Sicalay and Sicavay - Central Visayas creation myth

 (Image from XiaoChua.Net)

The story of Sicalac and Sicavay is a central Visayan myth explaining the origin of the first man. The following story is taken from the book, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1503, Vol. V., 1582-1583, edited by Emma Helen Blair. It is an account of various Spanish explorers on the geography of the Philippines and the various mythological stories they encountered. Sicalac and Sicavay is a story among the Pintados, who are described as fair-skinned people whose males decorate their whole body with tattoos. These lived in the islands of central Visayas (Cebu, Bohol, Leyte).

The story also explains the origin of the islands Cebu and Samar, the origin of concubinage, and the origin of stealing.

The people of the coast, who are called the Yligueynes [Hiligaynons, or the Ilonggos], believe that heaven and earth had no beginning, and that there were two gods, one called Captan and the other Maguayen. They believe that the land breeze and the sea breeze were married; and that the land breeze brought forth a reed, which was planted by the god Captan. When the reed grew, it broke into two sections, which became a man and a woman. To the man they gave the name of Sicalac, and that is the reason why men from that time on have been called lalac [lalaki, man]; the woman they called Sicavay, and thenceforth women have been called babayes [babae, woman]. 

One day the man asked the woman to marry him, for there were no other people in the world; but she refused, saying that they were brother and sister, born of the same reed, with only one knot between them; and that she would not marry him, since he was her brother. Finally they agreed to ask advice from the tunnies [tuna fishes] of the sea, and from the doves of the air; they also went to the earthquake, who said that it was necessary for them to marry, so that the world might be peopled. They married, and called their first son Sibo [Cebu]; then a daughter was born to them, and they gave her the name of Samar. This brother and sister also had a daughter, called Lupluban. She married Pandaguan, a son of the first pair, and had a son called Anoranor. 

Pandaguan was the first to invent a net for fishing at sea; and, the first time when he used it, he caught a shark and brought it on shore, thinking that it would not die. But the shark died when brought ashore; and Pandaguan, when he saw this, began to mourn and weep over it—complaining against the gods for having allowed the shark to die, when no one had died before that time. It is said that the god Captan, on hearing this, sent the flies to ascertain who the dead one was; but, as the flies did not dare to go, Captan sent the weevil, who brought back the news of the shark’s death. The god Captan was displeased at these obsequies to a fish. He and Maguayen made a thunderbolt, with which they killed Pandaguan; he remained thirty days in the infernal regions, at the end of which time the gods took pity upon him, brought him back to life, and returned him to the world. 

While Pandaguan was dead, his wife Lubluban became the concubine of a man called Maracoyrun; and these people say that at that time concubinage began in the world. When Pandaguan returned, he did not find his wife at home, because she had been invited by her friend to feast upon a pig that he had stolen; and the natives say that this was the first theft committed in the world. Pandaguan sent his son for Lubluban, but she refused to go home, saying that the dead do not return to the world. At this answer Pandaguan became angry, and returned to the infernal regions. The people believe that, if his wife had obeyed his summons, and he had not gone back at that time, all the dead would return to life. 

Methods of Second Language Learning/Acquisition

The Teacher and the Samurai

 

 

Recommended reading for future educators and samurai warriors.

Samurai master Miyamoto Musashi (in The Book of the Five Rings, 1644) once compared the samurai warrior to that of a carpenter: they use a variety of tools. Just as a carpenter uses different tools for different jobs, a teacher should have a variety of methods and techniques at his disposal.

A teacher must not spurn any technique just because these are “traditional” or “old-fashioned”. Nor should he or she be on the constant chase for the “new” or ‘innovative” just for the sake of being new or innovative. Writing about favoring a particular of weapon, Musashi says,

From olden times it has been said: “Great and small go together”. So do not unconditionally dislike extra-long swords. What I dislike is the inclination towards the long sword.

--Musashi is talking about martial arts schools that favor the use of “extra-long swords” (called the tachi) while spurning the use of the normal “long sword” (called the katana). Their reason is that a “one inch gives one handbreadth’s advantage”. But Musashi says of this attitude, “these are idle words of one who does not know strategy”.

The same thing about teachers. A teacher who is too dependent on a single technique is does not really know how to teach.

