Journal V: Circe, The Journey to the Land of the Dead, and the

return to Circe

We landed on a thickly wooded island, and I sent away twenty three men, but I could barely afford to lose that many if they did indeed die like many of the rest. This time I sent Eurylochus and also Tydeus in hopes that they would be able to keep the men from harm. Eurylochus seemed to have learned his lesson from the Lotus plants and had assured me that he and Tydeus had fought against the opening of the wind bag. This was the test that would determine if he earned my trust back and I am happy to say that he passed.

After several hours I saw him running back through the forest breathless. He stopped as soon as he reached me on the shore where I was waiting. Eurylochus was very shaken and could not be persuaded to talk until he had calmed down. He relayed us the tale of all he had seen and then collapsed on the beach. I let him rest and gathered men to go after the witch Circe.

Eurylochus had told of many wild beasts that had filled the forest and surrounded the stone house of Circe. None attacked though many were great lions, and wild boars. He told of how they had passed the animals in fear and had reached the house of Circe only to wait in her doorstep and listen to her beautiful singing and they were entranced by it.

Tydeus was overcome and urged the others to come with him out of hiding and greet this beautiful lady. They all rose and entered her house, except for one. Eurylochus had learned his lesson well and stayed outside fearing a trap. Circe treated them as kings, but had slipped something into their drink transforming them into pigs and they kept nothing but their mind. She forced them into a pigsty and Eurylochus ran back as fast as he could.

I hurried through the forest and past the tame beasts trying to reach the house of Circe, but I was intercepted by Hermes who gave me a plant called moly that would render the witch powerless. I arrived and demanded back my men. She laughed, a sound that was pleasant to the ears, but I was not fooled. She made a strange gesture, smiling at me. Her smile turned to surprise when nothing happened, and I pulled out the moly. Circe hung her head and realized that she had met her match, and went to retrieve the pigs, and brought them to me as men.

She gave us food and I asked her for assistance in returning to Ithaca. Her answer was one I had never suspected. She advised me to go alone to the Lands of the Dead in the Underworld and seek the blind prophet Teiresias.

And I descended to where no mortal should go, and there I met Charon and paid the fare. He took me across the river Styx and I passed through the gates. The dead pressed in crowding round me and cutting off my escape. I stared into their pale, ghostly faces all filled with pain and sadness and fear struck me through the heart. I vowed many sacrifices for them when I had reached home, and in a loud voice demanded to see Teiresias. I cut the throats of the lamb and the ewe I had brought and let their blood drain into a trough as a sacrifice for the words of the blind prophet. They all surged forward toward the blood and I drew my sword and fended them off. One came and grasped my ankle holding on for all he was worth I kicked him off and seeing his startled and pathetic face caused me to gasp and pause. It was the face of Parnassus, my old first mate, and best friend. He still wore his armor and there was a gaping hole in his chest where he had been stabbed in the battle against the Cicones. I fought them back with a greater rage than before, and would not let my tears flow though I had to fight them with all of my might when the crowd stilled and parted. Through the split came the prophet bearing a golden staff in one of his hands and he bent down and drank the blood and from his mouth came a prophesy.

"All you seek is home, but anguish lies ahead. For the father of the one you blinded stirs the sea against you. You must pass through a narrow straight to the lands of Helios where his cattle graze. You must not touch them for if any of your men do I see destruction for all, but you. And you shall journey many years, before you see your homeland. Your return shall be with strange people and you shall find troubles. Men court your lady and kill your herds, but on your return you shall make each of them pay, and dearly for this crime. This accomplished you shall not find rest until you journey to a land oar in hand where they ask you of your strange tool's use. There you shall make an offering to Poseidon and then return home. When you arrive you must sacrifice your cattle in hundreds in the act of hetacombs. Then you shall die, but after a long life and as a rich man, and all of this shall come to pass the same as I have said it."

He fell silent and walked back into the crowd and I lost sight of him. Then the ghosts departed and began to leave. I singled out Parnassus and went and grabbed his wrist. He tried to pull away from me, but I drew him into a hug, but it was like trying to hold water. He sunk to the floor and I could tell that he was sobbing though no sound came. I crouched next to him and promised that I should make an offering just for him as soon as I was able, and that I would think of him often. He looked at me and managed a meek smile as ghostly as his figure. Then he departed from me and floated away.

I seemed to lose consciousness and came to in the house of Circe and I was very pale and weak. She gave me a potion and it revived me. Then she offered me more advice before sending me off.

"You shall soon pass by the Sirens, who lure unknowing men to their deaths. Plug the ears of your crew with beeswax so they shall not hear. If you do wish to hear their unearthly song have your men bind you to the mast, and when you shout to be let lose, for you will, have them bind you even tighter than before. If you pass by the Sirens unscathed there is a parting of ways and your choice is between Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla possess six serpent necks which end in heads worse than a dragon's, and for your passing shall take one man for each head the she owns. On the other side Charybdis lurks on the ocean floor drawing in the sea and all that comes with it causing a giant whirlpool. If you pass by her then your loss will be far greater than six. It shall be all men and the ship as well. Nay, pass by Scylla and you shall mourn only six." With that she bade me farewell and I left feeling worse for the knowing of what was to happen.