Hell

Hell, also known as the Underworld, Hades, theNetherworld, the Abyss and countless other names is the spiritual realm of evil and the domain of Satan and his legions of demons and the damned - in non-Christian religions Satan is replaced with some other archdemon or death-god such as the Norse Hela but in every depiction Hell is described as the most terrifying, horrible plane of existence where the wicked and sinful are punished for eternity (or at least for immensely long periods of time) for their sins - often in the most horrific of ways.

Traditionally in Christianity the suffering of hell is envisioned as hellfire - a type of spiritual flame that is capable of burning the very soul of those who commit wrong and those sentenced to hell must endure an eternity of hellfire while also being tormented day and night by the minions of Satan.

Hell can also be seen as a metaphor for a life without God (or other positive force) and some religions do not see Hell as a physical place but rather a state of mind caused by sin. Hell is similiar to Purgatory but differs in the fact Hell is usually seen as a permanent state of suffering and evil opposed to Purgatory, which is traditionally seen as a place of temporary punishment before being admitted into Paradise.