You Can Get New Children... Author(s): Robert S. P. Beekes Reviewed work(s): Source: Mnemosyne, Fourth Series, Vol.

39, Fasc. 3/4 (1986), pp. 225-239 Published by: BRILL Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4431509 . Accessed: 11/06/2012 06:36
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Mnemosyne, Vol. XXXIX,

Fase. 3-4 (1986)

???

CAN

GET

NEW

CHILDREN.

. .'

Turkish and other parallels to ancient Greek ideas in Herodotus, Thucydides, Sophocles and Euripides

BY

ROBERT

S. P. BEEKES

II 44,3. . .': Thuc. get new children. relates at the end of the first year of the how, Thucydides He buried in Athens. War, the dead were officially Peloponnesian ' Pericles funeral in which he praises and Athens gives at length 1. 'You can 1.1 Athenian points where, which democracy, of human civilization. trying to console is rightly regarded as one of the highHere we find the well-known passage the the of dead parents (t???

'You should also take he says (II 44,3): t???a?.,.pa?a????s??a?), if you still have the age from the hope of other children, courage ' to get children. de ??? ?a? ????? pa?d?? ??p?d?, ??? et? (?a?te?e?? t????s?? This idea baffled the modern reader, all ?????a p??e?s?a?*). the more because of the context in which it is found. The commentaries interesting des Neigung Th. zur Umschreibung II p. 142, der einfachen Verba." Gomme, but adds the equally empoints out his (and our) embarrassment, "for remarks: not few of sons killed only very barrassing parents in war are likely to have more, however the philoprogenitive remark: Greeks who were (sic!), but many help forgetfulness nored ;". I need not comment no parallels have been found mouth of Perikles. to draw which I wish would must actually have had other sons of the loss (sic!), and these are igon these comments. As far as I know, to the idea across But which one let those me Thucydides in a Turkish puts in poem to out four in are not very helpful. have Classen-Steup ''t????s?? p??e?s?a? nach der ?berwiegenden the

the

I came attention.

in Greek parallels the commentaries

for even literature, on Thucydides.

first point are not mentioned

226 1.2 Persian We find

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN the same III 119, where the in Herodotus thought of Inthe whole family who has arrested wife to choose of revolt, allows Intaphrenes'

king Darius, on suspicion taphrenes 'whom one of the arrested

you want most of all' (t?? ????ea? e? for ? can get another man, if it her asks for She brother, p??t??). if I were to lose them; but as my is god's will, and other children, father and mother are no longer alive, I can in no way get another brother/ (???? ?e? a? ?(? ????? ?????t?, e? da???? ??????, ?a? t???a e? ta?ta ???a, ?p????????* pat??? de ?a? ??t??? ????t? ?e? ????t?? a? ????? ??d??? t??p? ?????t?.) We shall return to her ?de?fe?? choice in section 2, but here we note that she argues that she can still get new children. in Sophocles' is expressed 1.3 Exactly the same thought Antigone 909-912: ????? ?? p?s?? ?e? a? ??? ?at?a???t?? e? t??d' ??p?a???. ?a? pa?? ap' ????? f?t??, ??t??? d' e? "??d?? ?a? pat??? ?e?e???t??? ??? est' ade?f?? dst?? a? ??ast?? husband if mine p?t?. would

? might have another another man if I were

die, and a child from to lose him. But as my mother and my father would that ever a brother it is impossible in Hades, are hidden that for several been It has reasons, supposed, sprout (be born).' loc. and ad is not original the passage though App.), (e.g. Jebb over from knew Aristotle it, and that it was taken already Herodotus 1.4 must We face find in any case. the same Alkestis. Admetus in Euripides' thought else to death unless he can find somebody then but his old even refuses, parents, Everybody offers herself. In Euripides' play she says

an untimely

die in his place. Alkestis his wife (290-294):

?a?t?? s' ? f?sa? ?? te???sa p???d?sa?, ?a??? ?e? a?t??? ?at?a?e?? ???? ????, ?a??? de s?sa? pa?da ?e?????? ?a?e??. ????? ?a? a?t??? ?s?a ???t?? e?p?? ?? ???a f?t?se?? t???a. s?? ?at?a???t?? 'And even who begot you and who brought you forth did forsake

