Have You Ever Eaten Lotus Fruit?
Have You Ever Eaten Lotus Fruit?
For the modern Greeks, the lotus fruit is the japanese persimmon, which looks plenty like a large, clean, hairless peach. i've seen it growing in gardens within the province of Lakonia within the Peloponnese, Greece. in my opinion, i am now not partial to this unique lotus fruit, it is dry and leaves your mouth feeling as though it really wishes water. It tastes a touch like vanilla.
Having tasted this fruit it's miles tough to accept as true with that it changed into this that so enthralled Odysseus and his team of adventurers. Of route, it's far affordable to suppose that the historical Greek hero stayed close to his place of birth, but it is not likely, given the range of years it apparently took him to get home after the Trojan battle.
it is more likely that he travelled to Asia and encountered the sacred lotus. The sacred lotus, so Homer wrote in ebook nine of the Odyssey, brought about Odysseus and his fans to neglect the motive in their adventure, that is why some commentators have cautioned that the lotus eaters partook of the opium poppy.
however, when you have a take a look at the seed pods you will see they resemble the ones of the opium poppy. every pod holds approximately 24 seeds. In Cambodia, those are valued as a completely tasty snack!
The lotus plant is also valued for its medicinal residences, because it incorporates nuciferine and aporphine, that are morphine-like substances. This suggests that the sleep of Lethe might nicely be induced if the plant is ingested. No marvel Odysseus too goodbye to get home.
Herodotus, the father of records, idea that the lotus eaters were inhabitants of the Libyan coastal area. however, Herodotus is not constantly a straightforward source. within the historic international ingesting the fruit of the lotus changed into believed to reason forgetfulness. whether or not this changed into before or after Homer wrote the Odyssey is open to impeach.
perhaps the lotus eaters by no means really existed. but, they have genuinely captured the imaginations of generations. The English poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, wrote a poem The Lotos - Eaters about them and the concept of them also captured Edith Wharton's imagination. as may be seen in her novel, 'The Age of Innocence'. fans of Rick Riordan novels will possible don't forget the theme of the Lotus Eaters in his 'Camp 1/2-Blood Chronicles.'
in case you are curious sufficient to try the Greek lotus, head to the Peloponnese in autumn. i have seen the fruit still on trees in winter (no one appears to reap it). but, you may have to ask permission to strive the lotus fruit. as it's far cultivated within the gardens of personal homes.
