Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer’s The Odyssey
Aug 7, 2026 · 10 min · 7 segments
Even love cannot cross every boundary. In the land of the dead, closeness is promised — and denied. In *The Odyssey*, Book 11, Odysseus tries again and again to embrace his mother’s spirit, only…
Landon SolanoHost
So spake she, and I mused in my heart and would have fain embraced the spirit of my mother dead.
Thrice she flitted from my hands as a shadow or even as a dream, and a sharp grief arose ever at my heart.
And uttering my voice, I spake to her winged words, "Mother of mine, wherefore dost thou abide me who am eager to clasp thee, that even in Hades we twain may cast our arms about each about the other and have our fill of chill lament? Is this but a phantom that the high goddess Persephone hath sent me to the end that I may groan for more exceeding sorrow?" So spake I, and my lady mother answered me anon, "Ah me, my child, of all men most ill-fated, Persephone, the daughter of Zeus, doth in no wise deceive thee.
But even on this wise it is with mortals when they die, for the sinews no more bind together the flesh and the bones.
But the great force of burning fire abolishes these so soon as the life hath left the white bones, and the spirit like a dream flies forth and hovers near.
But haste with all thine heart toward the sunlight, and mark all this, that even hereafter thou mayest tell it to thy wife." Thus we twain held discourse together.
And lo, the women came up, for the high goddess Persephone sent them forth, all that they had been the wives and daughters of mighty men.
And they gathered and flocked about the black blood, and I took counsel how I might question them each one.
I drew my long hanger from my stalwart thigh and suffered them not all at one time to drink of the dark blood.
So they drew nigh one by one, and each declared her lineage, and I made question of all.
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So spake she, and I mused in my heart and would have fain embraced the spirit of my mother dead.
Thrice she flitted from my hands as a shadow or even as a dream, and a sharp grief arose ever at my heart.
And uttering my voice, I spake to her winged words, "Mother of mine, wherefore dost thou abide me who am eager to clasp thee, that even in Hades we twain may cast our arms about each about the other and have our fill of chill lament? Is this but a phantom that the high goddess Persephone hath sent me to the end that I may groan for more exceeding sorrow?" So spake I, and my lady mother answered me anon, "Ah me, my child, of all men most ill-fated, Persephone, the daughter of Zeus, doth in no wise deceive thee.
But even on this wise it is with mortals when they die, for the sinews no more bind together the flesh and the bones.
But the great force of burning fire abolishes these so soon as the life hath left the white bones, and the spirit like a dream flies forth and hovers near.
But haste with all thine heart toward the sunlight, and mark all this, that even hereafter thou mayest tell it to thy wife." Thus we twain held discourse together.
And lo, the women came up, for the high goddess Persephone sent them forth, all that they had been the wives and daughters of mighty men.
And they gathered and flocked about the black blood, and I took counsel how I might question them each one.
I drew my long hanger from my stalwart thigh and suffered them not all at one time to drink of the dark blood.
So they drew nigh one by one, and each declared her lineage, and I made question of all.
