

“O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? And shall I couple Hell?” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Introduction:

It's Heaven and Hell theme week here on PureMTGO. I've got a Commander deck for you that combines many elements of Judeo-Christian concepts of the afterlife, including the 7 deadly sins/heavenly virtues and extensively referencing Dante's Divine Comedy. Kaalia of the Vast plays the part of Virgil/Beatrice!

DISCLAIMER: This is a famous work. I have read it twice. I am not religious. I am not condoning or aligning myself with anything in the analysis or subject of Dante's Divine Comedy. I mean no disrespect to anyone and value everyone's opinions and choices. Please do not be offended if Jesus or God is mentioned in the discussion of this famous work as it is translated over to a commander deck.

Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious, cosmological or transcendent place from which heavenly beings (such as a God, angels, the jinn, and sky deities like King or Queen of Heaven, Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother, Son of Heaven, heavenly saints or venerated ancestors) originate, are enthroned or inhabit. It is commonly believed that heavenly beings can descend to earth or incarnate and that earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter Heaven alive. That's right, jinn, or djinns, live there.

Heaven is often described as a "higher place", the holiest place, a Paradise, in contrast to Hell or the Underworld or the "low places", and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety, faith, or other virtues or right beliefs or simply the Will of God. Some believe in the possibility of a Heaven on Earth in a World to Come. Another belief is in an Axis mundi or World tree which connects the heavens, the world, and the underworld. In Indian religions, Heaven is considered as Svarga loka, and soul is again subjected to rebirth in different living forms according to its karma. This cycle can be broken after a soul achieves Moksha or Nirvana.

In many mythological, folklore and religious traditions, hell is a place of eternal torment in an afterlife, often after resurrection. It is viewed by most Abrahamic traditions as a place of punishment. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations. Typically these traditions locate hell in another dimension or under the Earth's external surface and often include entrances to Hell from the land of the living. Other afterlife destinations include Heaven, Purgatory, Paradise, and Limbo.

Other traditions, which do not conceive of the afterlife as a place of punishment or reward, merely describe hell as an abode of the dead, a neutral place located under the surface of Earth (for example, see sheol and Hades). Modern understandings of hells often depict them abstractly, as a state of loss rather than as fiery torture literally underground, but this view of the concept of a hell can, in fact, be traced back into the ancient and medieval periods as well. Hell is sometimes portrayed as populated with demons that torment those dwelling there. Many are ruled by a death god such as Nergal, Hades, Hel, Enma or the Devil.

7: Deadly Sins + Heavenly Virtues

Chastity & Lust: Chastity, at its core, is purity and abstaining from temptation. Lust does not only have to be sexual, but extreme lusting over anything (such as Lust for War). However, this chick who looks like Marvel Comics' Elektra, looks like she enjoying that weird wall of fleshy blood a lil' too much. Thanks for creeping us out, as always, Anson Maddocks. Temperance & Gluttony: Temperance is very easily translated into Justice. Gluttony is very easily translated into over-indulgence. Charity & Greed: Charity is both benevolence and sacrifice, which makes Benevolent Bodyguard the absolute perfect choice. Greed couldn't be more appropriate. Diligence & Sloth: Diligence is great Effort. Sloth is Sluggishness. Patience & Wrath: Patience is Mercy. Wrath of God is a perfect representation of Wrath. Kindness & Envy: Kindness can be translated into Loyalty. Envy: the hardest sin to find a Magic representation of. I wanted to choose Covetous Dragon, because being Covetous is very close to the sin of envy, which should not be translated directly to jealously. Upon much research, Envy can be conveyed as an extreme craving to have something or be someone, thus the card choice. Humility & Pride: While there is a Humility in Magic, it does not fit in this deck in order to be useful. Reverence is a form of Humility. Divinity of Pride serves as our sin of Pride. It's an awesome card because in Commander you start out at 40 life, but the Spirit Avatar is not as cheesified as Serra Ascendant.

Dante's Divine Inspiration

The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321.It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature. The poem's imaginative and allegorical vision of the afterlife is a culmination of the medieval world-view as it had developed in the Western Church. It helped establish the Tuscan dialect, in which it is written, as the standardized Italian language. It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise).

