So in the scheme of the whole "Old Hell and Relocated Hell", is she the one in charge of the New Hell? Also, what would her possible relations be with Satori, Yuyuko, and Eiki?
So in the scheme of the whole "Old Hell and Relocated Hell", is she the one in charge of the New Hell? Also, what would her possible relations be with Satori, Yuyuko, and Eiki?
Nobody has actually said she's the goddess of Hell; there could be more than one Hell goddess.
Nobody has actually said she's the goddess of Hell; there could be more than one Hell goddess.
Given that in Dante's inferno and all those other fun books and stories about the underworld there are probably different areas and level of Hell so it wouldn't be a stretch if she was the goddess of one section or something along the line of that.
Hell, Makai, the underworld, call it what you want, it's an unusually big place.
So in the scheme of the whole "Old Hell and Relocated Hell", is she the one in charge of the New Hell? Also, what would her possible relations be with Satori, Yuyuko, and Eiki?
Who knows. However, Eiki is only one yama, in charge of Gensokyo. It's known that there's more of them, each with their own subordinates. If Hecatia is indeed Hecate, as is implied, then she wouldn't even be from Gensokyo or under Eiki's jurisdiction.
Thing about Touhou is its cosmology is mash of multiple regional myths and faiths. It's focused mostly on the Eastern relgions that have bonded through syncretism in Japan, but with this, it calls into question the possible role of Western or at least Western polytheist religions like Greek mythology. But if there's room for those religions, there might be room for their own versions of Heaven, Hell, etc., too, which Hecate could be from.
EDIT: Yeah, no one said Hecatia is the Hell goddess, either. There could be others still.
What i don't get is how the HELL can a greek goddess survive considerating how old greek mytology is, and how long it has been forgotten. I'm not even sure humans of Gensokyo know what greek myths are. So, either she was given a place in hell to match her original role as a hell goddess (instead of just disappearing), or there is more then one Gensokyo around the world, each with its own rules, hells, heavens, etc.
Given that in Dante's inferno and all those other fun books and stories about the underworld there are probably different areas and level of Hell so it wouldn't be a stretch if she was the goddess of one section or something along the line of that.
Hell, Makai, the underworld, call it what you want, it's an unusually big place.
It doesn't hurt that there are actually multiple Hells in Buddhism and Shintoism; Jigoku, the land Reimu travels to in Highly Responsive to Prayers, is comprised of seven Hells of fire and seven of ice.
[KN] said:
What i don't get is how the HELL can a greek goddess survive considerating how old greek mytology is, and how long it has been forgotten. I'm not even sure humans of Gensokyo know what greek myths are. So, either she was given a place in hell to match her original role as a hell goddess (instead of just disappearing), or there is more then one Gensokyo around the world, each with its own rules, hells, heavens, etc.
Considering how many people in the modern world (or at least in the Western world) know about Greek mythology, I find that point rather moot. The idea of multiple realms like Gensokyo sounds pretty plausible to me (I even read a fanfic which touched on that idea).
Also... the thing to remember about myths is that they're myths. The stories themselves have changed with time, so it's not a stretch to some details of the story may have been long forgotten.
My headcanon? Youkai can exist just fine without humans fearing them, it's humans' fear that they feed on, and that empowers them, but unfortunately, that detail was lost in the brief-but-still-long history of Gensokyo. On the flip side, I personally believe the same applies to gods, except through mortal man's respect instead of fear.
The thought of Hecatia being the same person as Hecate of Greek myth strains suspension of disbelief for me a bit, but like I was saying, who's to say they are the same person, or there aren't plenty of other realms in Hell presided by other goddesses? We already know about Shinki, so...
Hell, Makai, the underworld, call it what you want, it's an unusually big place.
Funny thing is, all of them are different places. There's the former Hell, which is now just a cellar with a nuclear furnace. There's the active Hell, a pretty nasty place that various assholes and criminals are sent to for purging. There's the Underworld, a quiet place for quiet ghosts, sorta kinda local variant of Limbo. It has four seasons, it has cherry trees and it has Hakugyokurou, Yuyuko's palace. There's Higan, a little meadow filled with dem red flowers of death. There are no seasons here, and AFAIK it's never-ending evening in there. This is the place right across the Sanzu river, and here is where the yamas' court is situated. Finally, there's Makai, which is Shinki's personal world. It is poisonous for human's body, but the same poison also boost your magic stat (mercury anyone?) It used to be filled with Shinki's sentient creatures, so-called "demons", but after the Great MS Wreckage, everyone seems to have died, except for Byakurodent, who has already left the place anyway. And yama does not send you to Makai.