Chapter 6
The Sorceress
Odysseus: Soon we reached the floating island of Aeolia (ee-O-lia), where Aeolus, god of the
winds, lives. He entertained me for a whole month. Finally, when I spoke of leaving, he agreed to help
me. He gave me a bag that contained all the raging winds. He freed only the west winds to
help us on our voyage home. A good idea, but our own stupidity spoiled it!
We sailed for nine days. On the tenth we saw Ithaca! We could see men on
shore. Happy but exhausted, I fell asleep. While I slept, the men spoke. They declared
that I was taking home gold and silver, presents from Aeolus.
Eurylochus: “What a lucky man Odysseus is! He comes home wealthy from Troy, but the
rest of us return empty-handed! Hurry, let’s see what’s in the bag!”
Odysseus: Being greedy and easily persuaded by Eurylochus, the men stupidly untied the bag,
and all the winds rushed out. The storms bore us far away from home. When I awoke, I found that the
winds had carried us back to Aeolia. Disgusted with my own men, I went to find Aeolus.
Aeolus: “Why are you back here, Odysseus?” His anger surprised me.
Odysseus: “Evil companions are responsible…and sleep. Please, could you help me again?”
Aeolus: “Get away from here at once, foul man. I do not wish to have anything to do with a
person who is cursed by the gods.”
Odysseus: I left with a heavy heart, though I couldn’t blame him. We sailed off, grieving at our
misfortune. We sailed for six days. On the seventh we came to the city of Lamos called Laestrygonia
(Lay-STREE-gon-ee-a). (MAP). We entered a harbor. Inside were two cliff overhangs, forming a quiet
pool ideal for ships. All the other ships sailed into the haven, but through good fortune, I decided not to
enter and kept my ship outside.
N1: I climbed a peak to get a view. Smoke was rising in the distance. I sent some
messengers to inquire about the people. Inside they found a king and queen – both giants as
big as the peaks of mountains. The king snatched one of my men and prepared his supper. He
speared him like a shish-ka-bob! The other two men escaped and the giant set up a cry.
N2: Out came the Laestrygonians, giants, not men. They threw heavy stones at the ships
trapped in the harbor. While the horrible spectacle was going on, I cut the cables of my ship. Only our
ship escaped. All the others were destroyed – with all the men. At this point, I only had 49 of my
comrades left.
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N3: They sailed on. Next the ship reached Aeaea (ay-EE-a), home of the goddess Circe (SEERsee).
Odysseus went out to a lookout for signs of human habitation. Off in the distance he could see
smoke – from the palace of Circe, and decided the island must be explored. Odysseus divided the men
into two groups. We shook lots in a helmet and the lot of Eurylochus fell out. Odysseus commanded
one group, and Eurylochus (your-ILL-o-cus) led the other. He prepared to go with his group.
N4: High on the hilltop they found the house of Circe. All around were wolves, bears, swine and
lions that she had tamed. They did not attack; rather, they wagged their tails and were friendly. It
seemed like they wanted to talk with the men; to pass on a message of some sort. It was then the men
heard a beautiful, syrupy song, and decided they had to see who was attached to such a lilting sound.
They all decided to enter her palace, except Eurylochus.
Odysseus: He was the only one who remained outside, for he feared this was some sort of
trick. For once, this worked out in his favor, though it wasn’t what I had sent him to do. However, it
was not the first or last time he betrayed my order.
N5: Inside, the sorceress prepared for the men a delectable meal of cheese and honey, but she
mixed magic roots and herbs with their food. Once they had eaten, she struck them with a wand, and
they turned into pigs! They appeared as swine, but still thought and felt like men. Suddenly, the
memory of the tamed animals came rushing back to their minds- they should have tried harder to figure
out what those “animals” were attempting to tell them, or rather warn them about.
Odysseus: Eurylochus returned to the ship and told the news of the sorcery. I put on my
sword, picked up my bow, and asked him to show me the way. He begged not to return, so I left
without him.
When I got near the house, I met Hermes, messenger of the gods.
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Hermes: “Poor fool, are you going to free your companions? You will be trapped there just as
the others were. However, I am willing to help you. Take this powerful drug. It will help you ward off
Circe’s magic tricks. When she strikes you with her wand, then draw your sword and rush to her as if
to kill her. She will beg for your mercy. Make her swear an oath that she will plan no further evil.”
N6: Hermes gave me the magic root of Moly (MO-lee) and left to Mount Olympus. When
Odysseus reached the gates of Circe’s house, Circe invited him in. She prepared a mixture for
him and he drank it at once. She then struck him with her wand. Because of Hermes’s magical
root, Odysseus was unaffected by her witchery. Doing as Hermes had instructed, Odysseus drew his
sword and rushed at her. She cried out loudly in surprise and fell to her knees begging for mercy.