First, let us define “teaching strategy”, “teaching method”, and “teaching technique”. Here, I use the term teaching strategy to mean the way or plan that a teacher devises in order to teach a lesson. A teaching method is a set of techniques that center on certain principles. Lastly, teaching techniques are individual activities to teach a lesson.

Here, we will outline of three teaching methods and the historical background of each: the Grammar-Translation Method, the Audio-Lingual Method, and the Communicative Approaches.

(Photo from Mentalfloss.Com)

The Grammar-Translation Method was devised to study the “classical languages”: Greek and Latin. It emphasizes the learning of vocabulary and grammar in the second/foreign language. The goal is to be able to read and write in the target language. In use for many centuries, this has been called the “Classical Method”. We could say that is “the oldest trick in the book”. But it does not mean that we should reject it just because it is “traditional”. Some of the techniques are still in use today—such as vocabulary lists, grammar rules, and composition writing—testament to this method’s durability.

Since this method is focused on reading and writing, it does not equip a person for listening and speaking. Thus, a student may be able to explain the grammar rules of a language but unable to hold even a simple conversation. This leads us to the next teaching method.

 (Photo from ICCS.Edu.Ph)

The Audio-Lingual Method was devised for students to learn quickly how to speak in the target language.  It was developed in the United States during World War II, when it was important for diplomats and military officers going abroad to be able to learn how to speak foreign languages quickly. The method emphasizes repetition and drill, mimicry and memorization (“mim-mem”). Because of constant drilling, students learn how to answer automatically routine questions. But here lies its greatest weakness: a person gets too dependent on memorized scripts but once the conversation departs from the script, they can no longer cope. Hence, another method—which is actually a set of methods—was developed.

(Photo from Alphadex.Ro)

The Communicative Approaches refers to sets of techniques designed for students to be able to use the target language in communicative situations. It was created as a response to the artificiality of the Audio-Lingual and the Grammar Translation methods. The emphasis is on fluency, not accuracy—that is, a student may lapse into some errors in grammar but as long as he or she is understood, it is all right. This is the method currently in favor with educators today. The techniques under this method, like language games, role-playing, the use of comics, etc., promise to make language learning more exciting for the students.

(Watch out for techniques under each method in future posts here in Instructional Minutes.) 

Play Review – Der Kaufmann (Instructional Minutes edition)

“Der Kaufmann” is Tanghalang Pilipino’s third offering for their 27^th theater season, after the children’s musical “SandosenangSapatos” and the epic musical “Ibalong”. “Der Kaufmann” is an adaptation of “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare based on the Tagalog translation “Ang Negosyante ng Venecia” by National Artist Rolando Tinio and set in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.

Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” is mind-blowing in itself; but to have it translated in Tagalog? When I shared this experience to my friends, they were incredulous:  How can one translate the famous speeches in the play, like Shylock’s “Hath not a Jew eyes?” (Act 3, Scene 1) and Portia’s “The quality of mercy” (Act 3, Scene 5)? Furthermore, “Merchant” deals with themes of anti-Semitism and homophobia, and ends with legalistic maneuvering in a courtroom. Shakespeare’s play itself is tough going already, but “Der Kaufmann” dares to add the additional layers of rendering it in Tagalog and setting it in a Nazi concentration camp.

In preparing to watch and to review this play, I read a lot—perhaps the most that I had to do with any of the plays I’ve reviewed so far. I downloaded Shakespeare’s original play (courtesy of ManyBooks.Net and downloadable here) and read books on Judaism, anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust (HaShoah in Hebrew).

Summary

The play is a “play within a play” where the Jews who were forced into a concentration camp were forced by the Nazis to stage Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice". The play culminates when the Jews, the homosexuals, and the Gypsies were gassed to death.

Antonio, a merchant of Venice, is approached by his friend Bassanio, for a loan. Bassanio needs money to fund an expedition to Belmont in order to vie for the hand of the wealthy heiress, Portia. Antonio does not have the money with him at the moment but promises to borrow the money for him—3,000 ducats—from the Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Bassanio refuses for Antonio to enter such a deal but Antonio assures him that he will be able to pay the loan when his merchant ships arrive.

