Homer's Odyssey:
In Book 12, Odysseus and his men return from Hades to the island where the sea-nymph, sorceress Circe lives, and stay there for a day before setting sail again. That night, Circe tells Odysseus about what he is going to encounter on his way to Ithaca. The first encounter is with Sirens, birds with hers of women, who sing sweetly, attracting passing sailors with their songs. Those who listen to their singing are destroyed. Circe advises Odysseus to plug the ears of his sailors with beeswax when they row past the island of Sirens. If he would like to listen to their singing, she says, he should get tied tightly to the mast.
James Joyce's Ulysses:
Joyce used the name Sirens to refer to the 11th episode/chapter of his Ulysses. Befitting its name Joyce defined music as its art. Music is present here in various forms: not just in the terminology, songs and arie sung, musical instruments referred to, choice of verbs used but also equally prominently in the structure of the episode. Fragments of sentences in it resemble fragments of musical motives. The episode is set in the bar and the saloon of the Ormond hotel on Upper Ormond Quay. The two sirens here are Miss Douce and Miss Kennedy, both barmaids. The other major players are Lenehan, Boylan (both in the bar), Simon Dedalus, Father Cowley, Ben Dollard (all in the saloon), Bloom and Richie Golding having dinner in the restaurant. The barmaids sing and flirt with their customers, those in the saloon play the piano and sing. Simon Dedalus's rendering of the aria, M'Appari, from Martha touches the heart of all those who listen. Boylan is just stopping over as he is on his way to visit Molly. Bloom realizes this but avoids thinking of what is going to happen, and decides upon walking, walking, and walking.
It is 4 p.m.
Selected Highlights of Episode 11 in Ulysses for the Uninitiated:
1. Sayings from Ulysses explored/explained:
- Rrrpr. Krav. Kraandl. (11.60)
- Imperthnthn thnthnthn, . . . (11.100)
- Two sheets cream vellum paper one reserve two envelopes when I was in Wisdom Hely's wise Bloom in Daly's Henry Flower bought. (11.295)
- He eyed and saw afar on Essex bridge a gay hat riding on a jaunting car. (11.302)
- Jingling. He's gone. Jingle. Hear. (11.458)
- We are their harps. I. He. Old. Young. (11.582)
- Wore out his wife: now sings. (11.696)
- Folly am I writing? Husbands don't. (11.874)
- Sauce for the gander. (11.877)
- A wee little wind piped eeee. (11.1203)
(Episode.Line numbers in brackets above are according to the Critical Edition of Ulysses by H. W. Gabler, 1986)
- The Irish patriotic song, The Minstrel Boy, by Thomas Moore (1779-1852) and sung by the Irish Tenors.
- The aria, M'Appari, from von Flotow's opera, Martha, sung by Luciano Pavarotti
- The recitation of the Irish ballad, The Croppy Boy, by W. B. McBurney (1844-1892) and sung by Kevin McDermott
And much more!
In Book 12, Odysseus and his men return from Hades to the island where the sea-nymph, sorceress Circe lives, and stay there for a day before setting sail again. That night, Circe tells Odysseus about what he is going to encounter on his way to Ithaca. The first encounter is with Sirens, birds with hers of women, who sing sweetly, attracting passing sailors with their songs. Those who listen to their singing are destroyed. Circe advises Odysseus to plug the ears of his sailors with beeswax when they row past the island of Sirens. If he would like to listen to their singing, she says, he should get tied tightly to the mast.
James Joyce's Ulysses:
Joyce used the name Sirens to refer to the 11th episode/chapter of his Ulysses. Befitting its name Joyce defined music as its art. Music is present here in various forms: not just in the terminology, songs and arie sung, musical instruments referred to, choice of verbs used but also equally prominently in the structure of the episode. Fragments of sentences in it resemble fragments of musical motives. The episode is set in the bar and the saloon of the Ormond hotel on Upper Ormond Quay. The two sirens here are Miss Douce and Miss Kennedy, both barmaids. The other major players are Lenehan, Boylan (both in the bar), Simon Dedalus, Father Cowley, Ben Dollard (all in the saloon), Bloom and Richie Golding having dinner in the restaurant. The barmaids sing and flirt with their customers, those in the saloon play the piano and sing. Simon Dedalus's rendering of the aria, M'Appari, from Martha touches the heart of all those who listen. Boylan is just stopping over as he is on his way to visit Molly. Bloom realizes this but avoids thinking of what is going to happen, and decides upon walking, walking, and walking.
It is 4 p.m.
Selected Highlights of Episode 11 in Ulysses for the Uninitiated:
1. Sayings from Ulysses explored/explained:
- Rrrpr. Krav. Kraandl. (11.60)
- Imperthnthn thnthnthn, . . . (11.100)
- Two sheets cream vellum paper one reserve two envelopes when I was in Wisdom Hely's wise Bloom in Daly's Henry Flower bought. (11.295)
- He eyed and saw afar on Essex bridge a gay hat riding on a jaunting car. (11.302)
- Jingling. He's gone. Jingle. Hear. (11.458)
- We are their harps. I. He. Old. Young. (11.582)
- Wore out his wife: now sings. (11.696)
- Folly am I writing? Husbands don't. (11.874)
- Sauce for the gander. (11.877)
- A wee little wind piped eeee. (11.1203)
(Episode.Line numbers in brackets above are according to the Critical Edition of Ulysses by H. W. Gabler, 1986)
2. Illustrations:
- Watercolours by Catherine Meyer
- Original photograph of the door of 7 Eccles Street by Chandra Holm
3. Links to- Watercolours by Catherine Meyer
- Original photograph of the door of 7 Eccles Street by Chandra Holm
- The Irish patriotic song, The Minstrel Boy, by Thomas Moore (1779-1852) and sung by the Irish Tenors.
- The aria, M'Appari, from von Flotow's opera, Martha, sung by Luciano Pavarotti
- The recitation of the Irish ballad, The Croppy Boy, by W. B. McBurney (1844-1892) and sung by Kevin McDermott
And much more!
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