Essay Odyssey and religion

Submitted By Swannnyyy21
Words: 1404
Pages: 6
Open Document
There has long been a fashion among critics and historians, including Sir James Frazier and Graham Hancock, to insist upon taking the account of Odysseus' voyage to Hades in Book XI of the Odyssey at near face-value as a description of people and places familiar to a Greek audience of Homer's day. Both linguistics and comparative history have been employed to discover exactly how accurately this originally oral epic conveys this gritty realism. Something, however, is not right with this purely empiric approach. What is missing is an examination through the lens of ancient religious practices. Surely a literary work so teeming with deities-wise Athena, spiteful Poseidon, impish Hermes, omnipotent Zeus-deserves such study.

In protohistoric times, the worshipers of the gods sought out mystic union with their deities by means of bodily mortification and ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs. These practices are spelled out both in the Rig Veda of India and the Chinese Book of Songs. In the Veda, Indra is worshiped in a ritual that includes large doses of soma. The Book of Songs, compiled by Confucius from the many texts of poetry and myth at his disposal, contains repeated accounts of trance and religious ekstasis. In the twenty-second chapter of St. John's Revelation, the Koine Greek term translated as sorcerers in the King James Bible is pharmakeusin Literally, this word denotes those who use drugs to achieve arcane effects. Since plants were the mainstay of medical science in those distant days, a secondary meaning might be applied: herbalists. Robin Fox, in his book Pagans and Christians, argues that the role of such figures as the Sybil of Cumae and the Delphic prophetess in relation to ancient society was synonymous with our modern profession of psychotherapist.

Turning specifically to Greek mythology, there are various references to herbalism and herbal "magic." For instance, metamorphic episodes-such as that of Apollo and Daphne-are related. In these tales, either a god or the beloved of said god is transformed into a sacred plant and ascribed the character of the divinity. It is believed that the celebration of the Eleusian Mysteries involved the consumption of hallucinogenic mushrooms to effect union of the initiate with the gods.

At this point, a brief summary of the events leading to Odysseus' underworld experience is in order. The hero and his crew make landfall on an island ruled by the Sorceress, Circe. According to several traditions, she is daughter to Helios, the sun god. When encountered by an advance party commanded by Eurylokhos, Circe transforms all the men into pigs by means of a powerful drug insinuated into food and drink. Eurylokhos escapes this fate and is able to warn Odysseus. Hermes then descends to instruct Odysseus in how to overcome the witch. It is curious that, instead of displaying his power to nullify Circe's magic, Hermes arms Odysseus with a sprig of a plant called moly. Evidently, the aura of herbalism was such that only more herbalism could compete. Having rendered the sorceress helpless, Odysseus is persuaded by her to remain on the island for a full year. At year's end, Circe advises the hero to journey to Hades in order that he may learn from the shade of the blind prophet, Tiresias, how a return to Ithaca can be safely accomplished.

If we recall the fact that witches and warlocks enjoyed the status of psychotherapists and counselors in classical times, the "magic" involved in helping Odysseus reach Hades can easily be discerned. Let us imagine the preparation for his "voyage."

The hero has reclined on a reed mat and is repeating the mantra given him by the witch. His body is growing numb after drinking a proffered cup of fermented honey mixed with sacred herbs. Circe annoints his body with pomade-possibly containing henbane and belladonna, the herbs used by medieval witches to gain the ability to fly-as she begins her own prayers to Hecate and Hades. As Odysseus
Show More

Related Documents: Essay Odyssey and religion

Religion In The Odyssey

Religion is an ever changing factor in society and one that tells scholars a lot about the society in which it existed. The society and popular religion’s understanding of the afterlife is usually a clear representation of what people valued while still alive. The afterlife is an aspect of religion that has stayed with humans from its conception into the modern age. It is a very human need to understand death; where mankind go’s at the end and what awaits them there. An example of these ever-changing…

