DeDanaan

Filed by Aine MacDermot

Heaven : In most religions and mythologies there is a place to which it is believed the souls, or even the bodies, of the deserving go after death. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all picture heaven as the abode of God, where all worthy souls find eternal peace. In ancient pagan Greek religion the gods took dead heroes to the Elysian Fields in the distant west at the edge of the world. In Celtic legend the Fortunate Isles, or Isles of the Blest, or Tir nA nOg, somewhere on the Western Ocean, is the home of the gods, who welcome the souls of heroes. In Norse mythology Valhalla is the place warriors go after death, and they are welcomed there by the Valkyrie. The word “heaven” appears in many common expressions. When you are very happy you are “in seventh heaven”; but, if you are a bit annoyed, you say, “For heaven’s sake, hurry up!”