Wow. Just… wow.
So apparently there’s this archaeological project in the works over in Greece where archaeologists are trying to locate the island used for the setting of Ithaca (Homer’s Odyssey).
…
Okay. That’s cool. I enjoyed the book even though I was forced to read it by my tenth grade teacher who took all of her sexual frustrations out on the class (which I think says a lot about the book). But it gets better (or worse, depending on your outlook on life):
A Dutch geological engineering company has agreed to help.
Thompson said the company would sink sensors into bore holes, and likely follow up with sonar analysis of the seabed, as well as using material detectors that dangle from a helicopter and undersea sensors dragged through the water by ship.
Sensors? Sonar? Helicopters? Oh my. Sounds expensive. I wonder who’s paying for all of this?
Okay. So I know it’s totally inappropriate (not to mention ignorant) for me to assume any other country is run in the same fashion as America, but aren’t these things usually paid for by grants? The government? The government that is funded by the people of the country?
I’m willing to accept the fact that I may be completely wrong in this assumption because, really, I don’t know.
Regardless of who’s paying for it, it’s an effing book. You don’t see anyone running out to find Hogwarts and that stupid little train they ride to get there that I can’t remember the name of.
What’s going to happen when they do find it?
“People of the world, we have a most glorious announcement! After countless years and lots of wasted money, we’ve found the island that Homer based Ithaca off of!”
“Huh. Cool beans, guys.” Then everyone goes back to watching television and talking on their cell phones.
Read the full article here.
Hmm, I don’t know if this helps to figure out who is actually funding the venture, but a link on their homepage gives a bit more information about the ‘who’ –
http://www.odysseus-unbound.org/sponsorship.html
Homer’s Odyssey wasn’t originally a book, it was a traditional song-poem which was performed orally. There is some debate about whether Homer actually ‘wrote’ it. I think the reason why historians would find it so interesting is because the poem incorporates a lot of legend alongside historical events and places. Your analogy doesn’t quite fit. In modern times, we have the accepted concept of ‘fantasy book’ like the Harry Potter series, which we know to be fantasy. Then, and in that culture, their demigods, monsters, and heroes weren’t fantasies. I’m sure there are lots of folks who do deliberately search out the places where Harry Potter is filmed. At least looking for Ithaka has some kind of academic, ethnographic, and historical significance, whereas the Potter fans are seen as just pathetic.
Comment by london_meeja_whore — March 27, 2007 @ 9:42 am
Man, you’re a party pooper.
Comment by annie lou — March 27, 2007 @ 10:22 am
Sorry
Comment by london_meeja_whore — March 28, 2007 @ 8:19 am
I find it funny that the King’s Cross station in London pays tribute to Harry Potter.
Comment by Eric Brown — March 28, 2007 @ 10:21 pm
Hm, I’m not at King’s Cross very often (being a sarf Lahndaner) but I think you’re right that it does have some display or another.
There’s a great Paddington Bear stand to buy toys & memorabilia at Paddington station, but I suppose that’s not quite the same thing; as he was named after the station.
Comment by london_meeja_whore — March 29, 2007 @ 6:01 am
Hahah, right.. that 9 and three-quarters sign… or something *shifty eyes* I wouldn’t know…
Paddington Bear is awesome! I didn’t know he was named after a station.
Comment by annie lou — March 29, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
Indeedy. There is a pic on wikipedia of a bronze statue of Paddington in the station. As I recall they keep moving the statue around so nobody can find it.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f7/PaddingtonStation-PaddingtonBear.jpg
Comment by london_meeja_whore — March 30, 2007 @ 8:16 am