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{{Swallowed}}
In the [[Fatal Frame Series]], the '''underworld''' is the afterlife or spirit world. It is sometimes translated as 'hell', but it is neither heaven nor hell in the Christian sense, only the land of the dead. The very [[Miasma|air]] and [[Black water|water]] of the underworld are inimical to the living. Across Japan, there are places where the underworld is unusually close, and in these locations, various rituals have developed to contain, purify, or otherwise pacify the forces of the underworld, to prevent the chaos they cause when they interact with the world of the living.<ref>[[Priest's Manual 1]], [[Fatal Frame]]</ref><ref>[[Disaster Tome]], [[Fatal Frame II]]</ref><ref>[[Piercing the Soul Tome]], [[Fatal Frame III]]</ref><ref name="soyanote4">[[Soya's Notes (4)]], [[Fatal Frame IV]]</ref><ref>[[Mt. Hikami's Strictures]], [[Fatal Frame IV]]</ref>
The afterlife or spirit world used in the [[Fatal Frame Series]].  


The Other World is not necessarily considered to be "Heaven" or "Hell", just the land of the dead. This should not be confused with the portals or gateways that spirits (or the living) must crossover to get from the spirit world to the land of the living.
==Borders and Gateways==
So far, all major settings in the Fatal Frame series have been locations that border on the underworld. The border takes different forms in different locations.


Other names include:
*[[Himuro Mansion]] - [[Hell Gate]]
* [[Other Side]]
*[[Minakami Village]] - [[Hellish Abyss]]
* [[Other World]]
*[[Kuze Shrine]] - the [[Rift]], [[Abyss of the Horizon]]
* [[Hidden World]]
*[[Rogetsu Isle]] - [[Tsukiyomi]]
*[[Mount Hikami]] - [[Shadowspring]], [[Dark Sun]]


Proximity to the underworld can cause various harmful effects, such as the spread of [[miasma]], earthquakes, [[Moonlight Syndrome|sickness]] and spirit possession, troublesome dreams of the dead, and incidents of people being [[spirited away]].


In the Fatal Frame series, it is taken as a given that there are places where the spirit world and the human world connect, and that these areas have to be ritually protected in some way in order to stop the dead from returning, or alternatively, must be opened to allow the dead to pass on.
==Names==
*{{jp|黄泉|よみ|yomi|Hades, hell, underworld}}<ref name="fnote1">[[Folklorist's Note 1]], [[Fatal Frame II]]</ref> (also originally referred to an underground spring)
*{{jp|常世|とこよ|tokoyo|world of the dead, other shore, eternity}}<ref name="fnote1"/> or {{jp|常世の国|とこよのくに|tokoyonokuni|land of the dead}}<ref name="rscrap10">[[Research Scrap 10]], [[Fatal Frame]]</ref>
*{{jp|根の国|ねのくに|nenokuni|underworld, lit. land of roots}}<ref name="rscrap10"/><ref name="fnote1"/> (rarely used in the series)
*{{jp|異界|いかい|ikai|other world, spirit world}}<ref>[[The "Other World"]], [[Fatal Frame III]]</ref>
*{{jp|彼の世|あのよ|anoyo|other world, next world}}, in contrast to {{jp|此の世|このよ|konoyo|this world, the world of the living}}<ref>[[Legend of Song 2]], [[Fatal Frame III]]</ref>
*[[Hallowed Realm]] - {{jp|零域|れいいき|reiiki|zero region, punning on 霊域 meaning 'sacred ground'}}<ref name="soyanote4"/>
*[[Netherworld]] {{jp|隠世|かくりよ|kakuriyo|afterlife, realm of the dead}}<ref>[[Memo (FF5)|Memo]]: [[FF5M:The Netherworld|The Netherworld]], [[Fatal Frame V]]</ref>
*{{jp|他界|たかい|takai|death, the next world}}<ref>[[Folklorist's Notes 5]], [[Fatal Frame V]]</ref>


