Lights: Dante
Bosch: The Seven Deadly Sins. Wikimedia Commons
The Divina Commedia:
What's going on there?
Dante, Virgil and Beatrice on the journey to the absolute light
The roman poet Virgil takes Dante by the hand and, first, enters into
Hell
The corridors of Hell : the men incapable of good or evil, who have kept their existence neutral and cowardly at the side of all parties.
The first circle of Hell : All those who have not been baptised : Virgil, the great ancient poets, Homer.
At the entrance of the second circle : Minos, who judges all the culpable souls.
The second circle : The voluptuous
The third circle : The gluttons
At the entrance of the fourth circle : Plutus, demon of greed and guardian of this circle
The fourth circle is occupied half by the greedy and half by the prodigals.
Phlegias’ barge takes Virgil and Dante across the Styx. On this journey, in the fifth circle, they meet the furious and the souls that get carried away.
In front of the gates of Dis the Furies appear. Virgil and Dante enter, and in the sixth circle meet the skeptics, strong headed, atheists, materialists, epicureans and heretics of all sorts.
The seventh circle : the violent (in three degrees : violent against the laws of God, against Nature, and against Art)
They meet the monster Geryon, which Dante describes as a winged beast with the face of an honest man, the paws of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion.
The eighth circle: the fraudulent. In the circle of the fraudulent there are ten pits (ditches): the fraudulent go-betweens (panderers), flatterers and seducers, traders of holy objects, sorcerers and divinators, hypocrites, thiefs, instigators of deviousness and treason, bad advisors, those who divide people, alchymists and forgers.
The ninth circle: the traitors (twice fraudulent) and the usurers. The traitors are by Dante distinguished from the fraudulent by having betrayed a special relationship. In the circle of traitors there are four zones : Caïna (after Cain) traitors to kindred, Antenora, traitors to political entities (after Antenora of Troy, who betrayed his city), Ptolomea, traitors to their guests (after Ptolemy, son of Abubus, who invited Simon Maccabaeus and his sons to a banquet – where he killed them), and Judecca, traitor to their lords and benefactors (after Judas Iscariot).
Leaving Hell, Dante and Virgil reach
The Purgatory
They meet Cato of Uttica on their way to The Purgatory.
Towards the mountain of The Purgatory they meet the excommunicated (the lazy, those slow to repent, the converts of the last minute).
A valley with flowers, where they find sinners whose attention to power and ambition have made them lose sight of repentance.
At the entrance of The Purgatory, there is an angel inscribing an “S” seven times on the soil, as a symbol of the Seven Cardinal Sins. At each circle of the Purgatory that Dante will pass, he will see one S disappear.
The first circle : different examples of humility serving as lessons to the vain and the proud, who are purging their sin here.
The second circle: Heavenly spirits are giving words and lessons of love to the envious.
The third circle: here the sinners are purging the sin of wrath, and being given examples of temperance.
The fourth circle : the lazy are purging their sin with zealous behavior.
Dante has a vision : a false siren, representing the false goods of the Earth is deplored by Love. Another siren represents the authentic good: truth and virtue.
The fifth circle: the greedy, with their counter point – voluntary poverty and generosity.
When a soul is purified and is elevated to Paradise, there is a trembling in the mountain and a cry of joy comes from the souls of the sinners.
The sixth circle : gluttony opposed by frugality
The seventh circle: the weaknesses of the flesh.
Dante goes through the purifying flames
After different passages, Beatrice appears. Virgil disappears.
Beautiful dancers appear. The four cardinal virtues - fortitude, temperance, justice and prudence – and the three theological virtues – ardent love in the color of fire, hope in the color of green, and faith in the color of white. The beautiful dancers lead Dante to Beatrice.
Leaving Virgil behind, Virgil not being a Christian, Beatrice takes Dante with her into Paradise
Paradise
Dante is elevated with Beatrice to the first Heaven, the circle of the Moon. Here we find the souls who have made their vow of chastity, but have been violently torn away from their religious vows.
Although there are different spheres in Heaven, all those who are there are perfectly happy with the rank they are assigned in the heavenly ladder – and desire nothing more than what they have.
A dialogue takes place between Beatrice and Dante on the subject of free will.
Elevation to the second sphere, the circle of Mercury, where they find those who did good out of a desire for fame. Being ambitious, their earthly glory pales on account of their deficiency in the virtue of Justice.
The third sphere, the circle of Venus, where they find the pure lovers and perfect friends.
The fourth sphere, the circle of the Sun, where they find the souls of the wise who illuminate the world. A circle of twelve bright lights dance around Beatrice and Dante. These are the souls of Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, Gratian, peter Lombard, King Solomon, Dionysius the Areopagite, Orosius, Boethius, Isidore of Seville, Bede, Richard of Saint Victor, and Sigier of Brabant.
The fifth sphere, the circle of Mars, with the radiant souls of the crusaders who fought for the authentic Faith.
The sixth sphere, the circle of Jupiter, where are residing those who have given justice and piety in the world.
The seventh sphere, the circle of Saturn, the place of the solitary thinkers - the contemplatives who embody temperance.
Elevation to the eighth sphere, the circle of The Fixed Stars – Faith, Hope and Love – where Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary appear, followed by numerous saints.
Dante is examined by the Apostles.
Elevation to the ninth sphere, The Primum Mobile (the “first moved” sphere, which is moved directly by God – and its motion causes all the spheres it encloses to move). The Primum Mobile is the sphere of the angels.
A point that projects the most piercing light appears, around which nine circles gravitate. It is God, surrounded by the Seraphins, Cherubs, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Forces, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.
