Trip into the underworld Katabasis

1 trip underworld

1.1 odyssey
1.2 aeneid
1.3 metamorphoses
1.4 mythological characters make visits underworld include

trip underworld

the trip underworld mytheme of comparative mythology found in diverse number of religions around world. hero or upper-world deity journeys underworld or land of dead , returns, quest-object or loved one, or heightened knowledge. ability enter realm of dead while still alive, , return, proof of classical hero s exceptional status more mortal. deity returns underworld demonstrates eschatological themes such cyclical nature of time , existence, or defeat of death , possibility of immortality.

katabasis epic convention of hero s trip underworld. in greek mythology, example, orpheus enters underworld in order bring eurydice world of living.

most katabases take place in supernatural underworld, such hades or hell — in nekyia, 11th book of odyssey, describes odysseus s descent underworld. however, katabasis can refer journey through other dystopic areas, odysseus encounters on 10-year journey troy ithaca. pilar serrano allows term katabasis encompass brief or chronic stays in underworld, including of lazarus, , castor , pollux. in case, however, katabasis must followed anabasis (a going or marching up) in order considered true katabasis instead of death.

the odyssey

odysseus consults soul of prophet tiresias in katabasis during 11th book of odyssey.

in 11th book of odyssey, odysseus follows advice of circe , consults tiresias in land of dead. during odysseus visit, souls of many appear him. first appear odysseus elpenor, crew member died prior leaving circe s island. elpenor asks odysseus give him proper burial, , odysseus agrees. next appear odysseus mother, anticlea. odysseus has been away fighting trojan war 20 years, surprised , saddened sight of soul.

tiresias, soul whom odysseus came see, next appears him. tiresias gives him several pieces of information concerning nostos (homecoming) , life after. tiresias details poseidon s anger @ odysseus blinding of polyphemos (and coming troubles consequence), warns odysseus not eat livestock of god helios, , prophesies odysseus return home ithaca , eventual death @ sea @ old age. after tiresias instructs odysseus allow spirits wants talk drink sacrificial blood used find tiresias, again given chance see mother, , tells him of suffering of family await return home. mother leaves, odysseus visited string of souls of past queens. first sees tyro, mother of pelias , neleus poseidon.

he next talks antiope, mother of amphion , zethus (the founders of thebes) zeus. then, visited alcmene, mother of heracles zeus, , heracle s wife megara. visited epicaste, mother of oedipus, , chloris, queen of pylos. odysseus visited leda, mother of castor , polydeuces , iphimedeia, mother of aloadae poseidon. odysseus sees list of women whom briefly mentions: phaedra, procris, ariadne, maera, clymene, , eriphyle, lovers of gods or heroes. next visit odysseus agamemnon, king of mycenae. agamemnon tells odysseus of death wife, clytemnestra , lover aegisthus. warns odysseus return ithaca in secret , wary of own wife.

odysseus encounters achilles, asks after being of father, peleus, , son, neoptolemus. odysseus reassures achilles of son s bravery in fighting trojans. odysseus begins seeing figures of dead souls not talk directly him: ajax, minos, orion, tityos, tantalus, , sisyphus. odysseus ends visit heracles, asks odysseus intention in hades. odysseus begins fearful waits more heroes , leaves.

the cumaean sibyl leads aeneas underworld katabasis in aeneid.


the aeneid

the katabasis of virgil s aeneid occurs in book 6 of epic. unlike odysseus, aeneas seeks enter underworld, rather bring spirits of dead him through sacrifice. begins journey visit cumaean sibyl (a priestess of apollo) , asks assistance journey underworld , visit father. priestess tells him find golden branch, , if branch breaks off in hands, fated go underworld. tells aeneas bury dead friend , prepare cattle sacrifice. when aeneas reaches forest find golden branch, guided birds tree, , branch breaks hand. branch, however, not break off sibyl said happen person fated go underworld - branch described cunctantem ( hesitant ). implications of have been debated scholars - arguing means aeneas not heroic needs be, others arguing aeneas has not yet fulfilled destiny, , several arguing still hero, section added purely drama. aeneas buries misenus , , sibyl prepare sacrifice enter underworld. aeneas first encounters several beings , monsters enters: sorrows, heartaches, diseases, senility, terror, hunger, evil, crime, poverty, death, hard labor, sleep, evil pleasures of mind, war, family vengeance, mad civil strife, scylla, briareus, hydra, chimaera, gorgons, harpies, , cerberus. next, aeneas encounters charon, ferryman leads souls underworld, , mass of people unburied. first conversation palinurus, man of crew fell overboard , died on journey. palinurus begs aeneas bury him can enter underworld. sibyl convinces charon carry them across river styx in exchange golden bough. aeneas encounters minos pronouncing judgment on souls , souls died love: phaedra, procris, eriphyle, evadne, pasiphae, laodamia, caeneus, , dido. next, aeneas sees heroes of battle: tydeus, parthenopaeus, adrastus, glaucus, medon, thersilochus, polyboetes, idaeus, agamemnon, , deiphobus. sibyl leads aeneas elysium, place blessed. on way, pass place tortured souls , sibyl describes of tortured s fates. tityos has liver eaten vulture daily. pirithous , ixion have rock hanging on them @ times. many others face punishment of moving rocks, being stretched, , being tied wheels. 2 enter estates of blest, see utopian land heroes , people reside. there, aeneas finds father, tells him of rich history of rome come.

