In this chapter, Faulkner examines the role of the gods in the Homeric hymns. In Homer’s epics, the gods are “essential cogs in the narrative machinery” (32) but are nonetheless not the primary focus. Faulkner notes that, after all, both the Iliad and the Odyssey begin with “an invocation to the Muse to sing of mortal characters and their agency” (32). In contrast, the Homeric hymns focus directly on the divine. Each poem names a specific god as its object and addresses the god directly. Their narratives recount important episodes in the gods’ lives. In sum, while the Homeric epics are about mortals the Homeric hymns are about gods.
Faulkner notes the links between the hymns and Hesiod’s Theogony. Faulkner cites Strauss Clay’s argument that the hymns can only be fully understood against the background of the Theogony. The most important difference is the role of Zeus. The Theogony narrates his rise; the epics portray the stable Olympian order with Zeus at its head. The hymns present an intermediate divine order, in which the gods still vie for supremacy but largely accept Zeus’ hegemony. Faulkner argues that this role of Zeus is apparent in his narrative role. Many of the plots are driven by Zeus and his will. On the other hand, Zeus has very little direct speech, in contrast to the Homeric epics. His role is important, but not yet fully established.
Faulkner next examines the role specific gods play in the narratives of the Homeric hymns. Demeter and Persephone are both lauded in the Hymn to Demeter. Faulkner argues that this “dual tribute reflects the close association of mother and daughter in both myth and cult” (36). This hymn also provides the first fully fleshed-out anthropomorphism of Hades. Faulkner claims that this is indicative of the space that the hymns give to relating the extended myth and background of gods and goddesses. At the same time, both the Hymn to Apollo and the Hymn to Demeter devote much of their narrative to the foundation of cults. Faulkner notes that the narrative of Apollo, in particular, echoes Book 1 of the Iliad. While the pestilence that Apollo inflicts in that episode is often seen from the perspective of the Achaeans, from a different view Apollo’s actions are fundamentally support for Chryses, his faithful priest. Hermes and Aphrodite are the objects of more light-hearted hymns. Hermes in particular is seen as a trickster, full of humor and wit. Less attention is given to cult in these hymns. Furthermore, the gods barely interact at all with the mortals.
In sum, the Homeric hymns clearly present the gods at the center of their narratives. Some gods that are barely seen at all in the Iliad and the Odyssey (like Demeter) have whole hymns devoted to them, while other gods (like Zeus) are seen very differently. Faulkner ends by concurring with Calame’s argument that the Homeric hymns are “not just songs about the gods, but themselves poetic offerings for the gods” (42).