The three giri of Paradiso XXXIII

TL;DR

This paper analyzes Dante's depiction of the three rings of the Holy Trinity in Paradiso 33, combining literary analysis with mathematical topology to explore possible configurations and their theological significance.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interdisciplinary approach by applying knot theory and combinatorics to interpret Dante's visual description of the Trinity.

Findings

Identifies two key topological configurations: the Brunnian link and the (3,3)-torus link.

Provides a mathematical framework for understanding the visual symbolism of the Trinity.

Suggests these configurations align with theological interpretations of the Holy Trinity.

Abstract

Our paper offers an analysis of how Dante describes the tre giri ("three rings") of the Holy Trinity in Paradiso 33 of the Divine Comedy. We point to the myriad possibilities Dante may have been envisioning when he describes his vision of God at this final stage in his journey. Saiber focuses on the features of shape, motion, size, color, and orientation that Dante details in describing the Trinity. Mbirika uses mathematical tools from topology (specifically, knot theory) and combinatorics to analyze all the possible configurations that have a specific layout of three intertwining circles which we find particularly compelling given Dante's description of the Trinity: the round figures arranged in a triangular format with rotational and reflective symmetry. Of the many possible link patterns, we isolate two particularly suggestive arrangements for the giri: the Brunnian link and the (3,3)-torus link. These two patterns lend themselves readily to a Trinitarian model.