HE GATES OF HORN AND IVORY: A GEOGRAPHICAL MYTH

DOI: 10.22455/2500-4247-2016-1-3-4-82-91 УДК 821.14’02.0Гомер ББК 83.3(0)321-8 THE GATES OF HORN AND IVORY: A GEOGRAPHICAL MYTH Jörg Schulte University of Cologne, Köln, Germany Received: Jule 15, 2016 ВОРОТА РОГОВЫЕ И ИЗ КОСТИ СЛОНОВОЙ: ГЕОГРАФИЧЕСКИЙ МИФ © 2016 г. Йорг Шульте Университет Кёльна, Кёльн, Германия Дата поступления статьи: 15 июля 2016 г. Аннотация: В статье предлагается новая интерпретация гомеровского мифа о вратах из рога и из слоновой кости из 19 книги «Одиссеи». Во-первых, утверждается, что рог (материал южных ворот в неоплатонических комментариях) может быть обнаружен под знаком Козерога. Менее очевидным является предположение о том, что и слоновая кость взята из астрономических мифов: это миф об Адонисе (который начинается с истории о статуе Пигмалиона из слоновой кости); миф об Эриманфском, Калидонском и Эфесском вепрях; миф об Орионе и о созвездии Большой Медведицы. В результате изучения мотива слоновой кости в греческой мифологии выдвигается гипотеза о том, что созвездие Большой Медведицы идентифицировалось с вепрем (c клыками из слоновой кости). Делается вывод о том, что уже во времена Гомера ворота роговые и из слоновой кости понимались как астрономический миф о самой северной и самой южной небесных точках. Ключевые слова: гомеровский миф, миф об Адонисе, миф об Эриманфс ком, Калидонском и Эфесском вепрях, миф об Орионе и о созвездии Большой Медведицы. Информация об авторе: Йорг Шульте — профессор-славист, директор Института Славистики Кёльнского университета, Кёльн, Германия, 50931, ул. Вейерталь, 137. E-mail: Abstract: The articles proposes a new interpretation of the Homeric myth of the gates of horn and ivory that occurs in Book 19 of the Odyssey. It first argues that horn (the material of the southern gate in neoplatonic commentaries) can be found in the sign of Capricornus. More complex is the argument that also ivory (the material of the northern gate in neoplatonic commentaries) is derived from astronomical myths: the myths discussed are the myth of Adonis (beginning with the story about the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion), the myths of the Erymanthian, 82 Studia Litterarum. Vol. 1, no 3–4 Jörg Schulte the Calydonian, and the Ephesian boars, the myth of Orion, and the myth of the constellation ursa major. An enquiry into the occurance of ivory in Greek mythology leads to the hypothesis that the constellation ursa major was identified with a boar (with ivory tusks). The hypothesis implies that the gates of horn and ivory were already at the times of Homer understood as an astronomical myth that described the northernmost and southernmost points of the sky. Keywords: Homer myth, the myth of Adonis, the myths of the Erymanthian, the Calydonian, and the Ephesian boars, the myths of Orion and of the constellation ursa major Information about the author: Jörg Schulte, Professor of Slavic Studies, Institute of Slavic Studies, University of Cologne, Weyertal 137, 50931 Cologne, Germany. E-mail: The gates of horn and ivory belong to the oldest myths of European literature. For the first time, they occur in Book 19 of the Odyssey: “Two gates there are for unsubstantial dreams, one made of horn and one of ivory. The dreams that pass through the carved ivory delude and bring us tales that turn to naught. Those that come forth through polished horn accomplish real things, whenever seen” (Od. XIX, 562–567). Δοιαὶ γάρ τε πύλαι ἀμενηνῶν εἰσὶν ὀνείρων· / αἱ μὲν γὰρ κεράεσσι τετεύχαται, αἱ δ’ ἐλέφαντι. / τῶν οἳ μέν κ’ ἔλθωσι διὰ πριστοῦ ἐλέφαντος, /οἵ ῥ’ ἐλεφαίρονται, ἔπε’ ἀκράαντα φέροντες· / οἳ δὲ διὰ ξεστῶν κεράων ἔλθωσι θύραζε, / οἵ ῥ’ ἔτυμα κραίνουσι, βροτῶν ὅτε κέν τις ἴδηται. [17, p. 276–277]. The history of their interpretation goes back to what is probably the first piece of literary scholarship, Porphyry’s Commentary on the Cave of the Nymphs [21, p. 119–129]. A survey of the explanations from antiquity until the present as well as a comprehensive bibliography can be found in Ernest Highbarger’s monograph [14; 16], in the seminal article by Anne Amory [1], and in the recent contributions by Anghelina Catalin [7] and Elena Ermolaeva [11]. The gates are mentioned in Plato’s Charmides (Ἄκουε δή, ἔφην, τὸ ἐμὸν ὄναρ, εἴτε διὰ κεράτων εἴτε δι’ ἐλέφαντος ἐλήλυθεν; 36, 126 = Charmides 173a), they were reshaped by Vergil (Aen. VI, 898), alluded to by Horace (Hor. Carm. III, 27, 39f.), Statius (29, v. I, 326 = Silvae, V, 4, 298–300), and Lucian [15, v. II, p. 185], and still frequently referred to during the Middle Ages [20] and the Renaissance [25, p. 146–148]. Eustathius of Thessalonica gave three explanations concerning the material of the gates [12, v. II, p. 219]. According to the first interpretation, “the reason that the poet [Homer] makes a horn gate the source of dreams which are true and accomplish true things is that there is a certain resemblance in sound between the words κραίνειν [to accomplish] and κέρασι [horns], as if from the word κέρας were derived κεραίνω, that is, κραίνω. [Similarly the poet makes] an ivory gate the source of dreams which are false and deceptive, that is, which mislead, cheat, and only arouse expectations.” [1, p. 4–6]. According to Eustathius, the verb which Penelope uses for “deceive,” έλε 83 Studia Litterarum. Том 1, № 3–4 Мировая литература φαίρω, is derived from ἔλπω and connected with ἐλέφας (ivory). The second interpretation explains “the horn gate as the eyes, taking the part for the whole, in that the outermost covering of the eye is horny. And they say that the mouth is the ivory [gate] because of the ivory-coloured teeth, so that the wise Penelope is saying symbolically that the things which are seen as actual events are more trustworthy than things which are simply said to be so.” The same interpretation is offered by Servius: “Per portam corneam oculi significantur, qui et cornei sunt coloris et duriores ceteris membris: nam frigus non sentiunt, sicut et Cicero dicit in libris de deorum natura. per eburneam vero portam os significatur a dentibus” [in Aen. VI, 883; 44, v. II, 122]. According to Eustathius’s third explanation “the true [gate] is of horn, that is, transparent, whereas the false [gate] is of ivory, that is, blurred or opaque, because it is possible to see through horn <…> but not through ivory.” Modern interpretations of the gates are, in their vast majority, variations on these three explanations given by Eustathius [28, p. 18–27]. An entirely different interpretation was given by Porphyry. In his Commentary on the Cave of the Nymphs; Porphyry identifies the gates of horn and ivory with two entrances of the cave of Ithaca. According to Porphyry, the gate of horn is directed towards the south and therefore ascribed to the southern wind Notus and to the constellation Capricornus; the gate of ivory opens towards the north and is correspondingly ascribed to Boreas, the constellation Cancer and to the moon, having its house in Cancer. The geographical assignations harmonize with (...truncated)