The Odyssey: Ch. 5-8

Words I learned:

• bulwark (p. 48) - wall built for defense, aka, sides to the ship
• adze (p. 48) - tool for hollowing or smoothing wood
• petrel (p. 51) - a bird named after St. Peter, who was said to walk on water.  The bird flies right above the water, sometimes with its feet dangling in.  Ino rises from the water in this fashion to talk to Odysseus.

Phrases I liked:

• "Dawn from her couch...rose to bring light" (p.45) - classic anthropomorphism
• "Sweet life ebbed away in longings for his home" (p. 48) - you can just see his soul wearing away when day after day he is away from his home
• "Coil of evil that surrounds him" (p. 50) - no place for escape of it
• (p. 51) The different winds take turns hurling Odysseus through the waves, each one passing him off to the next.
• "And may the gods grant all that in your thoughts you long for: husband and home and true accord may they bestow; for better and higher gift then this there cannot be, when with accordant aims man and wife have a home.  Great grief it is to foes and joy to friends; but they themselves best know its meaning." (p.58) - Another reference to how fulfilling a family is.  I'm still stuck in a rut where I don't know what direction I want my life to go in.  At one time I thought I was quite the feminist, but I've realized lately how much I want a husband and children to nurture.  It doesn't help that my little sister has two kids, and lots of my friends are getting married and having babies. I'm not in a hurry, and I know there's still a lot I want to do before I really settle down, but my goals of being a rich important businesswomen have changed considerably.
• "There is no greater glory for a man in all his life than what he wins with his own feet and hands." (p.72) - I have lots of friends without jobs who rely on others for what they need.  On one hand, I think its good to have to rely on others for necessities- it teaches you to be thankful and get rid of pride.  But on the other hand, I think there is so much to be said for being able to look at what you have and know that you yourself made it happen.  It reminds me of what a friend told me he wanted his life to be: wholesome, simple, and industrious.
• "For a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother." (p.79) - Reminds me of a poem by Christina Rosetti, I think it's from Goblin Market... (pardon the bullets)
• For there is no friend like a sister,
• In calm or stormy weather,
• To cheer one on the tedious way,
• To fetch one if one goes astray,
• To lift one if one totters down
• To strengthen whilst one stands

Recurring themes:

• Birds:
• Hermes is compared to a gull when he nears the Calypso's island (p.46)
• Ino rises like a petrel (p.51)
• Pride in death
• (p.50) Odysseus wishes he had died with his comrades and had gotten a proper burial.  I would like to know more about the Greek's afterlife belief.

Other thoughts/questions:

• (p.48)  It says that Calypso "pleased him no more."  I'm not sure of the whole situation on the island, but was he satisfied with her at first?  I'm assuming that there weren't any sexual relations because he's such a good guy and all, but it makes me wonder.  Also, he sleeps next to her "unwillingly", but still, sleeps next to her.  It seems like women of that time would (dare I say) know their place in the realm of courtship and love, but Calypso seems pretty pushy.  I guess since she's a goddess, she does what she wants.
• Athena appears to Nausicaa in a dream to give her instructions (p. 55).  Earlier, (p. 44) Athene comes to Penelope in a dream to tell her not to fret.  In the Bible, it is in a dream that the angel Gabriel comes to Joseph to tell him to marry Mary.  Why do messengers come in dreams?  Is it more believable for the recipients to tell people that they dreamed something crazy and were going to do it?  Does it allow the messenger to only be seen by the recipient?  Is it just metaphorical for "sleeping on" an idea and waking up knowing just what to do?
• After many parts of the story where characters eat and drink wine to their hearts desire, the line where Nausicaa's mother puts wine in a jug for her day trip (p.56) finally got me wondering.  Are these people getting wasted all day, every day?  Though it seems to be a big part of society, packing up a jug for your daughter to drink while doing chores seems a bit excessive.  Maybe it was very nutritious at the time.  A friend told me the other day that Homer was a drunk- so maybe he just wanted his characters to share his obsession.  This website says that Odysseus enjoyed it because it allowed him loose lips.  I'm not convinced.

The Odyssey: Ch.1-4

Words I learned:

• kine (p.1) - plural of cow
• skill in birds (p.5)- After continued reading, the story of how Zeus sent out the pair of eagles to warn the suitors (p.13), kind of explains that birds are signs of things to come, and one might be skilled in reading them as one may read Tarot.  This site says it is the interpretation of the flight of birds   The Odyssey footnotes
• wimple (p.7) - a cloth worn by married women to cover their hair and possibly show status.  It would make sense that Penelope was wearing one because she is both married and rich.

Phrases that jumped out at me:

• "rover among men" (p.4)-  I like how it describes a traveler.
• "skein of war was wound" (p.5) - comparing events in a lifetime to fibers being woven together to form a single thread.  Aren't there three mythological women who cut threads to kill people?  Maybe this phrase is referring to that.
• "As he marked this in his mind, an awe came on his heart; he knew a god was with him." (p.7) - Sometimes you meet people that you seem to come into contact with at just the right time.  My current (and loose!)  spiritual belief is that everything on this earth, since it has energy, will respond to people's intentions and all this energy together makes up what some people would call God.  This phrase just reminds me of when something perfect happens and you suspect that something bigger than yourself is involved.
• winged words - seems to be quite the argument Discussion of "winged words"
• "The winds swelled out the belly of the sail" (p.18) - great figurative language
• "When a man dies, how good it is to leave a son! (p.22) - The subject of children seems to be prevalent in my life right now.  Yesterday, I asked my dad, who has three daughters, if he was sad he hadn't had a son.  He said no in a way that didn't convince me.  I guess this is most people's thought on that prospect.
• "Only because as guests we often had our food of strangers, are we here..." (p.29) - It's nice to be able to say that you have relied on the kindness of others.  It helps you to be kind yourself.
• "Easily is his offspring known to whom the son of Kronos allots a boon in birth and marraige" (p.33) - I can't put my finger on the Bible verse this sounds like, but I seem to remember a verse promising good children to people who loved the Lord.
• "shining feet" (p.34) - Everyone putting on sandals has shining feet.  Maybe because their rich and therefore able to be freshly showered?
• "Are you so very helpless, stranger, and unnerved, or do you willingly give way, taking a pleasure in your pains?" (p.36) - Am I actually stuck in a terrible situation or do I thrive on the drama I get from it and stay?
• "Coursing ships, which serve men for sea-horses..." (p.42) - ship=horse on the sea
• "heart-eating anguish"(p.42) - good description

Other thoughts:

Athena, or her exit of a situation, is repeatedly described as bird-like.  On page seven, it is a sea-hawk.

Everyone seems to question if Telemachus is really Odysseus's son.  

• "if you are indeed his child" (p.21)

Hospitality- Everyone that Telemachus visits is so good to him.  Food is always offered before anything is discussed, and it seems that everyone is always drunk and eating roasted meat.  Telemachus is a stranger to most hosts, but they treat him as family, giving him parting gifts and any transportation or other requests he voices.  This kind of reminds me of the couchsurfing website I'm a part of.  Anyone can sign up and offer their home for weary travelers, or get a free place to stay while traveling.  I love this idea so much.  There are so many generous people in the world, and this site gives them a way to connect and offer something as simple as a place to stay.  I have stayed with a couple in Memphis and a young women in Atlanta.  I hosted two young guys going to Arizona for a job.  They had college degrees, but worked as servers at whichever national park suited their fancy that season.  Couchsurfing is also a great way to meet people and have connections for later travels.

• (p. 25) Nestor is appalled that a son of Odysseus would sleep on the deck of a ship and makes him stay in his house.