Every Level of Hell Explained in 12 Minutes (Dante's Inferno)

00:11:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HGD5t1FbyM

Summary

TLDRThe video is a detailed exploration of Dante's concept of Hell as described in "The Divine Comedy." Hell is depicted as having multiple levels, each representing different sins and corresponding punishments. Limbo is for the virtuous unbaptized; Lust, Gluttony, and Greed involve punishments that relate directly to the sins committed. Each level follows "contrapasso," where punishments echo the offenses. As Dante and his guide Virgil descend further, they encounter increasing levels of torment, culminating in the ninth level of treason, where the worst sinners, including Judas, are trapped alongside Satan. Famous figures, historical and mythological, populate various levels, serving as representations of their respective sins.

Takeaways

  • 🌍 Limbo: Where virtuous pagans and unbaptized infants reside.
  • 💨 Lust: Souls are tossed by strong winds, mirroring their passion-driven lives.
  • 🛡️ Gluttony: Souls are barraged by icy rain, consumed by Cerberus.
  • 💰 Greed: Souls clash with money bags, illustrating their earthly obsessions.
  • 😠 Wrath: Souls struggle in muddy waters, reflecting their anger and sullenness.
  • 🔥 Heresy: Souls lie in flaming tombs, guarded by fallen angels.
  • 🩸 Violence: Divided into offenses against others, themselves, and God.
  • ⚔️ Fraud: Features ten pits with specific punishments for different deceptions.
  • ❄️ Treason: Sinners frozen in a lake, subject to Lucifer's chilling wind.
  • 😈 Lucifer: Positioned at Hell's core, gnawing on history's great betrayers.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    Level one, Limbo, is likened to Earth without death, where unbaptized infants and virtuous pagans such as Plato and Socrates reside. Some were taken from here to Heaven by Jesus after His crucifixion. Before entering Hell's first circle, Mos, the mythical judge, decides souls' fates. Level two, Lust, punishes souls by hurricane-like winds for their sins of passion, symbolizing being swept away by lust in life. Infamous figures like Cleopatra also reside here. Level three, Gluttony, eternally pelts souls with icy rain and features the three-headed dog Cerberus as a shredder of souls, reflecting their excessive consumption. The fourth level, Greed, has souls battling with money bags to illustrate pointless earthly pursuits for wealth, lacking any recognizable faces due to centuries of disfigurement, depicting greed's futility.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:11:50

    Level five, Wrath, features souls in a mud sea, symbolizing their hostility and anger, with some submerged eternally lamenting. Dante and Virgil cross Styx River, aided by a boatman, to the infernal City of Dis. Fallen angels attempt to bar them, calling upon Medusa, but a heavenly angel intervenes, opening the gates on God's behalf. Level six, Heresy, marks heightened active sinning and torture. Heretics endure fiery tomb internment, guarded by fallen angels ensuring perpetual torment.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What is Dante's Divine Comedy about?

    It is a narrative poem detailing Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.

  • Why are famous figures like Plato and Socrates in Limbo?

    They were born before Christ and therefore couldn't enter Heaven.

  • How does contrapasso work in Dante's Hell?

    Souls are punished by means which either resemble or contrast their sins.

  • What character serves as Dante's guide in Hell?

    Virgil, a Roman poet, serves as Dante's guide.

  • Why are some famous historical figures like Julius Caesar in Limbo?

    They couldn't be placed in heaven due to their pre-Christian existence.

  • What unique punishment do sorcerers and seers endure in Hell?

    Their heads are twisted backward, forcing them to walk backward.

  • Why can bodies be unrecognizable in level four of greed?

    Years of fighting have disfigured them beyond recognition.

  • What signifies the start of more active suffering in Hell?

    Level six, heresy, where people actively sin against others.

  • Who are considered the most punished souls in Hell?

    Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius, found in the ninth level of treason.

