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| yna@yna.co.kr 2024-06-02 18:56:23
*Editor’s note: K-VIBE invites experts from various K-culture sectors to share their extraordinary discovery about the Korean culture.
Chapter 1. The Past
Dante: First Mankind to Design the Virtual Afterlife
By Noh Seok-joon (Master K-architect engineer)
"Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch’entrate"
Inscribed on the gates of hell in Dante's "Divine Comedy," this phrase means "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." True to its grim warning, hell is depicted as a place devoid of hope, filled only with suffering and despair—a sight too terrifying to even dream of.
Despite this fear, humanity has always been fascinated with the afterlife, constantly pondering and imagining what lies beyond death. The afterlife, as the ultimate destination for all humans, remains one of the most compelling realms of human curiosity. It exists only in the realm of imagination, as no living person has ever experienced the world beyond death.
Throughout history, many of humanity's greatest minds have attempted to envision and interpret the afterlife through various mediums such as literature, art, humanities, science, and technology. Among these efforts, the afterlife depicted in the Bible stands out for its vivid descriptions of heaven, purgatory, and hell, representing one of the most powerful and immersive virtual realities in human culture.
Originally passed down through oral tradition before being written down and compiled into a book, the Bible's portrayal of the afterlife has been reimagined and recreated in numerous forms by the geniuses of each era. These recreations, whether in literature, art, or other media, have continually conveyed the afterlife and Christian messages to both contemporaries and future generations, fostering ongoing communication and connection.
The Hidden Codes in Dante's "Divine Comedy"
Written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and 1321, the "Divine Comedy" is an epic poem centered on a journey through the afterlife. Consisting of three parts—Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise)—each containing 33 cantos, plus an introductory canto, the poem totals 100 cantos. This masterpiece encapsulates Western Christian civilization by addressing divine providence, salvation, and the human exercise of free will.
The protagonist, also named Dante, is guided through hell, purgatory, and heaven by Virgil, Beatrice, and Bernardus. Along the way, he encounters hundreds of mythological and historical figures, engaging in philosophical and ethical discussions about sin, punishment, waiting, and redemption, based on Christian beliefs. These discussions extensively reflect the theological and astronomical worldview of the medieval era.
Through this work, Dante vividly describes the afterlife realms of heaven, purgatory, and hell. Among the many depictions of the afterlife that have emerged over time, Dante's vision stands out as the most exceptional. His genius for imaginative and spatial design produced a virtual space far more intricate and realistic than any previous creation. Unlike earlier portrayals, which depicted heaven, purgatory, and hell as separate entities, the "Divine Comedy" presents them as interconnected parts of a single organism. This allowed people to visualize and spatially understand the afterlife almost perfectly.
Dante's depiction of the afterlife was not merely a literary achievement. Remarkably, he approached the description of these virtual spaces with the precision of an architect. He considered all crucial elements necessary for spatial design, including geometric characteristics, scale, building materials, structural features, zoning of space, and circulation paths. Virtually all elements required for architectural design were meticulously reflected in his descriptions, achieving near perfection.
Dante's Masterplan for the Afterlife in "The Divine Comedy"
The diagram below illustrates Dante's masterplan of the three realms of the afterlife as depicted in his epic poem, "The Divine Comedy": Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. This visualization demonstrates how each realm operates independently while simultaneously being interconnected as passageways to one another. Dante's creation was not merely a product of his imagination; it was also deeply rooted in the astronomical knowledge of his time.
Dante designed the three realms with a continuously circulating system. Hell and Purgatory are depicted as conical spaces, using the geometric properties of the cone to create a progression that seamlessly transitions into the next realm. This geometric structure allows each space to maintain its independent spatial program while naturally leading to the subsequent stage.
Dante meticulously designed the spatial layout in his work to illustrate how the three realms of the afterlife—Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell—are interconnected. Each realm functions independently, yet they are linked by pathways that allow movement from one to another. His design not only addresses the internal relationships within these realms but also establishes a connection between the imaginary afterlife and the real world, Earth.
Dante's creation of a detailed and structured vision of the afterlife in "The Divine Comedy" transcended his personal genius and brought about a significant shift for humanity. Before Dante, the realms of Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell were largely abstract concepts, existing mainly in the imagination. Dante's work provided the first concrete, spatial representation of these realms, offering a more tangible perspective on the afterlife.
In traditional paintings or murals, the depicted imaginary worlds are often merely observed by the creator. The artist captures a moment from a specific event they observe, translating it into their artwork. However, in Dante's "Divine Comedy," the poet himself becomes a traveler who must journey through Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell, meaning he cannot remain a mere observer. Within the narrative, Dante directly experiences and participates in the imagined space of the afterlife.
