Re: Cymerians?

Here is the referrence to the Cimmeri in Homer


HOMER THE ODYSSEY

BOOK 11

[Chapter]
autar epei rh' epi nêa katêlthomen* êde thalassan, nêa
men ar pamprôton erussamen eis* hala dian, en d' histon
tithemestha kai histia nêi melainêi, en de ta mêla* labontes
ebêsamen*,an de kai autoi bainomen achnumenoi* thaleron kata dakru
cheontes. hêmin d'au katopisthe neos kuanoprôiroio ikmenon
ouron hiei plêsistion, esthlon hetairon,Kirkê* euplokamos,
deinê theos audêessa. hêmeis d' hopla* hekasta
ponêsamenoi* kata nêa hêmetha: tên d' anemos te
kubernêtês t' ithune. tês de panêmeriês* tetath'
histia pontoporousês:duseto t'êelios skioônto te pasai
aguiai.

hê d' es peirath' hikane bathurroou Ôkeanoio**. entha de
Kimmeriôn* andrôn dêmos te polis te*, êeri kai nephelêi
kekalummenoi*: oude pot' autous êelios phaethôn kataderketai*
aktinessin, outh' hopot'an steichêisi pros ouranon asteroenta,
outh' hot' an aps epi gaian ap' ouranothen* protrapêtai, all' epi
nux oloê tetatai deiloisi brotoisi+. nêa men enth' elthontes
ekelsamen, ek de ta mêla heilometh': autoi d' aute para rhoon
Ôkeanoio êiomen, ophr' es chôron* aphikometh', hon phrase*
Kirkê.

Rendering
Then, after this we went down to shore [to set] the ship to sea,
[and] here we drug her along the ground [and] to briny stream, [and]
there to plant [a] mast and [spread] her [big] black sail, then board
[as] goats in step then ourselves [in] grieving stride, [and] freshly
fallen tears. Good mates, then [a] favored [gust] from behind filled
afresh the sail and stirred direct her dark blue prow, [sent by]
Kirke the fair-haired dreaded god that speaks with human voice, then
by plan [that] all would suffer pain and toil, the ship sunk down,
that [only] wind and helm [could made] the route.

Then, every day the sail stretched out to [make] the sea race by, to
outstrip the shadow of the sun [and speed] the entire route. Then by
these efforts [we] came to the wave-fill ocean stream [and] then to
the Kimmerion [a] people, country, and town wrapped in a fog that
never parts to lets the sun's shine to look down, to beam, nor
budge when starry heaven come around, neither when [it rises] from
the ground, nor when urged on falls back down. Likewise here pushed
in deathly darkness cower mortal men bound aboard a ship [thus]
driven, then as goats [are] grasped in hand, again we [are yanked]
aside the ocean's flow, in order to come aground, and this it was
as
Kirke [had] foretold.

Traditional Rendering
Then, when we had got down to the sea shore we drew our ship into the
water and got her mast and sails into her; we also put the sheep on
board and took our places, weeping and in great distress of mind.
Circe, that great and cunning goddess, sent us a fair wind that blew
dead aft and stayed steadily with us keeping our sails all the time
well filled; so we did whatever wanted doing to the ship's gear and
let her go as the wind and helmsman headed her.

All day long her sails were full as she held her course over the sea,
but when the sun went down and darkness was over all the earth, we
got into the deep waters of the river Okeanos, where lie the dêmos
and city of the Cimmerians who live enshrouded in mist and darkness
which the rays of the sun never pierce neither at his rising nor as
he goes down again out of the heavens, but the poor wretches live in
one long melancholy night. When we got there we beached the ship,
took the sheep out of her, and went along by the waters of Okeanos
till we came to the place of which Circe had told us.


I'll get back to you on your questions


Joseph