From this sphere, Dante is elevated to the Empyrean – a region beyond physical existence – which is the abode of God. Beatrice, representing theology, is here transformed to be more beautiful than before and Dante is enveloped in light – thus making him fit to see God.
Hell
The corridors of Hell : the men incapable of good or evil, who have kept their existence neutral and cowardly at the side of all parties.
The first circle of Hell : All those who have not been baptised : Virgil, the great ancient poets, Homer.
At the entrance of the second circle : Minos, who judges all the culpable souls.
The second circle : The voluptuous
The third circle : The gluttons
At the entrance of the fourth circle : Plutus, demon of greed and guardian of this circle
The fourth circle is occupied half by the greedy and half by the prodigals.
Phlegias’ barge takes Virgil and Dante across the Styx. On this journey, in the fifth circle, they meet the furious and the souls that get carried away.
In front of the gates of Dis the Furies appear. Virgil and Dante enter, and in the sixth circle meet the skeptics, strong headed, atheists, materialists, epicureans and heretics of all sorts.
The seventh circle : the violent (in three degrees : violent against the laws of God, against Nature, and against Art)
They meet the monster Geryon, which Dante describes as a winged beast with the face of an honest man, the paws of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion.
The eighth circle: the fraudulent. In the circle of the fraudulent there are ten pits (ditches): the fraudulent go-betweens (panderers), flatterers and seducers, traders of holy objects, sorcerers and divinators, hypocrites, thiefs, instigators of deviousness and treason, bad advisors, those who divide people, alchymists and forgers.
The ninth circle: the traitors (twice fraudulent) and the usurers. The traitors are by Dante distinguished from the fraudulent by having betrayed a special relationship. In the circle of traitors there are four zones : Caïna (after Cain) traitors to kindred, Antenora, traitors to political entities (after Antenora of Troy, who betrayed his city), Ptolomea, traitors to their guests (after Ptolemy, son of Abubus, who invited Simon Maccabaeus and his sons to a banquet – where he killed them), and Judecca, traitor to their lords and benefactors (after Judas Iscariot).
Leaving Hell, Dante and Virgil reach
The Purgatory
They meet Cato of Uttica on their way to The Purgatory.
Towards the mountain of The Purgatory they meet the excommunicated (the lazy, those slow to repent, the converts of the last minute).
A valley with flowers, where they find sinners whose attention to power and ambition have made them lose sight of repentance.
At the entrance of The Purgatory, there is an angel inscribing an “S” seven times on the soil, as a symbol of the Seven Cardinal Sins. At each circle of the Purgatory that Dante will pass, he will see one S disappear.
The first circle : different examples of humility serving as lessons to the vain and the proud, who are purging their sin here.
The second circle: Heavenly spirits are giving words and lessons of love to the envious.
The third circle: here the sinners are purging the sin of wrath, and being given examples of temperance.
The fourth circle : the lazy are purging their sin with zealous behavior.
Dante has a vision : a false siren, representing the false goods of the Earth is deplored by Love. Another siren represents the authentic good: truth and virtue.
The fifth circle: the greedy, with their counter point – voluntary poverty and generosity.
When a soul is purified and is elevated to Paradise, there is a trembling in the mountain and a cry of joy comes from the souls of the sinners.
The sixth circle : gluttony opposed by frugality
The seventh circle: the weaknesses of the flesh.
Dante goes through the purifying flames
After different passages, Beatrice appears. Virgil disappears.
Beautiful dancers appear. The four cardinal virtues - fortitude, temperance, justice and prudence – and the three theological virtues – ardent love in the color of fire, hope in the color of green, and faith in the color of white. The beautiful dancers lead Dante to Beatrice.
Leaving Virgil behind, Virgil not being a Christian, Beatrice takes Dante with her into Paradise
Paradise
Dante is elevated with Beatrice to the first Heaven, the circle of the Moon. Here we find the souls who have made their vow of chastity, but have been violently torn away from their religious vows.
Although there are different spheres in Heaven, all those who are there are perfectly happy with the rank they are assigned in the heavenly ladder – and desire nothing more than what they have.
A dialogue takes place between Beatrice and Dante on the subject of free will.
Elevation to the second sphere, the circle of Mercury, where they find those who did good out of a desire for fame. Being ambitious, their earthly glory pales on account of their deficiency in the virtue of Justice.
The third sphere, the circle of Venus, where they find the pure lovers and perfect friends.
The fourth sphere, the circle of the Sun, where they find the souls of the wise who illuminate the world. A circle of twelve bright lights dance around Beatrice and Dante. These are the souls of Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, Gratian, peter Lombard, King Solomon, Dionysius the Areopagite, Orosius, Boethius, Isidore of Seville, Bede, Richard of Saint Victor, and Sigier of Brabant.
The fifth sphere, the circle of Mars, with the radiant souls of the crusaders who fought for the authentic Faith.
The sixth sphere, the circle of Jupiter, where are residing those who have given justice and piety in the world.
The seventh sphere, the circle of Saturn, the place of the solitary thinkers - the contemplatives who embody temperance.
Elevation to the eighth sphere, the circle of The Fixed Stars – Faith, Hope and Love – where Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary appear, followed by numerous saints.
Dante is examined by the Apostles.
Elevation to the ninth sphere, The Primum Mobile (the “first moved” sphere, which is moved directly by God – and its motion causes all the spheres it encloses to move). The Primum Mobile is the sphere of the angels.
A point that projects the most piercing light appears, around which nine circles gravitate. It is God, surrounded by the Seraphins, Cherubs, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Forces, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.
From this sphere, Dante is elevated to the Empyrean – a region beyond physical existence – which is the abode of God. Beatrice, representing theology, is here transformed to be more beautiful than before and Dante is enveloped in light – thus making him fit to see God.