MUSEUM OF THE SEA
FROM ODYSSEUS TO HOMER XIII-VIII cen. b.C.
Then was a dark cloud raised by the scion of Kronos and stationed
over the hollow ship; and the sea turned murky beneath it.
Not much time did she keep running on, for the west wind Zephyr
suddenly came down shrieking and blowing a powerful tempest;
then from the mast a tumultuous storm gust tore off the forestays
Homer, Odyssey, XII, 405-9
Homer, together with Hesiod, constitutes the primary source of information on navigation and shipbuilding in the Bronze Age. In the Iliad and the Odyssey there are many references to shipbuilding, the preparation of cargo, and the layout of oarsmen on deck. Very frequent also are references to the winds and currents used in navigation, the capability of the helmsmen leading the ships, and also to the customs and sacrifices made to bring the favour of gods for the journey – without counting descriptions of embarkations (only two in the Iliad, but fifteen in the Odyssey: one for the suitors, Nestor and Menelaos, two for Telemachus and approximately ten for Odysseus). Homeric references, in combination with contemporary archaeology, allow us to conclude on the typology of Odysseus’ ship and in general on ships that were used in the Mycenaean Era.
THE OX-HIDE OF THE WINDS
I have always believed that the best results are achieved through collaboration between different sciences and fields of knowledge. So I have brought together the voices of various scholars in L'Otre dei Venti: writers and scientists, poets and philosophers, lyricists and philologists, historians and archaeologists, but also artists and athletes, whose experience enriches the museum with multimedia and interdisciplinary contributions. The skin bag given by Aeolus to Odysseus contained winds that were unfavourable to his voyage. This skin bag works in the opposite way. It is filled with benevolent winds, vital breaths that will help us, among other things, to understand the relationship between Odysseus and the culture of the Mediterranean peoples. It is a precious skin bag for me, because I think that these voices are part of our cultural heritage and we must take care of them, so I will be careful that no one unties the knot of the skin bag (as Odysseus' companions did) before arriving at the port of Ithaca. Only then will the winds/voices of these “precious” contemporary storytellers blow together, favouring the smooth sailing of the museum ship.