Allusions in the Odyssey

1. Allusions in the Odyssey “Why cover the same ground again? ... It goes against my grain to repeat a tale told once, and told so clearly.” -Homer, The Odyssey

2. What is an allusion? • An allusion is a reference • within a literary work, • to another work of fiction, • a film, • a piece of art, • or even a real event.

3. Why do writers use allusions? • serves as a kind of shorthand, • provide greater context or meaning to the situation • Gives a richer understanding of the work • a kind of hypertext • links the reader to another tradition or literary history being written about. • sampling other works, the way DJs sample other songs. • Shows appreciation for the other work

4. How effective are aallusions? If the reader, viewer, listener understands the reference, the allusion can be very effective, kind of like an inside joke. If the reader, viewer or listener doesn’t understand the allusion, it may be confusing or lost on

5. How do you increase your understanding of allusions Read Watch smart television and movies Listen to intelligent conversation

6. Most students are aware of the allusions in the Percy Jacksonbooks and movies • In The Battle of the Labyrinth, a girl in trapped on an island just as Odysseus is trapped on Calypso’s island • But there are many other allusions to the Odyssey in popular fiction • Atlas and Calypso also appear in Tad William’s Otherworld Series

7. In popular literatureDiscworldNovels An inept wizard named Rincewind bumps into an ancient ancestor who has ended a siege with the help of a large wooden horse. The ancestor is a bit worried about getting home after the war has ended. "Oh you get home all right," says Rincewind airily, "there are whole stories about you getting home." Rincewind meets his deceased ancestor in Hell.

8. The Starcrossed Novels A trilogy that starts with a modern-day version of the relationship that started the Trojan War (a beautiful girls swept away by someone) A teenaged girl is in the role of Helen of Troy

9. Raised by Wolves A werewolf series that contains many allusions to events from the Odyssey including the Trojan Horse

10. Other literature James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) Some of the tales of Sinbad the Sailor from One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights) Nikos Kazantzakis’s The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, a 33,333 line epic poem which continues Odysseus's journeys past the point of his arrival in Ithaca. Charles Frazier’s 1997 novel Cold Mountain about a confederate war deserter returning home Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiadretells the story from Penelope’s point of view A part of Thomas Wolfe's novel Of Time and the River is entitled Telemachus R L Fanthorpe's novel Negative Minus contains the names of the Odyssey’s characters spelled backwards (for example "Suessydo", "Ecric" and "Acahti"). Dan Simmons’ Ilium and Olympos are science fiction adaptations of the Iliad and Odyssey with robots and posthumans.* Dr. Jonathan Shay's Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming" (2002) uses Odysseus as metaphor to focus on the veteran’s experience upon returning from war There are many other pieces of literature including plays and poems that reference The Odyssey

11. Allusions to the Odyssey in modern as well as classical music

12. Allusions to the Odyssey in Popular Music • The American metal band Symphony X made a 24 minute long musical version of the poem titles “The Odyssey” • To the one that I love, my journey has begunWhen our eyes meet once more there will be peaceThe taste of your lips the warmth of your touchagain, forever, two souls as oneSeems like forever that my eyes have been deniedHome - I'm dreaming of the homeI've been twenty years away from all I ever knewto return would make my dream come trueSeasons of sorrow have stolen all my yearsI miss the rolling hills of IthacaI've been through battles and cried a sea of tearsbut the tide is changing, and with it all my fearsSeems like forever that my eyes have been deniedHome - I'm dreaming of the homeI've been twenty years away from all I ever knewto return would make my dream come trueBehold the sea and winds of JoveWe set sail guided by the stars aboveThe ports of Troy escape our viewa cold and stormy fate awaits our rendezvousOnward we ride, into the raging furySetting our course by the moon and sunWe forge ahead seeking gloryYet the journey has just begun. • The Steely Dan Song “Home at Last” on the Aia album features an unnamed Odysseus as narrator

13. .The Steely Dan Song “Home at Last” on the Aia album features an unnamed Odysseus as narrator • I know this super highwayThis bright familiar sunI guess that I'm the lucky oneWho wrote that tired sea songSet on this peaceful shoreYou think you've heard this one beforeWell the danger on the rocks is surely pastStill I remain tied to the mastCould it be that I have found my home at lastHome at lastShe serves the smooth retsinaShe keeps me safe and warmIt's just the calm before the stormCall in my reservationSo long hey thanks my friendI guess I'll try my luck againWell the danger on the rocks is surely pastStill I remain tied to the mastCould it be that I have found my home at lastHome at last

14. OtherSongs John Denver’s “Calypso” about a ship named Calypso Suzanne Vega’s “Calypso” about a woman forced to let a man she loves go Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds “More News from Nowhere” summarizing the story of Odysseus and Calypso

15. Movies and TelevisionFire and Ice – Vol. VI of The Game of Thrones Contains a character named Cerci Frey, who is as much a temptress as Circe is to Odysseus

16. Other Allusions to the OdysseyIn Books and Films John Irving’s Cider House Rules The main character, Homer, returns home to the orphanage where he grew up to a doctor who waits for his return.

17. There are many references to the Odyssey In Movies In Pirates of the Carribean, the goddess Calypso, once in love with Davy Jones, becomes trapped in human form and assumes the name Tia Dalma

18. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou • The beginning of the film, "O Muse! Sing in me, and through me tell the story….. • characters in the film share names with similar characters in the Odyssey: • Ulysses, the Latin form of the Greek name Odysseus, is the first name of the film's protagonist, Ulysses Everett McGill. • Menelaus 'Pappy' O'Daniel, who pardons the Soggy Bottom Boys at the end of the film, shares his first name with the King of Sparta who fought alongside Odysseus at Troy. • Homer Stokes, who shares his first name with the author of the classical text. • Everett’s wife is named Penny, a shortened version of Penelope, is the name of Everett’s wife. • Washer women try to seduce the hero like The Sirens try to seduce the Heros • A character named Vernon tries to marry Penny just as the suitors wait to marry Penelope. • A blind railroad hobo parallels Tiresius, the blind ghost prophet.

19. The Odyssey is even alluded to in video games In the Twisted Metal games, the name Calypso is given to a male character who grants one wish which often backfires to other characters

20. “2001: a Space Odyssey,”   with the nominal hero surviving by himself after several trials, including the outer space equivalent of a shipwreck.   

21. Allusions Can Be Funny! Saturday Night Live re-imagined the Sirens using the exact opposite of seductivemusic used to lure Odysseus and his heroic crew: bland ’90s chick rock. http://www.mediaite.com/tv/snls-sexy-sirens-seduce-ancient-greek-heroes-with-bland-90s-girl-rock/

22. So …. • Allusions increase our enjoyment of many art forms, but you can only enjoy literary allusions IF You are familiar with…. LITERATURE!