THE GATES OF HORN AND IVORY: A GEOGRAPHICAL MYTH
Journal Title: Studia Litterarum - Year 2016, Vol 1, Issue 3
Abstract
The articles proposes a new interpretation of the Homeric myth of the gates of horn and ivory that occurs in Book 19 of the Odyssey. It frst argues that horn (the material of the southern gate in neoplatonic commentaries) can be found in the sign of Capricornus. More complex is the argument that also ivory (the material of the northern gate in neoplatonic commentaries) is derived from astronomical myths: the myths discussed are the myth of Adonis (beginning with the story about the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion), the myths of the Erymanthian, the Calydonian, and the Ephesian boars, the myth of Orion, and the myth of the constellation ursa major. An enquiry into the occurance of ivory in Greek mythology leads to the hypothesis that the constellation ursa major was identifed with a boar (with ivory tusks). The hypothesis implies that the gates of horn and ivory were already at the times of Homer understood as an astronomical myth that described the northernmost and southernmost points of the sky.
Authors and Affiliations
Jörg Schulte
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP26105
- DOI 10.22455/2500-4247-2016-1-3-4-82-91
- Views 333
- Downloads 16
THE IMAGE OF THE AUTHOR IN TATYANA TOLSTAYA’S BLOG
The emergence of online journals and web diaries fostered the development of specific language environment in the blogosphere — the writer’s blog. The blog is a unique multifunction platform that enables creativity and...
PETER THE GREAT REVISED: ON THE HISTORY OF THE TEXT OF ALEXEY TOLSTOY’S NOVEL
The article examines Alexey Tolstoy’s incomplete revisions (1944– 1945) of the frst book of his novel Peter the Great. These revisions were taken into account in the course of the text’s preparation for the frst Collec...
THE FORMS OF PROSAIC SPEECH IN AL-SĪRA BY IBN ISHĀQ — IBN HISHĀM
The present article offers an analysis of forms of prosaic speech, seeing them as an important means for producing the literary/historical narrative of “The Life of the Prophet” (Al-sīra al-Nabawiyya) by Ibn Ishāq (d.150...
In this Light Church — Korney is the Hierarch: Recurring Images in the Poetry of Korney Chukovsky and His Contemporaries
The article examines a poetic portrait of Korney Chukovsky. By introducing the figure of the storyteller into several of his tales, the author launched a tradition of representing himself as a fictional character. Read...
Gorky’s Editorial Project The History of the Civil War: On the Materials of the A.M. Gorky (IWL RAS) and RGASPI Archives
The article focuses on the history of Maksim Gorky’s design — the publication of the History of the Civil War volumes. The analysis of Gorky’s correspondence (1929–1930) from the A.M. Gorky archives (IWL RAS) reveals t...