to keep moving. I wonder if they kept fighting (whathever that means) hoardes, trying to find the slanderer. I wonder if a man in animal skins ran up to them at some point, and before any angels could stop him, ran up to Jesus and said “my cousin, I’ve missed you so”. I wonder if any fire near that man flickered and died, for he had always been a keeper of water of life. I wonder if he could feel that water flowing from his cousins’ side when they hugged.

I wonder if the man told Jesus exactly where they could find the slanderer, for he knew his job was to prepare the way for the Saviour, so he had made sure he did that even in the land of the dead. I wonder how the heavenly army felt as they marched to the castle. If they felt anger, if they felt like that was what they’d been made for, if they felt scared of happy at all. I think they felt pity. Because, after the Son of Man had been through all the pain He had so He could forgive all the pain that had ever and would ever be inflicted, all would be reunited with God’s Love. All but one. And I wonder how Jesus felt looking at the evil one, dressed in jewels but rotting inside, while He stood, dressed simply and bloody while filled with more Love than any merely human frame could even hold.

I wonder how He felt remembering that the creature before him had had the trust of His Father before betraying both Him, and all of creation. I wonder if that gave Him pause. I wonder if, for a moment, His Heart clenched with pain as He asked Himself if being divine was being doomed to have those who you trust stab you in the back. It had only been a day. It had only been a day. Judas’ lips still burned on His cheek. 

I wonder what the confrontation was like between the embodiement of Divine Love, and the embodiement of hate. I wonder if, once that was dealt with (and I cannot begin to fathom how), an angel placed a mantle over a cursed throne, and if Jesus sat on it. I wonder if a wave of Love, and light, and justice and goodness emanated from Him at that moment. I wonder if it changed the landscape of Gehenna completely, if the fires that used to harm began to cleanse, if the chains were broken, if the hellish weapons turned to ash. I wonder if the angels broke out in praise once again. I wonder if all the saints joined them. I wonder if Jesus looked out of the window, and seeing His people, wept in joy. If He decided that it had all been worth it. All of it. Living, dying. Breathing and choking. Because His beloveds would never be parted from Him again. No sheep would be lost. Even if they descended here to be purified in the forge, they would return to Him, to the Father, in the Spirit, in Love.

I wonder if it burst open the hearts of all those there, when the Presence of God finally filled the only place in the cosmos that had lacked it. I wonder if a carpenter realized exactly what had happened even if he hadn’t been near the battles to see it, and I wonder if he ran towards where the King was. I wonder if he found Him there, discussing plans with the angels, and not giving a single care about whether he was interupting a discussion abou the fate of the cosmos, cried out “My little boy, how much you’ve grown since I last saw you!”. I wonder if Jesus thought He had been done crying, but teared up again at the sight of His earthly guardian. If the angels stepped back to allow step father and Son to hug. I wonder if Joseph finally comprehended everything. I wonder if he gently touched Jesus’ wounds, and with a broken voice asked who had done that to Him. I wonder if Jesus touched his cheek and said “It doesn’t matter, all is forgiven”. I wonder if Joseph wanted to argue, wanted to punish himself over the fact that God had charged him with taking care of His only Son, and he hadn’t been there to protect Him when it mattered most. I wonder if the gentleness in Jesus’ eyes shut all of those negative thoughts down.

I wonder if He spent those three days and three nights there, with His step father at His side, putting the place to rights. Comforting those who needed comfort, healing those who needed healing. Announcing the time for their saving had come, the Kingdom of God was at hand. I wonder what figures of the Old Testment He talked to. I wonder what changes He and His army had to do to take that place of eternal suffering and turn it into a realm of purification. I wonder what happened to the demons. I wonder what happened to the angels. I wonder if they struggled to understand how Jesus could walk around so happily shouting ‘all is forgiven, all are loved, all will be reunited’ like a child in a playground when those earthly creatures had been way more trouble than they were worth. I wonder, however, if they understood perfectly instead.

I wonder if Jesus was still there when Judas arrived. I wonder if they met. I wonder if Judas fell to his knees. I wonder if Jesus wept. I wonder if He asked why he had done that when He had given him His everything, His best. I wonder if He didn’t really want to hear the answer. I wonder if there was sorrow. I wonder if there was forgiveness. I wonder if there was pain. I wonder if there was contriction. I wonder. I wonder. I wonder. It’s all I can do.

I wonder what it was like, when the day came for Him to rise and lead all souls to Heaven. I wonder if there were demons who had fallen to their knees and asked for forgiveness, and achieved it. I wonder if the angels praised Him, not only for humankind but for their fallen siblings who they had gotten back. I wonder if euphoria filled the Saviour as He led the way, thinking of all the people He had loved throughout the ages finally coming home, thinking of all the people He loved still on earth that wouldn’t even need to meet that place, or whose stay there would certainly be short. He’d have His friends. He’d have them all. I wonder if He laughed, triumphant and giddy as the souls began to leave, all of them singing in praise of God. I wonder if He raised His voice and said “Eli, Eli, thank You for your blessings!”. I wonder if God laughed back. It was finished. It was finished. It was finished. They could now begin again.