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  • 00:00:00
    level one limbo the first level isn't
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    really considerable hell it's basically
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    Earth but you can't die with the only
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    punishment being the knowledge that the
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    current state therein will be the same
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    for eternity Dante himself defined it as
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    the place where instead of screaming
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    there is sighing it's where unbaptized
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    babies go and where righteous people who
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    were born before Christ reside such as
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    Plato and Socrates some people actually
  • 00:00:22
    went from the limbo level to heaven when
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    Jesus died on the cross since he came
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    down to the limbo and brought them with
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    him however they're mostly Old Testament
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    figures like like Adam Abel Noah Moses
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    Etc Julius Caesar is also in the limbo
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    since Dante was a big fan of ancient
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    Rome even though he couldn't put him
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    into heaven because he was born before
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    Christ MOS before the first actual level
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    of Hell there is Mos which is a figure
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    from ancient Greek mythology that judges
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    where people need to go in the
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    Underworld based on their actions
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    whenever someone comes into contact with
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    him they can't help but tell the truth
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    level two lust this is where people
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    who've committed sexual sins go and it's
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    the most used tempt by the Devils to
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    bring people into hell here we can find
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    great winds strong like a hurricane with
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    people who get pushed back and forth
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    constantly without the opportunity of
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    getting some rest in Dante's Divine
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    Comedy there is a principle called
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    contrap Paso which means that the
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    punishments of souls need to be done by
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    a process either resembling or
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    contrasting with the sin itself for this
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    exact reason people who lived blown
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    about by the passions of love now have
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    to be blown about by actual winds some
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    famous figures are found in this layer
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    such as Dao Paris and C Cleopatra who
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    isn't in hell just because she was
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    lustful but also because she was an
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    enemy of Rome level three gluttony in
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    level three there is a constant pouring
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    of a mixture of rain sleep snow and hail
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    with people constantly being pelted with
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    ice it's here that we can also find
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    Cerberus the three-headed dog from Greek
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    mythology who runs around and shreds
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    people to Pieces but since they can't
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    die they either just regenerate and stay
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    in a loop of suffering for eternity or
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    just lay there forever this punishment
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    is because according to the principle of
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    contrap Paso those who always ate are
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    now being eaten most of the people here
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    are laying down and playing dead so
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    Cerberus doesn't get to them and when it
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    tried to go for Dante Virgil who is his
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    guide threw dirt in its three mouths
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    distracting it it's at this level that
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    we learn that on Judgment Day everyone's
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    soul will be reunited with their body
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    and be in a state of perfection but
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    while Perfection sounds good in heaven
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    in hell it means perfect suffering level
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    four greed when they first enter level
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    four they see a sea of people constantly