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN

227

for them to die from life, though you, though it was well becoming For to save their child and die with honour. it was well becoming you were their only son, and they had no hope, when you would The idea is: if they refuse, it is nearly die, to beget other children.' certain what tion that Perikles their with themselves only son will die; and they could not comfort This is exactly new children. the hope of getting in secmotive said. (We shall return to the Alkestis

rence

a late occur315 Nachtr. ad p. 109) mentions (1969, he in Lucians Toxaris 61 (p. 565): 'Children, of the motive, . .' text see full rather the I make could said, easily again. (for a we find the idea expressed in ancient Greek literature 2.1).?So few times. 1.6 of Salur I now In a heroic to point out a Turkish parallel. 'The Sack of the House tale of the Oghuz Turks, we find the following story. When Khan Kazan wanted

3.) 1.5 Aly

Kazan', his camp is attacked is out hunting, by the infidels (the Georgian and his camels and horses, who take all his treasure, Christians), his people, son, Uruz. Lady Burla the Tall, and his only their raid, and their king suggests on Kazan, Burla their shame that, to bring they make Lady Burla clear become Lady below). cupbearer (the implications that they should all this and instructed her forty maidens overheard among them his wife, The infidels celebrate wife. Unable to find out who call out together that they are Kazan's son Uruz, hang him is Lady Burla, the king orders: 'Bring Kazan's on a hook, chop up his white flesh and make a nice brown roast, and offer ladies. Whoever eats it is not the one; it to the forty-one the one we want is the one who refuses it.' Lady Burla, who heard this too, asks her son: 'Shall I eat of your flesh or shall I enter the bed of the infidel Kazan?' Uruz rebukes of foul religion and defile the honour of your her very roughly and then says: why do you scream are, in front of me? lord

'Lady Mother, Is there Where Is there Where

Mother, where never never

the Arab a foal?

horses

the red camels a young the white sheep

are, one? are,

228 Is there never

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN a lamb? live;

and let my father Live, my lady mother, Will there never be born a son like me?' Below saved The Taken we shall see what at the last moment. same idea is found in another happened immediately

after this.

They

are

Prisoner', where, again, to speak he is allowed arrives, back ('Shame it is for a father 'If all is well with summer-pasture; If all is well with red spate; If all is well If all is well with with the black

story, 'How Prince Uruz was is a captive. When his father to him. Uruz asks his father to go Uruz to die for his son') mountains, rivers, and says: go up to the in bloodare born; bring forth bring forth

the people they

the blood-red the horses

overflow foals they they

of the paddock, the red camels in the stalls, the white heroic sheep in the folds,

young; If all is well with lambs; If all is well with

sons are born princes, Let all be well with you and with my mother, And God will give you sons better than G. Khan Kazan answers:

to them.

black mountains are 'When yonder No grass grows on them, the people the summer; When the lonely eddying rivers are their banks; When the camels are old, they give When the horses

old, do not pasture old, they

on them

in

do not overflow

no young; are old, they give no foals; When manly warriors are old, they get no sons. Your father is old, your mother is old; God will give us no better son than you; Nor Here, quite could any take your place.'

It is then, we find exactly the same idea as in Thucydides. clear that it is a normal of in Here, way thinking. poetic

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN

229

its place in nature; it is natural. I do not know words, it is accorded whether the idea is found elsewhere in Turkish stories. I have found no reference, occurrence. 1.7 This tion of twelve nor do my colleagues for Turkish know of any other

a collecstory is found in 'The Book of Dede Korkut', stories about the heroic age of the Oghuz, one of the most powerful Turkish tribes. from They came with the Seljuks Central Asia to Iran in the eleventh and to Anatolia in the century, eleventh and twelfth other the centuries. Turkish The tribes has substratum of the stories is the struggle against Aral Sea. This memories and in the region South East of the been overlaid with more recent set in Eastern east of Turkey, Dede Korkut is the

substratum stories

are now to (Soviet)

and Diyarbakir Bayburt bard supposed to have

Azerbaijan. the tales. We have two manucomposed The stories acquired their scripts, both from the sixteenth century. form in the fifteenth as from the present early century, appears and other considerations. But ideas are much older. language many The book is now easily accessible in the translation of Geoffrey = Lewis (1974 are Hein 1958 and S?mer 1982). Other translations a.o. 1972. 1.8 informs The idea is also known in China. known me that one of filial of the best E. Z?rcher My colleague instances is found in 'The of anecdotes buries from c. 1200. his children