Words 1142 - Pages 5

Role Of Religion In The Odyssey

Odyssey’s plot revolves around religion. More specifically, Greek Mythology. In The Odyssey, mortal’s live to please the Gods and Goddess’. Homer depicted each of the challenges that arose in the book as one that a god had influenced. For example, the constant mention of and interaction between mortals and deities. Deities play a big role in the book’s plot, often presenting challenges and obstacles the main character has to overcome. An example would be in book ten of The Odyssey when Odysseus climbs up…

Words 154 - Pages 1

Common Themes In O Brother, Where Art Thou?

real plot. For Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, and the Coen brother’s movie, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, the same rules apply. The themes in both of these medians make both storylines meaningful and give the character’s purpose. Although O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, a film by the Coen brothers, and The Odyssey portray these themes in somewhat different ways, both medians include the themes of religion and…

Words 1098 - Pages 5

Essay On Athena's Relationship In The Odyssey

the bad are punished for being greedy. Man’s relationship with the gods in The Odyssey varies depending upon their opinion and also whether man has good or bad intentions. Examples of this relationship include the gods providing wisdom, protecting and hindering based on a situation. Odysseus, the main character, embodies wisdom as he is favored by Athena because of it. A multitude of characters are wise within The Odyssey, but Odysseus, by far, is the most noteworthy of them. “The grey-eyed goddess…

Words 886 - Pages 4

Critique paper

room filled with unique and outstanding master pieces. While entering the Arts of Asia Gallery, a video that was playing on the wall caught my eye. It showed the actual process that artist Cai Guo- Qiang used while working on his largest drawing, Odyssey (2010). Qiang was born in 1957 in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China. He is a contemporary artist who has most recently started using gun powder in his painting to confront the controlled artistic tradition and social climate in China. In 1999…

Words 1492 - Pages 6

Odysseus: The Tragic Hero Of Homer's Odyssey

was brave and ventured all around the world in search of his home after he fought and won the Trojan War. The Odyssey was one of the first hero’s journey plot lines ever made and recorded, and so we get to see how Homer’s rendition of this fantastic journey represents this egotistical king as rightfully epic hero. It’s safe to say he went to hell and back, literally. Book 11 of the Odyssey states, “-and my neck was broken away from the spine and my spirit went down to the house of Hades.” Odysseus…

Words 909 - Pages 4

The Odyssey And Fahrenheit 451

Obligation, responsibility, and control - such values have shaped the general public. Society, at large, is heavily dependent on the judgment of others, and people effectively act on this. As exemplified in The Odyssey by Homer, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Tempest by Shakespeare, “Sad State of Happiness” by Jean Twenge, “The Need to Belong” by Roy F. Baumeister and Mark R. Leary, “Relation between Individual and Society” by Anayet Hossain, and “Theory of Four Needs” by Charles Peck Jr., the…

Words 145 - Pages 1

The Odyssey, Fahrenheit 451, And The

in The Odyssey by Homer, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Tempest by Shakespeare, and other scholarly articles, the human mind showcases many instances of conforming and cause-and-effect relationships. Hence, the state of a community and the individuals in it reflect each other; neither exists separately, as a community can only exist with the individuals in it, while it is human nature to crave companionship. We shape each other: from the beginnings of society, mutual aid and religion, society…

Words 1212 - Pages 5

Ethical Issues In The Odyssey Essay

works that have characters who struggle with moral decisions from within, and later grow from their life decisions, are known as bildungsromans. There have been many pieces throughout history that assimilate to this literary genre. One of which, The odyssey, will be used in this essay. Throughout this paper I will discuss the ethical issues of bribery, deception,…

Words 1854 - Pages 8

Greek philosophy Essay

word here is society. This implies that the concept of morality was different in various cultures and in different periods of history. Homer in the Odyssey laid that concepts of morality, which for the modern reader may seem strange and even incomprehensible. It should also borne in mind that the main source of morality in the modern world is religion. In the holy scriptures accurately declared the rules that should comply to be highly moral person. In ancient Greece, did not exist similar code of…

Words 768 - Pages 4