The Music of Life

Thinking about our last two lectures and the emphasis on the sounds of Purgatory I realized there is something about the music... while I was reading, I kept hearing that they were singing, but it wasn't until I was done with the reading that I thought about what that music might sound like. I've always had this notion that music is holy, all music. Everyone has an instant connection to the spiritual realm through music. That's why there are so many genres. Whether it's Gregorian chanting, steel drums, hip-hop, country western, whatever, there is a music that touches us. A lot of people like songs with good lyrical content (because let's face it, there's a lot out there that has really poor quality lyrics.) I'm one of those people- sometimes. Sometimes the sound of music or of a voice stops you altogether, and dashes all your notions about lyrical content to the ground.

I love Dead Can Dance. They are probably my favorite band. There were two singers in Dead Can Dance: Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerard (I say were because they split up and now have solo careers.) Perry usually sings in English, but not always. Gerard sings phonetically most of the time, which means, she isn't actually singing words. She also sings on the Gladiator soundtrack (she collaborates with Hans Zimmer a lot) in case anyone is familiar with that. One of my favorite songs, "Devorzhium," was on the movie Unfaithful, in what is arguably the sexiest sex scene ever made. The song has no words, but there is singing, and something about her voice is incredibly seductive, and perfect for that scene. Gerard's voice is captivating whether she is singing words in English, words in some other language, or random sounds. It's one of those you've-got-to-hear-it-to-believe-it things.

Another example is the singing of the Mbuti/BaAka people. These are the people who live in the forests of the Central African Republic, also known as 'pygmies' (although that isn't very nice). They don't call themselves pygmies. They are BaAka, which means "The Forest People." Their religion/worldview is that the forest is their mother and their God, and they are its children. All life comes from the forest, and they sing to it. My first year of college was at Bakersfield College. I took a class in Ethnomusicology, and we did a unit on African music. There are so many types of African music; we had to identify the country, culture, and purpose of the song as well as every instrument being used! The first time I listened to the CD with the BaAka singing "Makala," I was overwhelmed. If you've never heard their singing, I heartily recommend it. I can't hear it without crying. It is so incredibly beautiful and sincere, and just... human? I don't know how to explain it, but this is the song of my heart. Something about their voices moves me, although I have no idea what is being said, and there is almost no music (just someone drumming on a hollow-log drum).

When I hear Dante's description of Purgatory, I hear that sort of thing. Music that stops you in your tracks. Music that makes you sit there, smiling in the sun, contemplating and not thinking. Music that brings tears to your eyes. Music that can change you.




*if you want to hear Mbuti singing click here: http://www.emusic.com/album/10865/10865582.html

I am Geryon, hear me ROAR!

When reading about ante-Purgatory, an image came to mind: Dante was getting cleansed of the stench and sin from Hell before heading towards the heavenly place. I pictured the religions that dip their finger in holy water and cross themselves before entering a church or chapel (not sure if only Catholics do this). Like baptism, the sinners wash away their past lives and transgressions and leave the intentional sinning behind. Of course, for those of us who have a strong conscience, rumination never allows the past to be completely gone. We remind ourselves of the foolish past in order to keep from repeating the mistakes. This is very simplified. So, before entering a holy place, the outside must be washed off (crossing with the holy water) in order to go forth with pure thoughts. Or, before committing oneself to the Baptist religion (or others) the sins must be washed away with a baptism before proceeding.

If Dante hadn’t been washed of the stench, he would be taking those horrific images with him into Purgatory. With negative energy in the mind, it is very difficult to see the positive in anything. Dante needed a moment of meditation and purification of the mind before opening his mind up to the glorious light ahead. Without it, he would be looking at that glorious light through a dark veil and his eyes would not be completely opened to the wonder. Does this sound cheesy or does it actually sound as profound as I intend?