Shylock initially refuses to lend Antonio the amount because Antonio has repeated insulted him and his people. He finally agrees to lend the amount with no interest, provided that Antonio pays his loan in three months. If he defaults his loan, the penalty is that Shylock gets to remove “a pound of flesh” from Antonio. Meanwhile, Launcelot, Shylock’s servant decides to leave his Jewish master to work instead for Bassanio. Also, Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, decides to elope with Bassanio’s friend Lorenzo; taking with her a substantial amount of her father’s wealth. Bassanio and Gratiano, his uncouth friend, leave for Belmont to win Portia’s hand.

At Belmont, Portia and her maidservant Nerissa receive the prince of Morocco, who is also vying for her hand. But Portia’s late father left a test for his daughter’s suitors. He left behind three chests—one made of gold, the other silver, and the other lead—and whoever chooses that one with Portia’s picture will marry her. The Prince chooses the gold one reasoning that he is worthy to get what everyone wants, but gets a skull instead. Meanwhile in Venice, Shylock is distraught to discover that his daughter he run away but rejoices with the news that Antonio’s ships have been destroyed by a storm at sea. In Belmont, the next suitor is the prince of Aragon, who chooses the silver one, reasoning that he is worthy to get what he deserves. Instead, he gets the picture of a buffoon. 

Bassanio arrives in Belmont and he and Portia fall in love. Portia tries to delay the test but Bassanio insists on choosing a chest immediately. He correctly chooses the lead one, for he is ready to risk all that he has for Portia. Nerissa and Gratiano also fall in love, so a double wedding was scheduled. Portia gives a ring to Bassanio with a promise that he will never lose the ring. The celebrations were cut short with the news of the destruction of Antonio’s ships and the default of this loan. Bassanio and Gratiano return to Venice to Antonio’s aid. Portia and Nerissa follow incognito.

Antonio’s trial is presided over by the Duke of Venice. He has engaged the services of a doctor of law, which is actually Portia in disguise. Nerissa is disguised as Portia’s secretary. Bassanio offers to pay double the amount. Portia pleads for Shylock to show mercy upon Antonio, but the Jew insists on getting his due. Portia finds that the contract of Antonio and Shylock is legally binding and instructs him to get a pound of Antonio’s flesh. However, Shylock must not shed any blood and must get exactly one pound of flesh. Trapped in a bind, Shylock was found guilty of “conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen”. As punishment, he is forced to convert to Christianity and his property is confiscated—half of which will go to the State and the other half to his daughter Jessica.

Grateful to the doctor of law, Antonio offers to pay him the six thousand ducats. Portia refuses, but she asks for Antonio’s ring instead. Nerissa in disguise also asks Gratiano for his ring.

Back in Belmont, Portia and Nerissa ask their husbands for their rings. The husbands could not produce the rings, claiming that they gave them to men. The women accuse the men of lying and infidelity. In the end, Portia and Nerissa produced the rings, revealing that they were in fact the doctor of law and the clerk, respectively. Both men were reconciled with their husbands and they celebrate their good fortune.

Technical Notes: Stage, Lights, Sounds

The play was staged at the Bulwagang Huseng Batute, the “studio theater”. The stage is arranged in an inverted “V” shape. There is an upper level which where scenes in Belmont were usually played. The lower level is composed of sliding frames with “cyclone wire” which represents cages. There is a square open area at the center where most of the action happens. In the middle of the play, during the wedding or Portia and Bassiano, Bassiano and his friends were revealed to be Nazis. They strapped the Nazi insignia on their left arms. To complete the effect, the red banner emblazoned with that hateful symbol, the swastika, was hoisted up from the sides. Portia and the rest give the one-armed Nazi salute. (It has been said that Hitler got the idea from Mussolini.) The transformation has been completed: The set is now a concentration camp.

Huseng Batute is a smallish venue so the cast did not need to use microphones. Also, only recorded music was used. There was only one musical number: a comical piece by Launcelot announcing his intend to depart from his Jewish master.

 The set gave me the creeps.

The sounds are the work of TJ Ramos and the lights were by John Batalla (who also did “Sandosenang Sapatos” and “Ibalong”) .