Circe: “Who are you? How could you resist the power of these drugs? No other man has
withstood them, and I had hoped for a lion from such a mas as you!. Are you Odysseus, the man the
gods have always prophesied would come to me? Have pity on me.”
Odysseus: “Circe, I will have no mercy on you until you swear an oath not to harm us
anymore.
She pledged her word and prepared an elaborate banquet, but I couldn’t eat. I was too caught up
with anguish over my transformed comrades. When Circe saw me refuse the food, she was angry.”
Circe: “Odysseus, why are you sitting so quietly? Why do you refuse the magnificent food
before you? Not eating what I have served is rude and disrespectful. Do you think this is another trick?
It is not; I have given my word.”
Odysseus: “Circe, if you wish me to eat, then free my friends.”
Circe: It’s not so simple, Odysseus. I’ve been on this island for a long time, and I’ve grown
lonely over the years. Every time I lure a wandered in with my voice, he converts to an animal before I
can derive any pleasure from him. You must satisfy my womanly desires first, and then I’ll
help your friends revert into men.
Odysseus: I was powerless against this part of her ploy, as Hermes had not
mentioned this as being another obstacle I’d have to overcome.
***
N7: Circe rose and left the palace with her wand in hand. She opened the
gates of the sty and let my comrades out. She rubbed a new drug on each and they became men
again. They rejoiced at once.
Circe: “Odysseus, go back to your ship. Draw it up on shore and bring your comrades here.”
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Odysseus: “I agreed. When I reached the ship, I directed them as Circe had suggested. They
rushed to obey me, but Eurylochus held back.”
Eurylochus: “Poor fools, where are you going? Are you looking for trouble? Remember the
last men that followed Odysseus in the cave of the Cyclops. They did not return!”
Odysseus: “For a moment, I thought I would slay him on the spot for his insolence. But my
comrades soothed me, saying, ‘Come, Odysseus, we’ll leave him here if you wish.’
They left the ship. Even Eurylochus came sheepishly after, for he feared my anger. We found
our comrades banqueting. Circe spoke.”
Circe: “No more sorrow, Odysseus. I know about your
troubles and your adventures. Come; eat, drink, and be happy.
Enjoy yourself, and treat your men to a break. I have
maidens here who want nothing more than to please them.”
Odysseus: “Thus, she persuaded us. For a full year we gorged ourselves on the whiles the island
of Circe had to offer. However, I had only believed we’d been there a few days. As a sorceress, Circe is
capable of distorting the passage of time, as well. Anxious to continue our journey home, my
companions spoke to me.”
Companion: “Master, I think we ought to be leaving if we wish to see our homes again.”
Odysseus: “I agreed. That night I begged assistance from Circe. She was irate because she’d
thought I’d planned to stay as long as we had (and longer); however, what she didn’t know was that I
couldn’t wait to return home to Penelope and Telemachus: my faithful wife and growing son.”
Circe: “Very well, Odysseus, don’t stay here, see if I care. Another man will be along soon
enough to take over your duties. However, you can’t go home to your precious wife and son just yet,
because there is another voyage you must take. You must go to the Land of the Dead. There in the
kingdom of Hades, you must speak with the soul of Tiresias (TY-rees-ee-us), a blind prophet, who will
speak to you about the rest of your journey.”
Odysseus: “My heart was heavy at her words. I sat down and cried. I felt there was no point in
living. ‘Alas, Circe. Who can guide me on this voyage? No one has ever gone to the Land of the Dead
in a ship.”
Circe: “I can direct you. When you get there, dig a trench. Pour
offerings to all the dead. Pledge an extra sacrifice to Tiresias himself. Then
sacrifice two sheep, which I will give you.
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Many souls will come to drink the blood, but do not let them. Keep them away until Tiresias
comes. He will give you a prophecy about your homeward voyage. He will tell you how you may return
over the sea.”
Odysseus: “She left me. I went through the house, gathering my comrades. Even though some
were drunk with pleasure and busy with their lovers, they all obeyed. But even there we had trouble
before we left.
A young man named Elpenor had drunk too much wine and was sleeping on the roof to keep
cool. Hearing the noise of our preparation he rushed up suddenly, forgetting where he was. He fell off
the roof, breaking his neck at once. His soul went straight to the Land of the Dead.
When the men assembled, I addressed them.
‘We must go to the Land of the Dead to consult the soul of Tiresias, the blind prophet.”
Poor fellows, they began to weep.
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