Nekyia of Odysseus

Flashcards covering key concepts from Homer's conception of the Underworld and the Nekyia of Odysseus.

Odysseus

King of Ithaca and primary character of Homer's Odyssey, known for his journey home after the Trojan War

Has an archetypical Trickster

what is a trickster

A character that uses their voice, speech, and wit to get what they want

what happened to Odysseus in Aeaea

He encountere with Circe, who turned his men into swine
In order to not be turned as well Hermes gave Odysseus a moli to trick Circe
He forces Circe to change his men back but they have to stay there for a year (slept with Circe)

He recieved guidance from Circe and was told to perform a Nekyia at the edge of the world

who is Circe

A powerful witch that transformed Odysseus’ men into swine

Nekyia

A ritual performed by Odysseus to communicate with the dead in the Underworld
He was tasked to communicate with a dead seer Teiresias

who is Teiesias

Dead seer that has information on how to get back to Ithica for Odysseus
He told Odysseus that there are 2 paths that will happen on his way back; peaceful vs. restless route

2nd soul that interacted with Odysseus

Katábasis

The journey to the Underworld
Many of the great hereo’s overcome this (die and live again ex. hercules)

Circe

A witch on the island of Aeaea who turns Odysseus's men into swine.

how do you conduct a Nekyia

You go to the edge of the world by the ocean (must have no sun)
Dig a trench and pour liberations of honey and milk mixed together, then wine, then water for the dead

Sprinke Barley over the area to purify

Then pray for the dead, promising to sacrfice the best barren heifer you havem and burn the pyre with plenty of treasure
You must also use a black sheep’s blood to offer and pour it into the trench
The souls of the dead will then swarm the offering and when they drink the blood they can talk

Elpenor

First soul that Odysseus encountered

A former shipmate of Odysseus who he encounters in the Underworld
He fell of the roof drunk and died; he remained unburied because Odysseus was in a hurry but now he cannot rest and enter the underworld
He wantsto be buried in a funeral Pyre with his weapon and armor wants to be buried by the sea and a row as a marker because he wants to be remembered

what are restless souls

Souls that were not buried and can become a curse

Ex. Elpenor

who is Anticleia

mother of Odysseus

Died of a broken heart because her son couldn’t return

tried to hug her son 3 times but she was a spirit

When talking to Odysseus she was not told new information

who were the 4th soul talking to Odysseus

Women who gave birth to or married princes

who was the 5th soul talking to Odysseus

Agamemnon the leader of Greeks during the Trojan war
He was the one who enraged Achilles

who was the 6th soul talking to Odysseus

Achilles
Confessed that he did not want to be great and said the living was better
He had a great afterlife because of a cult of heroes worshipped after their death

who were the last soul

Ajax and Heracles who spoke to Odysseus about their struggles and regrets in life

who is orion

A giant hunter that was placed by Zeus to a consstellation

called Orion-constellation

what does Minos do in Odysseus

He became the judge of the underworld

Sisyphus

An archetypical trickster punished to roll a boulder uphill for eternity; everytime the boulder is at the top it rolls back to the bottom

why was Sisyphus punished

ToldAsopus that Zeus had abducted his daugther so Zeus sent Hades (death) after him

But he chained death to his bed and Ares had to release him alter on
He then tricked death again by not being buried and tricked Persephone to be to back from the underworld

Tartarus

One of the realms of the Underworld, a deep abyss used as a dungeon of torment.

Cerberus

The three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades.

who were the 3 judges of the underworld

Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Aeacus

what are Charron

Ferries people across the river Acheron or the Lake Acherusia
People were buried with a coin in their mouth to pay his fare

Isles of the Blessed according to Hesoid

A peaceful realm in the afterlife where heroes from the Age of Heroes ended up, according to Hesiod

What is Homer’s conception of isles of the blessed

mentioned that Helen gets to have a good afterlife with her husband