Morphology of a Landfall of Odysseus

Nick Montfort - Interactive and Non-linear Narrative

Odysseus's trials during his ten-year wanderings have several features in common. Even if one also considers the more pleasing stops along the way home, the landfalls of Odysseus are formulaic and their component parts can be enumerated.

A. Odysseus reaches land or a harbor. (Landfall)

After some time at sea Odysseus makes a landfall or reaches a harbor. Most of the interesting events in the Odyssey occur on land at such times, although there are also trials at sea (the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis) that do not fall into the same category as these episodes.

• A¹ Odysseus and his men land on an island.
• A² Odysseus and his men find refuge in a harbor.
• A³ Odysseys alone swims to shore.

B. Men of the party are detained by island occupants. (Detention)

Occupants or a group of occupants of the island, through enticement, magic, force, or excessive hospitality, detain crewmembers.

• B¹ Members of the crew eat food (the lotus, Circe's meal) which compels them to stay.
• B² Members of the crew are captured by force (the Cyclops).
• B³ Members of the crew are detained by an alluring goddess (Calypso, the hospitable Circe)

C. Men of the party are rescued. (Rescue)

Most remember Odysseus' rescue of his men, but there are several times when this rescue is accomplished with a god's aid rather than directly by Odysseus' cunning.

• C¹ Odysseus forces them back to the ship (the lotus).
• C² Odysseus is given a talisman and instructions from a god that enable him to overcome the captor (the witch Circe).
• C³ Odysseus devises a plan to cripple and deceive the captor (the Cyclops).
• C⁴ Odysseus' men remind him that he should leave and journey home (the hospitable Circe)
• C⁵ The gods decree that Odysseus should be allowed to continue homeward (Calypso).

D. Men of the party anger the gods. (Transgression)

Twice in the Odyssey the party gives offence to the gods. The punishment does not take place until later.

• D¹ Compelled by necessity, members of the crew disobey Odysseus and divine dictates (the cattle of Helios).
• D² Odysseus identifies himself as maimer of a god's son. (the Cyclops).

E. Some of Odysseus' men are eaten by giant cannibals. (Cannibalism)

(The Cyclops, the Laestrygonians.)

F. Odysseus and his men raid a city and take plunder. (Raiding)

(Ismarus, the Cicones' city.)

G. Gracious hosts receive Odysseus and his men. (Hospitality)

Although the norm in the heroic Greek society of the Odyssey, a hospitable port is a rarity for the wandering Odysseus.

• G¹ Odysseus is offered a bag of winds as a guest-gift and sent homeward (Aeolus).
• G² Odysseus is compelled to tell his story and provided gifts and transport home (Antinous).

H. Upon returning to a once-gracious host, Odysseus is rebuffed. (Refusal)

(Aeolus, second visit.)

I. Odysseus is at the land of the dead; he performs the ritual described him and interrogates Tiresias. (The Dead)

(After leaving Circe.)

J. Odysseus takes to the open seas once again. (Voyage)