Acting

(Photo courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino)

Regina de Vera gave an excellent performance as the wealthy heiress of Belmont. Previously she played the sweet older sister in “Sandosenang Sapatos” (albeit a static character). But in “Kaufmann” Regina was perfect in her haughty, upturned-nosed portrayal of Portia. One by one she deprecated her suitors, but melted like wax at the sight of Bassanio. She was also able to portray Portia’s alter-ego, the doctor of law, as a legal eagle, trapping Shylock in a web of legal technicalities. Overall, Regina gave a strong performance portraying a strong woman. There is no question “Kaufmann” is Regina’s play. Kudos, Miss de Vera!

(Photo courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino)

The play guest-stars comedian par excellance Mr. Lou Veloso, who played Gobo, the bumbling father of Launcelot, Shylock’s friend Tubal, and the Duke of Venice. As he was presiding over the trial of Antonio, high upon the upper level and dressed in a Nazi uniform, Lou Veloso looked every inch the Füehrer. Great work, sir!

Too bad “Kaufmann” was not a musical so we were not regaled with the rich baritone of Jonathan “Tad” Tadionan (the father in “Sandosena” and Aswang in “Ibalong”), but he ably played the role of Shylock, complete with a grimace on his face and a limp in his gait. Tad is a good actor but infinitely better as a singer.

(Photo courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino)

One of the surprises of the play is that Shylock is played not by one but three actors. Miss Racquel Pareño displayed great acting cred by portraying Shylock the mother. Her scenes were especially memorable: the “Hath not the Jew eyes?” speech and the scene where she was schizophrenically distressed over Jessica’s elopement while rejoicing over the loss of Antonio’s ships. Another memorable scene is when she rushed over to the fallen Shylock the father during the trial and delivered some of Shylock’s lines.

I also found it too bad that my favorite child stage actress, Trixie Esteban, only had a few lines in the play. She played Shylock the daughter, who delivered the final lines assigned to Shylock in the play. While we were not treated to her sweet singing voice, her clear, innocent voice seems to hang in the air as she delivered her lament.

The comedic foils were also very effective in the play (“Merchant” is a comedy, after all): Kristofer Kliatchko as the Prince of Morocco, and Aldo Vencilao as Launcelot and the Prince of Aragon.

Antonio and Bassanio. (Photo courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino)

Hands down the most controversial roles went to Marco Viaña as Antonio and Ricardo Magno as Bassanio, friends and lovers in the play.

Theological Reflections

Anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is hatred towards the Jewish people (who descended from Shem, son of Noah). The Jews here were not depicted as “Christ-killers” but as usurious moneylenders. The Catholic Church used to forbid its members from engaging in moneylending. But the Jews follow Deuteronomy 28:20-21:

Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother: interest of money, interest of victuals [food], interest of any thing that is lent upon interest. Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it. (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)

--which means Jews may lend money without interest to fellow Jews (“thy brother”) but may charge interest to non-Jews, i.e., “foreigners”. Hence that there is a conspiracy theory that Jews are “international bankers” and that they control the international banks, the press, etc.

In my observation, Jews are perceived in this country either as fairies or Christ-killers. A lot of Filipinos thought that Jews only existed in the Bible. A lot of people I talked to were surprised when I told them that there is actually a Jewish synagogue in Makati. (A Jewish doctor I talked to related a story of a nun who told him, “I’ve never met a Jew before!” He then pointed to Jesus on a Cross and said, “He’s Jewish.”)

But the more sinister perception is that Filipinos (and a lot of other misinformed people) think that the Jews are Christ-killers. One member from one of my former church assignments described the ugly features of “Jews” who are whipping Jesus in a tableau that Catholics parade around during Holy Week. I would like to point out that while Jesus was indeed condemned by Jewish religious leaders (the Sanhedrin), the execution was authorized by a Roman governor and carried out by Roman soldiers!  If one asks who is guilty of killing Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) are guilty! But it doesn’t matter: Jesus died for the forgiven of everyone’s sins, Jew or Gentile (Romans 1:16)!

Let me highlight a little-known chapter in Philippine history. In the story, Shylock is forced to convert to Christianity. For centuries European Jews had been forced to convert to Christianity but they still secretly observed Jewish religious customs. One little-known part of Philippine history is that these so-called nuevos cristianos (‘New Christians’) or Marranos (secret Jews) fled here to the Philippines to be able to escape persecution from in Spain and to be able to practice their religion freely. In World War II, President Manuel L. Quezon granted sanctuary to the Jews escaping the Holocaust in Europe. After the War, most of these Jews immigrated to the US or made aliyah to Israel. The remaining Jews compose the Jewish community in the Philippines. Most of us Filipinos are unaware that the Philippines was responsible for saving the lives about 1,200 Jews from the horrors of the Holocaust!

