Dante’s tricephalus. Origin and meaning of the iconographic motif

The article discusses the origin and symbolism of the tricephalus — an iconographic type used since the 12th century to depict, among other things, the Holy Trinity. Included within it is the portrayal of Lucifer detailed in the Canto XXXIV of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. Illuminated manuscripts dating back to the 14th century contain miniatures showing Lucifer as a distinctive figure with one body and three faces, or in some cases three heads. They became one of the factors contributing to the popularization of such a pattern of depicting Satan. As a direct opposition of the Holy Trinity it was also frequently used in critics’ arguments against it’s tricephalic portrayals. The origins of the tricephalus can be traced back to pre-Christian religions in Europe and beyond. One of the gods appearing in such form, mentioned in various written sources, is Trzygłów worshipped by Baltic Slavs from the modern day Szczecin area. Similar archetypes can also be found in ancient Greek mythology, especially in the figures of the three-headed Cerberus and Hekate. Rooted in Roman mythology is two-headed Ianus, whose name was often used by the opposers of the tricephalic Holy Trinity. Moreover, some research mentions central and east Asian influences — mainly from the Indus Valley.
Due to fairly common use of the tricephalus to depict negative characters — Lucifer and Antichrist, objections to it’s association with the Holy Trinity started to arise, eventually leading to the official ban stated by pope Benedict XIV in Sollicitudini Nostrae in 1745. Tricephalic images were seen as monstrous anomalies unworthy of portraying the highest divinity and posing a risk of misleading it’s viewers. The Christian dogma concerning the triunity of the Holy Trinity was also an important theological aspect emphasised in the criticisms.
To interpret the tricephalus form, it is essential to understand the symbolism of, respectively, the number 3 and head itself; most importantly their association with divinity, authority and all-seeing power, especially in regards to the multiplication of the head. It’s important to note, however, that any body deformations were perceived as an indication of sin and monstrosity. Dantean Lucifer can also be interpreted apart from the iconographical context of the tricephalus. It is theorised that he was meant to be a parody of the Holy Trinity, both through tripling of his faces and assigning them specific colours.
Therefore, the iconographic type used by Dante was extraordinary, embedded in culture contemporary to him, while simultaneously being a part of a larger phenomenon that has not been fully examined yet.