| Hell Gate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Japanese name | 黄泉の門 |
| Romaji name | Yomi no Kado |
| Other names | N/A |
| Location(s) | Underneath the Himuro Mansion |
| Function | Gate to Hell |
| Status | Sealed and destroyed by Kirie Himuro |
| Game | Fatal Frame |
The Hell Gate is a setting in Fatal Frame. It is a gateway found underneath the Himuro Mansion. It is said to be the entrance to the land of the dead.
Description[]
The Hell Gate is a large, stone, double-doored gate found deep underground the Himuro mansion. It is flanked by stone pillars, around which sacred ropes are tied in order to hold the gate shut.
Every 10 years, the Hell Gate would begin to open and was required to be resealed by the Blinding and Strangling rituals. If the Hell Gate opened, the Calamity would occur and Malice would spill out. The Himuro family gave themselves the duty of preventing this from ever occurring.
The door has been open since 1837, with a gap of about six inches to a foot wide.
Protection from Spread[]
The Himuro family used multiple layers of protection to prevent and contain the spread of any potential contamination from the Hell Gate.
These included:
At the gate itself: consecrated, sacred ropes soaked in the blood of the Rope Shrine Maiden, physically bound the gate closed. The True Holy Mirror is placed pointing at the Hell Gate to offer further protection when the ropes are being changed.
Along the underground path leading to the Hell Gate: There are multiple gates along the pathway, allowing each section to be closed off from the next. Spiritual blockades or deterrents are also present along the pathway, which include: torii gates, sacred ropes, the Rope Altar, and the Moon Well (containing the first Rope Shrine Maiden). Additional spiritual insulation is placed on the surface, directly above the pathway. These include the Buddha Room (directly above the Rope Altar, and where the next Rope Shrine Maiden was housed), the Moon Shrine (where all sacrificed Rope Shrine Maidens are interred), the sacred stone circle on the island in the Abyss, and the lake itself, since water offers a natural form of purification.
At the Hell Mouth Gate, entry into the underground passageway: The passage to the Hell Gate is sealed shut by the large stone Hell Mouth gate, and the Blinding Mask placed on the door. The Blinding Mask was thought to blind the forces behind the gate and hinder them from influencing those outside. Entry to the Hell Mouth room is blocked by a double layer of doors with coded locks only the family head and priests would be able to open. The design of the Hell Mouth room resembles a step-well, and is such that anything which emerges from the Hell Mouth can be contained by pulling up the ladders, as the Himuro family attacks from above.
Himuro mansion: The 5 shards of the true Holy Mirror are stored throughout the mansion when not in use during a ritual.
Surrounding the Himuro mansion: Five shrines with sacred mirrors provided a last line of defense. These mirrors were destroyed in a 1986 earthquake.
Also Known As[]
- Gates of the Underworld
Ghosts Encountered[]
- Kirie Himuro - final boss of the game, then seals the gate.
- Girl in White Kimono - appears during the ending.
Notable Events (spoilers)[]
- In 1837 the Ceremony of the Ropes, part of the Strangling Ritual, fails, causing the Hell Gate to open. The Calamity occurred and Malice was released. The door has been open ever since.
- Kirie Himuro, upon being defeated by Miku Hinasaki merges back with the Girl in White Kimono and reseals the gate.
- Mafuyu Hinasaki stays behind with Kirie.
Trivia[]
- In Japan, the north-east direction was once called the "Demon's Gate" (鬼門, kimon) and is still considered an unlucky direction where spirits travel from.
- It is still unknown how the Hell Gate came to be, or who constructed the original doorway.