Hell was the underworld in some ancient Human religions, typically ruled by a figure called the Devil and containing Hell-Fire. It was believed people would be sent here after their death, if they did not adhere to the religion's code. (TOS: "The Cage") The Klingon Gre'thor also resembled Human Hell, and was believed to be the place in the afterlife where dishonorable warriors were brought. (TNG: "Devil's Due")
Hellbeasts were monsters that were demonic creatures from Hell. At least one Romulan myth had described such a beast in the ancient story of Ganmadan. (PIC: "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2")
Historical references[]
In the 17th century, John Milton of Earth wrote in his poem Paradise Lost that "It is better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven." (TOS: "Space Seed")
Dante's Inferno divided hell in circles.
On December 31, 2000, Henry Janeway sarcastically asked Shannon O'Donnel if, upon his refusal to sign over the property Alexandria Books sat on to the Millennium Gate project, she would follow them "to Canton, Ohio, or the Third Circle of Hell, or wherever it is they decide to build this damn thing," (VOY: "11:59") Similarly, Essof IV was described as the Ninth Circle of Hell. (DIS: "The Red Angel")
In 2267, Lazarus proclaimed that he would chase his counterpart, the anti-Lazarus, to the very "fires of Hell." (TOS: "The Alternative Factor")
Later that year, Matt Decker considered that the planet killer had come "right out of Hell." (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")
Joseph Sisko often told his son, Benjamin Sisko, that "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")
In 2399, Agnes Jurati compared the visions seen in the "Admonition" to Hell. (PIC: "Broken Pieces").
Hell was often used as a curse. The term "blazes" could also be used euphemistically in place of "hell".
Hell was referenced in the final draft and the revised final draft of the script for TOS: "The Enemy Within", which described space as "heaven for some... hell for others..."
In an underlined sentence from a memo Gene Roddenberry wrote D.C. Fontana about her first draft script of TOS: "Charlie X" (the memo was dated 13 June 1966), Roddenberry emphatically advised that, owing to the influence of Charlie Evans, the USS Enterprise "should become a hell ship!" Hell was consequently referenced in the episode's final draft script, with Captain Kirk warning Spock and Dr. McCoy that, due to Charlie's presence on the vessel, the Enterprise might become "a hell ship," to which McCoy, considering that Evans had already begun to have substantial destructive influence on the ship, rhetorically asked, "Isn't that what we've got now?"
External links[]
- Hell at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Hell at Wikipedia