#or if i need to change anything

[board-cupid]

Board James/Dante's Inferno Correlations

TW/// Religious Themes.

Considering that Board James is inspired by Dante's Inferno (and Hell in general), I thought it would be beneficial to look into how the two connect. Looking deeper, they have their similarities - especially concerning the rings and the worlds. While the worlds will be out of order for this post, the rings will not. Proper explanations will be given for each.

Below the cut is the full theory. It is around 2700 words. This has been the past month of my life :,)

This is just for fun !! Please don't take this too seriously !! I am not a religious person, theology is just fun to study !!

          The purpose of this post is to catalogue my research both components of Dante's Inferno and its relationship to the message and overall motifs of the series Board James. * Here, I will be cataloguing the different rings of Hell and how they align with the characters (namely the different descensions of BJ.) Some may not fit perfectly. Some may fit others. There may be inaccurately relayed information. I am not an expert on Christian theology. I will be using interpretations of Hell both through the lens of Dante’s Inferno and modern theology.

          * I will be referring to the character as BJ to avoid confusion. As well as the characters of Motherfucker Mike and Bad Luck Bootsy as MFM and BLB respectively as for continuity to remain. The series itself will be referred to as Board James in full.

          The overall message of Board James - the theme expressed - is the negative consequences of enacting revenge. Vengeance in Board James (the series) is represented by a virtuous cycle of fear and control. Revenge is not something we should strive for once someone has wronged us, as perpetuating that cycle will only lead everyone involved down a path of hate and dismay. It is easier to let go and move on than it is to stay angry and let it consume you. It is best to be present and move on than to hold on to that of which has made you so angry.

Without further ado, from the first ring to the last:

Ring 1, World 3. Limbo:

Limbo can be separated into two main areas: the Limbo of the Patriarchs, and the Limbo of the Infants.

- Limbo of the Patriarchs:

          Despite being virtuous people, these were not baptized or existed before Jesus, and thus could not be saved. They are trapped in Limbo and are not forgiven of original sin. The Harrowing of Hell was an event in which Jesus came and freed souls from Limbo and took them to Heaven with him. *

          * This is debated in certain theological circles as to the validity of it happening. Some consider it canon to the Bible and Christian history, others do not.

- Limbo of the Infants:

          Infants that pass before they could be baptized - therefore not forgiven of original sin - are sent here. Modern theological speculations and teachings stress that there is hope (but not certainty) of the infants making it to Heaven.

Rolfe, in "Board James Mythos Explained," describes World 3 as a form of Limbo. Sometimes, Limbo is perceived as a sort of "in-between." That is the interpretation meant to be taken from Board James. MFM and BLB can be interpreted to represent the Limbo of Patriarchs, as they are virtuous - yet still burdened by their original (World 1) sin. They are saved and allowed to leave Limbo, * and are allowed to pass on.

          * I am NOT saying BJ is an interpretation of Jesus - far from it - I am simply making a connection between this and the Harrowing of Hell.

BJ can represent the Limbo of Infants. Either interpretation of the Dream Phone episode can be true (as supported by Lie Detector.) However, no matter what ending is true it does not change that he is still guilty of original sin. To come back to the idea of the representation of the Harrowing of Hell, the descension into World 4 can be interpreted as such - their souls being saved from a state of being "in-between." Just as theologists stress the uncertainty in infants reaching Heaven, there is uncertainty that they will come back the same. While we know they don't, there was also hope there (another stressed ideal in theological interpretations of Limbo.)

Ring 2, World 6. Lust.

          Lust can be defined as both a desire for flesh or excessive power. Here, the interpretation is excessive power and control. The punishment for those guilty of committing lust is being whipped around in a whirlwind or hurricane for all eternity. This represents the guilty being swept up by their desires.

          The BJ of World 6 is lustful for control. Considering MFM died first in World 5, he should be in control of 6. His fear of BJ, however, keeps him under W6's thumb. He gains his power, his control over both MFM and BLB. The subconscious fear MFM harbors for BJ is the catalyst to the amount of control exercised here. He (BJ) is defeated by being swept into a black hole. This may be representative of the punishment associated with the Lust ring, i.e., being swept in a whirlwind for all time.