To achieve this, Dante extensively studied almost all elements necessary for designing a space, including the structure, materials, program, and movement pathways. Ultimately, he was able to design a grand imaginary stage to contain his travel story in the "Divine Comedy." This creation transcends a simple imaginary stage, evolving into a perfectly engineered spatial machine based on its virtual nature. Therefore, the birth of the "Divine Comedy" marks a historical event where the afterlife—a virtual space of utmost human interest—was engineered. Dante provided a detailed topological model of the afterlife, so realistic it could be implemented in the physical world.
Furthermore, the imagery of the afterlife that Dante created has become the model for all subsequent depictions of the afterlife in human history. Even Michelangelo, when painting his masterpiece "The Last Judgment," referred to the descriptions of Hell and Heaven from Dante's "The Divine Comedy." Additionally, both classic literature and modern novels, as well as films such as "The Da Vinci Code" (2006) and "Inferno" (2016), have used Dante's "The Divine Comedy" as a foundation for their portrayals of the afterlife.
So, why did Dante pay attention to space?
In the real world, every event unfolds continuously over a certain period rather than being a momentary pause. In other words, all events occur sequentially over time, much like a video or a movie, with a storyline unfolding over a set duration. Therefore, static representations such as paintings or photographs have clear limitations in expressing the continuity of a story. Since it's not possible to encapsulate the continuity of a storyline within a single painting, artists tend to focus on capturing the most representative and dramatic moments. Most paintings and murals also concentrate on the fleeting moments of the events themselves for this reason.
While paintings focused on events have the power to deliver strong messages encapsulated within them, they are limited in expressing the context, structure, and background space in which the events occur. This limitation is even more evident when it comes to creating the ultimate virtual spaces, such as the afterlife. Since artists primarily focused on portraying specific events dramatically to convey a message, comprehensive understanding, expression, and further engineering analysis of the spatial backgrounds serving as the settings for events were not a significant concern. For this reason, no one attempted to comprehensively understand and analyze virtual spaces like Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell and represent them in their works.
However, Dante was different. In his attempt to portray the afterlife in his work, he extensively studied space. He posed numerous questions such as, "How large are the virtual spaces of Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell?", "What forms do they take?", and "How are these spaces interconnected?" and sought answers by employing all the knowledge available during his time.
Why did Dante strive to design the afterlife's spaces so meticulously? A closer examination of "The Divine Comedy" reveals the crucial reasons for engineering the spatial representation of the afterlife. It's because the protagonist of "The Divine Comedy," Dante himself, embarks on a journey through Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. Since the protagonist travels through the afterlife in the book, concrete spaces were necessary. Dante needed to describe in detail the shapes, structures, sizes, materials, and interconnections of all the spaces since he had to move through and experience the afterlife directly.
In general, virtual worlds depicted in paintings or murals leave the creator as a mere observer. The artist captures a single moment from specific events observed and portrays it in the artwork. However, in the case of "The Divine Comedy," Dante himself becomes the traveler who must journey through Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell, so he cannot remain a mere observer. In the work, Dante needed to be a participant who directly experiences and explores the virtual space of the afterlife.
For this reason, Dante researched almost every aspect necessary for designing space, including its structure, materials, spatial programs, and routes. Eventually, he was able to perfectly design the vast virtual stage required to depict his journey story in "The Divine Comedy." In fact, this goes beyond a simple virtual stage; it can be seen as a perfect spatial machine equipped with both virtuality and engineering design. Therefore, the birth of "The Divine Comedy" is a historical event in which humanity designed the virtual space of the afterlife, the most intriguing virtual space for humanity, with engineering precision. It provided a concrete topological space model of the afterlife to the extent that it could be implemented in actual reality, surpassing the mere virtuality of the afterlife.
So, what kind of space did Dante create in his portrayal of the afterlife?
Dante's Hell
Dante's Hell is meticulously structured into nine circles, each descending in a conical shape and categorized by the type and severity of sins. This intricate structure, reminiscent of an inverted pyramid, organizes the circles in a hierarchical, circular layout. Each level is specifically designed to reflect and punish a particular sin, including lust, gluttony, greed, and violence, among others.
Examining the levels more closely, the first circle, though part of Hell, houses those who did not commit sins, resembling the Elysian Fields of Greek mythology with its sprawling meadows. The second circle, guarded by the legendary King Minos of Crete, is the realm of the lustful, swept by relentless storms. The third circle, for gluttons, is presided over by the three-headed beast Cerberus, where sinners lie in filthy mud under a stinking rain. The fourth circle, for the greedy, features Pluto, the Roman god of wealth, in wolf form, with sinners perpetually pushing and fighting over heavy weights representing their earthly riches.
