Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins: A Timeless Trope
by Allsion Ebner

(from page one)

So where did they come from?
Why these seven?

They never specifically occur as a list in the Bible. The closest thing, perhaps, appears in Proverbs: "these six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." While a far cry from the seven sins we know today, it presents a vague outline.

Other lists have appeared throughout history and languages, all sharing the same general idea but varying slightly sin to sin. Traditionally, the sins have also been represented by women.

The eventual list was formed with Dante providing an easy to way to keep them sorted. They are all offenses against love. Pride, Envy, and Wrath fall into the category of Perverted Love. Sloth is Insufficient Love. Excessive Love of Earthly Goods is the third category housing Greed, Gluttony, and Lust.

So how about a quick overview of which sin is which to keep things straight?
Sloth, the only sin under Insufficient Love, is another word for laziness, a lack of energy and action.

As for the Perverted Loves, Pride is an extreme case of inordinate self-esteem, Envy is the resentment of another's advantage, and Wrath is strong and vengeful anger.

And while the category name alone sheds a decent light on what brings them together, the sins of Excessive Love are just that. Greed is the desire for material gain, Gluttony the act of consuming more than necessary, and Lust the longing for pleasures of the body.

While the order of the sins, in terms of severity, tend to vary, Pride generally ranks at the top and Sloth at the bottom. Lust is certainly a popular one both today and throughout the art of the ages, but Pride is worse since it is not just the worship of something other than God, but of oneself over God. Talk about a no-no.

But you don't need to delve into the history books just to learn about the sins. Pop culture provides enough information right there for you, waiting to be enjoyed. Here are a couple musts if you are looking to expand your knowledge… or to just enjoy a little sin on the side. (It's your call to decide which category that desire would fit into!)

Movies:
Se7en - Two detectives hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi.
Serenity - A film with the basis of the nature of sin, with the discussion of identifying sins and attempting to eliminate them.
Seven Deadly Sins - A 4-hour Lifetime miniseries that takes a modern look at the Seven Deadly Sins in a high school setting. It is based off of the popular novels by Robin Wasserman, which is a series of seven novels, each with a title and focus on one sin.

Music:
Flogging Molly - "Seven Deadly Sins"
Traveling Wilburys - "Seven Deadly Sins"
Simple Minds - "7 Deadly Sins"
Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins and other Songs

Television:
Supernatural, Season 3, "The Magnificent Seven" - In the season opener, Sam and Dean must deal with opening the Gates of Hell, meeting the demon incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.
America's Next Top Model, Cycle 4, "The Girl Who Gets Bad News" - In this episode of the show, the contestants each embody one of the Seven Deadly Sins in a photoshoot. Brittany is Sloth, Christina - Lust, Kahlen - Wrath, Keenyah - Gluttony, Michelle - Pride, Naima - Envy, and Tatiana - Greed.
Top Chef, Season 2, "Seven" - In this episode, the contestants must create a seven-course meal, with each course representing one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Sam has Wrath, Betty - Sloth, Michael - Envy, Cliff - Greed, Elia - Pride, Marcel - Lust, and Ilan - Gluttony.

Books:
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser - The Redcrosse Knight meets the Seven Deadly Sins in the first book
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - It has been argued that each book in the series focuses on one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Dante's Divine Comedy

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