ATLANTIC LAISTRUGONIA (LA HAVANA, CUBA ) Odysseus' First Voyage, part 6 English translation of parts of Homeros Odyssee, De zwerftochten van Odysseus over de Atlantische Oceaan by Gerard.W.J.Janssen. Continuation of 'Atlantic Troy' W ebsite Homer Odyssey Legenda Map Atlantic Ocean: Route I: (Janssen) From Troy through the Channel to the Kikones in Brittany, the Lotus-eaters in Senegal, the Cyclopes in Cameroon, Aiolos on Corvo, the Laistrugones in La Havana, back to Kirke in Zeeland. Route II: (W ilkens) Same as I to Senegal, then to the Cyclopes on Fogo, Aiolos on Saba, the Laistrugones in La Havana, back to Kirke in Zeeland. Route III: (Cailleux) After the Kikones to the Lotophages on Hierro, to the Cyclopes on Madeira, to Aiolos on Corvo, further equal to I. Striped line: the current sailing and trade routes across the ocean. G,W .J.Janssen Atlantic Laistrugonia-Cuba 2 FROM CORVO (AZORES) OR SABA TO CUBA The distance, course and location As we have seen in the Atlantic Aiolia chapter, Cailleux' identification Aiolia-Corvo is most likely. Then we continued grieving at heart. The men's energy was exhausted, rowing was painful: their own stupid fault, because there was no wind to help us now. We went on like this for six days, six whole days and nights. After those six days, we reached Laistrugonia's steep castle town, Lamas' Telepulos . (10.77 et seq.) The voyage is continued but not towards Ithaka since there was no favourable wind but one that took them further from home. In addition, they often had to row. Apparently, it is such a strong wind that the ships could not sail against it but let themselves drift along with the storm. Rowing then has the function of keeping the boat straight on the waves to prevent it from making water and sinking, and also to allow sight contact between the twelve ships. Where can they end up after six days of stormy weather? A six-day sail in these circumstances means a distance of approximately 2000-3000 km. The only countries in that range are New Foundland, Greenland and Ireland. Nevertheless, all authors since Cailleux believe that the island of the Laistrugones is Cuba and the port La Havana, located 5000 km from Corvo. The distance Saba-La Havana is approximately 2000 km and therefore falls within the range of the six days sailing, but Saba is not very likely as a starting point (see Atlantic Aiolia). The problem of distance has been solved by Cailleux as follows: the number six (sechs, six) here is merely symbolic of 'Saks', as was the case with the Kikons (six men per ship perish), the Cyclops ( six men are eaten) and later in the story of Skulla and Charubdis (six men perish). The coasts of the Kikons at the Breton side and of Scylla and Charubdis at the British side were also called the litus saxonicum long before the Romans arrived. In Cailleux' view the Laistrugones story represents the clash between the old Saxon culture, which had penetrated from the north (Scandinavia, Ireland) into the Caribbean, and the new Homeric-Phoenician culture. With the words "six days", Homeros would like to warn the skipper sailing from the Azores to Havana to be aware of his approaching a Saxon area and to inform him that at that course the winds are not favourable and rowing is often inevitable. Indeed, the reverse course Caribe-Azores usually is a good sailing course, with the sea currents helping considerably. The accuracy of Cailleux's solution will prove when we study the data from Homeros' text. If we look at the course to sail, Odysseus must maintain a SW course from Corvo and a WNW course from Saba. Both courses can be found in the text according to the Wilkens wind rose scheme (p. 224, s. below). WNW is Pisces and Aquarius: In front of the city they came across a girl drawing water. She was the sturdy daughter of Laistrugonian king Antifates She had come down to the Artakia spring with its clear water: from there they used to carry water to the city. (10,104 et seq.) and From the cliffs they pelted us with stones that a man couldn't lift: immediately a terrible noise rose from all ships of dying men and the splintering of timbers. They then speared them like fishes and carried them off to their loathsome feast. (10,121 et seq.) In Wilkens diagram the SW course from Corvo lies between Aries and Taurus, which can be found in this fragment as "cattle" and "sheep": G,W .J.Janssen Atlantic Laistrugonia-Cuba 3 ........................ There a herdsman driving in his flock calls out to his colleague; the other one answers, who goes to the meadow. There a man who never sleeps could earn a double wage, one for herding cattle, one for grazing silver-white sheep; for the paths of night and day vary little. (82 et seq.) Zodiacal signs as directional indicators, I.J.Wilkens The location in relation to the next destination Aiaia is not clearly indicated by Homeros. In 10,162 there might be a heading indication where we are told that Odysseus kills a large deer with his bronze spear, which might indicate the zodiacal sign Sagittarius, although he does not use a bow. According to the Wilkens diagram, this indicates a NO rate. Since all Atlantic authors agree that with Aiaia Scaldia (Schouwen, Zeeland) is meant, this course indication corresponds to the starting point Cuba. However, the number of days of this trip is not specified. Data from the text In order to determine whether the identification of Laistrugonia as Cuba is acceptable, we must carefully study the data from Homeros in 10.77-132. The data are the following: - The phrase "the paths of night and day vary little" indicates that we are dealing with an area in the subtropics. - The country's economy is apparently based on day and night shifts. Whether that has something to do with cattle or sheep or whether it is a metaphor is a question that will be discussed below. In v. 97 Odysseus climbs to a sandy lookout post, possibly a dune, and sees no agricultural or livestock activities there. However, there is something else: I chose two men, a third I sent with them to act as a messenger. Once disembarked, they walked on a smoothly planed road down which wagons transported wood to the city from the high mountains . (102-) Apparently, the transport of felled trees from the high mountains is an important activity, for which good roads have been constructed. - The names that are important for the country or island are Laistrugonia, Telepulos, and Lamas. The G,W .J.Janssen Atlantic Laistrugonia-Cuba 4 city is referred to as a high castle city, as Troy is called too. - Unlike the Cyclopes, the Laisrugones live in a well-ordered society with a castle town, a square, a large harbor, stone bullets to ward off the enemy, a water system, planed roads, heavy carts for tree transport, beautiful houses with storeys, ritual slaughter of humans, a population that consists of many tens of thousands. - The port deserves a special mention: When we reached the fine harbor there, on both sides of which there is a stretch of sheer cliffat its mouth two opposing headlands jut out; then a narrow entrance follows then all the captains took their round-curved ships inside, and moored them close together in the hollow harbor on ropes; for there were never waves, neither great nor small but everywhere there was clear, calm water. (87 ff.) It is a round basin with narrow access, sheltered from the prevailing winds, and with two protruding capes. - The people are special. Homeros points to their exceptional size and length in three places. In v.106, the daughter of King Antifates is said to be "sturdy, muscular." The wife of Antifates is "as high as the top of a mountain and Odysseus' men were disgusted by her" (v.113). The Laistrugones themselves "were not like people but like Giants " (v.120) and had cannibalistic traits (v.124). They are able to throw large stones. - Good, clear drinking water is available from a source called Artakia (v.99). Smoke or vapour comes up from the ground, which may indicate a hot water source or volcanic activities. These are the data from Homeros, which should all be applicable to La Havana, Cuba. View of the narrow port entrance of La Havana with two characteristic mountain peaks, Joan Vinckboon 1639 G,W .J.Janssen Atlantic Laistrugonia-Cuba 5 Identification of Laistrugonia as La Havana, Cuba - Cuba is a subtropic country. The longest day is 13 hours and the shortest night 11 hours, which corresponds to v.86. - The description of the port is perfectly applicable to La Havana, except that, due to buildings and quays, the steep rock face is no longer really high. Fortresses were later built on the two capes. The name La Havana (De Haven = The Harbor) is certainly Gallo-Germanic or Saxonian and already existed when Columbus arrived there. The port of Willemstad, Curaçao, also consists of a large bowl with a narrow passage and protruding headlands, but the rest of the data cannot be placed there. -The source Artakia must be the famous mineral and medicinal hot spring Guana Bacoa (= Holy Source). Artakia can be