In the fifth circle, the wrathful fight and bite each other in the muddy waters of the river Styx. From the sixth circle downwards, which marks the lower Hell, reside those who committed malicious harm. These sinners suffer in various hot graves according to the severity of their sins. The seventh circle, dedicated to violence, features the Phlegethon river of boiling blood and fiery rain. The eighth circle, known as Malebolge, comprises ten ditches where different types of frauds receive their unique punishments. Finally, the ninth circle, the deepest and coldest part of Hell, is where Lucifer dwells, with traitors trapped in the icy lake of Cocytus, suffering eternal torment.
Dante’s depiction of Hell is so sophisticated and detailed that it remains a vital reference for portrayals of the infernal realm in literature, art, and film to this day. The conical geometry of Hell allows for the precise measurement of the imagined afterlife's dimensions. Dante's vision of Hell is designed based on the terrestrial site of Earth and its atmosphere, providing a realistic foundation for his imaginary world. This site-specific limitation is what enables Dante to craft his Hell with such precision.
Moreover, by setting this virtual world within the constraints of "Earth," Dante approached his design from an architectural perspective. Each of the three grand spatial programs—Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven—contains meticulously detailed spaces and connective pathways. The circular, conical design ensures a continuous, spiraling structure, creating seamless circulation and distinct functionality for each level of Hell. The gradual expansion of space as one descends symbolizes the infinite capacity to accommodate all future souls, reflecting an almost boundless spatial expansion.
Dante's adoption of conical geometry solves all potential spatial and functional issues that could arise in the afterlife. This design facilitates continuous connectivity, circulatory movement, and the hierarchical expansion of space. The integration of these cones into the three realms of the afterlife—Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven—exemplifies Dante's profound understanding of architecture and engineering. His detailed depiction of spiraling pathways, akin to the 20th-century masterpieces like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum in New York or Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel at Hudson Yards, highlights his visionary genius.
Dante’s Purgatory
Purgatory, as envisioned by Dante, is a place for souls who have not sinned enough to be condemned to Hell but are not yet pure enough to enter Heaven. It is here that they undergo purification to ultimately reach paradise. Like Hell, Dante's Purgatory is meticulously structured, utilizing a conical form but ascending as a towering mountain rather than descending.
Upon emerging from the deepest part of Hell and reaching the opposite side of the Earth, one finds the entrance to Purgatory.
This symbolic mountain is surrounded by seven terraces, each dedicated to purging a specific sin: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. Dante’s detailed schematic design is evident in Purgatory’s structure, mirroring his architectural approach to Hell. Each level represents a phase of spiritual cleansing, leading to a gradual ascent towards Heaven.
Dante ingeniously designed Purgatory to converge at a single point, enabling progression from one stage to the next. This geometric channel facilitates the journey from Hell to Purgatory and from Purgatory to Heaven. In this way, Dante encapsulates the entire religious process of the Christian world within his detailed and imaginative spatial framework, leading to the concept of a metaverse.
Dante's Heaven
In Dante's "Divine Comedy," Heaven is depicted with a more structured and schematic approach compared to Hell and Purgatory. Following the Ptolemaic system, which was the official cosmology of the Catholic Church at the time, Heaven consists of nine concentric spheres, each rotating at different speeds around the Earth. Unlike the conical structures of Hell and Purgatory, Heaven is depicted as a series of nested spheres, symbolizing fairness, democracy, and equality. This circular structure is reminiscent of King Arthur's Round Table, where all knights, including the king, had an equal voice. In Heaven, except for God, all souls are equal.
The conical shape of Purgatory transitions seamlessly into the circular expanse of Heaven. Souls who have been purified in Purgatory start again at the apex of the cone and enter Heaven's expanding circular realms. This design represents the infinite and eternal nature of Heaven, with the circular form symbolizing perfection and endlessness. The increasing size of the spheres also signifies boundless growth and eternal expansion.
Dante uses this geometric design to convey the ultimate destinations of the afterlife. The perfect geometric forms of the cone and circle represent the contrast between the eternal suffering of Hell and the infinite bliss of Heaven. The circular heavens provide a visual representation of the eternal and perfect nature of divine reward.
By crafting the afterlife as a detailed spatial organism composed of Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell, Dante created an interconnected and cyclical structure using geometry. This comprehensive vision allowed humanity to conceptualize the afterlife in visual and spatial terms for the first time. Dante's masterful plan of the afterlife not only shaped religious thought but also influenced how people imagined these spiritual realms as tangible spaces.
Dante's "Divine Comedy" marked a pivotal point in human history, providing a complete and systematic representation of the afterlife. This intricate design made it possible for people to think about Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell as interconnected spaces, laying the foundation for understanding these realms in a more profound and concrete way.
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