(4) KATABASIS

 

All true heroes and poets go down into the underworld…

A katabasis is a journey into the underworld, harrowing Hades as it were – “its original sense is usually associated with Greek mythology and classical mythology more broadly, where the protagonist visits the Greek underworld, also known as Hades”.

Yes, okay, it is one book of the Odyssey, namely Book 11, albeit as part of the core mythic part of the Odyssey in Books 9-12, in turn part of the wider Wanderings of Odysseus in Books 5-12. Although Robert Graves in his classic book The Greek Myths argues persuasively that almost every part of the wanderings of Odysseus is essentially through one aspect or another of death or the underworld.

And yes, okay, Odysseus barely went into the underworld, a liminal katabasis as it were, certainly when compared with those of some other Greek heroes who went to the very heart of the underworld. I understand there is even some dispute whether he went to the highest part of the underworld, or simply “the lowest edge of the living world” bordering it.

And yes, yes, okay, it’s also a combination of katabasis and nekyia, the latter being necromancy and tending to involve a vision of the underworld rather than a visit to it. Although it’s not so much that the dead in general have any particular gift of prophecy in the Odyssey, but rather the shade of Tiresias which retains the gift of prophecy he had when he was alive. He just happens to be, you know, dead, so doesn’t do prophecy house calls any more.

I don’t care. It is the single best book of the Odyssey, arguably its narrative and thematic crossroads that tie it all together.

It is also the definitive core mythic heart of the Odyssey (within its most mythic part for the wanderings of Odysseus), so much so that it easily earns its own place. It is the first literary katabasis of classical mythology, inspiring in turn the katabasis of the Aeneid, which in turn inspired that of Dante’s Inferno (with the Aeneid’s author Virgil as guide to Dante).

Although I anticipate that it was not the first katabasis in Greek mythology or religion, as it was probably preceded by cultic practice, in turn perhaps ultimately originating from shamanic practice. Of course, everyone goes down into the underworld at some point – the trick is to come back.

As such, I could compile a top ten katabases from Greek mythology (or a wider top ten of underworld journeys) but let’s face it – the katabasis of Odysseus is at the top.