derived from art (= healing) and aqua and therefore also means 'healing or holy water'. Guanabacoa is now the name of one of the ports in the bay of La Havana and has mineral springs. Cuba is known for its medicinal sources and around Havana, there are four of them.1 -The wife of Antifates is as big as a mountain top. Such a solid block is called in Gallo-Germanic 'kubbr, cube, kubbe', from which Cuba might be derived (PA 78). Does the description of the wife of Antifates refer to these two mountain peaks (s. pl. below)? -The Laistrugons threw enormous heavy stones from the rocks, such as those with which the heroes of the Iliad threw (eg Il.8,321), stones that fit in the hand (chermadioisi). Masses of bullet-round stones have been found in Cuba in a valley of the river La Venta de Contramaestre, 20 km from Santiago, of which people wondered if they were made by nature or by human hand.2 Gideon (p.186) suggests that the stones were fired with catapults, which cannot be ruled out given the state of the art at the time. Homeros would then have personified this mechanism in the "Giants with giant power", as he describes the Laistrugones. This personification can be compared to that of the mechanical cranes and Skulla (see Atlantic Thrinakia). - Economic activities Since the Indians did not know any wagons, the occurrence of wagons means that we are dealing here with a Gallo-Germanic (Saxonian) culture in which wagons were constructed in all sorts of forms. The wood will have come from the high mountains of Turquino (1974 m), where reportedly very thick cedars grew from which canoes were manufactured that could carry 50 to 60 people at a time. The name Caribbean is also derived from carabo- canoe. These sea vessels were of course of vital importance to the Caribbean archipelago. Shipbuilding, shipping, and trade were then the most important activities of the Laistrugones, which fits in with their Saxon background. In Sweden and Norway, numerous petroglyphs from the Stone and Bronze Ages have been found that represent large rowing canoes. That is why Odysseus does not see any agricultural or livestock activities. - The second source of prosperity for the Bardal, Norway: ships with a huge number of rowers en Laistrugones could be indicated by the sentence "There a man who never sleeps several decks (Stone Age) could make a double wage, one with herding cattle, one with snow-white sheep". Cailleux takes this line literally and believes that "sheep" are meant to be large sheep, i.e. lamas, that were used as beasts of burden in Bolivia and Peru. It is 1 Acta Geologica Hispanica, 33 (1998), p.373-393. 2 R.de la Sagra Hist. phys., polit. et nat. de l'Ile de Cuba, 1842, I,134; Moréri Cosm. Univers. 22,13. G,W .J.Janssen Atlantic Laistrugonia-Cuba 6 stated in the literature that lamas never eat at night. In my opinion, we should not take these words literally, but view the cattle as oxen or rather "oxen hides" (ingots) into which metals such as copper, tin, lead, gold were smelted and the silver-white sheep as silver bars, at least as metals that were removed from the mines in 24-hours shifts ('day and night').3 With this, Homeros indirectly indicates the wealth of the island. The following metals occur in Cuba itself: Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn, Au, Ag, Mn, W and Cr. However, import and storage from South and Central America is also conceivable, given the aforementioned shipping activities.4 - The names Lamas, Telepulos, Laistrugonia Lamas (or Lamos) can be derived from lama (compare: Dalai Lama) or lamb (Lat .: Agnus dei -'lam of god', Gr .: Rén). The name refers to a priest-king, the Lamas (or Renoforos - "ram-skin carrier"), as a depiction of the culture of the purifying river, the Divine Rhine (Rén)5 . In Ireland, there is the city of Limerick, a name that can be traced to Lama-rijk (=Lama Empire). So, the Saxon culture of the Laistrugones might have been introduced from Ireland. There is a remarkable detail in all northern religions: at the end of his career, their high priest was taken to a distant, mysterious place where he could wait for the resurrection. For example, Wodan retreated to a "schut" (= enclosed space) where he lived with the heroic Saints (the Sancti) in a supreme state of happiness. Merlin was taken to the forest of Brokéliant, where he awaited rebirth, covered with an amber layer. The inhabitants of the Antilles called the place where Quetzocoatl in his last days united with the old Toltec heroes "Tlapallan". If