24 examples The seventh of ginning old mother, not enough for love of them

story sake of his mother'.

for the It is supposed to have happened around the beour era. It goes as follows. Kuo Ch? and his family (his his wife and his three children) are destitute; there is food for the whole family. He notices that his mother, her grandchildren, is eating less and less in order to keep

a collection love', is called 'Kuo Ch?

alive. He then says to his wife: 'Because of our poverty we are no longer able to feed all mouths; moreover the children are a burden to my mother so that she does not get enough to eat. The best thing to do is to bury the children. Children we can have again, but a mother you cannot get again.' The story has a happy ending, for, when Kuo Ch? finds a pot of gold, with the inscription: this to parent-loving Kuo the presents gold Ch?; authorities will not be able to take it from him, and the people will not rob him of it.' Z?rcher is no doubt right when he adds that such digging 'Heaven

230 decisions

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN

in the pre-modern world are cruel, but that circumstances third world are that cruel, so that such deciand in the present-day sions often had to be made. 2. 2.1 'But the Intaphrenes Story. you cannot get a new brother': III in Herodotus, we recalled the story of Intaphrenes chooses who can free one of her relatives, where a woman We saw that

Above

in Sophocles' Antigone the same idea is ad p. found, but it teaches us nothing new. Aly (1966, 315 Nachtr. where Toxaris in Lucianus' the noted p. 565), (61 passage 109) saves not wife and child from the burning Abauchas house, but his ??? ??d??? ?a? pa?da? ?e?, ef?, ?a? a???? p???sas?a? e? p???? a? ????? ??? de e?????? ad???? e? a?a??? ?s??ta? ??t??, f???? . . ????? t????t??. he said, I can make rather easily again and it is not 'Children, friend: ???a certain if these will turn out may not find for a long time...' in Apollodorus, to a story to be good ones, but such a friend I On p. 109 the same author pointed nach einer II 6, 4, "vermutlich

118-9, her brother.

and all his sons, Hewhere after the death of Laokoon Trag?die", when she is allowed to free one sione chooses her brother Podarkes, Bericht l?sst nicht mehr mit "Der stark gek?rzte of the captives. tats?chlich Motiv ob das zur Rede stehende erkennen Sicherheit vorliegt. ?berdies w?rde eine von Herodot gedacht abh?ngig 2.2 Such a choice is also found nur Trag?die k?nnen." werden in the book als unmittelbar Korkut, in

of Dede

the story about the Sack of the House of Salur Kazan. section (when after the passage cited in the preceding his mother), who is out the point of being killed to find arrives. 'You Let You Let You You He talks to the infidel king, saying:

Immediately his son is on Khan Kazan

have them have them have

my much silver; my heavy treasure, to be yours spend. taken the Lady Burla with her forty slender maidens; be your slaves. taken warriors; horses;

Let them Let them

taken my son Uruz with his forty be your bondmen. have taken my stables full of falcon-swift be yours to ride.

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN You You have have taken my camels, file on file of them; be your beasts of burden. taken my little old mother whose white

231

Let them

milk

suckled

me, Her of the plaited hair; Infidel, give me my mother. With no fight, with no battle I shall retrace my steps'

