Does an Ancient Poetic Epic Hint at a Meteor Strike?
The world-renowned fourteenth-century epic poem, "Inferno," part of the "Divine Comedy" trilogy, might be the earliest literary mention of a gigantic object falling from the sky and crashing into Earth, says a leading geomythology scholar.
"Inferno" narrates the fall of Satan, the devil, from Heaven and his catastrophic landing on Earth. The scholar argues that the described event bears striking resemblance to the impact of a meteorite.
A Classic Tale Interpreted
The scholar, an English professor with expertise in geomythology, suggests that "Inferno," written between 1308 and 1321, might be hinting at a real geological event. He believes that the epic's depiction of Satan's fall shares similarities with the impact of a meteorite.
The story of "Inferno" revolves around its author, Dante, who journeys through Hell, guided by the spirit of the ancient Roman poet Virgil. The duo traverses the Underworld, crossing the River Styx to reach Hell with the help of Charon, the ferryman — a detail so significant that two of Pluto's moons are named Charon and Styx.
A Journey Through Hell
The epic takes the duo through nine concentric circles of Hell, each representing different sins. They encounter historical and mythical figures along the way, including Cleopatra, Achilles, Helen of Troy, Paris, Alexander the Great, and Attila the Hun. At the center of Hell, they find Satan, portrayed as a three-headed beast with wings, eternally gnawing on the bodies of history's three greatest traitors: Brutus, Cassius, and Judas Iscariot.
The Great Descent and Resurgence
The scholars' intriguing point comes towards the end of the epic. Dante and Virgil escape Hell by clambering down Satan's hideous form and through the Earth's gravitational center. After descending from the northern hemisphere, they ascend into the southern hemisphere.
During the time of Dante, the southern hemisphere was mostly uncharted and thought to be predominantly water-filled. Today, we know this to be largely accurate, with 81% of the southern hemisphere covered in water. However, Virgil reveals that the southern hemisphere was once entirely land. When God banished Lucifer from Heaven, he smashed into the Earth, burrowing down to its center and creating Hell. The displaced rock formed the Mountain of Purgatory that Dante and Virgil climb in the second part of the "Divine Comedy." This mountain is the central peak of a multi-ringed crater, forming the nine concentric circles of Hell. The land of the southern hemisphere then moved away from this impact, reconfiguring itself in the northern hemisphere.
An Ancient Tale, A Modern Interpretation
According to the scholar, Dante might be describing the impact of an asteroid or comet, so violent that it reshapes significant parts of the Earth. The depicted event might be similar to the impact believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago or even the impact that formed the moon 4.5 billion years ago.
If the scholar's interpretation is correct, it would represent remarkable foresight on Dante's part. During the fourteenth century, the heavens were seen as fixed and eternal, with the idea of objects falling to Earth from the sky unheard of. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that meteorites were recognized as celestial objects.
While Dante was not a scientist, he was among the first persons in history to contemplate the physical effects of a large mass colliding with the Earth at high speed. In Dante's vision, the Devil, due to his size and speed, instantly creates Hell — a massive, terraced crater reaching Earth's center.
Regardless of Dante's intentions, this interpretation underscores how geomythology can hint at natural disasters long before scientific advancement can catch up. In an era before Copernicus and Galileo, Dante's description of something crashing to Earth was an unconventional thought, contradicting the accepted norms of the time.
The world-renowned fourteenth-century epic poem, "Inferno," part of the "Divine Comedy" trilogy, might be the earliest literary mention of a gigantic object falling from the sky and crashing into Earth, says a leading geomythology scholar.
"Inferno" narrates the fall of Satan, the devil, from Heaven and his catastrophic landing on Earth. The scholar argues that the described event bears striking resemblance to the impact of a meteorite.
A Classic Tale Interpreted
The scholar, an English professor with expertise in geomythology, suggests that "Inferno," written between 1308 and 1321, might be hinting at a real geological event. He believes that the epic's depiction of Satan's fall shares similarities with the impact of a meteorite.
The story of "Inferno" revolves around its author, Dante, who journeys through Hell, guided by the spirit of the ancient Roman poet Virgil. The duo traverses the Underworld, crossing the River Styx to reach Hell with the help of Charon, the ferryman — a detail so significant that two of Pluto's moons are named Charon and Styx.
A Journey Through Hell
The epic takes the duo through nine concentric circles of Hell, each representing different sins. They encounter historical and mythical figures along the way, including Cleopatra, Achilles, Helen of Troy, Paris, Alexander the Great, and Attila the Hun. At the center of Hell, they find Satan, portrayed as a three-headed beast with wings, eternally gnawing on the bodies of history's three greatest traitors: Brutus, Cassius, and Judas Iscariot.
The Great Descent and Resurgence
The scholars' intriguing point comes towards the end of the epic. Dante and Virgil escape Hell by clambering down Satan's hideous form and through the Earth's gravitational center. After descending from the northern hemisphere, they ascend into the southern hemisphere.
During the time of Dante, the southern hemisphere was mostly uncharted and thought to be predominantly water-filled. Today, we know this to be largely accurate, with 81% of the southern hemisphere covered in water. However, Virgil reveals that the southern hemisphere was once entirely land. When God banished Lucifer from Heaven, he smashed into the Earth, burrowing down to its center and creating Hell. The displaced rock formed the Mountain of Purgatory that Dante and Virgil climb in the second part of the "Divine Comedy." This mountain is the central peak of a multi-ringed crater, forming the nine concentric circles of Hell. The land of the southern hemisphere then moved away from this impact, reconfiguring itself in the northern hemisphere.
An Ancient Tale, A Modern Interpretation
According to the scholar, Dante might be describing the impact of an asteroid or comet, so violent that it reshapes significant parts of the Earth. The depicted event might be similar to the impact believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago or even the impact that formed the moon 4.5 billion years ago.
If the scholar's interpretation is correct, it would represent remarkable foresight on Dante's part. During the fourteenth century, the heavens were seen as fixed and eternal, with the idea of objects falling to Earth from the sky unheard of. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that meteorites were recognized as celestial objects.
While Dante was not a scientist, he was among the first persons in history to contemplate the physical effects of a large mass colliding with the Earth at high speed. In Dante's vision, the Devil, due to his size and speed, instantly creates Hell — a massive, terraced crater reaching Earth's center.
Regardless of Dante's intentions, this interpretation underscores how geomythology can hint at natural disasters long before scientific advancement can catch up. In an era before Copernicus and Galileo, Dante's description of something crashing to Earth was an unconventional thought, contradicting the accepted norms of the time.