Travels in the Overworld Archives - Page 3 of 3

October 6, 2016February 8, 2017

Travels in the Overworld

Travel across the Overworld with M. R. Fortis as he journeys across the globe in search of the weird, the wonderful and the world’s take on what hides beneath it.

Here you will find the complete list of posts that intrigue and inspire and have contributed to modern day Necropolis.

Italy

Lacus Curtius – Inside the Roman Forum
Antro Della Sibilla – Gateway to the Underworld

Greece

The Palace of Knossos – In search of the Minotaur

Morocco

Marrakech – The City Where Magic Never Dies
Atlas Mountains – Waterfalls, Berbers and Natural Fridges

India

Delhi – Capital City of India
Agrasen ki Baoli – Step-Well in Delhi, Entrance to Patala?
Jaisalmer – Ancient fort in the Indian Desert
Kuldhara – A Cursed Village Full of Spirits
Udaipur – City by the Lake
Kumbhalgarh – Second Longest Wall in the World
Jaipur – Pink City
Ranthambore – Safari Through the Jungle
Agra – Wonder of the World
Varanasi – Celebration of Death
Ooty – Hill Town in the Nilgiri Mountains

Sri Lanka

Dikwella – Hell Temple in Paradise
Ella – 2,000 Year Old Carvings in the Mountain
Little Adam’s Peak – Trains, Treks and Tea
Pidurangala – Sri Lanka’s Secret Wonder

October 5, 2016October 8, 2016

Rome is one of the most beautiful, cultural and historically significant cities in the world. It’s no wonder that there’s an alleged gateway to the underworld, Lacus Curtius, hiding amongst its ancient ruins.

After fully immersing ourselves into the world of ancient Rome we went on a mission to find this gateway. Down crumbling steps and past temples, houses and other buildings that suited the earthly delights of the Roman forum, we searched every corner for the legendary Lacus Curtius.

Although its origins are uncertain, each legend tells of a hole that went straight into the underworld. Whether it’s a tale of noble sacrifice, violent battle or just some freak weather over a bog we can all be grateful that this gateway to Hades has been dutifully covered by a piece of stone. Our souls are safe, for now.

The thing is, if you are looking for a stone slab on the floor in the Roman forum with no more than a photo to guide you, make sure you bring snacks and water because you’ll be there for a while.

After looking around grand structures and ominous outhouses that would have been more suited to a gateway, we found it.

The only sign that this is the gateway you are looking for is the carving that depicts a soldier, shield at the ready, riding his horse in a downward direction. The noble warrior, Marcus Curtius, riding fearless into the underworld to save the Roman Empire.

Lacus Curtius is an unassuming space nestled amongst grand architecture and more spectacular ruins. There’s no need for it to be anything more, considering what may hide beneath it.

More information on Lacus Curtius can be found here:

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lacus-curtius

October 5, 2016October 18, 2016

Antro Della Sibilla

Around the world there are many entrances to the underworld. Most of these relate to ancient myths and local folklore which have since dissolved into nothing more than memories and places where ‘weirdos’ seek out. Fortunately, I am one of those weirdos.

In 2015 Abby and I went on a tour of Italy. After a few days around the Amalfi Coast, we were due to head back up north. On our last night looking at Mount Vesuvious, I knew that there was something more sinister lurking across the Bay of Naples.

On our way to Rome, I convinced Abby that we should swing by Lago d’Averno and the cave of Sibyl. After all, it’s not every day you’re in the same neck of the woods where Aeneas and Odysseus entered the underworld.

We were to cross the Phlegraean Fields, which I could only imagine included exploding geysers and streams of hot lava, and arrive at the fabled lake where birds cannot sing. We’d have a peak into the underworld, maybe high five a minotaur, and be on our way to the cave the housed an oracle for a millennium. The journey was not so easy.

Instead of the fields of Hades we found ourselves driving towards a boot fair. The closest we got to the heat of the underworld were fumes of traffic in a long, stifling tunnel. We caught a glimpse of the lake but were being drawn to the cave instead.

There was a peace at the cave. Not many tourists, not much life. Just a cool breeze and a sense of ancient significance. Trees populated the area. Presumably, they would have been the same ones that the Cumaen Sibyl wrote her prophesies on. If the wind blew them away, they would be lost forever.

The cave itself was cordoned off but it did not detract from the moment. It was a sanctuary from the madness of the seaside resort below. We absorbed the atmosphere and looked deep into the darkness beyond the stone doorway. It was modest, ancient and could easily have opened the way into the abyss.

As we stared a breeze carried dead leaves across the ground. More prophesies were forgotten and we had looked straight into the underworld.

Find out more here:

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cave-of-the-sibyl-antro-della-sibilla