ATLANTIC LAISTRUGONIA
LA HAVANA, CUBA
Odysseus' First Voyage, part 6 (pdf-download)
FROM CORVO (AZORES) OR SABA TO CUBA
The distance, course and location As we have seen in the Atlantic Aiolia chapter, Cailleux' identification Aiolia-Corvo is most likely.
Then we continued grieving at heart. The men's energy was exhausted, rowing was painful: their own stupid fault, because there was no wind to help us now. We went on like this for six days, six whole days and nights. After those six days, we reached Laistrugonia's steep castle town, Lamas' Telepulos. (10.77 et seq.)
The voyage is continued but not towards Ithaka since there was no favourable wind but one that took them further from home. In addition, they often had to row. Apparently, it is such a strong wind that the ships could not sail against it but let themselves drift along with the storm. Rowing then has the function of keeping the boat straight on the waves to prevent it from making water and sinking, and also to allow sight contact between the twelve ships. Where can they end up after six days of stormy weather? A six-day sail in these circumstances means a distance of approximately 2000-3000 km. The only countries in that range are New Foundland, Greenland and Ireland. Nevertheless, all authors since Cailleux believe that the island of the Laistrugones is Cuba and the port La Havana, located 5000 km from Corvo. The distance Saba-La Havana is approximately 2000 km and therefore falls within the range of the six days sailing, but Saba is not very likely as a starting point (see Atlantic Aiolia). The problem of distance has been solved by Cailleux as follows: the number six (sechs, six) here is merely symbolic of 'Saks', as was the case with the Kikons (six men per ship perish), the Cyclops ( six men are eaten) and later in the story of Skulla and Charubdis (six men perish). The coasts of the Kikons at the Breton side and of Scylla and Charubdis at the British side were also called the litus saxonicum long before the Romans arrived. In Cailleux' view the Laistrugones story represents the clash between the old Saxon culture, which had penetrated from the north (Scandinavia, Ireland) into the Caribbean, and the new Homeric-Phoenician culture. With the words "six days", Homeros would like to warn the skipper sailing from the Azores to Havana to be aware of his approaching a Saxon area and to inform him that at that course the winds are not favourable and rowing is often inevitable. Indeed, the reverse course Caribe-Azores usually is a good sailing course, with the sea currents helping considerably. The accuracy of Cailleux's solution will prove when we study the data from Homeros' text. If we look at the course to sail, Odysseus must maintain a SW course from Corvo and a WNW course from Saba. Both courses can be found in the text according to the Wilkens wind rose scheme (p. 224). WNW is Pisces and Aquarius (see below: Vissen and Waterman):
In front of the city they came across a girl drawing water. She was the sturdy daughter of Laistrugonian king Antifates She had come down to the Artakia spring with its clear water: from there they used to carry water to the city. (10,104 et seq.) and From the cliffs they pelted us with stones that a man couldn't lift: immediately a terrible noise rose from all ships of dying men and the splintering of timbers. They then speared them like fishes and carried them off to their loathsome feast. (10,121 et seq.)
In Wilkens diagram the SW course from Corvo lies between Ram and Taurus (=Stier), which can be found in this fragment as "cattle" and "sheep":
........................ There a herdsman driving in his flock calls out to his colleague; the other one answers, who goes to the meadow. There a man who never sleeps could earn a double wage, one for herding cattle, one for grazing silver-white sheep; for the paths of night and day vary little. (82 et seq.)
The location in relation to the next destination Aiaia is not clearly indicated by Homeros. In 10,162 there might be a heading indication where we are told that Odysseus kills a large deer with his bronze spear, which might indicate the zodiacal sign Sagittarius, although he does not use a bow. According to the Wilkens diagram (p. 224), this indicates a NO rate (=Boogschutter). Since all Atlantic authors agree that with Aiaia Scaldia (Schouwen, Zeeland) is meant, this course indication corresponds to the starting point Cuba. However, the number of days of this trip is not specified.
