Hozier: Unreal Unearth

Hozier

Unreal Unearth

By: Julianna Hernandez

index

Thesis

fourth circle

eighth circle

First circle

Fifth circle

Nineth circle

second circle

sixth circle

thanks

THird circle

seventh circle

Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's epic poem Divine Comedy. It depicts the poet's voyage through the Nine Circles of Hell. Each circle signifies a more severe sin and punishment, escalating until damnation. The book delves into issues of sin, atonement, heavenly fairness, and mankind's state, providing an allegorical representation of the afterlife based on Christian beliefs. Hozier's album is specifically structured around this voyage.

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First Circle: Limbo

The first circle is home to the unbaptized and virtuous pagans.

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Second circle:Lust

“Francesca” explores lust the second circle of Hell. Francesca is a noblewoman who was murdered for adultery with her husband’s brother Paolo, she and Paolo are shown in the “Divine Comedy”

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Third circle:gLUTTONY

Here those who overindulge existSinners in this circle of Hell are punished by being forced to lie in a vile slush that is produced by never-ending icy rain. The vile slush symbolizes personal degradation of one who overindulges in food, drink, and otherworldly pleasures, while the inability to see others lying nearby represents the gluttons’ selfishness and coldness. .

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Fourth circle: Greed

souls of people who are punished for greed. They are divided into two groups – those who hoarded possessions and those who lavishly spent it. They use weights as a weapon, pushing it with their chests which symbolizes their selfish drive for fortune during their lifetime.

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Circle Five: Anger

The Fifth Circle of Hell is where the wrathful and sullen are punished for their sins.

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Circle 6: Hersey

Circle 7: Violence

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Circle 8: Fraud

Circle 9: Treachery

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First Light

"First Light" represents the end of this difficult voyage. It symbolizes the end of Dante's trip through the Underworld, as well as the journey through darkness to see light again. It's primarily about redemption, and Hozier appears to embrace "the light" rather than find it overwhelming. The meaningful line “And I can scarce believe what I’m believing in / Could this be how every day begins?” conveys the sense of metamorphosis that comes at the end of Dante's journey, reflecting the deep lessons learnt from the hardships of Hell.

THANKS

Works Cited

“Hozier - de Selby (behind the Song).” YouTube, YouTube, 16 Aug. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3GVayXeFVY.“Hozier.” Genius, genius.com/artists/Hozier. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024. “Inside Hozier’s ‘Unreal Unearth’: How the Singer Flipped Dante’s ‘inferno’ & the Irish Language into His Latest Album.” GRAMMY.Com, www.grammy.com/news/hozier-unreal-unearth-interview-dante-inferno-poem-inspirations-irish. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024. Krause, Paul. “Dante’s Inferno: Understanding Hell.” Discourses on Minerva, 29 Nov. 2021, minervawisdom.com/2020/01/18/dantes-inferno-understanding-hell/.

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Hozier tells a tale of betrayal and the terrible sensation of being misunderstood in a relationship. His words express the anguish of having one's heart destroyed by someone previously trusted. He regretfully cries out, “So I thought you were like an angel to me.” The song explores the complexities of human nature, demonstrating how a previously virtuous individual might now be confused for someone quite different. The eerie recurrence of "sha-la-la's" in the chorus appears to be an insult to Hozier.

The deepest circle of Hell, where Satan resides. As with the last two circles, this one is further divided, into four rounds. The first is Caina, This round is for traitors to family. The second, Antenora—is reserved for political/national traitors. The third is Ptolomaea for Ptolemy, son of Abubus, who is known for inviting Simon Maccabaeus and his sons to dinner and then murdering them. This round is for hosts who betray their guests; they are punished more harshly because of the belief that having guests means entering into a voluntary relationship, and betraying a relationship willingly entered is more despicable than betraying a relationship born into. The fourth round is Judecca, after Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ. This round is reserved for traitors to their lords/benefactors/masters.

Anything But

At first glance, “Anything But” seems like a playful tune about love. However, Hozier reminds us that this song is fraudulent. When he sings such lines as “If I was a rip tide, I wouldn’t take you out” or “If I was a stampede, you wouldn’t get a kick,” he is lying. This is the first instance where Hozier shows resentment towards his “love”, through sarcasm, disguising it underneath “cute” quips.

