Monster in the Odyssey: The Beasts and the Beauties Personified
In Greek mythology, the monster in the Odyssey includes Scylla, Charybdis, the sirens, and Polyphemus the cyclops. They are important figures in the Odyssey, which is an epic poem considered as one of the two masterpieces in Greek literature written by Homer in the eighth century BCE. Odysseus’ voyage consisted of trials and circumstances, such as facing a storm, dealing with misfortune, and encountering monsters on his journey back home.
Who Are the Monsters in the Odyssey?
The monsters are the villains in the epic poem Odyssey. They are the ones encountered by Odysseus during his ten-year-long return journey to Ithaca, where he lives and rules, after the Trojan War in Anatolia. These monsters carry a sense of tragedy in them, either in their fate or how they have become.
Polyphemus in the Odyssey
Polyphemus, in Greek mythology, is the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Polyphemus is one of the villains encountered by Odysseus and his men during their travel to Ithaca. Their encounter can be read in Book VIIII of The Odyssey.
Polyphemus’s Adventure and the Lotus-eaters
After being lost in the storm for several days, Odysseus does not really know exactly where they are; they end up on the island of lotus-eaters. He assigns three of his men to go out and explore the island. They meet a group of people who appear human, friendly, and harmless. These people offer them lotus plants, and they eat them. Odysseus’ men find the plant delicious, and they suddenly lose all the interest in going back home and had the desire to stay with the lotus-eaters, which were monsters.
Odysseus decided to look for his men and found them, he forced them back to their ship and quickly leave the island. These lotus plants are believed to make people forget when eaten. As Odysseus’ entire crew consumes the lotus before leaving, they soon arrive in the land of the Cyclopes. Cyclopes are one-eyed giants who are rude and isolated creatures with no sense of community, but they are adept at making cheese.
Odysseus and his men hoped to find some food upon arriving. They wandered around the island and searched for food. They came across a cave with lots of supplies, such as crates of milk and cheese, as well as sheep. They decided to wait for the owner inside the cave. Later on, Polyphemus the giant cyclops returned and closed the cave’s opening with an enormous rock.
The giant was pleasantly surprised to see Odysseus and his crew, thinking that there was delicious food inside his cave. He grabbed two of Odysseus’ men and ate them. Polyphemus ate another two men for his breakfast when he woke up the next morning. He left Odysseus and his men inside the cave and went out with his herd of sheep.
Odysseus came up with a plan while the giant was away. He sharpened a giant pole, and when the giant came back, he offered wine and blinded Polyphemus when he was drunk. They were able to escape by tying themselves underneath the bellies of Polyphemus’ sheep. Odysseus and his men successfully ran away from the giant’s wickedness and set sail. Polyphemus called on his father Poseidon to make sure not to let Odysseus return home alive.
The Sirens in the Odyssey
The sirens in the Odyssey are the alluring creatures that are half-human and half-bird who entice sailors to destruction using their captivating music. These sirens are among the female monsters in the Odyssey. It was believed that no man has ever survived hearing the sirens’ song.
Luckily, Circe, a goddess who once held Odysseus captive, warned him about this and advised them to plug their ears with wax. The wax is similar to what candles are made of; they softened it by warming it under the sun’s rays and molding it into pieces. Odysseus plugged each of his men’s ears so they would not fall in danger.
Odysseus, being a great adventurer, wanted to hear what the sirens have to say for him to be able to live and tell the tale, so he decided not to put wax in his ears. He ordered his men to tie him to the ship’s mast instead and asked them to bind him tighter if he begged to be released. As they sailed near the siren’s island, the good brisk wind that assisted their sail strangely stopped. The crew used their oars right away and start rowing.
Passing through the island, Odysseus instantly struggled and strained at the ropes as soon as he heard the captivating and charming voices and music of the sirens. Odysseus’ men stayed true to their word, and they bound him even tighter as he pleaded with them to release him.
Eventually, they reached the distance where it is safe to untie and release Odysseus from the mast as the sirens’ song faded. The men removed the wax out of their ears and continued their long journey home.