Homosexuality and homophobia. One of the questions posed by the audience is the homosexual relationship of Antonio and Bassanio (“My Husband’s Lover,” as many in the audience commented, referring to a local television program where a husband has an affair with another man.) According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, the homosexual angle between Antonio and Bassanio has been long a topic of scholarly debate. The play also pointed out that the Nazis not only committed genocide against the Jews but they also mass murdered homosexuals.

The issue on homosexuality is currently a hot issue of debate even within religious circles. I don’t wish to write at length on this topic now. Suffice it to say that I wholeheartedly subscribe to the official position of my denomination, The United Methodist Church as stated in the Social Principles:

Homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth. All persons need the ministry and guidance of the church in their struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self. The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God's grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in Christian community. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.

As people of “sacred worth” “no less than heterosexual people”, homophobia has no place in the Church. However, the Church is currently against the ordination of “self-avowed” homosexuals and forbids its pastors to conduct same-sex marriages and the use of our churches for such ceremonies. I do not see the end of the homosexuality debate anywhere in sight. Suffice it for me to say for now that I believe that the Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin; and that such people, just like all of us common sinners, need the ministry of the Church. Jesus died on the Cross for them as much as he died for us “ordinary” sinners.

Excursus: Feminism. Perhaps what is not much discussed is the portrayal of Portia as a powerful woman. She is shown as a woman in charge; even if the choice for her husband is left to a game of chance. When the news of Antonio’s trouble reached Belmont, it was Portia who give Antonio the money—double of the amount owed—to Bassanio. Then, disguised as a man, she managed to outmaneuver Shylock in an example of courtroom cunning—the sort of judicial jujitsu that would make any defense lawyer proud. I have always wondered: How did Portia become so well versed in law?

For me, the play would have ended at the trial of Antonio where Shylock was defeated. I’m wondering why it had to end with the Portia tricking her husband. Bassanio, grateful for the help of the doctor of law but Portia instead asks for his ring. Likewise, Nerissa, disguised as the doctor of law’s secretary, asks for his husband Gratiano’s ring. In Belmont, Portia and Nerissa confronted their husbands for losing their rings and accuse them of lying and infidelity, only to reveal that the rings were in their possession all along? Is it just female nature to always put men to the test?

Conclusion

With the successful staging of "The Merchant of Venice",  I hope that Tanghalang Pilipino would be able to present other Shakespearean plays in future, like Hamlet ("To be or not to be, that is the question..."), the story of a prince who pretended to be insane to avoid being punishment for the alleged murder of his own father; and Othello, which is about a black Moorish prince who married a white Italian woman. Hopefully, these will be translated in Tagalog and placed in contemporary settings (Did I hear "Obama" instead of "Othello"?) in order to make these great works accessible to the people.

The Divina Comedia - Paradiso

 

The third and final part of the Divina Comedia is Paradiso or ‘Paradise’. Dante has traveled down the nine Circles of Hell and up the seven Terraces of Mount Purgatory. His guide thus far was Virgil, who symbolizes human philosophy. On the summit of Mount Purgatory Date finally meets Beatrice, who symbolizes Christian theology, who is his guide through Parasadise.  Paradiso is an allegory of the Christian soul’s ascent to God.

Dante and Beatrice emerge from the Earthly Paradise on top of Mount Purgatory at noon on the Wednesday of the Easter Octave, Dante having spent three days ascending its seven Terraces. Paradise is composed of nine Spheres plus the Empyrean, the dwelling-place of God Himself. Each Sphere is represents the four Cardinal Virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude and the three Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. The planets and other celestial bodies presented here reflect the geocentric (Earth-centered) view proposed by Ptolemy which was accepted during that time. (Our present model of the Solar System is called the Heliocentric or Sun-centered view which was proposed by Nicolas Copernicus and supported by Galileo Galilei.)

