Dante's Inferno References In Hozier's Song "First Time" (+ A Lil' Song Explanation) !!

Dante's Inferno References in Hozier's song "First Time" (+ a lil' song explanation) !!

Guys, I know I did the whole "Dante's Inferno references in 'Unreal Unearth'" already but I have thought of more things particularly with "First Time" and it's context of being in circle one, 'Limbo'.

Firstly, important context that 'Limbo' isn't so much a punishment as it is a placeholder in Inferno. It's for the unbaptized and virtuous pagans, essentially those who did not believe in God and therefore could not enter heaven, but also didn't do anything bad enough to be punished in the other eight circles. The punishment is to live eternally in circle one whilst feeling an infinite sensation of emptiness that is meant to represent the lack of God in their lives.

Now, moving onto the song and the GENIUS that it is.

"And the soul, if that's what you'd call it, uneasy ally of the body, felt as nameless as a river, undiscovered underground." The lost souls of Inferno find their way to their assigned circle by using the 'transportation system' of the five rivers of the Underworld. The first river that Dante and Virgil encounter is the river Acheron that Charon, the Greek psychopomp that transported souls through the underworld, delivers them down to arrive at Limbo.

Another one of the five rivers of the Underworld is the well-known river Styx that souls had to cross over in order to enter the afterlife. All of these things are referenced in this one lyric.

"And the first time that you kissed me I drank dry the river Lethe." Here, Hozier mentions another one of the five rivers. Those who drank from the Lethe would experience mental oblivion, unable to remember anything. Souls who were to be reincarnated usually drank from this river in order to forget their past lives. Hozier is also referencing the idea of being reborn, as he does throughout this whole song, but instead he's reborn by the relationship he has with his partner.

"As it was, and ever shall be, unearth without a name." This lyric seems to be a reference to the 'Glory Be' prayer - "As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end." As aforementioned, Limbo's punishment is a never-ending emptiness; It's described as sorrow without torment, something so deprived that rational minds couldn't comprehend it. Hozier's "unearth without a name" mirrors the prayer's "world without end", showing that Limbo has the same infinity that God intends the world to have, but Hozier cannot even put a name to the feeling of Limbo, only that it is underground.

"Some part of me must have died/Some part of me came alive the first time that you called me 'Baby'." This lyric repeats throughout the whole song with minor changes, and references back to that idea of being reborn that Hozier establishes from the very start of the album with "De selby (Part 1)". The album compares Hozier's relationship with his partner to the journey of 'Inferno', and here we see Hozier effectively 'dying' as the relationship begins, allowing him to enter Limbo reborn as who his lover made him.

"These days I think I owe my life to flowers that were left here by my mother. Ain't that like them, gifting life to you again?" Since we have the context that Hozier is now 'dead', this lyric can be seen as his mother leaving flowers on his grave, literally gifting his body life. In the following lyrics, Hozier compares his life in Limbo to the life of the flowers gifted to him.

"This life life lived mostly underground, unknowin' either sight nor sound, 'til reaching up for sunlight just to be ripped out by the stem." Flowers are birthed beneath the soil on Earth, as Hozier has been reborn beneath the world in Hell, both lives lived underground. The theme of darkness that is regularly visited in both 'Inferno' and the album is shown here "unknowin'...sight", where the darkness of Inferno simulates a sort of blindness. The second half of the lyric references that loss of hope in Limbo, mirroring it to the idea of a flower being torn away from its only purpose of growing - similarly to how a soul is torn from its only purpose of living.

"Sensing only now it's dyin', drying out then drowning blindly, bloomin' forth its every colours in the moments it has left." The literal meaning of this lyric is the act of pulling flowers from their roots to simply put them in vases of water. The metaphorical meaning is Hozier attempting to hold up hope in Limbo. "Unreal Unearth" is very clearly a breakup album, and "First Time" tells us the compressed story of the relationship from beginning to end. We can take this song as Hozier beginning to lose faith in his relationship but desperately holding on, the way flowers know they're dying in a vase but continue blooming nevertheless.

