Circe is a sorceress goddess

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

The mythology of Ancient Greece is rich in stories about the history and deeds of the gods of Olympus. We know about the supreme gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Persephone, Apollo, Athena, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis. But the ancient stories about the travels of Odysseus brought to our time another name of the Greek sorceress goddess - Circe.

Who is she? Where did it come from and what abilities does it have? What character does it have? Whom did she love and who loved her? Was she honest and noble, or evil and cruel? All these questions will be answered by the literature of Ancient Greece.

Biography

Once upon a time, the sun god Helios met Perseid, the daughter of the mighty titan of the Ocean. Young fell in love with each other without memory. From their love, a girl was born, whom her parents named Circe. In addition, the young demigoddess was related to Hekate - the goddess of the moon, darkness and magic, the keeper of dreams, the patroness of sorcerers.

Thanks to divine genetics, the little Circe had an innate gift to charm people from childhood. In addition, the girl had strong magical abilities, which, together with the huge potential, developed surprisingly quickly.

Odysseus

Readingstories of Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey", you can plunge into the amazing stories about the travels of the king of the island of Ithaca - one of the beloved Circe. Legends describe him as a strong warrior, a loving father and husband named Odysseus.

The author tells how long and difficult it was for the main character to return home to his family. The writer allows you to feel the atmosphere of life and culture of the people of the island of Ithaca. He introduces us to the king's son Laertes and his beautiful, wise and faithful mother Penelope, who was waiting for her husband for 20 long years. Where has the king been all this time?

Odysseus spent the first 10 years in the Trojan War. For the next ten he tried to return home, overcoming all the adventures sent to him by the gods. Tempting the man, Poseidon sent his ship to the island of Eze.

Eze Island

When the travelers were on the ground, they did not recognize the area. Odysseus, as a captain, chose several sailors and ordered them to explore the island: are there settlements nearby, food, drinking water? Subordinates immediately set off. However, as it turned out, they were absolutely unexpected guests. Since no one invited them, they did not immediately accept them with respect, punishing their curiosity.

Circe

On the island lived the daughter of Helios and Perseid - the sorceress Circe. She was the queen of the island. Circe punished all groups of scout sailors sent one after another to familiarize themselves with the island. The goddess offered the sailors a drink that turned the visitors into pigs.

Hermes Help

When the next group of sailors left and never returned, Odysseus decided to go looking for them on his own. Descending Hermes told him about the inhabitants of the island. The messenger's warning about the divine gift of the goddess to enchant all people did not frighten the hero. Then Hermes gave the man a magical plant that blocks the magic of Circe. This will give him a chance to stay sane.

Treaty of Odysseus and Circe

Odysseus came to the castle of the sorceress for his people. Circe, seeing a strong man, moreover, with immunity to her magical effects, showed interest in the captain. Odysseus made a pact with the goddess: she would turn the sailors back into people, then the man would remain with her as a lover. The sorceress agreed.

Island life

The captain spent a whole year with the team on the island. During this time, a boy named Telegonus was born from the love affair between Odysseus and Circe. Sailors were treated like important guests. But the long absence did its job, the crew got homesick. Knowing what Circe means to the captain, the sailors asked the king to persuade the girl to let them go home. She agreed and even advised her beloved to go down to the underworld to find out his fate.

Beloved Circe

Besides Odysseus, the goddess also fell in love with other men who suffered the revenge of the sorceress. The sea god Glaucus was also lucky enough to become the object of Circe's sighs. He, as it turned out, fell in love with the girl Skilla. The sorceress turned the unfortunate woman into a terrible monster. To the questionwhat did Circe do with Skilla, the goddess confessed to jealousy and resentment due to the dismissive attitude of Glaucus.

Peak, the king of Ausonia and the son of Saturn, became another victim of one-sided love. He did not reciprocate the goddess, for which he was reincarnated as a woodpecker.

Cruelty from the selfishness of the goddess escaped only the king of Ithaca - Odysseus. The writings that have survived to this day tell us that there was a completely different Circe with Odysseus. This is seen especially in the situation with the return of her lover home. A caring and gentle girl, realizing and accepting the situation, she also gave parting words on the road.

Legends tell us about such a dual nature of the goddess. Circe is a woman, goddess, sorceress, granddaughter of the Titan of the Ocean, daughter of Helios and Perseis, mother of Telegon: cruel and gentle, selfish and understanding, impulsive and wise.