I note

first that here the choice

that his brother secondly, his son, the at the end of the story it says 'Kazan Bey recovered and turned members of his and his treasure, household, I take this to mean No mention is made of his mother. homewards.' that the story about his mother was a well known motive, brought in it. element into this story without being an essential There is no explanation of his choice. You could argue in the same as wife: I can get another wife and another son, way Intaphrenes' but Chinese story in 1.8 is an exact and it parallel story, presents the arguments clearly. 2.3 It was noted long ago that there are close parallels to InHow and Wells in their commentary taphrenes' story, elsewhere. on Hdt. Ill 119 thought 'a piece of that it was originally Greek, not another mother. The of the Turkish Greek cleverness . . . borrowed in the East.' As I think this view is wrong, I will briefly discuss it here. As long ago as 1893 Pischel in the Indian noted that the same argument is found epic the k?nnte ich eine Gattin, einen R?m?yana (6, 24, 7.8). 'Irgendwo Sohn und (alle) anderen aber den Ort Verwandten bekommen; sehe wo ich einen Bruder k?nnte. nicht, erlangen Parjanya alles ist eine Lehre des aber das ist herab, Veda; regnet Sprichwort auch wahr, dass er einen Bruder nicht herabregnet.' the (Parjanya, god of the rain, is the source of all life.) This is said by Rama when his dearest ing.)?In woman, of being brother India is killed. story, son and brother are arrested husband, is allowed to choose one of them. robbers, Lebens da aber einen Mann die Eltern gestorben it is also (Note that here found in a buddhist too a man is speakJ?taka 67. A 'Ich ich

by a man, was not taken captive, is made

not by a woman, and thirdly, that

whose

meines w?hrend K?nig, einen Sohn bekommen,

on suspicion kann, o ich kann bekommen, sind, ist ein

232 Bruder nicht

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN zu bekommen.' 'den Ort sehe of them.?N?ldeke In a variant ich nicht. she cites the verse of the

R?m?yana her all three variant

. .' The

(1894)

king thereupon gives adds that there is a Persian

(from the twelfth century, going back to a tenth century whose son and brother will be fed to A woman, husband, version). the snakes that arose from King D?hak's asks for her shoulders, brother with the same argumentation. She gets all three of them. N?ldeke brother the oldest Though not mean were argues the woman version. that Herodotus' where besides her version, gets only her son back, is cruder and therefore I do not think that this is a decisive argument. were often

in later times, this does mitigated must have been originally that all folktales cruel. Also, in Herodotus' version it would be strange if a (supposed) usurper cruel elements was "The a reason more for Herodotus view (or his

to be released; so there to the source) change story. How and Wells cleverness conclude: has been unnatural

natural

of Greek

borrowed

in the East."

is that a piece This seems to

First of all, we just saw interpretation. that Herodotus has to change the number of people released. SecHerodotus' is the most as it is ond, recent, story clearly illogical. It implies that the woman could (and should) have asked for her which in fact was quite since he was a husband, impossible, usurper. impressed J?taka Also by the crying it is not very probable that a Persian king would be wife of a traitor. On the contrary, in the is natural: the men are normal everything quite

me to be the most

story and the king can be generous. the story is not criminals, Thirdly, a piece of Greek cleverness. The argumentation is not a ruse to get more than one relative freed. There is no hint in this direction at all. It is a sincere a normal way of thinking, as we way of reacting, saw in the case of the idea: "I can get new children". It is expressly stated as being based upon this argument. it must have (Though

old-fashioned for the already at the time the story originated, is exactly the reason surprise, expressed by the king's generosity, of the story.) N?ldeke ends with: "Aber so gut wie undenkbar ist . . . durch irgend eine Vermittlung es, dass die Stelle des Herodot Indern und Persern bekannt w?re." this geworden Consequently view that the story is of Greek origin is decidedly Then it wrong. becomes significant that Herodotus' story is situated in Persia.

been

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN N?ldeke thought Stellen that

233

nicht, griechische dass die ganze Geschichte Gnomenstoff aus Indien schon Persien mich im 5. Jahrhundert zu den Griechen wahrscheinlich."

the origin was Persian: wir die "H?tten so w?re die Ansicht durchaus berechtigt, mit nach so vielem Persien etwas Erz?hlungssei. Dass gekommen aus Indien derartiges wie Pischel andern und aber ?ber

v. Chr. gelangt

wenig

the J?taka version seems ideas, as evinced through reference to a proverb. Also, as N?ldeke is from India to Persia (though direction sources from ancient Persia as from India). points everything of the first Indian to India stories as the ultimate that ever reached

d?nkt w?re, meint, we saw that Apart from this question, the oldest. In India, it was based on old the citation from the R?m?yana and the the normal mentioned, we don't have as many to my mind, Therefore, source. It will then be one the West.?It of life, should or The be else Inwas common

out that the line of thinking, pointed to both Greece and India (and Thucydides could not have however, taphrenes story, which hardly ever occurs. 3. The Alkestis Motif.