Ring 3, World 7. Gluttony.

          Gluttony is defined as overconsumption to the point of waste, and this does not only apply to food. Anything can be overconsumed. The punishment for gluttony in the Inferno is a never-ending storm of snow and ice. Gluttonous people typically had luxurious lives, surrounded by shelter and warmth. Now, in Hell, they are meant to be cold and unsheltered from the elements.

          World 7 BJ exists in Candyland, and while there is an obvious connection to make here, there is another type of overconsumption: the overindulgence of board games. He clings onto them, indulging himself in order to hold on to his childhood. To hold on to and remember who he truly is. Candyland can also be a metaphor for gluttony as well with the food and candy imagery (as well as the composition by Bootsy describing the negative effects of the overconsumption of sweets.) 

          The punishment for gluttony can also reflect the death of World 7's BJ. He is killed by a falling gumdrop, which may represent the rain those being punished for this sin are subject to sue to their actions.

Ring 4, World 8. Avarice/Greed.

          Greed, excessive want for material items or gain, is regarded both by Dante and in modern society as the "root of all evil." Anything can be the subject of greed if one hoards enough of it. Typically, this is in the case of wealth and money. The punishment for greed was split for two groups: Those who hoarded wealth, and those who spent it. They were made to fight for all eternity by slamming great weights into each other.

          World 8 BJ represents greed for wanting to protect his hoard. His selfish, excessive collection of board games he'd let nobody else have. Chasing down MFM and BLB, his collection would not be threatened. It can be argued that MFM's death in this ring can be fit accordingly to slamming weights together - the punishment for greed. He is killed by his head being cracked open on a rock. Perhaps he would be sorted into the first group, as it did not seem like he wanted to spend it. Essentially, he was attempting to steal a hoard to hoard it himself.

Ring 5, World 5. Wrath.

          Wrath and Sullenness, or expressed and repressed anger respectively, are the themes of this circle. People guilty of wrath are made to be dismembered alive, fighting on the surface of the River Styx. The sullen are made to sink below, choking on their anger.

          World 5 BJ - Nightmare BJ - expresses wrath by taking out his violence on MFM and BLB. He forces them into a game of Nightmare and uses their fears against them. Here, he may represent both wrath and sullenness. BJ uses the knowledge of his victim's fears against them for personal gain. He is essentially fighting them already to keep himself from sinking - a representation of wrath's punishment. However, his death in World 5 (crushed by a statue) may represent sullenness, as he is made to choke on his own blood.

Ring 6, World 9. Heresy.

          Heresy is defined as the denial of a soul's immortality. Denying a soul's resurrection is essentially going against religious documents and values. The punishment for this sin involves the guilty being trapped in graves on fire, doomed to suffer eternal pain. Heresy in other churches granted the death penalty, with those found guilty being burned at the stake.

          World 9 BJ's first instinct was to kill BLB. He wanted him dead, and therefore denied the idea of his soul's reincarnation. The BJ was dead set on revenge and denied his pre-given knowledge of how descensions work (both his and the other character's.) He went against his own knowledge to deny the immortality of a soul and was thus punished by dying by torpedo. The resulting explosion resulted in him having a watery grave. Very fitting.

Ring 7, World 4. Violence.

          Violence is spread into multiple facets according to the victim, these being yourself, another person, or God.

There are three rings that comprise the seventh circle:

          - The first ring is violence against neighbors and is where murderers and other related people (such as tyrants and plunderers) are made to drown in a river of blood and fire. They spilled blood during their lives, and now they get to drown in it. Centaurs guard the ring, attacking the sinners who emerge from the lake.

          - The second ring is for violence against self. People who have attempted suicide end up here and are transformed into trees that are eaten by harpies. They can only speak when bleeding. They can be interpreted as a state of mind - a broken state where a terrible act can be committed.

          - The third ring is reserved for those who have committed violence against God, art, and nature. It is a vast desert where blasphemers (against God) are made to be stretched upon the sand and tormented by flames slowly falling from the sky.

