Hades: The God of the Underworld

Hades was trapped in his father’s stomach for years. The only light he ever saw was through his father’s open mouth. When Zeus freed him and his brothers and sisters, he wanted revenge, so he saw no problem in having a war.

He fought with all his rage against his father, Cronus, and the Titans. When the Cyclopes joined the battle and presented gifts, Hades did not hesitate and put his magic helmet on his head. He would fly high and then bomb down like a bird, straight for the back of Cronus’ neck. He would slash and slash at his father’s neck.

Hades brought Cronus to his knees. He brought Cronus to justice. He thought to himself, wickedness deserves to crawl through slime. When Zeus brought it upon himself to hand out realms to him and Poseidon, he did not hesitate to claim the Underworld. It was the land of darkness, and in all those years in his father’s stomach and fighting in the war, he never learned to like the light.

He also liked it, because it was the land of justice. It was where the ruling god, Zeus, sent the gods who fell out of favor to him, the wicked gods. Hades would deal out punishment for them with no mercy, and he loved it.

He fell for nine days and nights from Earth’s surface to the Underworld on a bronze anvil. He could have just summoned himself there, but he enjoyed the long painful journey. He loved that no one would bother him down in the Underworld, he was the absolute ruler.

The Underworld was huge. If Hades had wanted, he could have fallen for a year on his anvil if he desired to reach the bottom, but he didn’t. He had enough knowledge of its vastness. He visited Night, one of the earlier powers. He draped it over his walls, obscuring everything in perfect blackness. He crossed the river of Styx. It was cold and hateful.

Hades went and explored his wonderful kingdom. He went and saw the eldest daughter of the Titan Oceanus, who was given a glorious place in Tartarus for siding with Zeus in the war against the Titans. He passed by Atlas, the son of Iapetus, half brother to the Titans. Atlas had sided with the Titans in the war, and when Zeus won, he sentenced him to bear on his neck and shoulders the entire weight of the heavens.

He passed by the Hesperides, daughters of the Nights, guarding a tree of golden apples. This was the perfect realm for him. Especially since now he could keep a very close eye on his father and make sure that he never saw freedom. After he was done exploring, he retired to his stone palace and looked out over the ghostly and frigid fields, where colorless asphodels stretched for miles. It felt strange to be so alone. He’d have to fix that soon.