ANNALS OF HELL

 

The phrase "annals of hell" is most often a metaphorical expression used to describe a record of profound wickedness, suffering, or horrific events, rather than a single, specific book or official record of an actual underworld. 

 

Common Uses of the Phrase

 

As a metaphorical description the phrase is used to emphasize the extreme nature of human sin, evil deeds, or historical atrocities. A Presbyterian minister named Samuel Davies, for instance, used the phrase in a sermon to suggest that at the Day of Judgment, "the history of mankind must then appear like the annals of hell" due to all the hidden sins that would be exposed.