this view

undoubtedly Persia), put it in the mouth of Perikles. is an anecdote, an extreme

situation

3.1 The Book of Dede Korkut has a version of the Alkestis motif. In Euripides' Alkestis it is Admetus who must die young unless he finds somebody to die in his place. His parents and all his friends but his wife is prepared to die in his place. refuse, The Turkish is that of Wild Dumrul. He has a bridge built story (across a dry river bed) and asks tribute from all who pass over it. And to pass over it are beaten and charged more. to challenge who thinks himself everyone braver. When a young boy dies in a troop of nomads encamped near his bridge, he is told that Azrail (the angel of death in Islam) took his life. Dumrul and God sends Azrail to Azrail, challanges take his life. Dumrul is subdued by Azrail but asks God for his life Dumrul does this in order who grants it on the (? wish to live out more years of my youth'), condition that Dumrul finds a substitute. His father and his mother refuse ('the world is too sweet, and living too dear to spare my own then says goodbye to his wife ('Go, marry anlife'). When Dumrul whomever Let not our sons remain orother, your heart loves. those who refuse

234

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN

she offers to take his place, but not without a reproach: phans.'), 'What is there in life that your miserable could parents spare not their own lives for yours?'. Wild Dumrul 'that monster of a man', then lives asks that they both die or both live. God then but takes the lives of his parents. and the immediate source 3.2 The background (1925) of Dede story collected Korkut the material was from gives them their

clear.

Lesky of the Book I see.) The

then known.

of this story are (The version

is found

Denmark, Germany, and Finland; Estonia Turkey

(primarily and perhaps in India (see below). It has and in Armenia versions) are independent of Euripides' been shown that the Pontic versions is that they begin with of the Pontic versions drama. Characteristic a wrestling match between the hero and Death unrelated originally thirty more years, a happy

amongst in the North of also amongst the Greeks Pontic in the region of Trabzon: the so-called

not yet known to him, as far as Sweden to Armenia: in Sweden, in the Ukraine, in the Sorbs,

ending: motif) and have that somebody gives half of this time provided In the from his own life; this is also clearly a younger development. not accessible to Armenian version (Chalatianz 1909; me), Kaguan with Asian hears that one of his poor men has died. He wrestles Gabriel. refuse.

is an (which the hero gets

to give their life for his, which they He asks his parents But God His wife Margrit offers hers and dies immediately. It is clear that the restores life to her and takes that of his parents.

one. That is not surprisversion is closest to the Armenian between the three great in Eastern lived the Turkey, ing: Oghuz heartland. On the other Armenian the lakes, and this is precisely it from the Greeks around will have borrowed hand the Armenians Turkish Trabzon. 3.3 says (p. 33) that it is found in a semiis correct, but it is circle with Greece at its centre. This, of course, irrelevant to the history of the motif. It is clear that the Pontic verto that region by the Greeks. sions were brought Lesky argues that but that does not mean that it of are Euripides, they independent of the attested cannot Pontic whole from the The Armenian story derives origin. Thus the Armenian one. from the the and one, Oghuz story What Anatolian branch goes back to Greece. remains, then, be of Greek As an Indo-Europeanist, versions. Lesky I draw attention to the distribution

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN

235

the Sorb?an area, is the area of Sweden, Denmark and Germany, and Finland. This is exactly the area in the Ukraine and Estonia for which which the Indo-European homeland is being sought, Poland is now the most it to Greece (and in the Mah?bh?rata have likely candidate. the Indians to India derives Of course, the Greeks if the story of Savitri from the same motif). It seems, took and From then,

Satyavant Poland it must that 4.

the Alkestis The

and Finland. gone to Estonia motif is of Indo-European origin.

