John Milton, Paradise Lost
Abdiel
The solitary seraph who refuses the rebellion and returns through hostile scorn.
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Enter a Japanese sacred narrative through its central episode.
Japanese mythology, Davis retellingBegin a Welsh tale with its prince and his encounters.
The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 editionExplore an imagined afterlife through Milton’s poem.
John Milton, Paradise Lost331 entries · A–Z
John Milton, Paradise Lost
The solitary seraph who refuses the rebellion and returns through hostile scorn.
Dante, Inferno
The river where the arriving dead assemble for Charon’s crossing.
John Milton, Paradise Lost
The human host and questioner whose garden life receives angelic instruction.
Dante, Inferno
A man and serpent lose their distinct outlines in the thieves’ ditch.
Dante, Inferno
The speaker who requests relief from the ice over his eyes but does not receive it.
Dante, Inferno
The recognised speaker who attributes his place in the second ditch to excessive flattery.
Dante, Inferno
The failed pursuit that sends two guardians into their own sticky pool.
Japanese mythology, Davis retelling
The mythic episode in which the Sun Goddess withdraws and an assembly of gods draws her back into the light.
Buddhist traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
The disciple who pleads for women’s admission and grieves at Buddha’s final departure.
Welsh folklore, Wirt Sikes
A shadow realm reached through fairy lakes and ruled in different tales by named kings.
The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
The otherworld kingdom entered through an exchange of royal appearance and duty.
Dante, Inferno
The unfettered giant who lowers Dante and Virgil toward Cocytus.
Dante, Inferno
The part of the ice where the encounter with Bocca leads to accusations of betrayal.
The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
The king of Annwvyn who exchanges kingdoms and appearances with Pwyll.
The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
The mother who places conditions on Llew’s name, arms and marriage.
Indian traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
The Pandava archer whose skill and moral hesitation make him central to the Mahabharata.
The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
The courtly ruler whose household gathers the companions and quests of Guest’s Welsh romances.
Dante, Inferno
The captain who restrains his own violent company long enough for questioning.
Dante, Purgatory and Paradise
The woman whose recognition leads through confession towards the celestial journey.
John Milton, Paradise Lost
The senior fallen counsellor who presents the scheme against the human world.
Dante, Purgatory and Paradise
The familiar spirit whose delayed repentance becomes a long wait beneath the rock.
John Milton, Paradise Lost
The persuasive speaker whose graceful counsel disguises indolence.
The Mabinogion, Guest’s 1877 edition
The giant king who becomes a bridge for his army and leaves a protective head behind.
Dante, Purgatory and Paradise
The elder who directs Dante’s last attention towards Mary and the ultimate vision.