Data from the text In order to determine whether the identification of Laistrugonia as Cuba is acceptable, we must carefully study the data from Homeros in 10.77-132. The data are the following: - The phrase "the paths of night and day vary little" indicates that we are dealing with an area in the subtropics. - The country's economy is apparently based on day and night shifts. Whether that has something to do with cattle or sheep or whether it is a metaphor is a question that will be discussed below. In v. 97 Odysseus climbs to a sandy lookout post, possibly a dune, and sees no agricultural or livestock activities there. However, there is something else:
I chose two men, a third I sent with them to act as a messenger. Once disembarked, they walked on a smoothly planed road down which wagons transported wood to the city from the high mountains. (102-)
Apparently, the transport of felled trees from the high mountains is an important activity, for which good roads have been constructed. - The names that are important for the country or island are Laistrugonia, Telepulos, and Lamas. The city is referred to as a high castle city, as Troy is called too. - Unlike the Cyclopes, the Laisrugones live in a well-ordered society with a castle town, a square, a large harbor, stone bullets to ward off the enemy, a water system, planed roads, heavy carts for tree transport, beautiful houses with storeys, ritual slaughter of humans, a population that consists of many tens of thousands. - The port deserves a special mention:
When we reached the fine harbor there, on both sides of which there is a stretch of sheer cliff- at its mouth two opposing headlands jut out; then a narrow entrance follows - then all the captains took their round-curved ships inside, and moored them close together in the hollow harbor on ropes; for there were never waves, neither great nor small but everywhere there was clear, calm water. (87 ff.)
It is a round basin with narrow access, sheltered from the prevailing winds, and with two protruding capes. - The people are special. Homeros points to their exceptional size and length in three places. In v.106, the daughter of King Antifates is said to be "sturdy, muscular." The wife of Antifates is "as high as the top of a mountain and Odysseus' men were disgusted by her" (v.113). The Laistrugones themselves "were not like people but like Giants " (v.120) and had cannibalistic traits (v.124). They are able to throw large stones. - Good, clear drinking water is available from a source called Artakia (v.99). Smoke or vapour comes up from the ground, which may indicate a hot water source or volcanic activities. These are the data from Homeros, which should all be applicable to La Havana, Cuba.
Identification of Laistrugonia as La Havana, Cuba - Cuba is a subtropic country. The longest day is 13 hours and the shortest night 11 hours, which corresponds to v.86. - The description of the port is perfectly applicable to La Havana, except that, due to buildings and quays, the steep rock face is no longer really high. Fortresses were later built on the two capes. The name La Havana (De Haven = The Harbor) is certainly Gallo-Germanic or Saxonian and already existed when Columbus arrived there. The port of Willemstad, Curaçao, also consists of a large bowl with a narrow passage and protruding headlands, but the rest of the data cannot be placed there. -The source Artakia must be the famous mineral and medicinal hot spring Guana Bacoa (= Holy Source). Artakia can be derived from art (= healing) and aqua and therefore also means 'healing or holy water'. Guanabacoa is now the name of one of the ports in the bay of La Havana and has mineral springs. Cuba is known for its medicinal sources and around Havana, there are four of them. -The wife of Antifates is as big as a mountain top. Such a solid block is called in Gallo-Germanic 'kubbr, cube, kubbe', from which Cuba might be derived (PA 78). Does the description of the wife of Antifates refer to these two mountain peaks (s. pl. below)? -The Laistrugons threw enormous heavy stones from the rocks, such as those with which the heroes of the Iliad threw (eg Il.8,321), stones that fit in the hand (chermadioisi). Masses of bullet-round stones have been found in Cuba in a valley of the river La Venta de Contramaestre, 20 km from Santiago, of which people wondered if they were made by nature or by human hand. Gideon (p.186) suggests that the stones were fired with catapults, which cannot be ruled out given the state of the art at the time. Homeros would then have personified this mechanism in the "Giants with giant power", as he describes the Laistrugones. This personification can be compared to that of the mechanical cranes and Skulla (see Atlantic Thrinakia).
