Week 2 Essay: Monsters in Mythology

Odysseus and his men passing between Scylla and Charybdis. Source: Wikipedia.

Homer's Odyssey is a fantastic tale of a warrior named Odysseus and his journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War (the account of which can be found in Homer's Iliad, the companion epic). Highly influenced by Greek mythology and the lore of Homer's time, the ballad incorporates narratives of gods and goddesses and supernatural beings. The excerpt that I read this week, taken from Tony Kline's translation into English, focuses on Odysseus's wanderings and describes all of the monsters that he encounters before he is able to return home. Through Homer's poem, the reader can tell that there are two types of beasts in mythology: those that are the typical savage who rely solely on violence to obtain their victims and a more cunning, wily kind who manipulate and tempt their targets. With both of these categories of monsters, Odysseus uses a combination of force and wits (and lots of help from the gods) to combat them and finally make his way home.

The Cyclops, Polyphemus, that Odysseus first encounters proves to be a true brute. Immediately, he and his men (and the reader) see that he is definitely not a gentle giant. Polyphemus wastes no time in dashing the brains out of two of Odysseus's crew, all the while showing no remorse whatsoever. Cunningly, Odysseus devises a plan to avenge his men and escape the island. By blinding the Cyclops and tying his men to the undersides of Polyphemus's sheep, they successfully evade their captor. 

In a way, the Cyclops is similar to the twin threats of Scylla and Charybdis. These two monsters guard both sides of a mountain and attack unwary travelers, Scylla snatching crew members from ships that draw too close to her shores and Charybdis sucking in the waters surrounding the island and spewing them out in a fiery blaze. Here, Odysseus abandons most of his hubris and follows the directions that Circe gave him before he set out on this journey around the island. Some of the gods hear his cry for help and guide his ship around Charybdis's whirlpool safely (not before, unfortunately, he loses several of his men). 

On the other hand, there are those monsters in mythology with wit that could easily counter that of Odysseus. One of these is Circe, the witch, who turns a large portion of Odysseus's men into pigs and manipulates them into forgetting about their homes. The wily temptress then tries to do the same to Odysseus, but because of his fortunate previous divine intervention, he is forewarned and prepared and does not fall into her trap. He does succumb to her seduction, but all the while is reminded of his longing for home, and after a year, finally seeks to leave.

In the same vein, the Sirens are temptresses, but in a more indirect way. Their beguiling song lures travelers in and compels them to inexplicably crash their ships on the shores where the Sirens reside. Odysseus, in his courage and (some would argue) foolishness, wishes to hear their singing, but obviously does not want to perish. Thankfully, his men are faithful and tie him up tightly, even when he protests, and stuff their ears with wax so that they would not be subjected to the allure.

Throughout the Odyssey, the reader sees countless descriptions of many dangers, and they manifest themselves in many different ways--sometimes sneaky and sometimes outright violent. It is Odysseus's good fortune and favor with the gods that gets him back to Ithaca and his family safely.

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Bibliography

The Odyssey, translated into English by Tony Kline (2004). 

Source: Poetry in Translation.

Excerpts read from the Homer's Odyssey in the Un-Textbook.