I wonder if Joseph touched His shoulder with his caloused worker’s hand on the way out, silently asking if He would walk with him to Heaven as he had walked with Him on earth. I wonder if Jesus told him He needed to take care of some things, and of some people He’d left behind first. I think Joseph would know exactly what he meant. Ever fatherly, ever supportive without asking questions, only giving guidance. I wonder if he’d give Him a flower, maybe the only one he had found in all of Sheol, and say “please give her this, and tell her how much I miss her, and I love her”. I wonder if Jesus would hug him and thank His Father for having given His Holy Mother such a good companion.

I wonder if a soul, or an angel, would approach Him and ask if He was really going to go back there, after everything that had been done to Him. And I just know He’d smile, bless them, and say “I’ll always come back to them.”

#this isn’t attempting to be accurate to any faith/theology in particular btw. #it really is just me Thinking and loving stories #the harrowing of hell #holy saturday #easter vigil #creative writing #basically lol #but in my defense!! This came to me in the middle of the night and put me in a meditative state #and I asked the Holy Spirit for guidance as I was writing it #I'm just.... really Thinking

[archivingheartbeats]

"A Harrowing Hymn"

[4/08/2023]

"You are there," they said as horror,

That there is no escaping wrath.

"You are there" they said, a fetter

Shackling young feet to the path.

They promised there is always fear;

In the fire, my judge is near.

What if it was not threat, but promise?

Into the deepest dark came light.

In the day of silence, redress

For the lost and captive plight.

You tore and twisted the last black gate:

You triumphed and called love from hate.

#poetry #archivingheartbeats #castingmysilver #religion #christianity #holy week #silent saturday #the harrowing of hell #hope #napowrimo2023

[stjohncapistrano67]

A page from a medieval Catholic manuscript which illustrates what was known in medieval Catholicism as " the harrowing of Hell". It's taken from the fifth article of the Apostles Creed.

#traditional catholicism #traditional catholic images #middle ages catholism #middle ages catholic religious art #traditional catholic teachings #the apostles creed #the harrowing of hell #middle ages catholic manuscripts #fifth article of the apostles creed

[straydog733]

Reading Resolution: "The Harrowing of Hell" by Evan Dahm

29. Wild Card: The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm

List Progress: 14/30

In much of Western culture, Christian stories have become so rote as to not invite much analysis. Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and three days later rose from the dead. But what happened in those three days? The graphic novel The Harrowing of Hell, created and illustrated by Evan Dahm, follows Jesus as a character, as both a man and a symbol, descending into Hell and enduring those three days. The text is taken from both canonical and apocryphal Christian gospels, but the art is what the reader comes to this work for. Bold, huge illustrations done entirely in black, white and red give the story a grand scope and feel like descending into the pit along with Christ. 

The Harrowing of Hell meets Jesus at the moment of the crucifixion and follows him into Hell, where he is mocked, taunted, and attacked by the denizens of the pit. Flashbacks show him teaching his gospel on earth, but Hell is where he has to struggle to live that gospel, staying true to his message of love and resisting despair when it seems like all of his work has come to nothing. The reader really feels it when this Jesus asks God “Why have you forsaken me?”. The big-eyed, expressive design of Jesus works well for this story, forcing the reader to see his fear. When compared to the horrible grandeur of his surroundings, he is one small, beaten man. But he also fears the opposite: the Devil’s most effective threat is when he predicts that the followers of Jesus will reinterpret him as a warrior and go to battle in his name. This small man will have an eternity of blood shed for him, and nothing could be further from what he wants. And when he emerges from the pit, will he ever really escape that future?

The Harrowing of Hell isn’t going to hold much interest to readers who do not already have at least some investment in Christian mythology. This comic isn’t going to convert anyone to religion or atheism, and it’s not really trying to. It is just setting out to tell a very over-told story in a unique way, with some truly beautiful art to deliver the message. A simple story, a simple text, and a simple color palette all work together here to make something exquisite. 

Would I Recommend It: Yes

#straydog's reading resolution #the harrowing of hell #evan dahm

[airasilver]

Starting to read this.

#evan dahm #the harrowing of hell #book #graphic novel #mine #personal #photos

[cutetanuki-chan]

“You can’t cure this,” said the Prince. “It’s spirit shit … possession. You can ward people so they don’t get grabbed—if you’re really good—but otherwise, chop them up and burn the bits. That’s the cure. Civilian or Edenite or House, it makes no difference.”