we could equate Tla-pallan with Tale-pulos (tall-pulé = high gate), then Quetzocoatl could be the Lamas that once resided or was buried in the steep castle there (PA 82). However, Wilkens has a more simple explanation and sees in Telepulos the meaning 'Far Gate' (from tele-far) or Far Harbor which is, of course, applicable to the distant destination Cuba and La Havana, which also functioned as a gateway to the mainland of America. According to Cailleux, the name of the Laistrugones can be derived from lustrum, a ceremony for which originally human sacrifices were used with a large ritual. The priests were called "purification generators" or Lustrugonen and hence Laistrugonen. In America a 15 year old child was used, slaughtered and eaten. Once every fifteen years the victim was decorated with feathers, the people were sprinkled with his blood and thus purged, after which they took part in the orgies. In that way, the purifying capacity of the water of an ocean river such as the Rhine is, during a lustrum, assigned to human blood. This practice of consuming human flesh is far removed from Mediterranean civilization. It is true that the Suevi also sacrificed a person at "a certain time", as Tacitus mentions (stato tempore) and Caesar describes human sacrifices among the residents of Britain. The Phoenicians knew human sacrifices and in the Iliad, during the cremation of Patroklos, a number of Trojans were also slaughtered and thrown on the pyre. According to Strabo, the same ritual was known in Ireland. However, the eating of the victims is not mentioned anywhere. In Rome human sacrifices were even completely abolished and holy water was used instead of blood, but the period changed from fifteen to every five years.6 At this point of the story, the Lama Antifates was the high priest, who "had a meal made ready" (hoplissato deipnon). This means that he did not devoured the man, as Polufemos did in all his rudeness, but organized a more civilized ritual, as was later still used by the Incas and in Mexico. So human sacrifices occurred in both continents, especially in the Saxonian territories. The names Lamas, Laistrugones and Telepulos, therefore, all seem to be of Gallo-Germanic origin and may already date from the Stone Age. According to Cailleux, this story symbolizes the clash of the two cultures, the Saxon and Homeric-Phoenician, but he forgets that the Phoenicians themselves also made human sacrifices. That Saxon culture has spread from the last ice age through the north and 3 See for Helios' cattle ="oxhides" in Cornwall Atlantic Thrinakia 4 https://www.negocios-cuba.com/mineria. 5 See Inleiding Religie bij Homeros, H.O. p.902. 6 For sacrifices with the Muiscas (Bogotá) see Dos Sacrificios entre los Muiscas by M.Sotomayor in Revista Colombiana de Antropologia, 27 (1989). G,W .J.Janssen Atlantic Laistrugonia-Cuba 7 the coasts and islands of America and the Caribbean has been demonstrated by Stanford and Bradley and Barry Fell.7 The archaeological finds in Cuba point to a permanent settlement of around 4000 years and to a culture that according to Cailleux (PA 79) is similar to or related to that of the Olmecs, who reigned in Central America and the Caribbean islands from 1500 BC till approx. 250 AD. In the name Olmecs he sees a derivation from Holm (=Island) so that they could be considered as "Islanders". This derivation would therefore indicate their northern European origin, where many places exist like Stock-holm, Ax-holm, Holmsund, Holm etc. Homeros, however, would have followed a Greek derivation of Olmec head from Villahermosa, the name Olmecs. Since the Greek holmos means "round Mexico stone", he would have described the people not as Islanders but as Stone throwers, see above. However, there are also theories that assume a West African origin of the Olmecs.8 The second and third layer of the Odyssey As already discussed in previous parts, the Odyssey has three layers. Behind the adventurous mythological story lies the second layer: that of the nautical announcements and warnings. In the Bronze Age, Gallo-Germanic, Iberian or Phoenician civilization had not penetrated everywhere through colonization. There were still wild, primitive peoples like Cyclopes and Laistrugones in several places who also made human sacrifices and practised cannibalism. Until a few centuries ago, piracy was also the most normal thing on the Atlantic coasts. It was therefore of great importance for seafarers to know the nature of the population of the various