Divine Resonance in Early Greek Epic: Space, Knowledge, Affect

This article reframes the cultic prohibition of sound in Homeric Hymn to Demeter 478–9 as an emic model for understanding sonic encounter with the divine in early Greek epic. It argues that these lines represent divine resonance, that is, the experience of divine sound, according to the themes of sp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of philology 2021-12, Vol.142 (4), p.535-569
Main Author: Sansom, Stephen A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aesthetics
Epic literature
Greek literature
Hymns
Knowledge
Poetry
Religious literature
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This article reframes the cultic prohibition of sound in Homeric Hymn to Demeter 478–9 as an emic model for understanding sonic encounter with the divine in early Greek epic. It argues that these lines represent divine resonance, that is, the experience of divine sound, according to the themes of space, knowledge, and affect. This framework guides three close readings: Penelope and the eidôlon (Od. 4.830–4), Talthybios and the boar (Il. 19.249–68), and Agamemnon and the false dream (Il. 2.35–41). In these readings, the model not only enriches interpretation but also reveals that passages of varying lengths can operate as nonlinear resonant circuits in which divine resonance anticipates divine revelation.
ISSN:0002-9475
1086-3168
1086-3168
DOI:10.1353/ajp.2021.0019