Shownotes Transcript
Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to dive into the Divine Comedy, focusing on the Empyrean, the place of pure light, love, and energy where God, angels, and the souls of the saved reside. Unlike the nine circles of Hell, the nine levels of Purgatory, and the nine spheres of Heaven, the empyrean exists outside the confines of the universe, transcending space and time. It is a place so far beyond what the human mind can comprehend that Dante, even while his perception was preternaturally augmented by the presence of the divine, could only bear witness to visions that imparted the roughest outline, unable to understand, let alone perceive, the finished work, the mastery and majesty of it.We're going to begin by quickly covering how Dante got to heaven, then going over how heaven is structured, then going over the Primum Mobile, the ninth sphere of heaven, and then going over the Empyrean: what it is and what Dante experienced while he was there. Alright, let's get into it. After braving the depths of hell, plunging ever deeper down through the infernal abyss, all nine of its circles, Dante and Virgil, our pair of intrepid poets, climb down Satan's body and pass through the center of the earth. When they come out the other side, they emerge a bit of the way up Mt. Purgatory, which towers up toward the heavens. Because of this, they are forced to go down so that a full ascent can be made, beginning at the very bottom. The purpose of Mt. Purgatory is purification, not punishment. In Hell, the souls of the sinful are tormented for all of eternity, and escape is prevented by demons and monsters. In Purgatory, on the other hand, there is suffering, but the intent of this suffering is to cleanse and is not a product of condemnation. The pinnacle of Mt. Purgatory is the Garden of Eden, and it is there that Virgil and Dante depart. As a virtuous pagan, Virgil's soul resides in Limbo, the first circle of hell, so he cannot accompany Dante on the final segment of his journey, precluded from entering the paradise of heaven. Beatrice, who it was that sent Virgil to guide Dante, appears and assumes the role as Dante's guide.