Mithraic Beliefs about the after-life

Mithraism is similar to Christianity in its belief in hell. Like the Christian hell, rather than the "limbo" of ancient (pagan) Norse and Greek beliefs, the Mithraic hell in a place of torment. The souls of the damned are cast out of the world to fend for themselves with the exiled demons. Needless to say, they aren't expected to do so successfully (fend, that is) and instead are said to be at the mercy of the demons for the rest of time. There is some debate as to what will happen after the "last Battle" and the end of time. Some liberals concede that perhaps some of the damned will be redeemed, others believe that hell is eternal, regardless. You do have to be a pretty terrible person to merit hell. Those who commit serious crimes like murder, etc and are completely unrepentant, those who channel from or otherwise deal with demons, and those who use dark "sorcery" against their victims (like possessing them with demons, cursing them with horrible diseases, etc.) are all candidates for damnation.

Mithraism also has a "heaven" for the pure and righteous. This place of reward is somewhat more like Valhalla than the Christian heaven. It is often called "the Summer Land." It is a place where Lugh rules, and those who fought valiantly for the light enjoy a good life of rewards for their service until they are called upon to fight in the Last Battle against the forces of darkness. This reward is easier for men to attain, since (with some exceptions) they are the warriors, but a woman's life of bearing and raising the next generation of those warriors is considered a way to merit glory as well. This "second class status" is a belief that is played down in the Southern Heresy, where all human souls are considered equally meritorious, and the labors of women (one of whom gave birth to Lugh in their theology) are as valid as those of the men.  Great heros are believed to reach Valhalla in a single life or two. They are the saints. Some may volunteer to be reborn and help others, even though they do not need to.

In both churches, only those who have led an exceptionally virtuous and pious life go to their final rewards in Valhalla or the Summer Land. The majority of the populace simply gets reincarnated and has another shot at "the virtuous life."   Reincarnation works rather like the Hindu version. Depending on how "good" you were during your previous life, your succeeding existence will be one of better or worse circumstances. A avaricious cruel man might be reincarnated as a beggar, a pious beggar might be a wealthy man the next time around. It is important to note that in both the Kingdom and the Marches it is believed that men will stay male throughout their incarnations, and women will always be female. People are not reincarnated as animals, either (nor elves, etc.), so there are no resulting dietary restrictions. There are a limited number of lives, however. You are supposed to work on one of the Seven Virtues (courage, loyalty, humility, etc.) in each life.  More liberal theologians believe that the soul has some choice over what it wants to work on.  That, betwen livess, it knows what it most needs, and in some way asks for the life circumstances that will give it this.  So a generous but vain man might ask to be placed back in a crippled body the next time, so as to work on humility.

In one sense, then, life is purgatory. But it is more than a place of purgation and punishment. It is a battle field. If life doesn't seem fair, the believer can know that it's for two reasons: one, he or she was not as upstanding and good as he should have been in a previous life; and two, this world is the battle ground between light and darkness. All believers are soldiers for the light, and war is often cruel and unfair.  Demons and unseelie want to make it as unfair as they can.  The important thing, the Church says, is to remember that even if the war is unfair, it is for a just cause, and must be fought at every moment throughout one's life.

There is one other avenue for reward and punishment, learning and self-knowledge. That is the time spent "between" lives. If this temporary afterlife is viewed as an elevator, then Mithraic belief is that the "up elevator" is a very pleasant respite from the toils of the world, whereas the "down elevator" is a place of pain and punishment. No one actually punishes you other than yourself, however. Both Churches agree that the dead soul sees the Truth and can not hide from itself and its flaws, so only you are needed to punish you.  You will relive all your short-comings and failures over and over durig this time. Numerous creatively graphic descriptions of these "elevators" (actually not elevators at all of course, just realms of transition) exist, especially the "down" ones. They are used to exhort people to better behavior by convincing them that even if they are at the bottom of the social ladder already, it can get worse.

Since the clergy are crucial intermediaries between the divine and the mortal, their assistance at the time of death, while not essential, is very important. Confession of sins and instruction in how to pass from this life into the next can shorten a person's time in a "down elevator" and keep people safe from demons wishing to tempt and waylay them on the way to their afterlife. While the church wouldn't hold that a person properly contrite soul could be directly snatched by demons, there are many visionary stories of souls having been drawn off the correct path by demons tempting them or taking advantage of their ignorance and doubt ("No no, that's not the right path at all. Come over here where this sulfur and brimstone is, reeeaally, it's much nicer..."). This can be avoided by confession and repentance, education in the mysteries of the next world, and the proper priestly blessings, ceremonies, etc. Those who die suddenly with out recourse to a cleric are not lost or damned, but they will have a more dangerous journey to the after-life, (and a longer self-torment if punishment is required) that those who have proper council).

There are specific last rites that are performed by both Churches. These involve anointing the dead or dying with holy oils and protecting them with blessings so that they will not be led astray by these waiting demons and other unclean spirits, and so that they will be in a proper frame of mind to find their road the "up elevator."   The rituals are also designed to help the soul gain perspective and sever its ties with the living world so that it is not tempted to remain as a ghost, seeking to rejoin living society (the wrong way).