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    running into each other like waves and
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    beating each other with big money bags
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    in between them Dante sees some bald
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    people who were commonly Friars so he
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    asks Virgil if they're members of the
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    church Virgil says that half of them are
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    indeed members of the church and the
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    other half are just people who fought to
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    hoarde wealth on Earth they are now
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    forced to literally fight for nothing
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    just as they fought for useless Earthly
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    wealth we also can't find recognizable
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    famous figures here because their faces
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    have been so disfigured from hundreds of
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    years of fighting that they're
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    unrecognizable level five Wrath this one
  • 00:03:00
    isn't to be confused with violence as
  • 00:03:02
    it's just for people who were mean and
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    angry all the time there is a sea of mud
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    with people constantly trying to push
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    each other down to come out on top and
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    there are bubbles coming up from the mud
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    which are actually coming from people
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    underneath screaming and crying the suin
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    can also be found in this level and they
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    lie Beneath the Sea eternally gurgling
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    their Lamentations this level has the
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    river sticks which is also filled with
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    people and Dante and Virgil take fleas'
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    boat who is a Greek mythology character
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    that acts as The Boatman that takes
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    Souls from the fifth layer to the lower
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    circles of hell while they're getting
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    nearer to their destination Dante sees a
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    red light which is the city of D the
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    city of dis encompasses the sixth
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    through the ninth circles of hell and
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    it's characterized by its fortified
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    walls and fiery landscape so from now on
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    every level is going to be in the city
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    of D when they get to the gates some
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    Fallen Angels appear and tell Dante that
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    he isn't dead yet and he isn't supposed
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    to go there so they lock the gates even
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    though Virgil tried to explain that
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    they're on a mission from God
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    furthermore the three furies come out
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    from the pillars of the gate covered in
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    blood and snakes and begin yelling for
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    Medusa forcing Dante and Virgil to cover
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    their eyes to not become stones and stay
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    there forever as things are getting bad
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    an actual Heavenly Angel comes down from
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    heaven with a huge Roar and starts
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    walking across the river sticks as he's
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    walking the Sea of souls gets pushed to
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    the sides to make room for it the angel
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    then arrives at the gates touches them
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    and they instantly open revealing the
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    Fallen Angels hiding cowardly behind
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    them the angel warns them that Dante and
  • 00:04:27
    Virgil are really on a mission from God
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    and and that if they were to hinder
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    their Journey they would suffer greatly
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    level six heresy this is the first layer
  • 00:04:36
    where people are actively sinning
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    against someone else so from here on
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    they get active torture and suffering
  • 00:04:41
    instead of just misery as they reach
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    level six where the Heretics reside they
  • 00:04:45
    see tombs cut out of rock laid along
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    each other where people are laying down
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    constantly being stoked with flames
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    there are Fallen Angel guards who make
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    sure everybody's lying down and properly