PARADISO

Introduction

Dante and Beatrice emerge from the Earthly Paradise on the summit of Mount Purgatory. It is noon of the Wednesday of Easter Week. They pass through the sphere of fire in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Dante converses with several blessed souls, which Dante was careful to state actually dwell in the Empyrean, the dwelling-place of God.

The Spheres of Heaven

Paradise is composed of nine Spheres, which in turn is grouped into two: the first three Spheres fall within the shadow of the Earth, which represent the deficient forms of Fortitude, Justice, and Temperance. The next four Spheres represent positive examples of Prudence, Fortitude, Justice, and Temperance. Faith, Hope, and Love exist on the eighth Sphere.

(Image from Wikipedia)

First Sphere (The Inconstant). Dante and Beatrice first visit the Moon, whose changing phases represent Inconstancy, the deficient form of Fortitude. The Moon represents those who have abandoned their vows. Dante met the sister of his friend Forese Donati, Piccarda, who was forcibly removed from her convent. Also there Constance of Sicily, who was also forcibly removed from her convent to marry Henry VI.

Beatrice explains to Dante the nature of Free Will: When a person makes a vow to God, that person freely surrenders his will to God. Thus, a vow to God should never be treated lightly. The only exception is that if a vow would lead a person to do evil, like Jephthah (Judges 10:29-40) and Agamemnon (in the Iliad) whose vows made them sacrifice their own daughters.
  

The changing phases of the Moon, representing the Inconstant. (Image from PlanetsForKids.Org)
 

Image from 7art-Screensavers.com

Second Sphere (The Ambitious). Dante and Beatrice proceed to Mercury. Because of its closeness to the Sun, it is often difficult to see. Thus, it represents Ambition, the deficient form of Justice. Mercury represents  those who do good out of a desire for fame. Dante meets the Roman emperor Justinian, who introduces himself as “I am Justinian, who was Caesar”, indicating that his earthly status no longer exists in Heaven. He talks with Dante with the current affairs of Italy and its affairs with France. Beatrice discusses the Birth and the Crucifixion of Christ, which occurred during the time of the Roman Empire.

Third Sphere (The Lovers). Venus, the Morning and Evening Star, has been traditionally associated with Love. Venus represents the Lovers, who are deficient in the virtue of Temperance. Dante meets Folquet Marseilles, a French troubadour, who points out that the cone of the Earth’s shadow which just touches Venus (as it is believed at that time). He speaks on the temptations of love, and condemns the city of Florence, which he says was planted by Satan himself. Florence mints a coin called the florin, which he calls “the damned flower” (the coin contains the image of a lily), which is the source of corruption in the Church. Instead of focusing on Scripture and the writings of the Early Church Fathers, the clergy became busy focusing on money.

(Image from NASA,gov)

Fourth Sphere (The Wise). Beyond the shadow of the Earth is the Sun, where the Wise dwell as examples of the virtue of Prudence. Just as the Sun gives light to the Earth, the Wise illuminate the world with their knowledge. Dante and Beatrice were surrounded by a circle of twelve bright lights, which are the souls wise men, including: Thomas Aquinas, the official theologian of the Roman Catholic Church; his teacher, Albert the Great; King Solomon, known in the Bible for his wisdom; Dionysus the Areopagite; and the saints Isidore of Seville and Bede the Venerable.

St. Thomas Aquinas recounts the life of St. Francis of Assisi and his love for “Lady Poverty”. Then twelve new bright lights appear. Among them is St. Bonaventure, a Franciscan, recounts the life of St. Dominic, founder of the Dominicans (the Order of Preachers). The Franciscans and the Dominicans have not always been friendly on Earth, but having representatives of each order praising the founder of the other shows that love exists in Heaven. The twenty-four bright lights now surround Dante and Beatrice. Finally, Aquinas explains that King Solomon has been included among the wise not because of his mathematical or philosophical wisdom, but for his kingly wisdom that enabled him to rule wisely.

 St. Dominic (left), the founder of the Dominicans; and St. Francis of Assisi (right), founder of the Franciscans.

(Image for Telegraph..co.uk)

Fifth Sphere (The Warriors of Faith). The red planet of Mars has been traditionally associated with war. Thus Mars is the home of the Warriors of Faith, which represent the virtue of Fortitude. The souls there appear as a million sparks of light that form a Greek Cross, which Dante compares to the stars of the Milky Way.