This circle is distinguished from its predecessors by being made up of those who consciously and willingly commit fraud. Within the eighth circle is another called Evil Pockets, which houses 10 separate ditches. In these exist types of those who commit fraud: panderers/seducers; sorcerers/astrologers/false prophets; barrators (corrupt politicians); hypocrites; thieves; false counselors/advisers; schismatics (those who separate religions to form new ones);

Butchered Tongue

The Seventh Circle of Hell is divided into three rings. The Outer Ring houses murderers and others who were violent to other people and property. In the Middle Ring, the poet sees suicides that have been turned into trees and bushes. In the Inner Ring are blasphemers residing in a desert of burning sand and burning rain falling from the sky.

Hozier goes beyond mythology and into historical relevance in talking about the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and how it links with the seventh circle and violence. The violence and bloodshed during that time came hand-in-hand with the loss of Irish culture, which makes Hozier singing in said languages throughout the album so important. The poignant lyrics “With no translator left to sound / A butchered tongue still singin’ here above the ground”. Highlight the cultural language in the face of tyranny. The music creates an empowering message for individuals who have been victimized and silenced by violence, demonstrating their lasting impact.

Who We Are

It reflects how we use our tragedies against others. Hozier, like Dante in Inferno, learns throughout the song about who we are as individuals and how our reason for existence is aggressive and horrible. The chorus nicely articulates this. “So much of our lives / Is just carving through the dark / And the hardest part / Is who we are.”

All Things End

The Sixth Circle is Heresy . Heresy is a belief or opinion that is contradictory to religious doctrine, especially Christianity. This song does not have many overt references to circle six but definitely incorporates the idea of heresy. As mentioned, heresy is an idea that contradicts (especially, but not always) Christianity. In this song, Hozier talks about the ephemeral nature of all things, particularly romance. When people say that something is forever, either way it ends." Whether it be death or a break-up, God doesn't plan for you to be able to spend eternity with your lover.

we ultimately cross the concept of God. There are many rules people follow in religion, avoiding certain things because they are against 'God's Will'. Although this practice can be kept in moderation, it can quickly become self-imprisoning. Not living your present life out of fear for an unproven afterlife can be limiting, especially if you dictate who you love due to what supernatural punishment may or may not follow. Hozier sings that we should not let God's plan interfere with what we need from life, allowing ourselves to indulge in love even if it will end - ultimately, Heresy.

Damage gets done

In the track featuring Brandi Carlile, Hozier explores the fourth circle greed. The start of this song to me felt linked to the saying, “Money cannot buy happiness.” It explores the perspective of a couple who grow into wealth, and therefore, lost joy. The way Hozier and Carlile’s voices harmonize, “we knew what our love was worth (when we had nothing),” and “I miss when we did not need much,” really drives this point home for me that sometimes financial burden can be its own circle of Hell.

First Time

This song represents Limbo, where souls are not punished directly, but instead are condemned to suffer harm through living in desire. They are condemned to eternal darkness and are unable to achieve the light of God. This idea is perfectly represented in “First Time” as Hozier sings, “This life lived mostly underground / Unknowin’ either sight nor sound / ‘Til reaching up for sunlight just to be ripped out by the stem.”

Eat Your Young

This song contains numerous sorts of gluttony, with the typical connotation of food mixed with sexual connotations. However, Hozier makes various observations regarding capitalism and corporate greed. “Skinning’ the children for a war drum / Puttin’ food on the table, selling’ bombs and guns / It’s quicker and easier to eat your young.”

Hozier expresses that the army enlists young men to essentially die in war, and that the same businesses that govern food are also making weapons for war, which are, in fact, swift means to kill the youth.

Francesca

” In this cycle, spirits are subjected to an everlasting storm in which they are ceaselessly tossed around without cause, much like lust acts without reason. Dante’s aim here is to present Francesca’s suffering as an illustration of moral freedom and the repercussions of it, Hozier reimagines and humanizes their love tale.

He lets them to be an unstoppable force against the hurricane, instead of suffering from it as he sings. “Now that it’s done / There’s not one thing I would change / My life was a storm since I was born / How could I fear any hurricane?” which never fades, regardless of the repercussions Francesca accepts her love rather than fleeing from it for fear of punishment.