Traitors to their kindred

Nov 13, 2020, 12:06 PM

Traitors to kindred created by Laura Lair.

"I chose to depict the ‘Traitors to kindred’ segment of hell which is found in Circle 9, the Circle of Treachery, the deepest level of hell.

"It is described by Dante as a lake of ice that traps the traitors, betrayers and oathbreakers in the ice, beyond the light or warmth of the sun (the Son). Those who are traitors to their kindred are in the first round (ring) and have their heads and necks out of the ice. 

"In my imagining, the ice lake is in a giant ice cavern. The sounds of screams, shouts and moans from the trapped traitors can be heard in the distance through the wind that rages throughout the icy hellscape. There is a lot of different reverbs in my piece so the sounds of the voices and ice cracking reflect strangely like they do when bouncing off ice. You can also hear a disembodied voice that haunts the traitors throughout their days."

Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno