Εἰλίποδες ἕλικες βόες, a misinterpreted animal in ancient Greek literature

Context

In various texts of the Ancient Greek literature there are references to «εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς», animals which are typically interpreted as cattle with “spiral, or curly horns” (as an interpretation of «ἕλικας»), and with “rolling in their gait” (as an interpretation of «εἰλίποδας»).

So, typically, the term is meant to describe cows like that of the picture below.

The references

The two prominent features of these “cattle”, «ἕλικας» and «εἰλίποδας», are consistently met in the literature either both together, or one at the time, a fact that supports that they refer to a specific kind of animal.

εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς: [Days and Works 795 ], [Iliad 9.466 , 21.448 , 23.166 ], [Odyssey, 1.91 , 4.320 , 9.45 ]
ἕλικας βοῦς: [Days and Works 452 ], [Iliad 15.633 , 18.523 ], [Odyssey 12.136 , 20.292 , 24.66 ], [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 567 ]
εἰλίποδας βοῦς: [Theogony 983 ], [Iliad 6.424 , 15.547 , 16.488 ], [Odyssey 8.60 ], [Idylls-25 99 ]

Additional characteristics of the specific “cattle” are described as follows:

εὐρυμετώποι (with broad brow): [Odyssey 11.288 , 12.262 , 12.355 ], [Theogony 291 ], [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 102 , 355 ]
ὀρθοκραίραοι (straight-horned): [Odyssey 12.348 ], [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 220 ]
φοίνικες (of purple color): [Idylls-25 128 ], [Bibliotheca 2.5.10 ]
ἐριμύκεις (loud-bellowing): [Iliad 20.495 , 23.775 ], [Odyssey 15.235 ], [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 74 , 105 ]
κεράεσσιν ἑλικτές (considered to be a grammatical form of «έλικες», 1,2 i.e. “curly-horned”) [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 192 ]
ὑποβρύχιοι (underwater): [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 116 ]

Hermeneutical issues

The interpretation of «εἰλίποδες ἕλικες βόες» as domestic cattle, poses a number of inconsistencies and problematic issues:

The interpretation of «ἕλικες» as “curled horns” presupposes the term «κέρας», which is not referred in any of the above cases, in contrast to the explicit use of the term in the following (indicative) cases:
- “ῥέξω χρυσὸν κέρασιν περιχεύας” [Iliad 10.294 and Odyssey 3.384 ]
- “ἀμφὶ δ᾽ ἄρά σφι πρυμνοῖσιν κεράεσσι πολὺς ἀνακηκίει ἱδρώς” [Iliad 13.705 ]
- “ὄφρα βοὸς χρυσὸν κέρασιν περιχεύῃ” [Odyssey 3.426 ]
The typical interpretation of «εἰλίποδας βοῦς» as “cows rolling in their gait” referring to how they “bring their feet around with a circling motion”, stems stems from an explanation provide by Körner in 1930 4 that this behavior is due to an anatomical peculiarity of cows’ hind legs that effects their walking. The term «εἰλίποδες» though, as a composite of «εἴλω» (meaning, twisted) & «πούς» (meaning, feet) refers to a characteristic of the feet, not of the walking (consider for example the analogy of «οιδίπους» referring to swollen feet).
In the description of the slaughtering of the “cattle of Helios” by Odysseus' comrades, the oxen are described as «ἕλικες» [Odyssey 12.136 and 12.355 ] but at the same time as «ὀρθοκραιράων» [Odyssey 12.348 ], which are contradictory descriptions according to the typical interpretations of “curly-horned” and “straight-horned” respectively.
The term «κεράεσσιν ἑλικτές» [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 192 ] is attributed to a peculiar grammatical form of «έλικες». 1, 2 But, the term «ἑλικτά» is used by Aristotle to describe the ability of insects and snakes to roll up (συνελίττονται) 5 , suggesting a connotation of movement.
If this is so, there is again the contradiction mentioned above, as the same “cattle” are described to also be «ὀρθοκραιράων» [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 220 ].
The attributions «ὑποβρυχίaς» triggers a reasonable questioning for characterising cattle, as the term literally means “underwater”. This has lead scholars to suggest interpretations like “below the surface (of the earth, in a cave)” 1 , alternative roots of the term like «υποβρυχάομαι» 1 (lowing softly), or alternative possible scriptures of the original text as «ὑποβροχίας» 2 (under the rope loop), so that the consistency of the text is preserved.
The slaughtering of the “cattle” by Hermes (described in 118-19 ), follows a procedure which is incompatible with the typical one, 1 where the animal is killed by a beating on the neck as is depicted in the picture below. 3

A new interpretation

The proposal put forward here is that the term «εἰλίποδες ἕλικες βόες» does not describe domestic cattle, but rather, walrus .