Scylla and Charybdis in the Odyssey
Once Odysseus and his crew had passed the Siren’s island, they came across Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla and Charybdis in the Odyssey are the supernatural, irresistible, and immortal creatures who dwell in the narrow channel of water or the Strait of Messina that Odysseus and his men had to navigate. This encounter can be found in Book XII of The Odyssey.
Scylla was a female sea creature with six heads that sits on top of long, snaky necks. Each head had a triple row of shark-like teeth. Her waist was surrounded by the heads of baying dogs. She lived on one side of the narrow waters, and she swallowed whatever was within her reach. Meanwhile, Charybdis had her lair on the opposite side of the narrow waters. She was a sea monster that created enormous underwater whirlpools that threaten to swallow an entire ship.
While passing through the narrow waters, Odysseus chose to hold his course against the cliffs of Scylla’s lair and avoid the gigantic whirlpool made by Charybdis, just as Circe advised him. However, while staring momentarily at Charybdis on the other side, the heads of Scylla bent down and swallowed six of Odysseus’ men.
Scylla and Charybdis Summary
In the encounter with Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus risked losing six of his men, allowing them to be eaten by the six heads of Scylla rather than losing the entire ship on Charybdis’ whirlpool.
Today, the term “between Scylla and Charybdis” has become an idiom derived from this story, which means “to choose the lesser of two evils,” “to be caught between a rock and a hard place,” “on the horns of a dilemma,” and “between the devil and the deep blue sea.” It is used when a person is trying to decide and having a dilemma between two equally unfavorable extremes, inevitably leading to disaster.
Scylla Becoming a Monster
The sea god Glaucus was in love with a beautiful nymph Scylla but it was said to be unrequited love. He sought help from the sorceress Circe to win her over without knowing that he made a mistake because Circe was in love with Glaucus. Circe then turned Scylla into a fearful monster.
However, other poets claimed that Scylla was simply a monster born into a monstrous family. In another story, it is said that the sea god Poseidon was a lover of Scylla, Nereid Amphitrite, got jealous, poisoned the spring water where Scylla would bathe, and eventually turned her into a sea monster. The story of Scylla is one of many stories where the victim becomes a monster out of jealousy or hatred.
What Do the Monsters in the Odyssey Symbolize?
The epic poem of The Odyssey allows the reader to see beyond humanity’s innate fear, especially in terms of the dangers of the unknown, and realize the disguised meanings of the traits these monsters signify. These monsters in the narrative that served as the main antagonist in Odysseus’ journey represent several things and come in many forms.
Barbarous mythical creatures like Polyphemus the Cyclops, heartless villains such as the sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis, and more human-looking creatures like Calypso and Circe all symbolized divine punishment, inner guidance, and difficult choices that serve as the greatest push to Odysseus’ changes and character development in the story.
Odysseus’ voyage may be the main focus of the story, but the monsters and symbols they represent remain to let Odysseus have consistent growth of wisdom and spiritual refinement that will mold him to become a better king while at the same time giving the readers the moral of the story, if only they will look and understand more deeply.
Conclusion
Homer’s The Odyssey consisted of monsters that gave Odysseus a hard time while traveling on his way home, but his courage and will to return home motivated and helped him and his entire crew to survive the trials and struggles that came their way.
- Odysseus was on the voyage together with his crew from Anatolia to Ithaca.
- Odysseus survived the temptation of the lotus-eaters.
- While most of the well-known monsters are females, there are also well-known male monsters such as Polyphemus.
- The sirens are very symbolic monsters, as they represent temptation, risk, and desire. While they are depicted as alluring creatures, anyone who hears their beautiful songs will lose their mind.
- Scylla and Charybdis, two of the most prominent monsters in The Odyssey, were endured by Odysseus himself.
After everything Odysseus experienced, he made it home to Ithaca where his wife Penelope and son Telemachus were waiting, and he reasserted his throne. The long journey must have been burdensome, but he surely earned his glorious victory.,