#tbh Kiriona should be even meannier she've been through hell #John standing there like 'I threw up' #the locked tomb #nona the ninth #nona the ninth spoilers #kiriona gaia #gideon nav #gideon the ninth #ianthe tridentarius #john gaius #harrow the ninth #harrow the ninth spoilers #gideon the ninth spoilers #tw blood #tw body horror #? #art

[barbelzoa]

NO PEACE IN THE VALLEY, THERE SHALL BE NO RELIEF FROM THIS GREAT WEIGHT

#the locked tomb #harrow the ninth #gideon the ninth #harrowhark nonagesimus #tlt fanart #my art #artists on tumblr #uhhhhhh #tlt spoilers #cant wait for Harrow to Hell #htn #gtn #tlt

[diosapate]

mercy killed john cleanly. he did not die in pain, she did not disrespect his body; she killed him quickly and efficiently and that was it. john killed her brutally!! he mutilated her and covered someone else with her gore and only then killed her with a tap to the back of the head. he ripped a dead woman’s cloak from her body and touched her corpse with his bare foot to prove a point!!

all this to say: necromancy is disrespect for the dead under the guise of reverence, and john isn’t even bullshitting respect for the dead anymore in Thee most obvious way. god’s mercy is finite and he has none left; i suspect that his “i’m just a little guy :)” act is at its end and we are about to see more of the man who claims that guys like him don’t make mistakes.

#just like. the way he treats her body is insane to me. shes a character that already lacks bodily autonomy so this is just so. #cannot fault augustine for trying to slam dunk him into hell thus dooming the universe Again tbh #shoutout to aster for the phrase ‘he blew mercy up in the microwave’ cant stop thinking about it #tlt meta #mercymorn the first #john gaius #harrow the ninth #the locked tomb #aust.txt

[mossroute]

You have her eyes

#the locked tomb #harrow the ninth #alecto tlt #hell yeah art!

[vaguely-concerned]

sometimes I think of all the on-the-surface warm, well-meaning but deeply ineffectual advice and attention john gives harrow through harrow the ninth (make some soup and get some sleep! get a hobby! don't be so hard on yourself! self care harrow! as long as I need take no actual responsibility in this relationship whatsoever I would have loved to be your dad!) set up against the stark truth that with his other hand he has been staging her attempted horrific murder again and again and again like a living nightmare on the logic that it will 'put her down or fix her'. and then I find that I wish there is a hell. a special hell where twitch streamers turned necromantic death emperors go

#the locked tomb #harrowhark nonagesimus #john gaius #harrow the ninth #this is why I don't buy john as misunderstood and initially well-meaning AT ALL #this is a pattern you see with him again and again and again -- right down to his interpersonal relationships #(and indeed it's in the more grounded interpersonal relationships you can most clearly see him as he is I think #the fantasy death empire of a thousand years doesn't register quite as viscerally because it's like. heightened; not quite real #but the emotional violence and manipulation that surrounds him? oh boy that is EXTREMELY real and scarily well-observed) #there's a premeditation to so much of what he does (contracts with planets that only end 'in the event of the emperor's death' anyone? #yeah john we get it you're hilarious and I wish you weren't) #the greatest trick john ever pulled was making anyone think he's just a lil guy. what does he know he's only god #when you first read the book the complete callousness of the other adults is so horrible that john seems like an oasis of care #(though you start to get this uneasy feeling when that care never seems to translate to like... relief or soothing or resolution) #and it makes it feel almost obscene when you find out what's actually going on #it's the mercy & augustine enabler hour but at least they're completely honest in their cruelty there #while john is -- well he sure is being john huh #this is just me being angry with him btw philosophically I don't think this is how the story will or should end #(with john slam dunked right into hell that is) #it's just... harrow is so vulnerable. and what he does to her is so insidious and fucked up #john is very deeply human. unfortunately the capacity to quite simply suck so much is deeply human too

[dopeyapples]

this is a real fucking scene from this book. i am not exaggerating

#what the actual hell am i reading #the locked tomb #tlt #harrowhark nonagesimus #harrowhark the ninth #harrow the ninth #harrowhark fanart #harrowhark the first #tamsyn muir #htn #my art

[mercymornsimpathizer]

tbh I think people deeply misunderstand the dynamic between harrow and ortus. imagine ur thirty years old working a minimum wage job and living in ur moms basement. ur manager is an overacheiving high schooler who knows the employee handbook by heart. like she will garnish ur wages if u don't upsell vigorously enough but also she needs a ride home because her learners permit says she's not allowed to drive past 8 pm. ortus nigenad is victim of the alienation of labor, send tweet.

#harrow nonagesimus #ortus nigenad #the locked tomb #etc etc etc #i think we all have a lot of sympathy for harrow bc she has truly gone thru hell #but also like. cmon guys. she also deliberately and conciously put everyone else thru hell and enjoyed it too #ortus simpathizer hours #also idk what has come over me but i have the nearly irressistable urge to write tbh as turburculosis h #get it cuz like tb #anyways.

[bluebirdcurse]

There are so many amazing theories about book four but I'd happily read 600 pages of Paul recapping book three for Harrow. We sent your body to school to play with the other children. This is a dog and he's making those noises because now's when you usually take him for walkies.

#the locked tomb #nona changed the game for real #like harrow stayed in river dream monologue hell and her body went on wholesome rumspringa

[lionofchaeronea]

The Harrowing of Hell. Sculpture (alabaster with gilding) by an unknown English artist active in the 15th century. Now in the Honolulu Museum of Art.

#Harrowing of Hell #Holy Saturday #Holy Week #liturgical calendar #liturgical year #art #art history #sculpture #Middle Ages #medieval #medieval art #religious art #Christian art #Christianity #Catholicism #English art #15th century art #alabaster #Honolulu Museum of Art