Malebranche

"They are the claws of the Devil, striking all those who stand in their master's way."

- Beelzebub.

The Malebranche are an elite group of powerful and cruel demons in the Inferno who guard Bolgia Five of the Eighth Circle. Vulgar and quarrelsome, their duty is to force the corrupt politicians (barrators) to stay under the surface of a boiling lake of pitch.

Overview
The Malebranche are demons that have been personally handpicked and elevated to power by Satan himself, and chosen by the devil known as Alastor, whom is the chief demon of torture that occurs throughout Hell, in order to wander the Eighth Circle of the Inferno, and locate damned souls that were once corrupt politicians in the world of the living.

There are currently around 12 demons in the Malebranche, each one powerful and extremely dangerous in their own right. The leader among them is Malacoda, whom is stronger than his comrades and near equal in power to Alastor himself who also oversees their operations.

Description
The Malebranche are said to fly around the circle of Malebolge in search of the most corrupt like vultures awaiting to feast on the carcass of a decaying game. They have been trained by Alastor in the art of physical and psychological torture, and over the centuries they have not wavered in their skills of such an art, and never ceasing to impress Alastor by their creative ways of torture.

History
When Dante and Virgil meet them, the leader of the Malebranche, Malacoda ("Evil Tail"), assigns a troop to escort the poets safely to the next bridge.

Many of the bridges were destroyed in the earthquake that happened at the death of Christ, which Malacoda describes, enabling the time this takes place to be calculated. The troop hook and torment one of the barrators (identified by early commentators as Ciampolo), who names some Italian grafters and then tricks the Malebranche in order to escape back into the pitch.

The demons are dishonest and malicious: the promise of safe conduct the poets have received turns out to have limited value (and there is no "next bridge"), so that Dante and Virgil are forced to escape from them.

Myths and Legends
It is common among commentators on the Inferno to interpret these names as garbled versions of the names of officials contemporary to Dante. For example, Barbariccia may suggest the Ricci family of Florence, or the Barbarasi of Cremona.

List of members

 * Malacoda - The Leader of the Malebranche
 * Barbariccia - The Second-in-Command of the Malebranche
 * Libicocco
 * Cagnazzo
 * Ciriatto
 * Rubicante
 * Scarmiglione
 * Calcabrina
 * Draghignazzo
 * Graffiacane
 * Alichino
 * Farfarello

Quotes

 * "The Malebranche are a bunch of demons whose primary duty is to torment sinners in the eighth circle of Hell by drowing sinners under a boiling lake of tar repeatedly for an eternity. According to a guy I know, it seem like this is as much of a punishment for them as it is for the sinners." - Carl Black.


 * "They bent their hooks and shouted to each other: And shall I give it to him on the rump? And all of them replied, Yes, let him have it! But Malacoda, still in conversation with my good guide, turned quickly to his squadron and said: Be still, Scarmiglione, still!" - Dante, 100–105 of Canto XX.

Trivia

 * Within the book Dante's Inferno, the demons provide some moments of satirical black comedy.

Image Sources

 * (Malebranche.jpg) The Malebranche threaten Virgil and Dante by Gustave Doré
 * (Inf. 21 Priamo della Quercia.jpg) Torments of the Barterers by Giovanni di Paolo
 * (Malebranche by 01gus01 d4idy4j-fullview.jpg) malebranche by 01Gus01