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The birds in the Iliad gothenburg studies in history 2 The birds in the Iliad Identities, interactions and functions Karin Johansson © Karin Johansson, 2012 isbn 978-91-7346-712-4 Dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg. The thesis is also available in full text at: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/28033 Subscriptions to the series and orders for individual copies sent to: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis, po box 222, se 405 30 Göteborg, or to [email protected] Cover: Lammergeier. Photo: Juan Manuel Menacho. Taken from photo 10, appendix. Layout: Joanna Glad, Kompress Media, Göteborg Print: Ineko, Göteborg, 2012 abstract/the birds in the ILIAD As the topic of this study embraces and entwines what is routinely divided into two sepa- rate categories, “nature” and “culture”, the birds in the Iliad challenge modern scientific di- vision and in some ways, our thinking. They are simultaneously birds, signs and symbols. The investigation aims at determining the various species of the birds in the Iliad as far as this is possible with the help of ornithological methods and tries through semiotics and hermeneutics to ascertain the symbolic functions and presence of the birds as transmitters of messages, information, and emotions. The material consists of thirty-five bird scenes where different kinds of birds and bird names occur, such as αἰετός, eagle, γύψ, vulture, and πέλεια, dove. As a method for carry- ing out the analysis of each bird and bird scene four aspects are focused upon (1) ornithol- ogy, (2) form, (3) interactions, and (4) functions. Concerning the last aspect the emphasis is on the birds’ communicative, informative and conceptual functions and the impact they have on the humans in the Iliad. The analyses of the scenes demonstrate that particular species of birds occur frequently in the Iliad and that they have been carefully chosen to fit perfectly into the scenes and the war events that take place there. The results show that the birds are fundamental parts of the structure of the Iliad as well as in the human characters lives, consciousness and conditions. They operate in a shared sphere of interactions between animals, humans and gods. Within this sphere birds have specific roles and are used by the humans and gods in different ways. The gods use birds as disguises and as messengers in order to communicate and interact with the humans, and the humans use them as signs and symbols that they interpret to acquire knowledge about the gods’ presences, identities, will and intentions for the future. Birds thus have incredibly important roles as intermediaries between the human and divine spheres. Bird signs usually occur in situations of danger such as war or before risky journeys. To receive a positive bird sign from the gods at such an impor- tant moment was thus a powerful experience that raised the warriors’ fighting spirits and evoked emotions of relief. Having these functions the birds satisfy basic human needs of self-esteem and security. Title: The birds in the Iliad. Identities, interactions and functions Language: English ISBN: 978-91-7346-712-4 Keywords: ancient ornithology, birds, bird symbolism, divination, double motivation, di- vine intervention, Homer’s Iliad, identity, messenger, metaphorical utterances, oral tradi- tion, parallelism, semiotics, species interactions, transformation, transmitter, Trojan War. Ὁμήρῳ καὶ ταῖς μούσαις Printed with the help of grants from Stiftelsen Längmanska Kulturfonden acknowledgements Thank you – Agneta Strömberg, my supervisor, who has guided me wisely and tirelessly during this process. I appreciate your sharp eye and have learned tremendously from our discus- sions and from useful criticism. You have always been there as my guide no matter what! Thank you also for all the fun we have had. My warmest appreciation. Karin Hult, my co-advisor, who read the manuscript and corrected my Greek. Thank you for your firm support and valuable advice. Carole Gillis who corrected my English with much patience, and offered good ad- vice. Ingela Wiman, Thomas Lindkvist, Ida Östenberg, Maria Bruun-Lundgren, Robin Hägg, Tove Hjorungdal, Elisabeth Arwill-Nordbladh, Jarl Nordbladh, Kristina Älveby, Madelaine Miller, Maja Kramer, Niki Eriksson, Sandra Karlsson, Carina Håkansson, Linnea Johansson, Karin Lundqvist, and all other members of the seminars held at the Department of Historical Studies, Gothenburg University. Thank you for always giving me valuable comments! Thanks also Sandra and Mats for travelling with me to the archaeological sites of Hattusha and Yazilikaya and to the Anatolian Museum in Ankara. My thoughts also go to the late Charlotte Wikander for inspiriting support when I as an undergraduate started to study the birds in the Iliad at the Department of Classical Studies, Gothenburg. Lena Voigt and all of my other collegues at the Department of Historical Studies. Thank you for always being so supportive! Ann-Louice Schallin, former director of the Swedish Institute at Athens. Thank you for support and help with different practical arrangements when visiting the Institute. Tryggve Göransson for once introducing me in the Greek language and Folke Josephsson for our discussions on Hittite texts about bird divination. The Swedish translator of Homer, Ingvar Björkesson, for giving me valuable advice concerning the Iliad. My Greek friends, Eirini Vlasakaki, Maria Makraki-Chrysafidi, Maria Roussou, Dimitra Polidis, Panos Polidoropoylos, Theodoros G. Demopoilos, and Ted Wether- all and Arne Strid (I count both of you as Greek) for your support in archaeological, botanical, and Homeric questions and even the folklore of birds. I also thank Sassa Voulgari, storyteller, Athens, who introduced me to the experience of living oral story telling. The ornithologists Lennart Falk and Conny Palm for giving me specific advice in -or nithological matters. Göran Nilsson, Department of Zoology, Gothenburg University for giving me valu- able advice concerning reptiles. Joanna Glad, Kompress Mediabyrå, Göteborg, for doing the layout, Ineko, Kållered for the printing, and ACTA UNIVERSITATIS GOTHOBURGENSIS for pub- lishing the book. Generous grants have come from the following foundations: Adlerbertska Stipendiestiftelsen, Helge Ax:son Johnssons Stiftelse, Stiftelsen Paul och Marie Berghaus donationsfond, Stiftelsen Harald och Tonny Hagendahls min- nesfond, Herbert och Karin Jacobssons Stiftelse, Kungliga och Hvitfeldtska Stiftelsen, Kungl. Vetenskaps- och Vitterhets-Samhället i Göteborg, Kungliga Vitterhetsakademin (Stiftelsen Enboms fond), Wilhelm och Martina Lundgrens Vetenskapsfond, Stiftelsen Längmanska Kulturfonden, and Knut & Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse. Family and friends for being supportive and being interested in what I am doing. Finally, my special thanks go to my husband, Patrik, who has always listened to me and given me support in all possible ways. Thank you for travelling with me to ar- chaeological sites and museums in Turkey, Crete and Greece. There have been so many amazing places that we have visited during these past years. I am for ever grateful that we both enjoy the exquisite combination of antiquity, birds, and the Mediterranean. Gothenburg, January 2012 Karin Johansson contents 1. introduction .................................................................................................15 The present study .............................................................................................. 16 Aims ............................................................................................................... 16 Assumptions and hypothesis .......................................................................... 17 Outline ........................................................................................................... 17 The material .......................................................................................................18 Initial framework for the thesis ....................................................................... 21 The Iliad: considerations on oral tradition, time and space .............................. 21 Specific features: similes, metaphors, parallels and signs .................................. 25 Divine intervention, godlike warriors, and the concept of double motivation ....28 Ancient practice of divination from birds ........................................................30 Previous research on the birds in the Iliad ....................................................... 34 11. theory and method ..................................................................................... 38 Theoretical, scientific and methodological background ................................. 38 Ornithology .................................................................................................... 39 Semiotics and Ricoeur’s perspective on metaphor and symbol ......................... 43 Signs and “meaning-making” processes ........................................................... 43 Animals as agents ...........................................................................................48 Analytical model ............................................................................................49 111. the bird scenes ........................................................................................... 52 Analysis, comments and interpretation ..........................................................
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