Zack Olander - Mythological Life Worlds

 In religion, myths are often told about other places in the universe that are normally not accessible by humans, like Heaven, the Underworld, etc. One idea I've been toying with is the idea of these places being part of a mythical "life world" which is a world of meaning.

For example, in Norse mythology there are several possible places that the human soul comes to rest in the afterlife, with famous examples being Valhalla, Hel, Folkvangr, and each of the halls of the various gods among others. Where one ended up after dying depended on the circumstances of their death and their deeds in life, which to me suggests that each possible afterlife was intrinsically linked to the meaning of that particular person's life.

This could mean that the many afterlife destinations are part of the Old Norse life world and view of the cosmos, as well as motivators for being a good and courageous person in life.

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