Про поисковые системы

In brief:
- Homer was either a blind guy, a bunch of guys, or an oral tradition.
- the formulae allowed poets an easier time with meter.
- extended similes tend to signal important action to follow.
- there is a materialization of pride, honour, and recognition in the form of trophies.
- these three characteristics are the underlying cause of the conflicts in the story.

Well, the big question with work by Homer is who was Homer?

Scholars have three major answers to this. The first: Homer was a blind man who lived around Chios in the dark ages of Greece. However there are strange inconsistencies in style and plot that make it difficult to believe the work was composed by a single person. The second: There never was a Homer. Rather, a large number of poets work was edited together and compiled into a single volume under the name Homer. The third: Homer was an oral tradition passed down through the ages. This suits the style of the work best, with the use of repetition and formulae. It also explains the inconsistencies and the length.

The formulae. A wonderful system for a narrative poem. There are two fixed values in a typical chunk of poetry: the syllables in the characters name and in the line. So say a line has 12 syllables, an action takes up x syllables. Then the characters name is left with 12-x syllables. The formulae was used to provide quick adaptivity to any length of action by providing a small library of synonyms for a characters name, each with a different number of syllables. So when 12-x left 4 syllables, Odysseus could be used. When 12-x left 5 syllables, Brave Odysseus could be used, Crafty Odysseus for 6, Etc.. Moreover, any character whose name had the same construction as Odysseus could have the same titles as him. This allowed the poet to compose lines on the fly without pause or struggle. And, interestingly enough, these formulae often provided very specific characteristics to the character,...

Читать дальше...