          World 4 BJ would belong in the first circle, as he is guilty of murder. The minotaurs, in this instance, are BLB and MFM as they are able to cause another descension before he "raises his head above the river" so to speak. He is killed and pushed back below the river before he can kill them first, thus is his punishment for his own original sin. He does not fit with the other rings, as he is only guilty of murder (or in this world, attempted murder).

Ring 8, World 2. Fraud.

The Fraud Ring is comprised of many different facets, being separated as follows:

Seducing:

          - Whipped by horned demons for eternity. Drove others to do their bidding and fulfill their desires, now they are being driven.

Flattery:

          - People who exploited others, made to steep in shit as they fight amongst themselves.

Simoniacs:

          - People who sold important offices and roles or other sacred things. This is my main focus of this correlation. Those guilty of simony have their heads downturned in a hole with their feet on fire; their flames corresponding to their guilt.

Sorcerers:

          - People who attempted to "pry into the future," i.e.: fortune tellers, false prophets, astrologists, etc. Had their heads twisted 180 degrees. Made to walk backwards for all of eternity and be forever weeping as to be blinded by their tears.

Barrators:

          - People guilty of political corruption. Boiled in pitch, a representation of their darker deals. Clawed to pieces by the demons guarding the ring (Malebranche) if they are caught above the pitch.

          World 2 is specifically guilty of simony. Board games appear to be a sacred item in the series, and World 2's BJ is guilty of selling these sacred items (playing the games so innocently) to people who were against him. Control is a big theme of the series, and whoever descends first becomes the Game Master. This can be taken as an interpretation of God. BJ, in World 2, is guilty of peddling these holy relics.

          - His punishment, the fires burning his soles as a reflection of guilt, is represented by his descent. His true nature spills to the top, a reflection of who he once was. The Dream Phone was a catalyst to BJ finally beginning to remember who he is. He denies it out of guilt, not wanting to accept that he killed his friends. The flames only burn hotter as the guilt increases.

Ring 9, World 1. Treachery.

          Treachery is defined as acts done against people whom you have a bond with and is separated into four facets. Each is immersed in ice to a certain degree, each according to their guilt. They are as follows:

Caina:

          - Treachery against kin. Named after Cain, who killed his own brother. The guilty here are submerged up to their heads and necks, only allowed to bow their heads to protect from the harsh, ever-blowing freezing winds of this circle.

Antenora:

          - Traitors to their country. Sinners here have their heads above the ice but have their necks frozen solid. They cannot move their heads, nor can they give themself any protection.

Ptolomaea:

          - Traitors to their guests. They lie in the ice, their own tears freezing their eyes shut. They cannot cry either, the ice sewing their eyes too shut for that mercy.

Judecca:

          - Traitors to their lords. All sinners here are encased in ice, and it is completely silent. They are in unnatural positions and completely mute (as they are completely frozen.)

          There is also the center of Hell, where Satan resides. He is encapsulated in ice, half of his body frozen and condemned for his ultimate sin of betrayal. Satan here has three faces, meant to mock the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

World 1 BJ represents Ptolomaea and Satan. He represents Ptolomaea as he was a traitor to his guests. From the newspaper clippings shown in Board James, he lured people into a storage unit (thus making them his guests), and subsequently betraying them by killing them. He is not given the mercy of weeping for his crimes, as he feels no remorse. Once he is caught and imprisoned, he begins to represent Satan.

          BJ committing those murders was his greatest sin, and the thing he is punished for with every descension. He is imprisoned (literally) and loses grip on reality. His different versions may represent the different heads of Satan, making a mockery of a world that forced him to grow up. He made his own "false idols" of sorts, staying with his board games all the way through his descent. This ties back to the idea of board games being sacred objects in-lore.

To Conclude:

          In conclusion, the underlying inspiration of Dante's Inferno has many connections in Board James. The character of Board James can be meant to represent many things, with every iteration being a new facet representing a different slice of Hell. While there are other motifs in the series (9 lives, Inception inspiration, etc.) I am not informed enough at this current moment in time to do a deeper analysis of these themes.