landing sites. Homeros describes as a maritime pilot quite accurately the location of this safe harbor, which is easily recognizable from the sea by the two female looking hilltops. There are medicinal springs (Artakia) and clear water that ships can take in. Given the cannibalistic outcome of the story, however, it seems that the Laistrugones episode is a frightening story of Phoenician Olmec writing, not yet deciphered sailors, meant to keep out potential competitors, as is the case with the icy story of Skulla and Charubdis. La Havana was apparently an important transshipment port for the riches that the Phoenicians brought from America: gold, silver, precious stones and purple. Unauthorized persons are thus warned in advance for cannon balls, catapults, and meat pots. The third layer is the mystical story of the initiation of Odysseus into the rebirth mysteries of the Nehalennia cult. Odysseus is still in the preliminary phase. Only at his next destination will the definitive initiation take place at Kirke's. Because of his carelessness and lack of confidence in his mates, Odysseus has been blown from his home country Ithaka (Cadiz, Jerez) across the Atlantic and now, with the Laistrugones, he not only loses one man who is being sacrificed but all his ships with their crews except his own. All other skippers had sailed into the harbor without worry, glad to have escaped all misery at sea. 7 B. Fell America B.C. New York, 1989; Stanford/Bradley Across Atlantic Ice, California 2012. 8 https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/arqueologia/olmecs01.htm G,W .J.Janssen Atlantic Laistrugonia-Cuba 8 However, I only kept my dark ship outside, right at the very end, and tied ropes to the rock. (95) Through experience, Odysseus has become wise and careful, a quality that meant his salvation. However, his buddies were too naive, wanted to acquire the riches of the country and perished all. From now on Odysseus is no longer interested in material gain and loot. His ratio plays the leading role, so that the eight-year learning period with Kirke and Kalupso can begin. Conclusion We can conclude that La Havana, Cuba is an excellent option for Laistrugonia on the basis of its location, harbor, organized society, medical resources, minerals, etc. When the Phoenicians, personified by Odysseus, arrived in America, they found there an age-old, Saxonian, Northern European civilization with a religious system that had probably spread from our regions via the northern route. Then the Phoenician culture, as described by Homer, penetrated these areas, as witnessed by the numerous finds of coins, artistic expressions and inscriptions with Phoenician / Hebrew influences, the Phoenician and Punic geographical names that can be found everywhere in America and the papyrus texts found in Mexico and studied by M. de Humboldt but unfortunately lost in a shipwreck. This scholar regarded them as copies of texts that were kept in Velletri, Bologna, and Rome.9 The three layers of the Odyssey can also be found in this story. Abbreviations used for the books of Th. Cailleux (1878): OC Origine celtique de la civilisation de tous les peuples PH Poésies d' Homère PA Pays Atlantiques, decrit par Homère Citations of Homer: Roman cyphers = Ilias, e.g. XX,345; Arabic cyphers = Odyssey, e.g. 13,34. Bibliography Atlantic authors: Homeros Odyssee, by Gerard Janssen, Leeuwarden 2018 Gideon E. Troje lag in Engeland, Deventer 1991, reprint of Homerus, zanger der Kelten, 1973 Grave Ch.J. De République des Champs Élysées, Gent 1806, 3 vols. Vinci F. The Baltic Origins of Homer's Epic Tales, 2005 W ilkens I.J. Where Troy once stood, 1990-2013, Dutch: Waar eens Troje lag, 2015 Leeuwarden. Series: Odysseus' First Voyage - part 1: Troy - Gog Magog Hills, Brittain - part 2: Ismaros and the Kikones - Brittany - part 3: Lotophages - Senegal - part 4: Cyclopes - Fogo, Cameroon, Madeira - part 5: Aiolia and Aiolos - Corvo (Azores) - part 6: Laestrygones - Cuba, La Havana - part 7: Aiaia and Kirke - Schouwen, Zeeland - part 8: Hades-W alcheren, Zeeland Series: Odysseus' Second Voyage - part I: Tenedos-Thanet and the Seirenes; - part II: Skulla and Charubdis - St.Michael' Mount - part III: Thrinakia - Cornwall 9 Recently a stone was dug up in Cuba with inscriptions in Linear-B (1500 BC) and Celtiberian writing: http://www.antikitera.net/news.asp?ID=169 G,W .J.Janssen Atlantic Laistrugonia-Cuba - part IV: Ogygia- Azores, Kalupso; - part V: Scheria-Lanzarote; - part VI: Ithaka-Cádiz, Jérez 9