Dante, Inferno
Bertran de Born’s Speaking Head
Dante sees a headless body holding its own head by the hair. The carried face speaks while the body raises it toward the travellers, producing a separation that the narrator describes with astonishment. The speaker identifies himself as Bertran de Born and connects his divided state with having divided a father and son. The Cary passage’s historical naming belongs to that translation; this entry describes the literary claim rather than independently adjudicating it.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryDante sees a headless body holding its own head by the hair. The carried face speaks while the body raises it toward the travellers, producing a separation that the narrator describes with astonishment.
Further detail
LiteraryThe speaker identifies himself as Bertran de Born and connects his divided state with having divided a father and son. The Cary passage’s historical naming belongs to that translation; this entry describes the literary claim rather than independently adjudicating it.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the supplied Thompson & Thomas edition of H. F. Cary’s translation. It describes Dante’s literary vision, distinguishing its assignments and reported claims from historical biography, other classical traditions and independently established accounts of an afterlife.
Original passages
Source 1
Dante's Inferno
Bertrand, he of Born, who gave King John The counsel mischievous. Father and son I set at mutual war. For AbsalomOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 189
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0082-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0082-E001-P0189
- Original scan leaf
- 196
- Recorded leaf number
- 196
- Current Reader position
- 189
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
lantern-wise Pendent in hand, which look'd at us, and said, " Woe's me ! " The spirit lighted thus himself; And two there were in one,Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 189
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0082-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0082-E001-P0189
- Original scan leaf
- 196
- Recorded leaf number
- 196
- Current Reader position
- 189
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
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Literary & Visionary Figures ↗
Alberigo and the Frozen Tears
The speaker who requests relief from the ice over his eyes but does not receive it.
Same subject and traditionAlessio of Lucca among the Flatterers
The recognised speaker who attributes his place in the second ditch to excessive flattery.
Same subject and traditionBocca’s Refusal to Give His Name
The frozen speaker identified by another voice after resisting Dante’s demands.
Same subject and traditionBranca Doria’s Apparently Living Body
The named example used to explain a body functioning above while its soul is already below.