          What I can report on, however, is the similar themes of Dante’s inferno and Board James. Both explore themes of sin and the afterlife, with talks of punishment being not only necessary to sin, but also a compliment to it. The journey through the afterlife to view these punishments is also a big overarching theme in Board James. Justice as well is a theme in both pieces, as Dante chronicles the perfection of God’s judgement and the sinners who must pay under it, and Board James is judged in every iteration of himself for his own original sin.

If you made it this far, thanks! I worked really hard on this, and I'm sorry if there's any incorrect information. Let me know and I'll gladly fix it! Again, please don't take this seriously. This is a Dante's Inferno correlation post made about a board game show that ended in 2015 made by a man-child.

Have a great day <3

[bioshzrd]

this random ass guy who’s entire bit is that he can move like this is the only good wesker fan ever

[magicveiled]

"You won't believe a damn word of what I have to say, so why bother trying to convince you otherwise?" Morgan said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair.

The detective's office smelled of mildewy paper and cold coffee; an aroma that might have at one point, been a pleasant sensation, had it not been left to stink up the place for however long that it has.

"I wasn't trying to contaminate the crime scene," the witch continued sternly, clenched, "I'm...sorta like a private investigator. I've been hired by the victim's family to see what I can find out about the days leading up to the murder. To see if that if something...peculiar was occurring between their usual day-to-day comings and goings."

* @thecounci1 liked for a starter from morgan ! ( to ezra )

[hansoeii]

stede bunnet

[ahhrenata]

Steve tries to stay quiet while he gets ready for work, but Eddie hears him. He keeps his eyes closed and just listens- to Steve grumbling to himself when his hair doesn’t sit quite right, who starts to hum and whisper some catchy song. Eddie turns his sleepy gaze onto Steve as he shuffles around their room- watching quietly as he slips on his clothes, his shoes, a simple chain with Eddie’s ring around his neck. A warm, affectionate smile breaks across his face. Before he leaves, Steve glances at what he expects to be a sleeping Eddie, but instead, he’s met with a rasped, ‘Hey.’ Eddie sits himself up, stretches his arm across Steve’s side of the bed, and reaches, fingers wiggling. Steve crosses the room to cradle his face.

Their foreheads press, noses bump, and Steve brushes his fingers across scars and dimples.

He breathes a quiet,

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.’

Eddie huffs a tired laugh,

‘You know I never mind.’

Because, yeah.

Every morning Steve tries to stay quiet while he gets ready for work, but Eddie always hears him.

( another one from the poll | WIP )

[skateboardtotheheart]

there is just something about the difference between edwin's love interests and having the cat king's reaction to edwin in hell being "i'll be waiting when he gets back" vs charles "no version of this where i don't come get you" rowland convincing a powerful trans-dimensional being to open a door to hell just so he could get him back

i am insane

[knifearo]

this year my challenge for everyone is to unlearn the association between love and morality. love is not something that is inherently morally good, and the absence of love is not something that is inherently bad. sex without love isn't morally bankrupt, it's just an action. people without love aren't less kind or less good, they're just people. when we can get past this false (and often unnoticed) dichotomy of good love/evil lovelessness then i think we are going to be able to take leaps and bounds in sex positivity, aro advocacy, certain discussions of mental health...

[redysetdare]

All this aroace character shipcourse has proven to me that a majority of people that interact in fandom cannot actually interact with characters and media outside of shipping and genuinely I believe you need to learn how to interact with media outside of shipping.

[ella-arch]

fallen angel anakin

[formulanni]

Susie Wolff as the Empress (redraw):

The Empress is a mother, a creator, and nurturer. She can represent the creation of life, romance, art, or business. The Empress can represent the germination of an idea before it is ready to be fully born, and the need to be receptive to change.

The Empress is representative of the productivity of the subconscious, seeded by ideas.

She is the symbol of the feminine principle - a representation of venus and mother earth. She is nurturing, and a provider.

There is something to her that suggests a mother figure as well.

