ellmouths
Hellmouths
If you look at Medieval depictions of Judgment Day or the Harrowing of Hell you'll likely find images of hellmouths, monsterous creatures with large gaping mouths. They act as gateways, spitting demons out onto the earth and swallowing unfortunate souls into the depths of hell. Hellmouths first appeared in Anglo-Saxon art, with the earliest surviving depiction dating back to the 9th century. Hellmouths fell out of favour during the Renaissance but would still occasionally pop up in later folk art. Here are some of my favourite examples:
