Some Personal Thoughts on Home and Hearth from "The Odyssey" Books V - VIII by Homer
Stephen Alexander Beach
The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid, in my opinion, all have this constant theme of home; whether it’s defending one’s home, seeking to find a new home, or in this case, trying to return home, there’s always some drama surrounding it. This brings up a question for reflection, though, "What is a home?". What is implied in the definition of home? Certainly King Alcinous palace and island is an example of a home that is flourishing. Likewise Odysseus constantly pines for home, and seems to say that home is the highest of all goods as he blesses Nausicaa. “And may the good gods give you all your heart desires: husband, and house, and lasting harmony too. No finer, greater gift in the world than that ... when man and woman possess their home, two minds, two hearts that work as one. Despair to their enemies, a joy to all their friends. Their own best claim to glory." (Bk 6 195-205)
What Is A Home?
The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid, in my opinion, all have this constant theme of home; whether it’s defending one’s home, seeking to find a new home, or in this case, trying to return home, there’s always some drama surrounding it. This brings up a question for reflection, though, "What is a home?". What is implied in the definition of home? Certainly King Alcinous palace and island is an example of a home that is flourishing. Likewise Odysseus constantly pines for home, and seems to say that home is the highest of all goods as he blesses Nausicaa. “And may the good gods give you all your heart desires: husband, and house, and lasting harmony too. No finer, greater gift in the world than that ... when man and woman possess their home, two minds, two hearts that work as one. Despair to their enemies, a joy to all their friends. Their own best claim to glory." (Bk 6 195-205)
What Is A Home?
Certainly home represents a place of shelter for sleep and safety. The world, especially that of the Odyssey, is a dangerous place where death lurks constantly around the corner. Home, then, is a respite from the daily terrors where one can reside in peace and safety. Think of the makeshift home that Odysseus finds after washing up on shore to the Phaeacians. He is safe in the olive grove where animal, cold, rain, and danger cannot touch him, and there he is revived.
Likewise, home represents family, having an honorable wife and children. It is the place where family flourishes and sets down their roots. (So deep in fact that the marriage bed in Ithaca is made from a massive tree growing from the floor). If the family is destroyed, then all involved are subject to slavery, exile, starvation, and death. In fact, to willingly destroy one's family, as in adultery is mentioned as a sin that will be severely punished, and those involved will die a painful death. (Ares and Aphrodite - Bk VIII 300- 410) And speaking of Aegisthus - “Let them all die so, all who do such things.” (Bk I 58).
Home represents not only one's current family but the history of culture and honor of one's lineage. One's identity is intimately tied up with those who came before and built the civilization that saves and nourishes us right now. And so home is also an honoring of those structures which make up our cultural identity and world and which prevent it from falling back into the chaos of destruction and death.
And so home is also a place of feasting, friends, song, comfort and entertainment. It is here that we are then free to take a break from the work of the world and to simply be and act for its own sake. Feasting, talking with friends, honoring the gods, and ancestors, playing games, these are actions which are done for the highest reasons and in celebration of the highest values and goods. Home is the place where the highest form of being, play, worship, and festivity, take place. Likewise, it is clear that guests are sacred and hospitality is of the utmost importance to those who have no safety structure or net, to the traveler or those in need.
And so finally, home is the place where one wants to die. “‘How much I have suffered … Oh just let me see my lands, my serving-men and the grand high-roofed house- then I can die in peace.’ All burst into applause, urging passage home for their newfound friend, his pleading rang so true.”
The Journey ... or the Journey Home?
Given what has been said, the question becomes, is this the fundamental journey in life the going out on adventure and leaving home, or is the return in which we make home better than it was through what we learned on the adventure? If you ask someone why they do what they do, why they go to work, why they joined the military, why they sacrifice themselves and work with blood, sweat, and tears ... will not their answer almost always be, that they do it for their family? Isn’t home the end for which all else we do is the means? To be able to have that backyard BBQ with our relatives? “That was the song the famous harper sang but great Odysseus melted into tears, running down from his eyes to wet his cheeks… as a woman weeps, her arms flung round her darling husband, a man who fell in battle, fighting for town and townsmen, trying to beat the day of doom for home and children.” (Bk VIII 585 - 590)
Enticements Against Home
But not all are able to appreciate this so clearly, as there are things that can take us away and prevent us from ever returning home. From the book, does Calypso represent those addictions and shallow pursuits which ensnare us from reaching home? ... Enticing and tempting, but fundamentally hollow. Her island is something of a pleasure island. Even Hermes is entranced by it. “Why, even a deathless god who came upon the place would gaze in wonder, heart entranced with pleasure…” And yet we find Odysseus unhappy and weeping every day longing to leave the beautiful woman who forces him to have sex with her and to dine on wonderful food and the comforts of life. “But as for Odysseus- Hermes could not find him within the cave. Off he sat on a headland, weeping there as always, wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish, gazing out over the barren sea through blinding tears.”
And so, overall, I think that The Odyssey presents home as one of the key aspects of the purpose of life, war, and adventure. If we do not have family, home, and hearth, we have nothing.
Likewise, home represents family, having an honorable wife and children. It is the place where family flourishes and sets down their roots. (So deep in fact that the marriage bed in Ithaca is made from a massive tree growing from the floor). If the family is destroyed, then all involved are subject to slavery, exile, starvation, and death. In fact, to willingly destroy one's family, as in adultery is mentioned as a sin that will be severely punished, and those involved will die a painful death. (Ares and Aphrodite - Bk VIII 300- 410) And speaking of Aegisthus - “Let them all die so, all who do such things.” (Bk I 58).
Home represents not only one's current family but the history of culture and honor of one's lineage. One's identity is intimately tied up with those who came before and built the civilization that saves and nourishes us right now. And so home is also an honoring of those structures which make up our cultural identity and world and which prevent it from falling back into the chaos of destruction and death.
And so home is also a place of feasting, friends, song, comfort and entertainment. It is here that we are then free to take a break from the work of the world and to simply be and act for its own sake. Feasting, talking with friends, honoring the gods, and ancestors, playing games, these are actions which are done for the highest reasons and in celebration of the highest values and goods. Home is the place where the highest form of being, play, worship, and festivity, take place. Likewise, it is clear that guests are sacred and hospitality is of the utmost importance to those who have no safety structure or net, to the traveler or those in need.
And so finally, home is the place where one wants to die. “‘How much I have suffered … Oh just let me see my lands, my serving-men and the grand high-roofed house- then I can die in peace.’ All burst into applause, urging passage home for their newfound friend, his pleading rang so true.”
The Journey ... or the Journey Home?
Given what has been said, the question becomes, is this the fundamental journey in life the going out on adventure and leaving home, or is the return in which we make home better than it was through what we learned on the adventure? If you ask someone why they do what they do, why they go to work, why they joined the military, why they sacrifice themselves and work with blood, sweat, and tears ... will not their answer almost always be, that they do it for their family? Isn’t home the end for which all else we do is the means? To be able to have that backyard BBQ with our relatives? “That was the song the famous harper sang but great Odysseus melted into tears, running down from his eyes to wet his cheeks… as a woman weeps, her arms flung round her darling husband, a man who fell in battle, fighting for town and townsmen, trying to beat the day of doom for home and children.” (Bk VIII 585 - 590)
Enticements Against Home
But not all are able to appreciate this so clearly, as there are things that can take us away and prevent us from ever returning home. From the book, does Calypso represent those addictions and shallow pursuits which ensnare us from reaching home? ... Enticing and tempting, but fundamentally hollow. Her island is something of a pleasure island. Even Hermes is entranced by it. “Why, even a deathless god who came upon the place would gaze in wonder, heart entranced with pleasure…” And yet we find Odysseus unhappy and weeping every day longing to leave the beautiful woman who forces him to have sex with her and to dine on wonderful food and the comforts of life. “But as for Odysseus- Hermes could not find him within the cave. Off he sat on a headland, weeping there as always, wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish, gazing out over the barren sea through blinding tears.”
And so, overall, I think that The Odyssey presents home as one of the key aspects of the purpose of life, war, and adventure. If we do not have family, home, and hearth, we have nothing.
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