There

Story. Polyphemus is in the Book of Dede here called from other

Korkut

a version

Polyphemus, birth (taken ring which

agreement and 500 sheep. Two cooks prepare the food for him. The hero, catches him and throws him in Bas?t, sets out to kill him. Tepeg?z his cave where the sheep are. Together with the cooks Bas?t makes the spit red hot and pushes it into the giant's eye. To escape from the cave he kills a ram, skins it and gets into the skin. He succeeds even though knows that Bas?t is in the skin ("Ho, ram Tepeg?z with the spotted head, how did you know my weak spot? Let me

It begins with Tepeg?z. From his fairy mother he gets a motifs). into an makes him invulnerable. He forces the Oghuz which him with two men to they provide daily according

of the story of his miraculous

smash you on the walls of this cave and grease them with the fat of your tail.") He then offers his ring to Bas?t, apparently to get a hold of him, but Bas?t escapes again. Then Tepeg?z shows Bas?t where he keeps his treasures, and tries to smash Bas?t to pieces with the treasure house and all. Then Tepeg?z shows Bas?t a cave where the is kept with which he can be killed. The sword keeps and down and would have killed but he manages Bas?t, moving up to get it. Tepeg?z then asks him his name, which Bas?t gives him, but it plays no further role (Tepeg?z answers 'Now we are brothers. Spare my life.' What this means is not made clear. to the fact that Bas?t's father had tried to educate child). The In the end Bas?t cuts It could refer as a Tepeg?z off Tepeg?z's head. 1956. Despite the title (of his story is discussed by Mundy he not does discuss the relation of the to the Homeric article), story version. he conclusions Nevertheless, rejects Page's (1966, 1-20) but without listing his arguments. to Mundy, According Page's idea sword

236 that the Homeric round

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN

story is based on folktale and not the other way was already Grimm's (which view), would "rest upon very I completely uncertain foundations." with disagree Mundy's criticism. concentrates on the However, Mundy episode. Ring or not vss. 229, 356, and 517 of the Odyssey whether (ix) are a ring, I fail to see what conclusions may be account. is that is Page's argument Polyphemus a blinded with a spit or by a trick. The Odyssey has variant clearly of the spit, but the Odyssey is the only version that does not have reminiscence on of the drawn this with the spit itself. Now if the Odyssey had been the source, all stories the spit must have innovated in the same way, or one version must have undergone this innovation with all other versions derivare extremely Nor is it it; both explanations improbable. that the Odyssey was the source of the stories with a trick, probable such as melted lead in his eye. Therefore, it remains quite clear that the Homeric is a version which was not the source story reshaped of the other priori. 5. One Bamsi An Odyssey. of the possible versions. This is, of course, what one would expect a ing from

links with the classical world is the story of On the of his Bamsi is taken captive. Beyrek. day marriage He is a prisoner for sixteen years but manages to escape when he hears that somebody who had 'proved' that Bamsi is dead is going to marry his wife. Outside Bamsi finds his horse which recognizes is compared with Odysseus being recognized by his to his sisters as a bard comes disguised behaving slightdog.) ly abnormally. They give him a caftan from their brother which fits him exactly, him. Then he finds the man and they nearly recognize (This Bamsi who is going to marry his wife, shooting arrows. He is allowed to bow, whereupon try, but breaks the opponent's they give him Bamsi Beyrek's bow. He shoots the target, a ring, to pieces. He is then admitted him.

She to the banquet. There he tests his wife's steadfastness. flees and is the test and recognizes him. His opponent but Bamsi Beyrek forgives him. Another overtaken, surprise is that the hero then marries someone else. withstands It should different be realized from function that the episode with the horse that with Odysseus' dog. The has a quite hero needs

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN

237

a horse. Bamsi must either steal a horse which means transport societies a strong bond from the enemy or find his own. In nomadic finds his own horse, So Bamsi horse and rider. exists between him. Rossi of course, which, (1952, 59) calls it a part of recognizes universal finds to Ukrainian and gives a reference songs, but he in a Turkish story. parallel of the hero As to the test with the bow, where also the strength with the was a favourite note that shooting is shown, Oghuz. sport seven men to bend them (Rossi Some bows are said to require folklore the best 1952, 52). I think it more mon Rossi to all times are commentioned that the elements probable and places than that they go back to the Odyssey. the and considers folklore too refers to universal

