Virgil and Dante are in the eighth circle of Hell in the place called Malebolges. Fraudsters are punished in the 8th circle. There are ten bolgias (ditches, ravines, pouches) in this 8th circle of Hell and each punishes a different type of fraudster. Virgil and Dante just left the 4th bolgia where diviners, false prophets, magicians and astrologers were punished. Now they are about to see the 5th bolgia.
We reached the summit, stopping to look
At the next fissure of Malebolge, the vain
Lamenting that was next – and what I beheld
Was an astounding darkness. As is done
In winter, when the sticky pitch is boiled
In the Venetian Arsenal to caulk
Their unsound vessels while no ship can be sailed,
And so instead one uses the time to make
His ship anew, another one repairs
Much-voyaged ribs, and some with hammers strike
The prow, and some the stern; and this one make oars
While that one might twist ropes, another patch
The jib and mainsail – so, not by any fires
But by some art of Heaven, a heavy pitch
Was boiling there below, which overglued
The banks on every side. I saw that much
But could see nothing in it but the flood
Of bubbles the boiling raised, and the whole mass
Swelling and settling.
This bolgia punishes barratry, graft, public corruption. They have betrayed public trust with their backdoor dealings, corruption and illicit machinations to their own benefit. Sticky pitch or tar represents the sticky hands of the corrupt. It is black and dark because of their secrecy and dark dealings. They are nothing more than con-men with their trickery and deceit that defrauds people. Barratry is the corruption of the government as simony was the corruption of the church.
Barratry was leveled against Dante and other “Bianchi” (the White party, to which Dante belonged) when the “Neri” (the Blacks) came to power. How hard it must have been for Dante to swallow that accusation considering he was deeply committed to ethics and living an ethical life.
The Venetian Arsenal (Italian: Arsenale di Venezia) is a complex of former shipyards and armories clustered together in the city of Venice in northern Italy. Owned by the state, the Arsenal was responsible for the bulk of the Venetian republic’s naval power from the late middle ages to the early modern period. Laborers and shipbuilders regularly worked within the Arsenal, building ships that sailed from the city’s port. The Venetian Arsenal’s ability to mass-produce galleys on an almost assembly-line process was unique for its time and resulted in possibly the single largest industrial complex in Europe prior to the Industrial Revolution. One revolutionary aspect of the Arsenal was its employment of the moving assembly line. The galleys, through the use of a canal, were moved along during their stages of construction, allowing them to be brought to the materials and workers, instead of the materials and workers going to the galley itself. The Venetian Arsenal was not only able to function as a major shipyard, but was also responsible for these routine maintenance stops that most Venetian galleys required. – Wikipedia
This image is given to focus the reader on state and civic industry.
Isaiah 1:1-4 (BSB) 1 This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,
for the LORD has spoken:
“I have raised children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against Me.
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s manger,
but Israel does not know;
My people do not understand.”
4 Alas, O sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
a brood of evildoers,
children of depravity!
They have forsaken the LORD;
they have despised the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on Him.
Galatians 6:7-10 (BSB) 7 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. 8 The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
9 Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (BSB) 1 But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, 4 traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
While I stared down, my guide,
Crying, “Watch out! – watch out!” pulled me across
toward him from where I stood. I turned my head
Like someone eager to find out what it is
He must avoid, who finding himself dismayed
By sudden fear, while he is turning back
Does not delay his flight: what I behold
Hurrying from behind us up the rock
Was a black demon. Ah, in his looks a brute,
How fierce he seemed in action – running the track
With his wings held outspread, and light of foot:
Over one high sharp should he had thrown
A sinner, carrying both haunches’ weight
On the one side, with one had holding on
To both the ankles. Reaching our bridge, he spoke:
“O Malebranche, here is another one
Of Santa Zita’s elders! While I go back
To bring more from his homeland, thrust him below,
His city gives us an abundant stock;
Every citizen there except Bonturo
Practices barratry; and given cash
They can contrive a yes from any no,”
He hurled the sinner down, then turned to rush
Back down the rocky crag; and no mastiff
Was ever more impatient to shake the leash
And run his fastest after a fleeing thief.