"To share the space with simple living things, infinitely suffering, but fighting off, like all creation, the absence of itself. Anyway." Again, this references the ideas of flowers dying in a vase whilst trying to live cut off from their roots. The idea of "infinitely suffering" gives us that imagery of Limbo, but "fighting off...the absence of itself" also emphasises Hozier's attempts to rekindle this relationship the way flowers ignore the prospect of death in the hopes of living for a few moments longer. This little "anyway" at the end gives us the impression that, like Limbo, this is hopeless, and, as the flowers will, Hozier's relationship will die.

"When I was young I used to guess, 'Are there limits to any emptiness'?" The whole third verse shows us the final breaking of the relationship, but this lyric shows us that specific hopelessness that is felt in the decay of love. It really wraps up the idea of Limbo in this relationship; this soft acceptance that their love has died no matter how hollow it makes Hozier feel.

I personally think he is once again a MASTERMIND. Relating the death of a relationship to the wilting of flowers, especially flowers forced to stay alive, is perfect, like are you kidding me. Anyway, yes! That's my extra fathoming of "First Time" because there is simply too much to say.

If anyone else has anything to say, please lmk because there's nothing more I love than a Hozier deep dive :]

More Posts from Asterisoleil and Others

1 year ago

Prayers to the Gods for the Palestinian people.

Keep sharing, keeping protesting, keep b0ycotting, but your prayers also have power, not just for yourself, but for others too. The Gods weep as we do at this injustice. They are just as angry as we are. The Gods will always care about injustice. Remember Xenia.

Also ! Anyone can use these, feel free to change the prayers to fit any other gods!

—————————————————————

To Apollo and Artemis to protect the young in Palestine

To lovely Artemis and Apollo, protectors of children, please give your grace to the children of Palestine.

Please let them have as many joyful moments as possible— even if it's their last.

Watch over them and protect them all the way into to their final seconds

Avert evil and harm from them as much as possible

Grant them the peace of seeing their siblings and caretakers, even if it's the last time

Let them know the joys of being a child, even if it's fleeting Let them play, sing, dance

Grant them joy and grant them peace and then extend that joy, comfort, and beauty into their afterlives/ next lives, so that they won't know this fear and sorrow again.

Love and protect the children of Palestine as they are as precious as any other

—————————————————————

To Ares, most unbreakable

To Ares, most unbreakable, whose courage and strength are as unlimited as he is

Please extend that same fortitude and strength to the Palestinians

Οβριμος (strong, mighty) make it so that their strength and courage never runs out

Αδάμαστος (unconquerable, indestructible) make it so they wont die without a fight, that as much as the oppressors think they have complete power of them, they never will

Τειχεσιπλητης (stormer of cities, walls) make it so they break out of the hell they've been forced it

Λαοσσοος (he who rallies people), make it so the people unconditionally come to their support

Beloved Ares, you are as kind as you are destructive Save your grace for the Palestinians, for you weep as much as we do for them.

But unleash your wrath on the oppressors and murderers

Make it so they never have another day of peace

That the blood on their hands stains everything they touch, polluting their lives, and so it may never wash off

Δεινος (terrible, fearsome), show them no mercy.

Ares, saviour and protector of people, protect and love the Palestinians as you do.

—————————————————————

To Athena defender and savior of people

To Athene, defender of cities

She with the most wisdom, hold them with you under your unbreakable shield

Σωτειρα (savior) please save them from the unyielding bombs and rubble that many are buried in

Αλαλκομενηις (protector) protect them always, for they are as precious as any other. Protect them while alive and after they're gone, protect their legacy, their story

Παιωνια (healer), help them use their limited medical supplies to save as many as they can. Protect the doctors and any healthcare workers, so that they may help as many as they can

Protector, Saviour, defender, please save the Palestinian people, their home, and their legacy.

—————————————————————

To Zeus, savior and most merciful

To Zeus, most high, extend your endless kindness and grace to the Palestinian people.

Σωτηρ (savior) please save the Palestinian people, for their lives are as precious as any other.

For they have a culture, story and history as rich as any other.

Λαοιτης (of the people) make it so they are never forgotten and while some deem them unworthy of living, make that known to the people that that is untrue

Ελευθεριος (of freedom) make it so they will know freedom and will not be under siege any longer

Τροπαιος (turns to flight, defeats), instill in them the fighting spirit they need, and the spirit to live, so they can expel the oppressors from their land.

