This paper suggests solutions for several puzzles in Penelope's dream in Book 19 of the Odyssey a... more This paper suggests solutions for several puzzles in Penelope's dream in Book 19 of the Odyssey and presents an interpretation of the dream that is tested, refined, and expanded by a comparison to three versions of Barčin's dream in the Uzbek epic Alpāmïš. This typological comparison makes possible an evaluation of the dream that is more objective than the conventional approaches. In particular, the comparison underscores the salience and centrality of the reversal in Penelope's dream (namely the eagle's re-interpretation of the geese as the suitors and himself as Odysseus), an aspect of the dream that is often overlooked. On the basis of this comparative study, I argue further that the Homeric Penelope is not presented as someone who actually sees a dream, but rather as the teller of a dream-tale evocative of wedding songs and traditional bridal pre-wedding dreams. By telling this dream-tale Penelope not only conspires with the beggar-Odysseus in orchestrating his return but turns the moment of their conversation into a pre-return moment in a larger sense by evoking traditional narratives of weddings and returning husbands. A broader comparison of the dialogue between Penelope and Odysseus to that between Alpāmïš and Barčin in the longest attested version of the epic serves to further clarify and confirm the function of the dream in its larger context.
This chapter revisits the story of Agariste's betrothal in Book 6 of Herodotus' Histories and its... more This chapter revisits the story of Agariste's betrothal in Book 6 of Herodotus' Histories and its relation to the Buddhist Jataka tale of the 'Dancing Peacock'. On the one hand, there is no reason to seek the origins of Herodotus' story in diffusion from India or in animal fable and in fact the implicit presumption of similarity to the Jataka has led to some forced interpretations of Herodotus' text. On the other hand, a more systematic comparison between Herodotus and the Indian tale helps clarify elements of Agariste's betrothal, in particular the role of the three protagonists: her father, Cleisthenes of Sicyon, and the two main suitors, Hippocleides and Megacles. It is suggested that the relationship between history and myth in the case of Agariste's betrothal is of a mis-enabime variety. Evidence from India suggests that there is nothing impossible in Cleisthenes staging an epic-like betrothal for his daughter; such a historical event could have been both fictionalized and modeled on myth, which, in its turn, could have reflected prior historical events.
This paper explores the phraseology, imagery and symbolism associated with cows in narratives of ... more This paper explores the phraseology, imagery and symbolism associated with cows in narratives of Greek mysteries. The bull, the cow, and the calf each have their role to play. The bull is associated with the chaotic and terrifying part of the mysteries, the cow is driven on a journey that parallels that of the initiate, and the calf represents resolution and new life enlightened by the understanding of the unity of all beings.
"Eve of the Festival" is a study of Homeric myth-making in the first and longest dialog... more "Eve of the Festival" is a study of Homeric myth-making in the first and longest dialogue of Penelope and Odysseus ("Odyssey 19"). This study makes a case for seeing virtuoso myth-making as an essential part of this conversation, a register of communication important for the interaction between the two speakers. At the core of the book is a detailed examination of several myths in the dialogue in an attempt to understand what is being said and how. The dialogue as a whole is interpreted as an exchange of performances that have the eve of Apollo's festival as their occasion and that amount to activating, and even enacting, the myth corresponding within the "Odyssey" to the ritual event of the festival.
This paper suggests solutions for several puzzles in Penelope's dream in Book 19 of the Odyssey a... more This paper suggests solutions for several puzzles in Penelope's dream in Book 19 of the Odyssey and presents an interpretation of the dream that is tested, refined, and expanded by a comparison to three versions of Barčin's dream in the Uzbek epic Alpāmïš. This typological comparison makes possible an evaluation of the dream that is more objective than the conventional approaches. In particular, the comparison underscores the salience and centrality of the reversal in Penelope's dream (namely the eagle's re-interpretation of the geese as the suitors and himself as Odysseus), an aspect of the dream that is often overlooked. On the basis of this comparative study, I argue further that the Homeric Penelope is not presented as someone who actually sees a dream, but rather as the teller of a dream-tale evocative of wedding songs and traditional bridal pre-wedding dreams. By telling this dream-tale Penelope not only conspires with the beggar-Odysseus in orchestrating his return but turns the moment of their conversation into a pre-return moment in a larger sense by evoking traditional narratives of weddings and returning husbands. A broader comparison of the dialogue between Penelope and Odysseus to that between Alpāmïš and Barčin in the longest attested version of the epic serves to further clarify and confirm the function of the dream in its larger context.
This chapter revisits the story of Agariste's betrothal in Book 6 of Herodotus' Histories and its... more This chapter revisits the story of Agariste's betrothal in Book 6 of Herodotus' Histories and its relation to the Buddhist Jataka tale of the 'Dancing Peacock'. On the one hand, there is no reason to seek the origins of Herodotus' story in diffusion from India or in animal fable and in fact the implicit presumption of similarity to the Jataka has led to some forced interpretations of Herodotus' text. On the other hand, a more systematic comparison between Herodotus and the Indian tale helps clarify elements of Agariste's betrothal, in particular the role of the three protagonists: her father, Cleisthenes of Sicyon, and the two main suitors, Hippocleides and Megacles. It is suggested that the relationship between history and myth in the case of Agariste's betrothal is of a mis-enabime variety. Evidence from India suggests that there is nothing impossible in Cleisthenes staging an epic-like betrothal for his daughter; such a historical event could have been both fictionalized and modeled on myth, which, in its turn, could have reflected prior historical events.
This paper explores the phraseology, imagery and symbolism associated with cows in narratives of ... more This paper explores the phraseology, imagery and symbolism associated with cows in narratives of Greek mysteries. The bull, the cow, and the calf each have their role to play. The bull is associated with the chaotic and terrifying part of the mysteries, the cow is driven on a journey that parallels that of the initiate, and the calf represents resolution and new life enlightened by the understanding of the unity of all beings.
"Eve of the Festival" is a study of Homeric myth-making in the first and longest dialog... more "Eve of the Festival" is a study of Homeric myth-making in the first and longest dialogue of Penelope and Odysseus ("Odyssey 19"). This study makes a case for seeing virtuoso myth-making as an essential part of this conversation, a register of communication important for the interaction between the two speakers. At the core of the book is a detailed examination of several myths in the dialogue in an attempt to understand what is being said and how. The dialogue as a whole is interpreted as an exchange of performances that have the eve of Apollo's festival as their occasion and that amount to activating, and even enacting, the myth corresponding within the "Odyssey" to the ritual event of the festival.
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