A Journey to the Real Dante's Inferno: The Phlegraean Fields
A deep cave there was, yawning wide and vast, of jagged rock, and sheltered by dark lake and woodland gloom, over which no flying creatures could safely wing their way; such a vapour from those black jaws was wafted to the vaulted sky whence the Greeks spoke of Avernus, the Birdless Place.
-The Aeneid, Virgil (70–19 BCE)
It's not trick videography. Lake Avernus really is black. That and the sulfurous fumes emitted from the lake were certainly the inspiration for its name. Avernus - from the Greek for "No Birds" - takes its moniker from the widely-held ancient belief that birds flying over the lake would drop dead out of the sky from the fumes. The video above proves the existence of fowl, but the lake is still - well, foul.
Lake Avernus is just one noteworthy feature of Campania's Phlegraean Fields - or, as I like to refer to them, the Phlegm Fields. This lesser-visited area outside of Naples, Italy, is perhaps one of the more interesting sites for those seeking myth and macabre off the beaten path.
It is widely known that Dante Alighieri was from Florence. But it is hypothesized that his idea for the Inferno came from this area. In addition to the black Lake Avernus, the Phlegraean Fields feature Sybil's Grotto - thought to be the gateway to the underworld - an area of natural steam geysers known as Sulfatara, and belching, sulfurous, boiling lakes of mud. The geothermal activity in the area is, of course, attributed to Mount Vesuvius, and serves as a constant reminder that the volcano can erupt again at any time.
The second video is long, but some of the features of the Phlegm Fields are shown in the first five minutes. At 0.58, we see pockets of steam emerging from within the earth, and are surprised that the word "dormant" is used to describe the Solfatara crater. From about 2:42 forward, we are introduced to the multiple pockets of mud; 3:02 shows that some of them are actually boiling. Facial, anyone?
This blog post explores a non-fictional theme or locale that is incorporated in The Vesuvius Isotope, a novel by Kristen Elise. PRE-ORDER your copy using the "Buy Now" icon on the right hand side of this page.
-The Aeneid, Virgil (70–19 BCE)
It's not trick videography. Lake Avernus really is black. That and the sulfurous fumes emitted from the lake were certainly the inspiration for its name. Avernus - from the Greek for "No Birds" - takes its moniker from the widely-held ancient belief that birds flying over the lake would drop dead out of the sky from the fumes. The video above proves the existence of fowl, but the lake is still - well, foul.
Lake Avernus is just one noteworthy feature of Campania's Phlegraean Fields - or, as I like to refer to them, the Phlegm Fields. This lesser-visited area outside of Naples, Italy, is perhaps one of the more interesting sites for those seeking myth and macabre off the beaten path.
It is widely known that Dante Alighieri was from Florence. But it is hypothesized that his idea for the Inferno came from this area. In addition to the black Lake Avernus, the Phlegraean Fields feature Sybil's Grotto - thought to be the gateway to the underworld - an area of natural steam geysers known as Sulfatara, and belching, sulfurous, boiling lakes of mud. The geothermal activity in the area is, of course, attributed to Mount Vesuvius, and serves as a constant reminder that the volcano can erupt again at any time.
The second video is long, but some of the features of the Phlegm Fields are shown in the first five minutes. At 0.58, we see pockets of steam emerging from within the earth, and are surprised that the word "dormant" is used to describe the Solfatara crater. From about 2:42 forward, we are introduced to the multiple pockets of mud; 3:02 shows that some of them are actually boiling. Facial, anyone?
This blog post explores a non-fictional theme or locale that is incorporated in The Vesuvius Isotope, a novel by Kristen Elise. PRE-ORDER your copy using the "Buy Now" icon on the right hand side of this page.
No comments have been added yet.
