Author:
Jan Scholten
Book:
Secret Lanthanides
Type:
Mythology 2
Chapter:
2.7.1
2.7.1 Stage 1, Caesium: the Kikons, Cyclops
Odysseus and his men plunder the city of Ismaros of the Kikons. They kill the men and rape the women. Allies of the Kikons come and start fighting them. They can escape but 6 men from each of the twelve ships are killed. They flee away to sea and Zeus creates a storm that destroys all the sails.
They land on the island of the Lotophagoi, the lotus eaters. Some men go inland and receive some lotus fruits to eat. They get "high" and don’t want to leave the island anymore. Odysseus uses force and binds them to the ship to sail away fast.
They reach the land of the Cyclops. The one eyed Cyclops trust the Gods to give them all they need. They go into a cave, the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemos and eat his cheeses. On his return Polyphemos eats some of the men. Odysseus gets him drunk with wine and tells him is called “No-one”. Then Polyphemos promises him to eat no-one last. They blind Polyphemos by driving a spear into his eye. The next day they escape by binding themselves to the bellies of the goats.
Typical in these stories is the impulsiveness of the men. They just (Stage 1) plunder, kill (Gold series) and rape.
The Cyclops live in simple trust that the Gods give them what they need, which is typical for Stage 1, the childish and naïve Stage. The Cyclopes are one-eyed; they can see things only from one side, which is also symbolic of Stage 1.