Dante's Inferno Blog Discussion - Post 1

PART A:
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love this book! One of the things that stood out to me right from the get-go was the integration of various different faiths into a single storyline. In the first Canto, References are made to religious figures from both the Jewish and Christian traditions (Rachel and Beatrice, respectively), and place them within the same context and zone: a Judeo-Christian heaven. Furthermore, Dante finds himself standing on the shores of a river which marks the passage to the afterlife, where the figure Charon pilots a craft across to transport him and his guide Virgil to the outer ring of hell. Charon, his occupation, and the river itself are all borrowed from ancient Greek religion, and are interwoven into this story with a Judeo-Christian backstory. I find this extremely interesting and ironic. Furthermore, in response to the realm of Limbo, I find it interesting that Virgil admits to only seeing souls delivered from this realm of in-between on a single occasion. He states:

"I was new-entered on this state/ when I beheld a Great Lord enter here;/ the crown he wore, a sign of victory./ He carried off the shade of our first father, of his son Abel, and the shade of Noah,/ of Moses, the obedient legislator,/ of father Abraham, David the king,/ of Israel, his father, and his sons,/ and Rachel, she for whom he worked so long,/ and many others- and He made them blessed;"

Presumably, this "Great Lord" is meant to be taken as Jesus, who pulls the souls of many Jewish holy people out of the realm of people who "did not worship God in fitting ways." I think it interesting that not only is there a Heaven and a Hell, but there is also an in-between world of saddness and silence.

PART B:
Finally, I would like to pose a question for the rest of the group. I may have missed something, but what had caused Dante to begin this journey in the first place? I thought it said that he had simply been walking and he had gotten lost, is that a correct reading?

Also, I would like to pose the question, "What is Dante's original faith?" It seems to me that he was most likely Christian, but he seems to have extensive literary and mythological knowledge of many greek myths as well. The Inferno references numerous creatures from greek mythology such as minotaurs, gorgons, harpies, and other such creatures. Do you guys find it odd combining ancient Greek and Judeo-Christian references? I find it to be a relativly seamless integration.