Virgil is Dante's guide through the three aspects of the afterlife. Virgil knows his way around angels, demons and so on. I know it's a stretch, but Kaalia of the Vast obviously knows her way around demons and angels.

Inferno:

Before entering Hell completely, Dante and his guide see the Uncommitted, souls of people who in life did nothing, neither for good nor evil: represented by Pacifism, I recommend 7th edition for aesthetic purposes.



These souls are neither in Hell nor out of it, but reside on the shores of the Acheron, their punishment to eternally pursue a banner (i.e. self-interest) while pursued by wasps and hornets that continually sting them as maggots and other such insects drink their blood and tears. This symbolizes the sting of their conscience and the repugnance of sin. Cards represented here:Banewasp Affliction, Sin Collector.

9 Circles of Hell:

Limbo: In Limbo reside the unbaptized and the virtuous pagans. Without baptism, they lacked the hope for something greater than rational minds can conceive. Limbo includes green fields and a castle with seven gates to represent the seven virtues. Represented here by Vivid Meadow --- originally thought to represent this by Field of Souls and Castle, but these two cards aren't very practical considering all the other slots we've filled with under-used cards. Lust: For letting their appetites sway their reason, these souls are the first ones to be truly punished in Hell -- blown back and forth by the terrible winds of a violent storm, without rest. This symbolizes the power of lust to blow one about needlessly and aimlessly. Winds of Rath. Gluttony: The "great worm" Underworld Cerberus guards the gluttons. Greed: Two groups, those who hoarded and those who squandered, joust using as weapons great dead weights which they push with their chests. Anger: In the swamplike river Styx, the wrathful fight each other on the surface, and the sullen lie gurgling beneath the water, withdrawn "into a black sulkiness which can find no joy in God or man or the universe." Drown in Sorrow. Heresy: Umm, ya know heretics. Viashino Heretic. Violence: The seventh circle houses the violent. Its entry is guarded by the Minotaur, and it is divided into three rings:

Outer ring: This ring houses the violent against people and property Smash to Smithereens. Sinners are immersed in Phlegethon, a river of boiling blood and fire.

Middle ring: In this ring are suicides and profligates. The suicides – the violent against self – are transformed into gnarled thorny bushes and trees and then fed upon by Harpies. Abhorrent Overlord.

Inner ring: Here are the violent against God (blasphemers) and the violent against nature (sodomites and, as explained in the sixth circle, usurers). All reside in a Desert of flaming sand with fiery flakes raining from the sky, a fate similar to Sodom and Gomorrah. Oh man. Ok. This circle has like 10 sub-circles. This one is all about fraudulent. They all have terrible things happen to them: Here are some of Dante's Fraudulent: Panderers, Seducers, Flatterers, Sorcerors, Astrologers, False Prophets, Corrupt Politicians, Hypocrites, Thieves, Fraudulent Advisors, Evil Counsellors, Sowers of Discord, Alchemists, Counterfeiters, Perjurers, and Imposters. Conspiracy. Circle 9 is all sorts of crazy train, with "rounds" named after tons of betrayers, like Brutus, Ptolemy, Judas, etc. I'll just sort of take a moment here to pop in some misc devils and demons, and Chains of Mephistopheles ; Mephistopheles a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend, and he has since appeared in other works as a stock character version of the Devil. Also, Circle 9 is ringed with Giants: so what the heck: Inferno Titan

The last two circles of Hell punish sins that involve conscious fraud or treachery. These circles can be reached only by descending a vast cliff, which Dante and Virgil do on the back of Geryon, a winged monster traditionally represented as having three heads or three conjoined bodies. However, Dante describes Geryon as having three mixed natures: human, bestial, and reptilian. Dante's Geryon is an image of fraud, having the face of an honest man on the body of a beautifully colored wyvern, with the furry paws of a lion and a poisonous sting in the pointy scorpion-like tail (Canto XVII).

The lower parts of Hell are contained within the walls of the city of Dis, which is itself surrounded by the Stygian marsh flats. The walls of Dis are guarded by fallen angels.