Barratry – the purchase or sale of office or preferment in state and government; persistent incitement of litigation for enrichment; stirring up lawsuits and quarrels; litigation for harassment and profit; ambulance chasing lawyers; fraud to obtain illicit gain to the detriment of one’s community. To Dante, corruption of civic governance results in corruption of social order.
This demon carried the sinner over his shoulder like a butcher carries an animal carcass to the abattoir. In Canto 21, the demons are compared to cooks, forcing meat down in a stewpot to cook faster instead of letting the meat float to the surface. Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, carried His lambs and held them close in tenderness and protection. But these demons carry the sinners like dead animals to the slaughter.
Malebranche – Evil Claws. We are in the Malebolges (evil ditches) and these demons are called Malebranche (evil claws).
Santa Zita is the Patron Saint of Lucca, a Tuscany city, and Lucca was well known for corruption. Bonturo was a politician in Lucca.
The sinner sank below, only to rise
Rump up – but demons under the bridge’s shelf
Cried, “Here’s no place to show your Sacred Face!
You’re not out in the Serchio for a swim!
If you don’t want to feel our hooks – like this! –
Then stay beneath the pitch.” They struck at him
With over a hundred hooks, and said, “You’ll need
To dance in secret here – so grab what scam
You’re able to, in darkness.” Then they did
Just as cooks have their scullions do to steep
The meat well into the cauldron – with a prod
From their forks keeping it from floating up.
These demons are tending the boiling pitch like scullery maids tending the stew over the fire. They are poking the sinners back down in the pitch. In this canto, we are seeing more of the stereotypical “Hell” with demons, pitchforks, and the torture of the damned. There is some ribald humor as the sinner floats up, butt first. The demons make fun of him and tell him not to show his butt crack, “Sacred Face”, because he’s not back in Kansas anymore (Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz). He’s not taking a leisurely and cooling swim in the Serchio River, he’s in Hell now and can’t rise above the surface of the boiling pitch or they will attack him with their pitchforks and push him under. They tell him, if he can, make his scams under the surface of the pitch and “dance in secret”. Then they attack him with “over a hundred hooks”. This is just what a grafter would do, with sticky fingers, they look for deals under the table, in secret. The punishment fits the crime.
Virgil instructs Dante to hide behind an outcropping of rock while he goes and talks to the demons. He assures Dante he’s been here before and knows what he’s doing.
They bayed
And rushed at him with all the rage and uproar
Of dogs that charge some wretched vagabond
Who suddenly is forced to plead; they tore
From under the bridge and raised their forks at him
But he cried, “Not so savage! – before you dare
To touch me with your forks, choose one to come
Forward to hear me out, and then decide
Whether to hook me.” They all cried out one name
“Let Malacoda go!” So the others stood
While one strode forward to him, sneering, “What
Good will it do him?” So my master said,
“Do you, O Malacoda, think I could get
Through all of your defenses safely as this
Except by Heaven’s will and happy fate?
Now let us pass – for Heaven also decrees
That I should show another this savage road.”
The demon’s pride fell so much he let loose
His hook, which fell down at his feet, and said:
“Now no one strike him.” To me, my leader called,
“Now you may come back safely to my side,
You who crouch squatting behind the splintered shield
Of stone upon the bridge.” At this I stirred
And quickly joined him – and the devils milled
Toward us, pressing forward, so that I feared
They might not keep the pact. So I once saw
The soldiers frightened when they removed their guard
Out of Caprona by treaty – as they withdrew
Passing among so many enemies.
I kept as close by my guide as I could go
And all the while I did not take my eyes
Away from their expressions…which were not good!