The ways of entering the Underworld vary greatly depending on the location and ritual involved. For example, the [[Kuze Shrine]]'s [[Impalement]] utilises the [[Abyss of the Horizon]], but the [[Rogetsu Isle]] [[Rite of Descent]] performed during the [[lunar eclipse]] opens a portal in the sea which the spirits enter. The appearance of the interior of both portals also varies greatly.
The series often uses Japanese wordplay in its names for the underworld and related topics, using different characters to create homophones with layered associations - for example, [[black water]] is pronounced ''yomi'' but written with the characters for 'night spring', and both the [[Tokoyomi Ritual|ritual]] in [[Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir]] and the Sea of Endless Night in [[Fatal Frame III]] are pronounced ''tokoyomi'', but written differently.


Known Portals / Gateways to the Underworld:
==References==
* [[Abyss of the Horizon]]
<references/>
* Portal as a result of  [[Rite of Descent]] & [[Lunar Eclipse]]
* [[Hellish Abyss]]
* [[Hell Gate]]
* [[Sanzu River]]


 
[[Category:Terminology]]
So far the actual Other Side has not been depicted, although [[Ruka Minazuki]] sees a possible visualization of it at the end of [[Fatal Frame IV]].
[[Category: Notfinished]]
[[Category: Terminology]]

Revision as of 08:31, 9 March 2024

In the Fatal Frame Series, the underworld is the afterlife or spirit world. It is sometimes translated as 'hell', but it is neither heaven nor hell in the Christian sense, only the land of the dead. The very air and water of the underworld are inimical to the living. Across Japan, there are places where the underworld is unusually close, and in these locations, various rituals have developed to contain, purify, or otherwise pacify the forces of the underworld, to prevent the chaos they cause when they interact with the world of the living.[1][2][3][4][5]

Borders and Gateways

So far, all major settings in the Fatal Frame series have been locations that border on the underworld. The border takes different forms in different locations.

Proximity to the underworld can cause various harmful effects, such as the spread of miasma, earthquakes, sickness and spirit possession, troublesome dreams of the dead, and incidents of people being spirited away.

Names

  • (黄泉( よみ) yomi; "Hades, hell, underworld")[6] (also originally referred to an underground spring)
  • (常世( とこよ) tokoyo; "world of the dead, other shore, eternity")[6] or (常世の国( とこよのくに) tokoyonokuni; "land of the dead")[7]
  • (根の国( ねのくに) nenokuni; "underworld, lit. land of roots")[7][6] (rarely used in the series)
  • (異界( いかい) ikai; "other world, spirit world")[8]
  • (彼の世( あのよ) anoyo; "other world, next world"), in contrast to (此の世( このよ) konoyo; "this world, the world of the living")[9]
  • Hallowed Realm - (零域( れいいき) reiiki; "zero region, punning on 霊域 meaning 'sacred ground'")[4]
  • Netherworld (隠世( かくりよ) kakuriyo; "afterlife, realm of the dead")[10]
  • (他界( たかい) takai; "death, the next world")[11]

The series often uses Japanese wordplay in its names for the underworld and related topics, using different characters to create homophones with layered associations - for example, black water is pronounced yomi but written with the characters for 'night spring', and both the ritual in Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir and the Sea of Endless Night in Fatal Frame III are pronounced tokoyomi, but written differently.

References

  1. ↑ Priest's Manual 1, Fatal Frame
  2. ↑ Disaster Tome, Fatal Frame II
  3. ↑ Piercing the Soul Tome, Fatal Frame III
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Soya's Notes (4), Fatal Frame IV
  5. ↑ Mt. Hikami's Strictures, Fatal Frame IV
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Folklorist's Note 1, Fatal Frame II
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Research Scrap 10, Fatal Frame
  8. ↑ The "Other World", Fatal Frame III
  9. ↑ Legend of Song 2, Fatal Frame III
  10. ↑ Memo: The Netherworld, Fatal Frame V
  11. ↑ Folklorist's Notes 5, Fatal Frame V
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