Looking back into Hell, I see Geryon and how this is a perfect image for people. Most everyone has multiple personalities, the one’s we can control. We have the image that we give to our parents, grandparents, or others whom we wish to view us as flawless as possible. Then we have the image of our dark sides, the parts of us that we may be ashamed of, and suppressed emotions. We also have the image that we give to employers or professors, first introductions, in-laws, etc. Our image isn’t stone, at least mine isn’t. (For those of you who have a single image for everyone, I can’t say that I envy you, but good for you. When I say ‘our’, I don’t mean everyone, but those of us to whom this applies.)

To give an example, I’ll name a girl Penelope and introduce her to a male friend of mine. Penelope comes across as a sweet girl with a good sense of humor. My male friend really likes her. As he gets to know her, he sees some of her real personality; she is very impatient and blames everyone else for her problems. He begins to see the wings of reality appear. She has a temper when she doesn’t get her own way. Here comes her hairy chest and arms (what an image!). He then discovers she hates animals (as if!) Her hairy arms and claws appear. Get the idea? Of course, wouldn’t her claws appear with the temper? Anyway, so not everyone has the complete body of imperfections, but gradually reveal those true identities the more we get to know them. Then my warped mind compares Geryon to Mr. Potatohead. We begin with a simple potato. Then we add a pegged eyeball, a nose, etc, revealing a different image with every added body part. Geryon and Mr. Potatohead, now that’s stretching it. So, here’s a question for you to ponder: Are we being frauds if we only reveal the good parts of ourselves or are we just being human?

Il Purgatorio

The concept of Purgatory is fundamentally a Roman Catholic idea; it occurred to me that Limbo is the ideal division between Heaven and Hell (if I were constructing Heaven, which I'm not). The only way Purgatory can make sense on a literal level is if, as Dante has it, souls are gladly working their way towards glory. In many ways, this earthly life seems like a Purgatory; after my conversion to the Christian faith I began to feel a sense of purpose, as if I were climbing a mountain towards God. Earthly life is a place and time for us to seek glory and joy. I'm reminded of the poem "Uphill" by Christina Rosetti:

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?

Yes, to the very end.

Will the day's journey take the whole long day?

From morn to night, my friend.

.......

Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?

Of labour you shall find the sum.

Will there be beds for me and all who seek?

Yea, beds for all who come.

For me, it feels like I am moving "onward and upward" (C. S. Lewis). I began life not knowing what it was all about. I spent many years in the "Dark Wood" where Dante's poem begins. This makes me wonder if Dante was contemplating suicide, because obviously he is lost and grieving, and the suicides are in a dark wood in Hell. Either way, that's where I was. Without oversimplifying the greatest event in my life, or sounding like a lunatic, at the age of fourteen I heard the voice of God, totally unexpectedly. I always say that "Jesus had me at hello." He didn't show up as Virgil and take me on a tour, but I do think there was a Heavenly Lady interceding on my behalf (my Abuelita Uva). I say I "heard" God although what I was using was not so much my ears as my blood. God asked me "Aren't you tired of this? Aren't you ready for more?"

At that point, I knew I was ready for more. Purgatory in Dante involves a lot of choosing to move on- the souls decide for themselves when they are ready to arrive on the shore, and when they are ready to move up. My own life has involved some serious decision-making, and I feel like since I've know what I'm moving towards, I haven't regretted a single move. There are days when I question myself, and even God, sure, but I have full confidence that this movement called my life is, in fact, "onward and upward."

It's easy to confuse the circumstances of my life with the condition of my soul, but on further examination there is clearly an enormous difference. Through the "Purgatory" of this life, God is preparing me for His kingdom. I am being tested, not punished (because just like in Hell, punishment is a choice). The test is my own willingness to say "I'm ready." Because by choosing readiness, you're already there. Furthermore, like the souls in Purgatory, I am moving in joy. Jesus said "These three things remain: Faith, Hope, and Love." I am moving in faith, with hope, and in love, towards the greatest of these, Love. I can't help but see the parallels between this and Dante's Purgatory.

I know this is pretty religious and personal, and I tried to make "I" statements, because what I think about other people's lives is irrelevant. Of course, I want everyone to think life is joyful, and purposeful, but hey, that's up to the individual. What I am attempting to discuss, through my personal experience, is Dante's Purgatory, and how it relates to life in a culture that mostly doesn't believe in such a place. Dante wants us to read allegorically, and I can't help but feel that's the best interpretation for Purgatory. Because, otherwise, what is redemption and what is salvation? Jesus' sacrifice needs no help, and we don't get to Heaven for doing good works (apparently, it didn't work for poor Latini or Avicenna or anyone else). But by our attitude towards others, and towards life, we can promote God's kingdom in our hearts. I think it is ESSENTIAL to see this as a personal thing. I, like everyone else, want to better the world through good government and law, etc. but I must admit that the way to start is right here, right now, with these two hands. I don't think I'm a very good person, really, but God is a forward-thinker and He's asking me to think positively. God is moving us towards perfection, whatever that looks like. He is asking us to be joyful and to see other people, not just the long uphill climb, because when we look at the road it can really freak us out and discourage us. I think this is what Dante is saying. I shared some personal stuff because that's my way of understanding Purgatory, NOT because I want people to agree with my beliefs.

Dante's Deference

In response to the recent assumption that we are all disrespecting authority, judging or disagreeing with Dante, and getting stuck behind cultural biases, I would like to clarify my views on Dante by further expanding on the subject I began exploring in my first post. In case you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to do so. Otherwise, what I say in this post may seem unclear or out of context. Basically, I believe there is strong evidence so far in the Dante’s Comedy that he was quite open-minded about and courteous toward other beliefs and ways of life, and I find this inspiring. Support for this can be found in the respectful way he depicts Virgil (a non-Christian), Saladin (a Muslim), and mythological gods. This latter group is what I want to focus on in this post. I am particularly interested in the ways in which Dante incorporates mythological characters and beliefs into his version of the afterlife.

The first time I really took notice of the repeated mythological themes was rather late in The Inferno when Dante encounters Ephialtes and Antaeus among the giants in Canto XXI. On pages 243 and 244, Dante describes how these two souls are being punished for rebelling against the gods, specifically Jove. I was confused about why Dante, a devout Christian, would place so much power and authority in the hands of these pagan gods. Virgil, when speaking of Ephialtes, says, “this piece of arrogance…dared try his strength against the power of Jove” (XXXI 91-92). Antaeus is rewarded for staying loyal to the gods. Ciardi notes that “Antaeus did not join in the rebellion against the gods and therefore he is not chained” (246). Why would it matter that these two rebelled against pagan gods who couldn’t have been powerful or even existed if Dante believes in one, all-powerful God who had existed since before time began?

The only answer I can give is to ignore for a moment any literal interpretation of this passage. If taken allegorically, it could be shown as an example of what happens when one rebels against God, his angels, Church authority, or authority in general. Virgil calls attention to Ephialtes’ arrogance. It would indeed be the ultimate arrogance to challenge God. The fact that these are giants further illuminates their arrogance and the idea that they were so filled with pride that they quite literally had “big heads,” as we say today.

Another example of mythic characters is in Canto XXXII where Alessandro and Napoleone lie among those who were treacherous to kin. I draw a parallel between these brothers and Eteocles and Polynieces, Oedipus’ two sons who inherited his kingdom and ended up killing each other in a duel over who would control their inheritance. I have little interpretation of their inclusion other than that it only furthers my point that Dante relied on the classical myths when writing.

Further, mythological ideas of the afterlife and its physical structure literally run through The Inferno and The Purgatorio. Dante includes the rivers Tiber, Acheron, and Styx which figure prominently in classical mythology.

