Who and whose are you? An Indo-European poetic formula

Abstract

A poetic formula meaning ‘who are you? whose?’ (Sanskrit kāsi kasyāsi?, Greek tis pothen eis?) has many associations besides one of warriors meeting in battle. One of these involves inquiry after another’s sexual availability. At both Mahābhārata 3.190.12 and Odyssey 19.105, recognition of this inherited resonance is important both textually and contextually. In the Mahābhārata passage, the full form of the formula, with both nominative and genitive interrogatives, is correct, in view of other traditional material in 3.190–191 (“the loan of the car”, etc.) In the Odyssey, Book 19 (which contains another traditional formula onoma kluton ‘famous name’ at line 183) patterns with Kirke’s speech to Odysseus (10.325–335), and this supports the view that Penelope recognizes the disguised Odysseus. At the same time, the use of ēs ‘you were’ for eis ‘you are’ at 19.105 signals important differences between Penelope’s and others’ approaches to Odysseus.