  • 00:04:54
    suffering we can also find King
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    Frederick II here since he was in the
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    opposite faction of Dante's when there
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    was a war between the pope and the
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    emperor level seven violence the seventh
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    level is divided into three parts the
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    outer ring for violence against others
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    the middle ring for violence against
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    themselves and the inner ring for
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    violence against God in the first part
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    the outer ring we find the river Fon
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    made of boiling blood where people are
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    forced to burn for eternity by the
  • 00:05:19
    Centaur who guard it and make sure no
  • 00:05:21
    one gets out Alexander the Great is here
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    since he killed a lot of people and we
  • 00:05:25
    learn that the river gets deeper the
  • 00:05:26
    closer the souls are to the Middle with
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    some people being complet completely
  • 00:05:29
    buried and some being able to take their
  • 00:05:31
    heads out and breathe in the second part
  • 00:05:33
    the middle ring there's a dark Forest
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    filled with dead trees and harpies which
  • 00:05:37
    are human bird amalgamations flying back
  • 00:05:39
    and forth Dante hears lots of screaming
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    but he can't see anybody so Virgil tells
  • 00:05:44
    him to pull off a branch from a tree
  • 00:05:46
    when he does so blood comes out of the
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    tree and it starts screaming that's
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    because the trees are actually people
  • 00:05:51
    who committed un alivent and since they
  • 00:05:53
    wanted to get rid of their bodies now
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    they have to spend eternity in something
  • 00:05:56
    that is not their body these tree people
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    grow fruits which are part of their
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    bodies that get eaten by the harpies
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    causing them great pain when Judgment
  • 00:06:04
    Day comes these trees will have their
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    lifeless bodies hanging from them making
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    them remember what they have done
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    forever in the third part the inner ring
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    there's a sand pit full of naked people
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    who are screaming the most out of every
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    level yet that's because there are
  • 00:06:16
    pieces of fire falling down on the sand
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    making it scorching hot also if one of
  • 00:06:21
    the souls gets tired of walking on
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    Boiling sand for eternity and it lays
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    down they would have to stay in that
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    position for 100 years exposing more of
  • 00:06:28
    their bodies to the burns in this layer
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    we can find capus who's a giant that's
  • 00:06:32
    laying there and laughing while saying
  • 00:06:34
    it isn't that bad he's doing this
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    because he doesn't want to let the Roman
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    god Jo who killed him know that he's
  • 00:06:39
    suffering we can also see people who
  • 00:06:41
    stare at purses all the time and they're
  • 00:06:43
    the usurers those who gave out loans
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    with high interest rates because they
  • 00:06:46
    defy God's law that each effort gives a
  • 00:06:49
    result since they made no efforts and
  • 00:06:50
    got lots of results level eight fraud
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    level eight is divided into 10 trenches
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    called bulus where people who made
  • 00:06:58
    different kinds of frauds are the first
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    bulah is for those who betrayed love for
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    example we can find a guy who sold his
  • 00:07:04
    sister to a lustful man they are forced
  • 00:07:06
    to run from one end of the trench to the
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    other as Devils whip them if they go too
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    slow the second bulja is for the
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    deceptive speakers those who lied to get
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    what they wanted and it consists of a
  • 00:07:15
    giant Pitfall of poop the idea is that
  • 00:07:18
    those who behest now are full of BS
  • 00:07:20
    always fighting and trying to push each
  • 00:07:21
    other down in the third bulja we can
  • 00:07:23
    find the simoniacs those who sold sacred
  • 00:07:26
    Goods like holy sacraments or passes to
  • 00:07:28
    get one's familiar out of purgatory for
  • 00:07:30
    cash Dante put them in here because back
  • 00:07:33
    then it was a huge problem in the church
  • 00:07:35
    with leaders selling pardons the ground
  • 00:07:37
    and bottom of the bulja are on fire and
  • 00:07:39
    there are random hot coals that shoot up
  • 00:07:41
    with flames the only way to avoid them
  • 00:07:43
    is to get into holes in the ground but
  • 00:07:44
    since they only cover the top part of
  • 00:07:46
    the body the feet stay up and get burned
  • 00:07:48
    here we can find Pope Nicholas III who
  • 00:07:51
    Dante thought started the trend of
  • 00:07:52
    getting paid for pardons the Pope says