Tag list: @st-leclerc @rubywingsracing @saviour-of-lord @three-days-time @the-wall-is-my-goal @albonoooo @ch3rubd0lls @brawngp2009

[housederiva]

I may not understand how Davrin Dragon Age's clothes work yet but I do have a comprehensive knowledge of cleavage and a deep desire to figure out how to paint digitally

[respondedinkind]

Plotted starter for @mehrere-musen | MCU Verse

When Ka'anh awakes, the first thing he sees is a planet, filled with blue and greens and browns, clouds scattered along the surface. He also realizes that the whole of his shuttle seems to be offline; No lights are on besides the dull red hue of what indicates an emergency situation. He hurts, badly so, and groans out in pain as he tries to get back onto his feet, tries to---

The shuttle's pulled toward the planet, he realizes, just as he tries to reach a few buttons with his bloody fingers. He can't even stand, he just lies there, with his upper half resting against the seat, arm outstretched in an attempt to fix what could be broken. Ka'anh hisses, bares his teeth, grunts as another wave of pain pushes through him while he tries to stand again - but then the shuttle shakes; Gravitation has finally wrapped itself around his vessel in full, and now the descent upon the foreign planet is sped up with each second that passes.

This will become a hell of a ride, he knows. There's nothing he can do besides holding onto something, pushing himself against a nearby wall, away from anything that could fall down onto him as the shuttle proceeds to fly through the thick atmosphere. It's probably getting too hot as well, with all the shields being offline, unable to protect the shell from the rough treatment of the sudden friction it receives.

The fall itself sends a stomach tumbling and Ka'anh grits his teeth, squeezes his eyes shut, hoping that it will soon be over and that he will survive the impact thats about to come.

He doesn't want to die like this. Not after having managed to flee from his own planet, then getting sucked into what had looked like an opening within the Universe itself, just to be thrown down onto another world he's unfamilair with---

He's afraid, that's the last thing he feels before everything becomes dark and his senses vanish from existence, together with his consciousness.

...

When he awakes again, he's unsure if he's even alive, still.

He's lying on his stomach, outside of his shuttle, with his face buried in dry soil; With every intake of air he inhales some of it, which causes Ka'anh to cough and gasp for oxygen, so he does, almost dry-heaving from the pain it causes him.

He blinks, lifts his head somewhat and looks at a blurry picture in front of him - a mass of gray, perhaps it's his shuttle, parts of it burning and smoke rising into the air. He cannot see clearly, he doesn't hear much, and the pain he's in is excruciating. He's surely broken his right leg, his hip even, because he cannot feel it - his rattling breath tells him at least one broken rip has broken the tissue of his lung, and judged by how dizzy he feels, he must be suffering from what could be a rather serious brain-injury.

But, Ka'anh's alive. he's still here, even though he's just crashed down onto this foreign planet.

A grunt leaves him and he closes his eyes, then inhales as much as he can before he tries to push himself up onto all-fours. There's blood soaked into the dirt beneath him and one of his arms is definitely broken, next to the right leg that won't cooperate... but somehow he keeps himself in this all-fours-position, swallowing down the taste of copper and nausea he feels.

Fuck. Fuck - he needs to get to his shuttle, find the medkit in there---...

[puppyeared]

What did they do to you

[goosesartblog]

this will be the basis for your revolution

[angelpuns]

Lil hater Leo in honor of me FINALLY getting out of bed. Idk what happened to me today but I couldn't get out bed for the longest time ;-;

Anyway just like me, Leo also managed to get out of bed. Now, I for the life of me couldn't figure out what I would want someone to say to me in this situation, so I went the silly route. Probably don't actually say this to someone, I genuinely don't know what I would have wanted someone to say if there were anyone for me to apologize too :/

Anyway here's a transcript:

Leo: I'm sorry...I was supposed to cook dinner, but I did nothing all day...

Yuichi: it's okay!

Yuichi: in the wise words of my great-great-great-grandfather...it just be like that!

Leo, thinking: idk why this is making me feel better

Leo: he did NOT say that

Yuichi: he did, I swear

Anyway I once again would not recommend actually saying this and I don't think Yuichi WOULD say this, but I couldn't think of what I would want someone to say so :/

[theoldkyokodied]

Uploading all my Tomgreg art at once from the past few week before season 4 hits, who knows in what kind of mental state i'm gonna be once it does :')