Most often in English it is called the Elysian Fields. It was sometimes called the White Island, and more often was referred to as the Islands of the Blessed. The Elysian Fields of the BlessedĮlysium went by many names. The Elysian Fields were hard to reach, but for those few deemed worthy they promised an eternal life of relaxation, beauty, and amusements.
Initially, there was no promise of a reward at all.įrom a bleak and depressing eternity as a shade, the Greeks developed the idea of a true paradise. The Greek idea of reward in the next world was constantly evolving. The Egyptian pharaohs believed they would live a life very similar to the one they had while they lived, including servants and food. The form of that reward varied greatly from culture to culture.įor Norse warriors it was drinking and brawling in the hall of Odin until the last battle of Ragnarok. The wicked are punished for their evil ways, while those people that led a good life are given rich rewards.
Often, the experience of the afterlife depends on the person’s actions and beliefs during their time on earth.Ī common feature in the afterlives of the world’s religion is a system of punishment and reward. Every religion in history has had its own concept of what happens to the human soul after death.
