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Damnation

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Damnation
Related to Vorinism
Type Afterlife
World of Origin Roshar
Universe Cosmere
This page or section needs to be updated with new information for Rhythm of War!
Be aware that in its current state, it may not include all additional content yet.
This article is about a mythological concept. For the planet Odium resides on, see Braize.

“If the afterlife really is a big war, then I hope I end up in Damnation. At least there I might be able to get a wink or two of sleep. ”

—Kaladin[1]

Damnation is a concept in the Vorin religion on Roshar. It's the third part in a three-tier religious order to the universe, and one of the Vorin afterlives.[2]

In Vorinism[edit]

Damnation is home to beasts and monsters known as the Voidbringers, forged there by the fires of hatred.[3][4] Led by the evil god Odium, they came to conquer the Tranquiline Halls, the paradise where mankind used to live, and forced humans onto Roshar. They would keep coming in times known as the Desolations to push humanity even further down, into Damnation.[5] Some modern scholars claim that this myth implies that the Damnation is now empty, as the Voidbringers would all move to the more pleasant Halls.[3]

In the current Vorinism, the Almighty weighs the sins of everyone who dies and chooses the afterlife for them according to that. Should the person's sins be too heavy, marking them as particularly evil or cursed, their soul is sent to Damnation, to be eternally tortured by fire.[6] As an afterlife, Damnation is divided into rooms, each dedicated to a particular kind of sinner.[2] It's suggested to be an ironic hell, where, apart from eternal flames and flaying, people's punishments are inspired by their lives—for example, an addict would be left eternally unable to satisfy their craving.[7] It's also home to evil spren, who are capable of leaving it to torture the still-alive.[8]

It's implied that Damnation has multiple proper names - possibly eleven - though the only one given is Braize, present in some old songs.[4][9]

As a curse[edit]

"Damnation" is often used as an exclamation or a curse word throughout all of Roshar.[2] Saying that something can go to Damnation means that it is unimportant.[10] People can be said to be as unreliable as Damnation, something wicked or unpleasant is a creature of Damnation, and a horrid situation is sometimes referred to as Damnation.[11][12][13] "Until Damnation ends" means a very long time, possibly forever.[14] "What in Damnation" is also a commonly-used phrase, while stronger versions, "What in Damnation's eleventh name" and "What in Damnation's depths", are far rarer.[15][9][16] "Damnation's own thunder" refers to severe punishment or repercussions.[17] Lift also uses the phrase "Damnation's own gonads" to refer to something incredible, but that might be a Liftism rather than a common phrase.[18]

The word seems to present some trouble to translation methods used by worldhoppers. Zahel and Azure keep misusing it, treating it the same as "damn", saying things like "Damnation language" or "Damnation these creatures".[19][20]

Historicity[edit]

Damnation is based on Braize, the third planet in the Rosharan system where Odium, the Shard of hatred, resides.[21] Even back when the Knights Radiant existed and the mechanics of Desolations were known, the name Damnation was used to refer to it.[22]

The story about souls being tortured in Damnation might be inspired by the fate of the Heralds. Following every Desolation, the Heralds were forced to return to Braize, where they were tortured until they broke.[23] The stories about torture made its way to Roshar, albeit in a somewhat obscure form—Taln is often called the Bearer of Agonies—which might be how the myth of Damnation being the place of eternal pain began. The association between Damnation and wicked souls might also stem from the fact that the Fused, souls of dead singers who served Odium, were confined to Braize in-between Desolations.[24]

In reality, the dead do not go there after death.

See also[edit]

  • Braize, the true basis behind Damnation
  • Tranquiline Halls, the opposite of Damnation, a paradise where the virtuous souls are supposed to battle alongside the Heralds to defeat the Voidbringers
  • Vorinism, the religion both Damnation and the Tranquiline Halls come from

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 41#
  2. ↑ a b c The Way of Kings chapter 4#
  3. ↑ a b The Way of Kings chapter 45#
  4. ↑ a b Words of Radiance chapter 32#
  5. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 61#
  6. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 26#
  7. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 41#
  8. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 49#
  9. ↑ a b Words of Radiance chapter 38#
  10. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 3#
  11. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 58#
  12. ↑ The Way of Kings interlude I-9#
  13. ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 62#
  14. ↑ The Way of Kings chapter 43#
  15. ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 13#
  16. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 14#
  17. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 2#
  18. ↑ Edgedancer chapter 20#
  19. ↑ Words of Radiance chapter 44#
  20. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 79#
  21. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 121#
  22. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 77 epigraph#
  23. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 39#
  24. ↑ Oathbringer chapter 38#
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