ATU 974 The Homecoming Husband , the Returns of Odysseus, and the End of Odyssey 21

Abstract

The end of Odyssey 21 alludes either to other archaic-era renditions of The Homecoming Husband or to other archaic-era stories about Odysseus’s return (or to both). As Odysseus reveals himself by stringing his bow and performing a feat of archery, the poet cites another way in which the hero of these stories can reveal himself: by singing a song.