Purgatory:

Ok, so we aren't going to go as in depth here because Purgatory, according to Dante, is made up of 7 terraces. Each terrace represents one of the seven deadly sins. Christians who were repentant, but had sinned, awaited final judgment and departing for heaven. We have most of this poem covered with the seven deadly sins portion up above.

Looks like we need an excommunicate and a repentance.

Undiscovered Paradise:

Paradiso (Italian for "Paradise" or "Heaven") is the third and final part of Dante's Divine Comedy, following the Inferno and the Purgatorio. It is an allegory telling of Dante's journey through Heaven, guided by Beatrice, who symbolizes theology. In the poem, Paradise is depicted as a series of concentric spheres surrounding the Earth, consisting of the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Fixed Stars, the Primum Mobile and finally, the Empyrean. It was written in the early 14th century. Allegorically, the poem represents the soul's ascent to God.

There's a whole bunch of allegory vis-a-vis 14th century astrology malarkey.

Spheres:

Oh Man, I sure wish this was online because thematically it fits-- wait a minute--- This card is horrible. It's useless. Nevermind. Carry on...

The Rest:

Angels, Demons, Devils:

Angel of Mercy, Abhorrent Overlord, Angel of Despair, Tariel, Reckoner of Souls, Fallen Angel, Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Akroma, Angel of Fury, Baneslayer Angel, Bloodgift Demon, Seizan, Perverter of Truth, Rune-Scarred Demon, Ob Nixilis, the Fallen, Master of Cruelties, Adarkar Valkyrie, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Hellrider, Torch Fiend.

The rest o' the Rest:

Damnation: This thematically fits, as those who are in Hell are damned; God's Damnation sends one to Hell.

Demonic Tutor, Enlightened Tutor: While not quite demonic, per se, Virgil is the guide and tutor of Dante through Hell and half of Purgatory, while Beatrice is the Enlightened Tutor/guide for Dante through the other half of Purgatory and all of Heaven.

Erebos, God of the Dead: Whilst Heliod serves as the representation of a Judeo-Christian manifestation of a humanoid God, Erebos could serve as Lucifer/Satan/"The Devil." He could also represent Hades and Hel, who, while not Judeo-Christian, are also the keepers of the underworld.

Adarkar Valkyrie: I particularly chose to include this angel because as a Valkyrie, it represents a norse mythos about Heaven/Valhalla.

Condemn: An amazing opposing commander hoser or any creature pestering you, it also thematically fits as one is condemned to Hell.



The Deck:

Combos & Synergy:

§ Chains of Mephistopheles + Excommunicate.

§ Concerted Effort + Benevolent Bodyguard.

§ Benevolent Bodyguard + Adarkar Valkyrie

§ Adarkar Valkyrie + Any Wrath effect, barring ones that exile.

§ Underworld Cerberus + Any Wrath effect, barring ones that exile, or Repentance.

§ Kaalia of the Vast + Master of Cruelties: READ THIS: Kaalia of the Vast and Master of Cruelties — yes, it works.

§ Fallen Angel + Conquering Manticore.

§ Fallen Angel + Conquering Manticore + Adarkar Valkyrie.

§ Fallen Angel + various token makers.

§ Fallen Angel + Underworld Cerberus

§ Fallen Angel + Yosei, the Morning Star, or Fallen Angel + Yosei, the Morning Star + Adarkar Valkyrie.

§ Yosei, the Morning Star + Repentance.

§ Bojuka Bog, prior to Underworld Cerberus

§ False Prophet + Drown in Sorrow, or Dead Weight, or Fallen Angel, or Repentance.

§ There's more, I'm sure I'm missing some.

Conclusion:

“The mind which is created quick to love, is responsive to everything that is pleasing, soon as by pleasure it is awakened into activity. Your apprehensive faculty draws an impression from a real object, and unfolds it within you, so that it makes the mind turn thereto. And if, being turned, it inclines towards it, that inclination is love; that is nature, which through pleasure is bound anew within you.”

― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy This deck is an allegorical representation of a 14th century classical work. As you can see from actual breakdown in the right column, it has all the trappings of a successful deck, with one or two cards that are sort of crappy like Chains and Sluggishness. Enjoy explaining this deck to others. Happy Heaven and Hell Week. Thanks for Reading!

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