It seems obvious to me that just as Dante’s choice of Virgil as mentor (a Pagan leading a Christian = Paganism leading to Christianity) shows his respect for those beliefs which laid the foundation for his, his frequent use of mythological figures reveals not only a respect for traditional beliefs, but also for traditional stories and devices. Dante as poet and as character pays homage to the great poets and literary figures who he encounters. I think he also pays homage by including references to the great stories that came before his.

A response of my own view

I was going to post on a different subject, but I feel that I need to respond to Rhiannon and everyone else who believes that it’s rude and a waste of time to disagree with Dante.

I really don’t see what’s wrong with questioning Dante. I agree that he was a great poet and this is a great work, but I’m not just going to accept that everything is how it is just because he says so and that he’s great just because everyone says he is. I’m going to continually question and challenge, because this is a method of learning that is especially important to use as part of our university education. The culture that I come from encourages me to engage authority, and I don’t believe that just because I question a work means that I have disrespect for tradition. I don’t believe that by disagreeing with a few of Dante’s uses of poetic license that I am nullifying his achievement in creating the Divine Comedy, and I don’t believe that it prevents me from learning from Dante. I believe that it just keeps me from blindly following and agreeing without analyzing what I agree with.

I adore the humanity of Dante the character. Most of the time I am there with him, understanding his reactions, or looking at the notes if I’m confused as to why he would react a certain way. I believe that the Comedy is a great work. I also believe that part of my university education allows me to see past my cultural biases, and I take them into account not only when I analyze medieval works, but also any other work, like those by African authors or those by Japanese authors or other cultures that are very different from mine. When I analyze where I differ from Dante, I describe his position and then mine. This is a constructive method of disagreeing, and I don’t believe that it’s wrong.

If anyone has heard about the Stanley Milgram experiment, it’s the one where he found out just how many people do respect authority in our culture, and will do what that authority says even if it means killing another person. Here’s a link to examine: http://www.stanleymilgram.com/milgram.php or just Google “Milgram.” Over 60% of the people who were told to increase the voltage of the electrical shocks administered to the test subject above the lethal limit did so when told by the authority figure running the experiment. I think Dante would not accept that these individuals were acting just because an authority figure told them to do this. He would say that they chose their own actions and they chose not question the directions that were given to them. Free will was involved in this experiment just as much as it is involved in The Divine Comedy, and Dante scorns those who pretend that they don’t use their free will. He supports the questioning of human authority, as do I.

Response to Rhiannon + My Complicated Relationship with Chris Anderson

“It hurts me as an English major to see how quick we all are to reject anything we disagree with! That's not what getting a university education is about. If you can't see past the cultural biases, what's the point of spending $300 on a class about a famous religious allegory?” Who said anything about rejecting Dante? I’m just trying to process him and I don’t believe I’ve said that I hate Dante, or dislike his poetry, or anything of that nature. I’m engaging in conversation with Dante, trying my damnedest to see past my own cultural biases through to what he’s trying to say and how he’s trying to say it. I think it’s rude and naïve of you to assume that the rest of us are incapable of seeing past these cultural biases, or of being as enlightened and in touch with Dante as you seem to think you are.

“Everyone has the right to their own opinion but you obviously don’t understand the difference between religion and faith.” Actually Rhiannon, I do. I wrote a lot of stuff that I didn’t end up including in that last blog post about how religion and spirituality are two wildly different things for me. For me, religion is associated with manmade institutions, excessive rituals, hate, exclusion, and discrimination. Spirituality, on the other hand, I understand as a personal relationship with a god, or higher power, or deeper connection to the universe in some way, personally, not through the conduit of a church or clergy.