Malacoda – Evil Tail. Virgil and Dante are in the Malebolgias (Evil ditches) of the 8th circle. The group of demons are called the Malebranche (Evil claws) and their leader is Malacoda (Evil tail). You will notice that as soon as God is mentioned (“Heaven’s will and happy fate” and “Heaven also decrees”) this cocky, boasting, powerful demon is immediately cowed, “the demon’s pride fell so much le let loose his hook, which fell down at his feet”.
Luke 10:17 (BSB, the disciples speaking) The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”
Mark 16:17 (BSB, Jesus speaking) “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;…”
Acts 8:6-8 (BSB) 6 The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip’s message and the signs they saw him perform. 7 With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Dante is cautious and doesn’t trust the demons. As they crowd around them and try to intimidate, without touching them, Dante remembers having seen Pisan soldiers leaving the castle at Caprona in 1289 after a pact allowing them safe passage. Those soldiers were intimidated and scared like Dante, the pilgrim, is. Why does Virgil trust them and Dante doesn’t?
They lowered their hooks, but I heard one give voice:
“Would I just touch him on the rump?” Replied
The others, “Yes – go on and give him a cut.”
But the demon who was talking with my guide
Turned around instantly on hearing that,
Saying, “Hold – Hold, Scarmiglione!” To us
He said, “You can’t go farther by this route,
Because along this ridge the sixth arch lies
All shattered at the bottom. But if you still
Wish to go forward, a ridge not far from this
Does have a place where you can cross at will.
It was yesterday, five hours later than now,
That the twelve hundred and sixty-sixth year fell
Since the road here was ruined. I’m sending a crew
Out of my company in that direction
To see if sinners are taking the air. You go
With them, for they’ll not harm you in any fashion.
Come, Alichino and Calcabrina,” he cried,
“And you, Cagnazzo; and to be the captain
Of all ten, Barbariccia. And in the squad,
Take Libicocco and Draghignazzo too,
And Ciriatto with his tusky head.
And also Graffiacane and Farfarello,
And crazy Rubicante. Search all around
The pools of boiling tar, And see these two
Get safely over to where the dens are spanned
By the next ridge, whose arc is undestroyed.”
Malacoda turns protective, charming and helpful. This should warn Virgil. Satan and his demons are masters at deceit just like the grafters and barrators in the pitch below them. He doesn’t openly defy Virgil but is now appearing at ease and helpful.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (BSB) 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
- Scarmiglione – Matted hair
- Alichino – Harlequin
- Calcabrina – He who can walk on brine
- Cagnazzo – Big dog
- Barbariccia – Curly beard
- Libicocco – Winds
- Draghignazzo – Big dragon
- Ciriatto – Wild hog
- Graffiacane – Cat claws
- Farfarello – Evil ghost
- Rubicante – He who grows red
Malacoda mixes truth and lies when talking to Virgil. It is true that the bridge was destroyed in the earthquake that happened when Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected 1266 (34 A.D.) years ago, during the Harrowing of Hell. But there is not an unbroken bridge. And, although he audibly orders his demons to accompany Virgil and Dante and lead them to “where the dens are spanned by the next ridge whose arc is undestroyed”, he gives them a clear and unspoken signal to the demons that they are fair game. The demons will know there is no next bridge.
Dante is still afraid and cautions Virgil who says to “have no fear”.
And then the company of devils turned,
Wheeling along the left-hand bank. But first
Each signaled their leader with the same grimace:
Baring theit teeth through which the tongue was pressed;
And the leader made a trumpet of his ass.
The devils blow out between grimaced teeth with a farting noise and their leader, Malacoda, answers back with a loud fart of his own, “made a trumpet of his ass”. Another signal that they understand each other but don’t intend Virgil and Dante to understand. Are we surprised at the vulgarity of the demons? It seems Dante, the poet, has a sense of humor we call “potty humor”. We all tend to snigger at potty humor. I bet Dante chuckled when he wrote that last line.
Ephesians 4:14-15 (NLT) 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
Excerpts of Dante’s Inferno are from a new translation by Robert Pinsky.
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