There Dante meets his ancestor Cacciaguida, who fought in the Second Crusade. He praises the Republic of Florence in the 12^th century and deplores the city’s decline at the present (the 14^th century). He “predicts” Dante’s exile and charges him to write about all the things he saw in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. Finally, Dante also sees other warriors of faith including Joshua (who led the Israelites into the Promised Land), Judas Maccabeus (a Jewish priest who fought against the Greeks), Charlemagne, and the French hero Roland.

(Image from NASA.gov)

Sixth Sphere (The Just Rulers). The giant planet Jupiter has been traditionally associated with the king of the gods, so Dante makes this the home of the Just Rulers, who display the virtue of Justice. The souls here spell out the Latin phrase

DILIGITE IUSTITIAM QUI IUDACATIS TERRAM

…which means, ‘Love justice, you rulers of the Earth’. Then final “M” is transformed into the shape of the giant Roman imperial eagle.

An Roman Imperial Eagle, borne by a Roman soldier called an aquilifier. (Image from Caerleon.Net)

Those who dwell here include King David and King Hezekiah of the Bible; Trajan (who was converted to Christianity according to a medieval legend); Emperor Constantine and (to Dante’s surprise), Ripheus, a pagan Trojan, who was saved by the mercy of God. The souls forming the imperial eagle declare in one voice the justice of God.

(Image from EnvironmentalGrafitti.Com)

Seventh Sphere (The Contemplatives). The planet Saturn is the home of the Contemplatives, those who devoted their lives in prayer and meditation, and are examples of the virtue of Temperance. Dante speaks with Peter Damien, a monk, who discusses monasticism, predestination, and the sad state of the Church at that time. Meanwhile Beatrice, who represents theology, becomes increasingly lovelier here, because of the contemplatives closer insight into the truth of God.

(Image from News.Discovery.com)

Eighth Sphere (Faith, Hope, and Love). The Eighth Sphere is composed of the fixed stars (the constellations), which represents the Church Triumphant. From the constellation Gemini (under which Dante is born), he looks back at the seven Spheres which he has visited, and to Earth.

Here, Dante sees the Virgin Mary and the other saints. He is test by St. Peter on faith: he asks Dante how he knows that the Bible is true. Dante answers that the miracle of the Church’s growth is proof of the veracity of the Bible. St. James tests Dante on hope and Beatrice vouches that Dante does indeed have hope. Finally, St. John tests Dante on love: Dante refers back to the twisted concepts of love in Purgatorio. Then St. Peter denounces the current Pope, Boniface VIII, in very strong terms and states that in his eye, the Papal See is vacant.

(Image from BroGilbert.Org)

Ninth Sphere (The Angels). The ninth Sphere is the Primum Mobile, the ‘First Mover’ and the last sphere of the physical universe. It is moved directly by God, which in turn causes all the other Spheres to move. It is the home of the Angels, with God as an intense point of light surrounded by nine angels. Beatrice explains the Creation of the universe and the role of the angels. She ends by denouncing the preachers of that time, who preach “idle stories” with “jests and jeers” instead of the truth.

The Empyrean: the Abode of God.

Dante ascends above the Primum Mobile and into the Empyrean, which is non-material. Beatrice becomes more beautiful than ever, and Dante is enveloped in light, enabling him to see God himself.

 Beatrice with Dante in contemplation of God. (Image from WorldOfDante.Org)

Dante sees a great Rose, symbol of divine love. The souls of the faithful, from both the Old and New Testament, live on the petals of this rose. Beatrice and all the souls that Dante has met all live in this rose. The angels move about like bees, distributing peace and love. Beatrice returns to her place in the rose, signifying that theology has ended and now Dante is in the presence of God himself. St. Bernard, a mystical monk, guides Dante further in contemplation of God.

Dante describes God as three equally large circles that occupy the same space, representing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He also discerns within the three circles the human form of Christ. But he cannot fully understand how the circles fit together or how the humanity of Christ fits with his divinity. Then in a "flash of understanding", Dante finally understands this though he cannot fully express it words. And his soul “becomes aligned with God’s love”.

The Divine Comedy ends with these lines:

“But already my desire and my will
were being turned like a wheel, all at one speed,
by the Love which moves the sun and the other stars."