Torsten:
I got this from a website, but I forget where. I believe it was
reprinted from someone who made this comparison decades ago.
An interesting Scandinavian name found in Homer is Scandeia, a town
and region in east Jutland now called Skanderborg. Eutresis, Copae,
Nisa, and Anthedon 'on the seaboard' seems to be modern Dreslette,
Copenhagen, Nissum, and Andkaer, respectively, while Eilesium could
be Elsø.
Meanwhile, in the northeast is Cnossus, now Knøsen. In Crete, ancient
Cnossus is the center of the story of Icarus, who escaped from the
labyrinth on wings that he made himself. His name seems to echo in
the modern town of Ikast in the central Jutland, translating as Ikar-
sted (the town of Icarus). Homer mentions the Icarian Sea once (Il.
II, 145). This must have been part of the North Sea, perhaps known
today as the Skaggerak, where the 'south and east winds whip up the
sea', against the coast, that is. We should note that this
description makes little sense in the Mediterranean. There, the
Icarian Sea is off the southwest coast of Turkey, not between Crete
and mainland Greece as we would expect.
Homeric towns |Modern place names
of Boeotia |in northern Denmark
Hyria | Hjørring, the region north of Aalborg
Aulis | Aalborg
Schoenus | Skjern, a town SW of Limfjord
Scolus | Skjoldborg, in extreme NW Jutland
Eteonus
Thespeia
Graea | Grærup
Mycalessus | Mygind and Mylund in eastern Jutland
Harma | Harnorup
Eilesium | Elsø
Erythrae
Eleon
Hyle | Hyllebjerg
Peteon
Ocalae
Medeon | Madum
Copae | Copenhoved, Copenhagen
Eutresis | Dreslette
Thisbe | Thisted
Coroneia
Haliartus | Halling
Plataea
Glisas
Thebe
Onchestus
Arne | river ArnAa
Mideia
Nisa
Anthedon | Andkaer
--- In cybalist@..., tgpedersen@... wrote:
>
> > Now, does the city of the Cimmerians sound as if it is located in
> the
> > sunny Mediterranean - or could it be foggy, misty Jutland?
>
> I'm still thinking of Pytheas journey north along the Atlantic
coast
> to Tanais.
>
> > You may also be aware of a comparison done between Homer's
> catalogue
> > of ships that set sail from Aulis, their home ports, and the
names
> of
> > towns in Denmark. If not, ask and I'll find it and post it for
you.
>
> Am not, please do.
>
> Torsten