Mange-Dog has pulled a political grifter up onto the shore of the boiling pitch and the demons are about to let him have it. But not before Virgil, prompted by our pilgrim Dante, asks him a few questions.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore this incredibly violent passage from the fifth of the malebolge, the evil pouches, that make up the eighth circle of fraud in INFERNO. Things are about to get dire and horrific. But what do you expect when you take up with a pack of demons?

Here are the segments of this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:45] My English translation of INFERNO, Canto XXII, lines 40 - 75. If you'd like to read along, just scroll down this page.

[04:45] Dante-the-pilgrim's place in this passage of escalating violence. Curiosity should be greater than fear. That's the writerly stance.

[09:22] Virgil's place in this passage: a largely ineffectual guide.

[12:02] The sinner pulled out of the boiling pitch--aka, the nameless barrator in this passage. Maybe it's important that he remain nameless.

[20:31] The demons in this passage. Their names are an act of translation even for medieval Florentine readers.

[23:41] Virgil's use of the word "Latino"--that is, "Italian." He's talking about a geographical marker, not a political one. Or is he?

[26:25] How can we explain the escalating violence in this passage? I offer four answers without coming to any conclusions.

And here is my English translation of Inferno, Canto XXII, Lines 40 – 75

“O Red Face, make sure you sink your claws

Into him and tear the skin off!”

Shouted the whole crew of evil-doers at once.

 

And I: “My master, find out, if you can,

Who this is, this wretch

Who has fallen into his enemies’ hands.”

 

My leader pulled up alongside him

And asked where he was from. He said,

“I was born in the kingdom of Navarre.

 

“My mother put me into service for a lord—

After she’d conceived me with a drunkard

Who wasted himself and his earthly possessions.

 

“Then I went into the family of good King Thibault,

Where I figured out how to get in on the take,

For which my accounts are squared up in this caldron.”

 

And Big Pig, who had tusks like a wild boar’s

That stuck out from either side of his mouth,

Made the guy feel how one of them could gash.

 

The mouse had fallen among grievous cats.

But Curly Beard held the guy tight with his arms

And said, “Stand back while I pen him in.”

 

Then he turned to face my master and said,

“Ask away, if you want to talk some more

To find out about him, before one of these brutes disembowels him.”

 

Thus my leader: “Okay, tell us, is there

Any Italian among the sinners

Under this pitch?” And he: “I just left one

 

“A moment ago who came from around those parts.

How I wish I were still covered up with him,

So I wouldn’t be trembling at these claws or hooks!”

 

And Love-Crack said: “We’ve hung out long enough!”

He lanced the guy’s arm with a grappling hook

And gave a big tug, ripping a hunk of flesh out of him.

 

Little-Big Dragon also wanted to hook him

On down below, through the legs—but at this their decurion

Whipped around on them real fast with an ugly grimace.