In the following, the characteristics of the animals identified in the first section above, are examined one by one against this assumption:

The type, size and weight of the walrus justifies the term «βους» (ox): the weight of the walrus is about 850 kg, and can reach to up to two tones.
The term «ἕλικες» presumably does not refer to “curled horns”, but to another organ of the animal, namely its “mustache” which is equipped with hairy sensors that allow the walrus to search for food in the sea bottom. The same term, «ἕλικες», is also used by Aelianus to describe the similar organ of the Indian shrimp , namely its antennae [De Natura Animalium 16.13 ].
The term «ειλίποδες» presumably refers to the anatomy of the feet of walrus which are twisted as can be seen in the skeleton diagram below.
The term «ευρυμέτωποι» presumably refers to the characteristic breadth of the forehead of the walrus.
The term «ορθοκραίραοι» presumably refers to the upright tusks of the walrus, that can reach even up to 1m in length.
The term «φοίνικες» presumably refers to the purple color of the walrus, which is due to their reddish hair and to their intense perfusion.
The term «ἐριμύκεις» presumably refers to the roar of the walrus which is barytone and louder than that of the cattle.
The term «κεράεσσιν ἑλικτάς» presumably refers to the way that walrus crawl (ελίσσονται) by the aid of their tusks. The scientific name of walrus is “Odobenus rosmarus”, odobenus coming from «οδούς» (teeth, in greek) and «βαίνω» (walk in greek), based on observations of walruses using their tusks to pull themselves out of the water .
The term «υποβρυχίας» presumably refers to the feeding habit of the walrus which takes place underwater, at the sea bottom, as depicted in the picture below.
The description of the slaughtering of the “oxen” by Hermes matches precisely the procedure of the killing of the walrus as practiced by the hunters even today:
- “ἀμφοτέρας δ’ ἐπὶ νῶτα χαμαὶ βάλε φυσιοώσας, ἐγκλίνων δ’ ἐκύλινδε δι’ αἰῶνας τετορήσας” [ Hymn to Hermes 118 ] “Hermes dispatches the animals in a way that does not reflect the normal (Olympian) sacrificial practice of lifting the victim’s head and slitting its throat... Hermes pierces through the animals”. 1 The killing of the walrus is performed exactly in this way (see picture): by piercing at the spot of the animal’s heart .
- “Hermes turns the cows on their backs after he kills them presumably to cut their meat up” 1 and he does so, ἐγκλίνων, that is, leaning on them, and φυσιοώσας, that is, by putting a lot of effort. The body stance of the hunters in the picture and the required power of four men to turn upside the (dead) walrus, exactly matches the above description.
- The dead walrus is then butchered in the upside position as shown in the picture.
The proximity of the appearance of «ἕλικες βόες» with the sea shore, where walrus herds are typically gathering, is another supportive argument to the hypothesis under consideration. Specifically:
- At the Cicones, the “cattle” are slaughtered on the beach [ Od 9.45 ]
- In Thrinacia the “cattle of Helios” are breeding next to the ships [ Od 12.353 ]
- The “cattle” stolen by Hermes are on a sandy beach [Hymn to Hermes 74-75 and 79 ]
- Geryon is a shepherd of “cattle” in the water-surrounded («περίρρυτη») Erythea [ Theogony 287 ]
- Melanipus is a shephered of “cattle” in Perkote by the sea shore [Il 15.547]

Implications

A hypothesis was tested regarding the kind of the animal mentioned in texts of the Ancient Greek Literature as «εἰλίποδες ἕλικες βόες», namely that this term refers to the walrus, rather than domesticated cattle. The chances that the walrus bear all of the characteristics mentioned in the texts for these animals, just by coincidence, is low, so the hypothesis has good chances of being right.

Today, the natural habitats of the walrus focus on the northern regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans .

By the end of the 18 th century the habitats extended even more south, but the systematic slaughtering by hunters severely lowered their appearance.

The fact that an animal like walrus that never existed in the Mediterranean is mentioned in so many scenes of daily life in various texts of the Ancient Greek Literature, reinforces the claims that are put forward in this series of stories : all these occurrences are placed in the Atlantic

In the region of Troy:

During the Trojan war, walrus are sacrificed along with the burn of the body of Patroclus [Iliad 23.166 ], and the same with the burn of the body of Achilles [Odyssey 24.66 ].
Poseidon reminds Apollo of the days he was a shepherd of walrus near mount Ida when they worked together for Laomedon, king of Troy [Iliad 21.448 ]

In the region of Cicones as described by Odysseus [Odyssey 9.46 ]

In the island of Erytheia where Heracles killed Geryon while stealing his “cattle” [Theogony 291 , 983 ]

In the island of Thrinacia, where the “cattle of Helios” were slaughtered by Odysseus' comrades [Odyssey 12.355 ]

In the island of the Phaeacians where Alcinous hosts Odysseus offering him walrus as dinner [Odyssey 8.60 ]

In the island of Ithaca where:

The suitors are slaughtering the “cattle” (walrus) of Odysseus [Odyssey 1.92 ]
Philoetius is a shepherd of “cattle” (walrus) [Odyssey 22.292 ]
In the region of Pieria where god Hermes steals the “cattle” of god Appolo [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 74 , 102 , 116 , 220 , 355 ].
In the region of Parnassus that god Apollo was breeding his “cattle” before taking them to Pieria [Homeric Hymn to Hermes 567 ].

The coincidence of the walrus habitats with the presumed locations of the references of “εἰλίποδες ἕλικες βόες” is remarkable