Four owlers masters

• The Four Masters: the four Irish 17th Century scholars who compiled the Annals of the Four Masters → the Four Old Men (X) in HCE's tavern → the four Lokapalas or World Guardians of the Tibetan Buddhistic mandalas, who protect the four corners of the world → the four caryatides, giants, dwarfs or elephants that hold up the four corners of the heavens → the four bedposts of HCE's bed

• four masters: St Patrick is said to have served four masters

• old

• owlers: those who carried wool to the coast by night for illegal export → Erio in line 26 for another allusion to wool

• The Four Evangelists: the authors of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
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• owls: in myth, lore, and popular culture, owls are often used to represent wisdom and prosperity as well as a companion animal for godesses
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