The cave is not simply a metaphor for the realm of the dead, although it grants access to that realm among others. Neither is it an allegory for the fertility of the earth, although again it includes such meaning. The cave, whether a man-made hole or a natural grotto, is an inclusive symbol of containment. It contains not a part of the other world, but all of it. Within such a cave are granted visions of the entire Universe, and a complete cast of supernatural beings are encountered.