ATLANTIC AIOLIA - CORVO, AZORES
Aiolos, God of the Winds
Odysseus' First Voyage, part 5
FROM CAMEROON, FOGO OR MADEIRA TO CORVO, AZORES
To Aiolos
We then arrived on the island of Aiolia, where the son of Hippotas, Aiolos, lived, loved by immortal gods. The island was easy to sail to, but was surrounded by a wall of unassailable bronze. Like a steep rock it rises into the sky. (10.1 ff.)
The next stop of Odysseus' fleet is Aiolia, the island of Aiolos, the lord of the winds. Since the Atlantic authors have different opinions about its location, I'll first list all textual data: - Aiolia, unlike the land of the Lotophages and the Cyclopes, is really called an island. - It is "easy to sail to". This is a translation of the Greek ploté, which is usually translated as 'floating', a meaningless word, unless one sees it as a metaphor for an island that floats in seaweed, for example. In Greek, however, the word can also indicate "navigable, easy to navigate to, easily accessible". This is a meaningful translation that fits in with the maritime "pilot" for the seafarer, the second layer of the Odyssey. - It rises steeply or smoothly, that is to say, it appears in the ocean from a distance as a cone. - Aiolos is referred to as Hippotades, traditionally translated as "son of Hippotas", a name that is otherwise unknown. Naturally, the Greek etymology hippos-horse is used to explain the word, so the name would indicate "Horseman's son". A Gallo-Germanic etymology, which is more obvious given Homer's background, could be ippo = ebbe and tad = tidt (tide), which gives Aiolia a place on the ocean with its tides. - The island is surrounded by an unbreakable bronze wall. Since Odysseus lands on the island twice without experiencing any problem, once even amidst a severe hurricane, this qualification must be understood as a metaphor, as explained below; - The distance from the previous stop, the land of the Cyclopes, to Aiolia is not mentioned by Homeros; so every island on the ocean would qualify. - However, the distance and course to the home country of Odysseus, Ithaka, are explicitly mentioned:
But for my sake he let the Zephyr wind blow, which had to take home my ships and their crews. Yet it had no result, because we were destroyed by our own stupidity. For nine days we sailed equally fast day and night. Then, on the tenth day, the homeland appeared before our eyes and we saw nearby even people lighting beacons!
According to this text (10, 28 ff.) Odysseus receives a favourable westerly wind (Zefuros) from Aiolos, sails therefore to the east and gets his homeland in sight on the tenth day. Since Ithaka is identified as Cadiz and Jerez, the position of Aiolia is easy to find out.1 With an average speed of 10 km/h, a distance of 1700-2200 km is covered. The only area that lies around 2000 km west of Cadiz is the Azores archipelago. - The distance to the next stop of the fleet is also indicated:
Then we continued our voyage, grieving at heart. The men 's energy had run out by the painful work of rowing, their own stupid fault, because there was no wind to help us on our way. We sailed on for six days like this, six whole days and nights. After those six days, we reached Lamas' steep castle town, Laistrugonia's Telepulos. (10.77 ff.)
The voyage is continued but not towards Ithaka since there was no favourable wind, but one that took them further from home, which only could be a strong (north)easterly wind. In addition, they often had to row, probably to keep the ships together in line and on course. Where could they have ended up after six days of rowing and (hurricane?) wind. Six days of sailing means a distance of approx. 1400-2000 km. The only countries in that range are New Foundland and Ireland. Neither of the destinations has been researched by the Atlantic authors. The reason is that in 10,86 it is stated that "the day and night courses do not differ much there", which indicates a tropical or subtropical environment and excludes higher latitudes. - The nature of Aiolia is clear. It is the basis of the winds supervised by Aiolos.
However, when I, in turn, asked about the course and for help with our departure, he was certainly not negative. No, he supported me, gave me a bag just made from the flayed hide of a nine-year-old ox, and put all directions of roaring winds in it. After all, Kronos' son had made him a wind supervisor, who could let any wind stop or blow at will. He tied it in my hollow ship with a silvery white, shiny cord, so that, however weak, no breath of wind could escape. (10.17 ff.)
In this fragment Odysseus departs from Aiolos and receives a leather bag from a nine-year-old ox: The addition "nine years old" is meaningless unless it relates to Nehalennia.2
- Aiolos has twelve children, who undoubtedly symbolize the twelve winds according to the zodiac system (Wilkens 224). This corresponds to the twelve-wind system of Ptolemaios (120 AD), which in turn is based on the compass rose of Seneca. See image from Wilkens
