008.3 - Omphalos: The Center of It All

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The term “omphalos” appears twice in the first episode of Ulysses, each time adding layers to the novel’s themes of history, identity, and intellectual rebellion.

The first mention comes from Stephen Dedalus as he broods over his strained relationship with Buck Mulligan:

“To ourselves… new paganism… omphalos.”

The second occurs when Buck, ever the showman, grandly refers to their Martello tower as the omphalos, as if elevating it above the many others scattered along the coast. But what makes this tower the omphalos? And what does the word even mean?

Defining Omphalos

The word omphalos [om-fuh-luhs] has two key meanings:

1. The navel – literally, the center of the body.

2. A central point, the heart, the hub – symbolically, the center of the world.

In ancient Greece, the omphalos stone at Delphi was believed to mark the world’s exact center, a sacred point of divine communication. But how does this apply to Ulysses?

The Tower as Omphalos

Some sources suggest that the Martello tower in Sandycove—the one Buck and Stephen inhabit—was the first of its kind built in Ireland. If that’s true, Buck’s labeling of it as the omphalos could be his way of declaring it the starting point, the origin, the place from which all others followed.

But Stephen’s earlier thought—“To ourselves… new paganism… omphalos.”—adds another dimension. Let’s step back into that moment to see what’s at play.

Stephen's Cyptic Reflection

Buck, always needling, senses Stephen is holding something back. He tries to pry it out of him, but Stephen remains withdrawn, trapped in his own head. As Buck recalls a schoolyard beating—some past incident involving Clive Kempthorpe—Stephen’s mind drifts back to that moment. Then comes the thought:

“To ourselves… new paganism… omphalos.”

Each fragment speaks volumes:

• “To ourselves” echoes the Irish nationalist phrase “Sinn Féin” (We Ourselves), symbolizing self-determination and independence.

• “New paganism” suggests a break from Christian morality—a call to Hellenize Ireland, to embrace a more classical, perhaps more self-indulgent, way of life. Buck, ever irreverent, believes Ireland is too “Hebraic”—too bogged down by guilt and self-denial.

• “Omphalos” ties it all together. It could signify a new intellectual or spiritual center, a place free from the constraints of traditional religion and nationalism. Perhaps, in Buck’s mind, this tower is the birthplace of their own new order, a meeting place for modern pagans, a rebirth of free thought.

Why It Matters

What starts as a casual remark about a military tower spirals into a meditation on power, history, and rebellion. Buck may joke, but beneath his mockery is a desire to redefine Ireland—away from both British rule and Catholic oppression. Stephen, however, remains skeptical. He understands Buck’s vision but does not fully embrace it.

Joyce, always the master of weaving big ideas into everyday banter, uses a single word—omphalos—to layer the scene with centuries of history, philosophy, and cultural struggle. And in true Joycean fashion, what seems like a passing comment lingers, its meaning rippling through the novel like waves against the Martello tower itself.

Interestingly, some sources suggest that it was actually Oliver St. John Gogarty (the inspiration for Buck Mulligan) who first coined the idea of referring to the Martello Tower as “the omphalos”. According to Richard Ellmann, Gogarty joked that the actual Delphi stone was no longer in Greece—it had been relocated to Sandycove. Joyce, in his ever-playful way, captured and immortalized this idea in Ulysses. Ellmann also notes that Gogarty used to say that young men like himself—like Nietzsche—might one day preach a gospel of “new Hellenism” from the tower’s top.

Solution:

Buck’s use of “omphalos” to describe the Martello tower in Sandycove carries both historical and philosophical significance. Historically, the tower may have been the first of its kind in Ireland, with Buck referring to it as the origin or starting point for the other towers that followed. Philosophically, Buck could be positioning the tower as the center of his own world, a focal point for his ideas and plans.

This blend of personal and historical centrality gives the tower a symbolic role, representing both the beginning of a physical structure and a potential turning point in Ireland’s history. Buck’s comment about the tower, paired with Stephen’s earlier thoughts on “omphalos,” highlights their complex relationship with power, independence, and identity.

References:

Gifford, Don, and Robert J Seidman. Ulysses Annotated. Univ. California P., 1992

Joyce Project. “Martellos.” The Joyce Project, 1 Jan. 2000, m.joyceproject.com/notes/010100martellos.html.

“Omphalos.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, LLC, www.dictionary.com/browse/omphalos.

Joyce Project. “Omphalos.” The Joyce Project, 1 Jan. 2000, m.joyceproject.com/notes/010065omphalos.html.

Allman, Richard. James Joyce’s Tower: Sandycove, Co. Dublin. Hely Thom Limired, Dublin, 1969.