
Dante pulling a head from the ice by Gustave Doré from an edition of The vision of hell; Divina Commedia, 1872. Source: The John Rylands Library
Dante pulling a head from the ice by Gustave Doré from an edition of The vision of hell; Divina Commedia, 1872. Source: The John Rylands Library
The Hellmouth is an entrance to hell that manifests as the open jaws of an infernal beast. Depictions of Hellmouths were common during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in manuscripts, and even as dramatic mechanical set pieces in theatrical productions.
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In Chinese mythology, Ox-Head and Horse-Face are guardians of the Underworld, and act as the equivalent to the Angel of Death. They capture and escort human souls to be judged in the courts of Hell, and are messengers of the king of Hell, Yanluo Wang. Images by Jnzl on Flickr