“I find it kind of offensive to slam on religion in general as if it’s all crap just because you disagree with Dante.” Whoa. Thanks for assuming that my disenchantment with religious institutions stems from my “disagreeing with Dante.” Actually, if you must know, my distaste for religion predates this class by a few years. Assuming that I would get such strong convictions from reading an antiquated POEM is giving me way too little credit and Dante way too much. And if I am disagreeing with Dante, it’s not so much with him as with the cultural machine he is writing from. Obviously his views are not entirely his own, but belong to his era, his peers, his country, his culture as well. And if you’re getting offended by my posts, which have been my own processing of Dante and what he can mean to me in my life, that’s your prerogative. Maybe you should stop taking my posts (and yourself) so seriously.

My last post was a lot of me trying to personally process Dante in the context of my own experiences and values. Dante is writing from a very different space and time from me, and it has been difficult to figure out how to read and appreciate him. I TOTALLY agree with the point Prof. Anderson was making on Wednesday when he was comparing Dante to the comedic brilliance of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Dante is poking fun at religion and certain individuals at the same time that he is honoring and paying tribute to his religion and his god. He’s taking a critical look at Catholicism and inserting some of his own interpretations, vividly painting grotesque pictures to shock and amuse us, and hopefully ultimately inspiring us to critically examine how we live our own lives. It’s a complex relationship he has with the church and religion and spirituality; pretty much the furthest thing from “black-and-white.” It’s kind of like my relationship to Prof. Anderson: sometimes he’s pompous, arrogant, and downright rude (*cough! Monday’s “grafters” comment, cough!*), but other times he actually has insightful and thought-provoking things to say. I don’t loath him with every fiber in my being, but I’m also not about to sing his praises in a blog post encouraging my fellow bloggers to “listen as much as you can to what Dante and Professor Anderson are trying to convey,” as if he were some sort of deity himself.

I agree with Prof. Anderson in his blackboard comments, where he talks about how this poem is about freedom and part of Dante’s purpose here was to inspire us to exercise our free wills. I grew up in a Christianity where I was taught about Satan and the force of evil in our lives. Sin was always talked about in terms of temptation, and succumbing to temptation. The very nature of human nature, and the strength and persuasion and craftiness of the devil were always referenced as contributing factors to sin. It’s interesting to think about how even though you were strongly encouraged to take personal responsibility for sins so that you could repent and be forgiven, there was always some other factor that watered this down. Dante, on the other hand, is saying that it’s all you. Your sins are your choices. Dante’s devil is not around every corner, trying to tempt you from leading the good life. It is your own human failing, your own action of turning your eyes from what is good that is to blame. But, just as you decide what to fill your life with, so too you have the power to choose Christ and choose where you will be eternally. In this I think Dante is being a little progressive and forward. We are not timid creatures, tossed about by the gods and the demons, the forces of nature and good and evil, with absolutely no power or say in our lives. We are strong, intelligent, free-willed individuals, made in the image of God, with the freedom and ability to choose him or not. We are awesome! The characters we encounter in the Inferno have taken that free will and ran with it, in the opposite direction of God, and so they’re burning, gnawing each other’s necks, freezing, running around, being pursued and hacked apart and clawed by demons. This IS scary to us, because, in the words of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Is complete freedom, complete control of our situation, really what we want? Isn’t it easier to show up in church every Sunday morning, robotically nodding your head as you’re told what to do and what not to do, as opposed to getting out there in the real world and making up your own mind about things?

did anyone read my first blog?

Basically I said that in our culture, no one has respect for authority. I'm feeling a lot of that right now. It hurts me as an English major to see how quick we all are to reject anything we disagree with! That's not what getting a university education is about. If you can't see past the cultural biases, what's the point of spending $300 on a class about a famous religious allegory? We had to spend a whole class period talking about this... crazy. I know a lot of people feel like their input isn't valued, or that we don't have enough time to cover all the material, but what did you expect when you signed up for a 10-week dash through the Commedia?

I just want to encourage everyone to keep trying, and please, stop and listen as much as you can to what Dante and Professor Anderson are trying to convey. This might be just a bacc core requirement, but it is still a really valuable class. Keep up your spirits, people; we're almost halfway through!