The myth of Scylla and Charybdis: How these two beautiful girls turned into monsters!
Greek mythology is replete with accounts of gods, heroes and monsters. While many of these stories fascinate us, there are many scary ones too. The tale of Scylla and Charybdis, two ferocious monsters in Greek mythology, will frighten you for sure. Imagine being surrounded by a whirlpool and a creature with six heads! That’s is terrifying, right? This is exactly what ancient Greek travellers experienced when they found themselves caught between Scylla and Charybdis. But at the same time, you may end up feeling a little bad for them too. After all, they were two beautiful girls turned into monsters! If you are curious to know why or how, read on. Also, you’ll get to know how the Greek hero Odysseus managed to flee these monsters as described in the epic poem Odyssey penned by the poet Homer.
Scylla: A multi-headed monster
Scylla was a monster with six heads, long necks and pointed jaws, living in the Straits of Messina, a narrow seaway connecting Sicily and the Italian peninsula. When sailors got too close to her, the monster would rip and eat them! However, Scylla was born as a human. She was the daughter of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto. Then how did she become a monster?
Scylla’s transformation into a monster is described in two stories. One story describes how Greek goddess Amphitrite was envious of Scylla’s beauty. She, therefore, poisoned the lake where Scylla bathes, which turned Scylla into a monster. The second story narrates how the sea prophet Glaucus was head over heels for Scylla and requested a love potion from Circe, an enchantress in Greek mythology. However, Circe herself was in love with Glaucus. So, she gave him a drink that transformed Scylla into a monster!
Charybdis: A ghastly whirlpool
Charybdis, was a dangerous whirlpool. Legends suggest that she used to pull in and push out water three times a day with such intensity that ships would sink. But what’s her story? Well, Charybdis was once a lovely girl. However, she stole livestock belonging to Lord Zeus’s son Hercules and helped Zeus’s brother Poseidon (the god of sea, earthquakes and horses) in expanding his territory. An angered Zeus (the god of sky and thunder) punished her by turning her into a monster!
According the legend, Scylla and Charybdis inhabited on opposite sides of the Straits of Messina. No ship could travel this region without being attacked by one of them!
How Odysseus escaped these two sea monsters
In every fairy tale a hero is always seen to emerge victorious against villains or monsters. Greek epic Odyssey has a hero too who comes across these two evil monsters. On his way home from the Trojan War Odysseus chanced upon Scylla and Charybdis. His ship got ruined by Charybdis’ turbulent waters. But did he survive? How? Let us tell you. Circe advised him to sail closer to Scylla and maintain a distance from Charybdis and row as quickly as possible. However, Odysseus and his crew got a little too close to Scylla’s den in an attempt to avoid Charybdis. What do you think happened? Well, the inevitable: The six heads of Scylla seized the six best crew members of Odysseus as they navigated the rough seas of the narrow straits. Odysseus them all to Scylla but managed to escape Charybdis by clinging to a wild fig tree’s dangling branch!
Bonus fact: The saying ‘between Scylla and Charybdis’ refers to being stuck between two undesirable situations!