  • 00:07:54
    to Dante that whenever the next Pope
  • 00:07:56
    comes to take his place he needs to dig
  • 00:07:58
    deeper underground to leave room for the
  • 00:08:00
    successor the fourth bulja is for
  • 00:08:01
    Sorcerers and Sears basically witches
  • 00:08:04
    and the only punishment they have is
  • 00:08:06
    that their heads are twisted backwards
  • 00:08:07
    so they have to walk backwards for the
  • 00:08:09
    rest of Eternity in the fifth bulja the
  • 00:08:11
    barrators are found which are people who
  • 00:08:13
    exchange money for political favors and
  • 00:08:15
    Corruption they are in a pot of boiling
  • 00:08:17
    tar with Devils keeping them in with
  • 00:08:18
    rods the sixth bulja for the Hypocrites
  • 00:08:21
    is composed of people with beautiful
  • 00:08:22
    robes from the outside but ugly on the
  • 00:08:24
    inside and really really heavy the
  • 00:08:26
    Hypocrites are forced to walk with them
  • 00:08:28
    on for eternity and there also a man
  • 00:08:30
    crucified in the middle of the bulja
  • 00:08:32
    Caiaphas the high priest who advised the
  • 00:08:34
    Pharisees to crucify Jesus the other
  • 00:08:36
    robed Hypocrites have to step on him
  • 00:08:38
    with their heavy robes the seventh bulja
  • 00:08:40
    is for thieves and there are giant
  • 00:08:42
    lizard snake things that have stingers
  • 00:08:43
    that turn people into Ash people run
  • 00:08:45
    with some sort of snake handcuffs behind
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    their back being stung into Ash and
  • 00:08:49
    regenerating in an eternal Loop in the
  • 00:08:51
    eighth bulja we can find evil leaders
  • 00:08:53
    and counselors and we can see a long
  • 00:08:55
    area with little fires that look like
  • 00:08:57
    fireflies while in actuality they there
  • 00:08:59
    are souls underneath them who burn all
  • 00:09:01
    the time since everyone who led others
  • 00:09:03
    to death with treachery and Leadership
  • 00:09:05
    is here we can find ulses too since back
  • 00:09:08
    then they thought that the world had a
  • 00:09:09
    limit and they thought that Ulisses went
  • 00:09:11
    onto the sea with his crew until the end
  • 00:09:13
    of the world where they fell off and
  • 00:09:14
    died in the ninth bulja we can find the
  • 00:09:16
    sers of Discord and there's a sea of
  • 00:09:18
    Carnage that looks like it's from every
  • 00:09:20
    war in history with every imaginable
  • 00:09:23
    part of the body ripped to shreds it's
  • 00:09:25
    for people who purposefully caused
  • 00:09:26
    trouble and there are demons picking
  • 00:09:28
    people up ripping them to shreds and
  • 00:09:30
    throwing them into that sea where they
  • 00:09:31
    lay alive forever feeling the other body
  • 00:09:34
    parts being thrown onto them for some
  • 00:09:35
    reason Dante also put profit Muhammad
  • 00:09:37
    from Islam here too in the 10th and last
  • 00:09:40
    bul we can find the liars and falsifiers
  • 00:09:42
    in a pitch black scenario Dante had to
  • 00:09:44
    cover his ears from the shrieking that
  • 00:09:46
    he heard and it's because there's a
  • 00:09:48
    constant pestilence of illnesses far
  • 00:09:50
    beyond the ones on Earth such as people
  • 00:09:51
    covered in giant scabs that look like
  • 00:09:53
    fish scales that itch all over their
  • 00:09:55
    body that once scratched away bleed and
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    grow back level n treason the ninth
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    level the deepest one is a frozen lake
  • 00:10:03
    divided into four regions based on who
  • 00:10:05
    the souls betrayed Kindred and family
  • 00:10:08
    country guests and friends and God the
  • 00:10:10
    heads of the Sinners pop out from the
  • 00:10:12
    frozen lake and they stay frozen from
  • 00:10:14
    the neck down forever with their own
  • 00:10:16
    tears becoming Frozen the center of this
  • 00:10:18
    lake is the center of Hell itself Dante
  • 00:10:21
    encounters frier albergo who he knew
  • 00:10:23
    personally and was still alive so when
  • 00:10:25
    he asked him how it's possible that he's
  • 00:10:26
    there while alive albergo told him that
  • 00:10:28
    if someone commits a really really bad
  • 00:10:30
    Sin his soul goes straight into hell in
  • 00:10:32
    the ninth level and the body gets
  • 00:10:34
    possessed by a demon which is how demon
  • 00:10:36
    possessions happen albergo himself
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    invited a friend over and murdered him
  • 00:10:40
    thus betraying his trust as they go
  • 00:10:42
    towards the center Dante feels a wind
  • 00:10:44
    and once he gets close enough Virgil
  • 00:10:46
    explains that it's the wind caused by
  • 00:10:47
    Lucifer's Wings Lucifer is described as
  • 00:10:50
    massive with three faces the one on the
  • 00:10:52
    right being a dark blackish color the
  • 00:10:54
    one in the middle being deep blood red
  • 00:10:55
    and the one on the left being a bright
  • 00:10:57
    burning yellow from each of these faces
  • 00:10:59
    Blood and Tears pour running down his
  • 00:11:02
    body and creating a sort of river there
  • 00:11:03
    are only four people in this bottom pit
  • 00:11:05
    of Hell the first is Lucifer and then
  • 00:11:07
    there's the two on either side of the
  • 00:11:08
    heads which are Brutus and cassus the
  • 00:11:11
    two members of the Senate who conspired
  • 00:11:12
    against Caesar they hang on the left and
  • 00:11:14
    right sides of Lucifer's heads with
  • 00:11:16
    their top half hanging out and they're
  • 00:11:18
    constantly chewed with Lucifer reaching
  • 00:11:20
    up with claws and scratching them for
  • 00:11:22
    eternity in the middle head of Lucifer
  • 00:11:24
    is the most punished man ever Judas is
  • 00:11:26
    scariot the Apostle who betrayed Jesus
  • 00:11:28
    facing towards the throat of Lucifer
  • 00:11:30
    Dante says he can see his spine and
  • 00:11:32
    Bones as all of his skin has been
  • 00:11:34
    Stripped Away Lucifer got there at the
  • 00:11:36
    center of the Earth because when he was
  • 00:11:38
    cast out of Heaven the lands moved to
  • 00:11:40
    not touch him and he got stuck there
  • 00:11:42
    shooting a hole through Earth if you
  • 00:11:44
    want to discuss this video or suggest an
  • 00:11:46
    idea for the next one join my Discord
  • 00:11:48
    Link in the description
Tags
  • Dante's Inferno
  • Hell
  • Divine Comedy
  • Limbo
  • Contrapasso
  • Virgil
  • Dante
  • Greek Mythology
  • Punishments
  • Sins