Underworld Journeys with Mary Dowd (Two Sessions)

Thursdays, March 28 and April 4 from 7 - 9 pm

(Program will be recorded and sent to registrants)

I have always been fascinated by the many different versions of the underworld in various myths, religions and cultures. I think what draws me to such texts most is how imaginative they are. How elaborately our human imagination works to avoid the ultimate unknown. Whatever our culture or moment in time, we create highly detailed worlds and beings, to fill in the yawning void of what happens to us after death. We do this to comfort ourselves, in a way, that death is not the end. It can also create a final arena where morality and justice prevail, which may be comforting, or not, depending on your beliefs and your version of yourself.

In the first two sessions this Spring, we’ll look at texts from Western and Near Eastern sources, including…