the metamorphoses

in ovid s poetic collection of mythological stories, includes accounts of katabasis well. in book 4, includes account of juno s descent hades bring perceived justice ino. ovid describes juno s path underworld, noting cerberus presence. juno seeks furies (tisiphone, megara, , alecto) destroy house of cadmus, namely ino , husband athamas. while in underworld, juno passes several souls being punished in hades. hades person, , needs rid of souls because needs them recover. –tantalus, sisyphus, ixion, , belides. when furies agree juno s request, happily returns heavens purified iris.

orpheus travels out of underworld followed shade of wife, eurydice.

the next major katabasis in metamorphoses occurs in book 5 proserpina, daughter of ceres kidnapped dis. proserpina picking flowers, dis falls in love , decides grab , take underworld in chariot. worried now-missing daughter, ceres becomes distraught , searches proserpina.

when ceres discovers kidnapping, goes jove attempt proserpina back. agrees should returned long proserpina has not touched food in underworld. however, has eaten pomegranate seeds, , cannot returned ceres. ensure compromise between ceres , dis, jove divides year halves , commands proserpina must spend equal parts of year between mother , husband. point on, proserpina makes annual trips underworld, spending half year there.

ovid briefly mentions katabasis of hercules in book 7. ovid telling etiological story of medea s poison theseus. when hercules travelled underworld capture cerberus 1 of twelve labours, cerberus spread white foam mouths grew poisonous plants.

the katabasis of orpheus in book 10 last major inclusion of theme ovid in metamorphoses. orpheus distraught death of wife, eurydice. enters underworld through spartan gates , visits dis , proserpina beg return of bride. overcome heartfelt song of orpheus, proserpina calls eurydice leave husband–on condition not until reaches exit. when looks back, wife disappears, , pained grief death second time.

mythological characters make visits underworld include

sumerian religion

enkidu, in tablet of epic of gilgamesh, considered later addition tale
gilgamesh descends underworld meet utnapishtim in quest immortality
inanna descends underworld gifts pass through 7 gates of underworld

ancient egyptian religion

osiris (see book of dead)
the magician meryre in papyrus vandier (posener, 1985)

the return of persephone, frederic leighton (1891)

ancient greek , roman

dumuzid shepherd/tammuz/adonis mourned , recovered consort inanna/ishtar/aphrodite
the god dionysus, rescue semele hades, , again in role patron of theater.
heracles during twelfth labor, on occasion rescued theseus
heracles, rescue alcestis hades
hermes, rescue persephone hades
orpheus, rescue eurydice hades
persephone , demeter
psyche
odysseus
aeneas, speak father in aeneid
theseus , pirithous try abduct persephone; fail, , theseus rescued heracles

christianity

jesus, during harrowing of hell
jesus in pistis sophia

norse religion , finnish mythology

odin
baldr
hermóðr
helreið brynhildar
lemminkäinen s rescue tuonela mother

welsh mythology

angel showing hell yudhisthira



pwyll s descent annwn in welsh mabinogion
preiddeu annwfn, king arthur s expedition annwfn recounted in book of taliesin

other

japanese mythology: izanagi , izanami in yomi
maya mythology: maya hero twins
mahayana buddhism: bodhisattva avalokiteśvara s descent hell-like region after taking on bad karma of executioner in pity
vedic religion: ushas (dawn) liberated vala indra
hinduism: emperor yudhishthira descends naraka
ohlone mythology (native american): kaknu fights body of stone
yoruba religion: obatala, dying-and-rising god of ifẹ̀, yoruba cultural centre
religion of mongols: king gesar launches invasion realm of erlik save soul of mother.




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^ serrano 1999, pp. 129–179.
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