tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">PART II

1. THE CLASSICAL TRADITION Sources of the mediæval legend of the Vision of the Otherworld—The Classical Tradition—The Otherworld in the Greek poets—Influence of the Mysteries—The effect of initiation on the future life—Ethical teaching of the Mysteries—Plato’s Vision of Er—Plato’s opinion of the Mysteries—Description of Elysium in the Axiochus—The Frogs of Aristophanes; visit to Hades by Dionysos; light thrown on the Greek views of the Mysteries of the next world—Plutarch’s Vision of Thespesios—Plutarch’s eschatology—Rebirth theory in Plato and Plutarch—The Vision in Latin literature—The Somnium Scipionis—Virgil’s description of the Otherworld—Literary character of his treatment—Composite nature of his eschatology—His authority in the Middle Ages 48-67 2. THE ORIENTAL TRADITION Dante’s attitude towards Virgil—His scheme in the Commedia—Non-classical elements thereby necessitated—Process of accretion in the later Jewish Church—The Chaldæan eschatology—Visits to Hades of Ishtâr and Gisdubar—The Chaldæan Elysium—Arali, the Chaldæan Hades—Aristocratic conception of Elysium—The effect of the Median conquest—The Avestan eschatology—The soul after death—The Chinvât Bridge—Judgment—The Avestan Elysium—The Tree of Life and the World-Sea—The bird Karshipta—the Vara of Yima—Yima and the Indian Yama—Allegoric tendencies of the Avesta—Its adoption of earlier animism—The question of its influence on Judaism—Darmesteter on Neo-Platonic elements in the Avesta—Older elements in the Avestan theory of the Otherworld; Achæmenian, Indian and Chaldæan—The Amesha Spentas and the Philonic emanations—Their probable connection with the Chaldæan Spirits of Earth—Chaldæan and Persian influences upon Jewish speculation—Oriental conceptions present in the Vision of Adamnán: the seven Heavens, the mystical Bird, the Tree of Life, the World-Sea, the Bridge—Rebirth theory absent from the Avestan religion—Egypt and Neo-Judaism—The Jewish colony in Alexandria; its culture mainly Hellenic; interchange of ideas with the Egyptians—Egyptian cults in the Hellenic world—Egyptian eschatology; Judgment, the ‘Eater of the Dead,’ Elysium—Purgatorial and kindred theories of the Rabbis and early Christians—Special treatment of half good, half wicked souls—Greek and Oriental influences on the Otherworld conceptions of the Christian Church—Rebirth rejected by the Jews, and by the ancient Egyptians 67-94 3. THE ECCLESIASTICAL TRADITION The Vision of the Otherworld a favourite subject in the Jewish apocryphal scriptures—The Book of Enoch—Parallels to Christian Visions—Care for topographical details—Dissertations as in Dante—Purgatorial theory—Descriptions of Hell and Heaven—The Celestial Mountain—Sheol—The Tree of Life—Judgment—The Gospel of Nicodemus—The Vision of Esdras in the Old Testament Apocrypha—Another Vision of Esdras in the Christian apocryphal books—The Vision of Isaiah—Little information respecting the Otherworld in the canonical books of the New Testament—Details in the Epistles of St. Jude and St. Peter and the Revelation—Græco-Roman speculations during the early ages of the Church—The Sibylline books—The ‘Harrowing of Hell’ legend—Spread of eschatological writings—The Shepherd of Hermas—An anticipation of Dante and Beatrice—Its scope rather anagogical than eschatological—The Apocalypse of St. Peter—The Revelation of St. Paul—Their influence apparent in the Fis Adamnáin—The Transitus Mariæ—Blending of Hebraic and Hellenic conceptions of the Otherworld—Persistence of the moral teaching in the Mysteries; and of the popular belief in Tartarus—The Vision legend little affected by Pagan cults or Neo-Platonic speculation—The Vision legend in the Western Church—Instances recorded by St. Augustine and St. Gregory—Minor importance of the legend in the West until developed by the Irish Church 94-113 4. THE LEGEND IN IRELAND Relations of the Irish Church with Southern Gaul and the East—Irish Pilgrimages to Egypt—The Egyptian Book of Adam and Eve preserved in Ireland only—Resemblances between the Irish and Oriental monastic systems—Irish knowledge of Greek writers and intercourse with the Greeks—The ecclesiastical conception of the Otherworld influenced by cognate ideas in Irish literature and mythology—Dignity of the Irish literary profession; its classifications—Categories of the Irish historical and romantic tales—Tolerance of the Irish clergy—Survival of the Imram and Fis, and their influence upon the literature of mediæval Europe—The Otherworld a favourite subject in Irish legend—Elysian realms of the Irish Gods; of the Dagda and Oengus Óg, of Mider, of Manannán Mac Lír—Poetic description in the Voyage of Bran—Tethra, king of the dead—His messengers to summon mortals to him—The story of Connla—The Orpheus myth in Ireland—The Serglige Conchulaind—No Tartarus in the Irish mythology—Malignant powers—Sinister aspects of the Otherworld—The realm of Scathach—The Bridge of the Cliff—Whether of Norse origin, or ecclesiastical, or native—Parallels in the Avesta and among primitive peoples—The Adventures of Nera—The legend in the Finn Cycle—Late survivals—The legend in the Conn Cormac Cycle—Conn’s visits to the Tír Tairngire—Christian redactions of Pagan stories—The adventures of Árt in the Tír Tairngire, and the courtship of Delbchaem—The visit of Cormac to the Tír Tairngire—The introduction of allegory—First rudimentary ethical conceptions in connection with the Otherworld—Whether original or due to clerical redactors—Interpolations by the redactors—Increasing prominence of eschatological ideas in the Christian Imrama—The chastity ideal existing side by side with its opposite in the Tír Tairngire—Cuchulainn and the children of Doel Dermait—The enchanted castle and its Otherworld origin—The Voyage of Maelduin’s Curach—Greek influences—Elysian islands—Infernal elements—The ‘Miller of Hell’—Picture of Elysium—Adaptation of the Phœnix legend to old Irish myths—Bird souls—Island hermits—The cook of Torach—The Voyage of the Curach of the Ui Corra—Eschatology in the ascendant—Influences of Nature—Purgatorial theory introduced into the Imram—The Voyage of Snedgus and Mac Ríagla—Transition from Pagan to Christian conceptions of the Otherworld—Visions of the Otherworld in Ireland—Visions of St. Colm Cille—St. Fursa; his Vision—Vision of Laisrén—The Scél Lái Brátha—The fourfold division of human