Παλαμναιος (punisher of murderers), make it so the oppressors can’t get away with their crime, that they never can escape from their own actions

Επιδωτης (giver of good), make it so they can find as many moments of peace and slight escape as they can, no matter how fleeting it is. Whether it be sitting with a loved one or getting a sip of fresh water, give it to them.

Θεος Αγαθος, (the good god) you as much as the other Gods teach us Xenia (hospitality, friendliness basically), to hold it close to our hearts, to hold people close to our hearts. We know you are as just as angry as we are, and we know you mourn with us. And just like you, we will let no injustice pass

No one should stay silent about this or any other injustices. Speak up, protest, share, and pray

(Also please excuse any spelling, grammar, and other errors,, I did read over it but yknow)

1 year ago
Mother Of Dragons

Mother of dragons

1 month ago
I Hope You Know That It’s Always This
I Hope You Know That It’s Always This

I hope you know that it’s always this

1 year ago
Is It A Tower ? Is It A Tunnel ? Up Or Down, The Path Only Lead Forward, Toward Enlightenment. 🍀🧬
Is It A Tower ? Is It A Tunnel ? Up Or Down, The Path Only Lead Forward, Toward Enlightenment. 🍀🧬

Is it a tower ? Is it a tunnel ? Up or down, the path only lead forward, toward enlightenment. 🍀🧬

Clic on the first picture to see full resolution

1 year ago

Nico: Name a more iconic duo than my crippling fear of abandonment and my anxiety. I'll wait.

Will: You and me!!!

Nico, tearing up: Okay.

1 year ago

May we please get more cute daddy Baal, Luci, and baby Cain facts pls? 🥺🥺

a&m spoilers

Baal loves Cain so so much. When Cain is a baby, Baal somewhat struggles with how to hold and care for him, but once he gets a hang of it, he really likes carrying him around (though clumsily). When Cain is a toddler, he really likes sitting him on a knee or on his shoulders. Baal will also stop whatever he's doing if he feels someone tugging on his tunic, then smile down at Cain, and scoop him into his arms.

One of the first things Lucifer ever did with infant Cain was lay some of his jewelry on him and watch him play with it. Lucifer carries baby Cain with him all the time, if not in his arms then wrapped up against his front or his back. Lucifer's favorite thing to do with young Cain is go out walking with him into the forest and teach him about flowers and nature. When Cain is older, Lucifer tries to be less fussy, but he stills scolds Cain if he's ever out too late or slightly injured for whatever reason or his clothes are askew. Whenever Cain isn't there, Satan is visibly sadder, at least in private, maybe sitting on a chair and staring at the fire place silently.

Oh and I think there's a little family-esque portrait of the three of them somewhere. It's probably not an ornate oil portrait or anything, but a painting of them a stone slab somewhere, just small enough for Lucifer to bundle, then have Baal carry when the migration happens. It's just Lucifer, Baal, and a very young Cain. I think an artist suggested it to Lucifer since Cain ages and they should try to immortalize this moment, and Lucifer decided it wouldn't hurt. (i think lucifer looks pretty stern but if you squint, you can see a tiny, soft smile)

2 years ago
Tai and Van standing close holding hands looking at the camera.

Been watching Yellowjackets recently and I may have some favourites…

1 year ago

chronic fatigue from mental illness and neurodivergency isn't something you can just will your way out of. your nervous system is part of your body. your brain is an organ. the fatigue is real. you're not lazy. so be kinder to yourself. be gentler with your bodymind.

2 months ago
A Zine About Lady Aphrodite And Transsexualism As An Offering For Her :)!
A Zine About Lady Aphrodite And Transsexualism As An Offering For Her :)!
A Zine About Lady Aphrodite And Transsexualism As An Offering For Her :)!
A Zine About Lady Aphrodite And Transsexualism As An Offering For Her :)!
A Zine About Lady Aphrodite And Transsexualism As An Offering For Her :)!
A Zine About Lady Aphrodite And Transsexualism As An Offering For Her :)!

A zine about Lady Aphrodite and transsexualism as an offering for her :)!

1 year ago

Anyone else ever have a day where you feel... Idk... Extra autistic? Like wooooaaah I'm more Neurodivergent than usual today

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asterisoleil - ad astra
ad astra

Dante. 24. he/him. autistic mess. i love making art, read fiction and watching horror movies. the rest is confetti. pt-br / eng / fr header by littlestpersimmon

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