(I.e.) of these motifs. Lewis, in his inonly as another instance Odyssey that these stories, to suppose troduction (p. 16), thinks it simpler It may be came from the Odyssey. like that of Polyphemus, simpler, simplistic 6. called but it is less likely, and it is a pity view to the public. that he propagates this

'White-armed'. like to mention one minor ?e????e???. In Homer, point. It is clearly 'her' epithet: for other women. Hera is we find and

I would

'white-armed', it 24 times for Hera, The

only rarely of rank stay must be that women explanation I think this interpretation don't have to work outside. though I do not find it in the commentaries accepted, Stanford are notes that on Minoan coloured conventionally on Od. 6,186). maroon." (Commentary was and observed times this difference same way. In classical white. rendered In the Book of Dede 'white-faced'. Greek

at home

is generally on Homer.

frescoes "women (and Mycenaean) or terra-cotta white and men This shows that in Minoan in the mostly

appreciated perhaps too women were vase-painting the standard

epithet of fear in English, (Because I would not have done so.) Lewis replaced it with 'white-skinned'; " In his introduction Lewis (p. 10) explains: nurtured' 'delicately not to be sun-tanned is for in pastoral societies is what it implies, a sign of wealth and rank." This holds not only for pastoral

women have Korkut, this has connotations

238 societies,

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN where tan when

I think, but everywhere in the working open air. But it is also said of men of high is awakened words: by his wife when

you

quickly

Thus, a sleeping hero standing. the enemy arrives with the following

your dark head, O warrior! eyes, O warrior! Open your lovely chestnut Ere your white hands and arms are tied, is trodden into the black Ere your white forehead Wake up! Raise The 'white forehead' The

ground,.

. .

is the followis often referred to. Interesting before a king (of a hero just mentioned appears There it reads: the hand of his "Kan ask to daughter. foreign land) he strutted Turali rose from his place and came forward, about, he he rolled up his sleeves to show his white bared his white forehead, ing incident. arms, 7. ..." These Apparently were he does this to show his noble birth.

classical literature. The

scholars, Book

that may be of interest to just a few remarks of to students Turkish some of them perhaps Korkut has been called the Turkish Homer.

of Dede

of short stories (some 15 pages in But it is not an epic. It consists which are in They are in prose, epic style and content. print each) but what the heroes say is often in verse (as e.g. in Old Irish the original I find the verse fine (even without reading stories). Turkish), of Homer. Let (from but the short But with one stories do not reach the breadth and depth Korkut the reader appreciate verses of the concluding Khan): should that himself. of Dede

me end the story

of Boghach

and left it; and on, like a caravan. They camped too, doom has taken and earth has hidden. Them, this transient Who now inherits world, 'They too came moved The The world world to which whose men latter come, from end is death?' which they go,

to this world

YOU CAN GET NEW CHILDREN BIBLIOGRAPHY

239

Aly W. 19692 = 1921. Volksm?rchen, Sage und Novelle bei Herodot und seinen Zeitgenossen. G?ttingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. Chalatianz 1909. Zeitschrift d. Vereins f. Volkskunde 19, 368 ff. Hein, J. 1958. Das Buch des Dede Korkut. Z?rich, Manesse Verlag. Lesky, A. 1925. Alkestis, derMythus und das Drama. Ak. Wiss. Wien, Phil.-hist. Kl. 203, 2. Lewis, G. 1974 = 1982. The Book of Dede Korkut. Harmondsworth, Penguin Books. N?ldeke, Th. 1894. Zu Hdt. 3, 119 (Soph. Ant. 903-13). Hermes 29, 155 f. Mundy, C. S. 1956. Polyphemusand Tepeg?z. BSOAS 18, 279-302. Page, D. 1966. The Homeric Odyssey. Oxford. Pischel, R. 1893. Zu Soph. Ant. 909-12. Hermes 28, 465-8. Rossi, E. 1952. // Kit?b-? Dede Qprqut. Citt? Vaticana. S?mer, F.- Uysal, ?.- Walker, W. S. 1972. The Book of Dede Korkut. Austin & London, Univ. Texas Press.