The Two Girls / The Two Souls are a pair of damned female souls in the second circle of the Inferno (Lust) who accompany the group. Both have names beginning with “M”. They want to be united eternally like Paolo and Francesca, bound by love beyond the condemnation.
| Type | Characters (a pair) |
| Place | Second circle (Lust) |
| Spanish entry | Las dos almas |
Account
- They first appear early in the Descent and later enter a cave.
- The group tries a ritual with a bone dagger, the wrong weapon: it requires a longsword, specific chants and hope, which only non-damned beings can give. The group gives each girl a handful of sparks of hope. This first attempt fails or succeeds only in part.
- Bertrand tells the story of Paolo and Francesca.
- The ritual is completed with the magic sword obtained from the Tempestari. The girls receive hope and are united.
- They sleep in the cave when the chronicler describes them by reference to Gustave Courbet’s painting (1866), as repainted by queer artists.
Open questions
- Their full names are not recorded.