WOMEN in the Odyssey

Here your myth fella JC again with an interesting blog post, a small essay (just some of my thoughts, not a PhD for a big university) of the role of women in the Odyssey, fundational work of the western literature. For that time period in wich Homer wrote it (circa 800 BCE) and the time where the events of the Odyssey happened (possibly late bronze age), it was the norm that male roles where the main and almost all point of view, particullary, the Odyssey has a balance of male and female main roles, i could say it possibly has the largest number of female main characters by that time. The context of ancient myceanean civilization and later ancient greek civilization, was a patriarcal culture where women role was domestic with very low agency on power structures or even own destiny, with a few exceptions, notably in this Homer's piece, in wich at some point, Odysseus mission to returning home it's on destiny of female forces, different women in some case aiding and guiding his return, in others delaying or put him in danger. Small summary: our main character, Odysseus, was the king of Ithaca with his wife Penelope, part of the Acheans (greeks by now) was called to sail to Troy to participate in the war (events of The Illiad, also written by Homer), he wasnt sail to Troy, he explicitly wanted to stay home with Penelope, he was taken anyway, during the trojan war (that lasted 10 years) despite he wasnt the central figure, he was a actively and important asset to the acheans, notably for his cunning who was in part one of the causes of their victory. during the end of the war, the sacrilages acts of the acheans angered the gods, many of those acheans were cursed on their return home or at Troy final days. Odysseus was certainly sentenced to wander and meet dangers, now on the events of The Odyssey, one of the dangers he and his crew meet was Polyphemos, a giant cyclops son of Poseidon, Odysseus cunning tricked and blinded Polyphemos to escape from him, this event led to Poseidon curse Odysseus with storms and wander in the sea, by this point Odysseus and his crew meet some dangers, until they get to Circe's island, in wich will focus this blog, curiously all the person Odysseus will meet will be woman, and even danger he will meet will be female monsters. PENELOPE The lovely wife, archetype of a loyal wife, faithful, domestic, home warm, but not a stereotype, Penelope shares with Odysseus the intelligence and cunning, despite being seen as weak by others, she always had a plan in her mind. At the begining of the Odyssey, most of the surviving acheans kings of the trojan was had already returned to their kingdoms, the Ithaca kingdom was absent of king, only Penelope had hope Odysseus was still alive and will return, a large amount of suitors of the queen was there in the kingdom, most of them just see Penelope as a tool to achieve a kingdom and a king status by marryng her, Penelope develop a plan in wich stated she will choose a suitor when she finish weaving a large shroud, a large funeral shroud for her father-in-law she wove everyday, but secretly unwove everynight, never finish it delaying her new marriage, until this scheme was discover, she stated the chosen suitor will be chosen by a series of games, that included a archery competition with Odysseus's bow, this bow was originally by Heracles, a kinda magic/legendary bow wich mortal men cant draw, clever Penelope plan who ensures all of the suitors will fail except Odysseus himself or her son Telemachus. The female role and power, excent a common woman, but also its agency is limited by society, her destiny is in final terms by men, althrought Penelope manage to achieve her will and desire with the limited tools society gave to women. CIRCE Odyssus meet her at Aeaea island, the god Hermes himself gave Odysseus a drug to be inmune to Circe spells, he discover that his crew who previously sent to explore the island were turned into pigs, Circe got impressed to Odysseus resistance to her spells and rather fear or upset, admire and start a relation with him. Circe was a sorceress, daughter of Helios a sun deity, brother to Aetes king of Colchis (events of the Argonauts), notable for her power, represent something that by then greek and patriarchal societies fear; woman with power. She is also an archetype of seductive power, also something society fears, the seductive enchants of a woman who could men fall down, in difference with Penelope who is beauty but more associated to a mother/wife/home demure, Circe is more explicitly to be sensual, a sexual-desire mytheme, something some ancient culture would glorify and worship, something medieval society would demonize. Back to the story, she retained Odysseus 1 year, Odysseus wishs was to return home to Penelope, despite Circe wanted him to stay, noted the love she had for him wasnt reciprocal, she let him go, let his crew back to human form, gave him supplies, guide and help to travel back to Ithaca, couriously the dangers Odysseus will face now on, all are female monsters, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, who wich only could pass through by help and instrucctions Circe gave him, making Circe both, a posible danger and a cause of delay from his return to home and an important ally and help in his return home. CALYPSO Calypso is a immortal nymph, daughter of the titan Atlas, who lived lonely in the Ogygia island. By the time Odysseus landed on her island, he had loss all his crew (due some mistakes their men did and others didnt survive the monsters previously mentioned). She fell in love with Odysseus, retaining him in the island, against his will, for 7 years, in difference with Circe, both gorgeous women, she didnt wanted to let Odysseus go, at petition of Athena, Zeus himself ordered Calypso to let him go, she had to do it, important thing for this blog, she shout at the sky and exclaim how unequal and double-moral was the fact most male gods had mortal lovers or take mortal women, meanwhile it is see with bad eyes to female deities had mortal lovers. Similar to Circe we hace here a mytheme of seduction power, with some difference, Calypso offered Odysseus the gifth of immortality wich him refused, Calypso embody the trapping power of paradise, the temptation, and pleasure who detains heroes from their destiny, in difference with Circe, Calypso loves for Odysseus seems much more selfish, she let him go but with not much further help, contrary to Circe who evidencies she helped a safe return and shower worry about the danger gaving him instrucction to survive. NAUSICAA Nausicaa a princess daughter of the king of Phaecia, she found Odysseus unconscious and in a bad state near the shore, after he castaway from Calypso's island, Nausicaa was an important help for Odysseus to finally return home to Ithaca, she convice her father to help Odysseus, even they knew and fear that the curse of this man could fall upon them or the kingdom. Even she evidence love for Odysseus and initially propose to marry him so he can have a peaceful life in Phaecia, she is in the opposite side of Calypso, she directly help him and in a pure form, she accepts and admire Odysseus marriage reject and wish for return to Penelope, she is more near to the Penelope kind of woman, but youth, more innocence and idealistic role yet clever and mature, represents the ideals of a virginal woman, oldschools ideals of a woman to marry some let to stereotype, yet in the Odyssey her role is more deep, she is sort of a "down to earth" heroism, similar to Penelope, she play her role with the limited power society gave, represents high virtues for greek society by then, the hospitality (xenia) and the link from the wild journey to civilization. Final words, i hope you enjoyed the reading, there is also other importan female roles, as i mentioned there are female monster, but those are more, monster-like with no dialogues, on a male centered civilization, some or most of the danger man/heroe face are female gender, also most of the help and salvation, also female gender. I didnt include Athena with Penelope, Circe, Calypso and Nausicaa because she is a goddess and isnt under the rules of men, but she punish and save acheans during and after the trojan war, being Odysseus the one she particullary protect, they share the atribute of intelligence, most of the times Odysseus is divine helped is because Athena ask for, of Athena herself shows to help him, most of the time she helped Telemachus, Odysseus's son.