Polyphemus, Scylla and Charybdis

Of The Odyssey

By: Rachel M

The Life of a Cyclops, Cunning Cannibal

• Giants initially banned from the earth except for the Cyclopes

• Cyclopes were favoured by Zeus• Zeus gave them nice land with plenty of

food to live on.• The Cyclops created Zeus’s thunderbolts• They were a wild group and dangerous to

strangers.

The Life of Polyphemus, a Cyclops

• Polyphemus, a giant with one eye.• Parents: Poseidon God of the sea, and Thoosa, a nymph• Cyclops comes from a Greek word meaning “round eye”• He lived in a cave with goats and sheep and lots of food.• Odysseus wandered into his cave to find food. (Book 9,

207-225.)• Polyphemus returned and locked Odysseus and his men

in the cave by moving a boulder in front of the door.(Book 9, 225)

The Life of Polyphemus, a Cyclops

• Odysseus lost four men eaten by Polyphemus.(Book 9, 279-286)

• Polphemus asked Odysseus his name and he replied “Noman”(Book 9, 360-365)

• Odysseus served wine to Polyphemus making him drunk and fall asleep. (Book 9, 343-358)

• He poked out Polyphemus’ eye with a spear made out of a piece of wood.(Book 9, 380-393)

• Polyphemus screamed in pain. When the other Cyclopes, his neighbors asked what happened he shouted “Noman is killing me by some kind of trick!” (Book 9, 394-407)

The Life of Polyphemus, a Cyclops

• Polyphemus removed his boulder to catch any person who tried to escape on the sheep.(Book 9, 415-417)

• Odysseus devised a scheme to escape by holding on to the belly of the sheep as they were leaving the cave.(Book 9, 419-462)

• After Odysseus safely got back to the ship, they taunted Cyclops they had tricked him.(Book 9, 473-479)

• Cyclops became enraged and told his father Poseidon. Poseidon cursed Odysseus and his men. (Book 9, 480-485)

Polyphemus Passage‘Cyclops

You ask me my name, my glorious name,

And I will tell it to you.

Remember now to give me the gift just as you promised.

Noman is my name. They call me Noman-

My mother, my father and all my friends, too.’

He answered me from his pitiless heart:

‘Noman I will eat last after his friends.

Friends first, him last. That’s my gift to you’

Polyphemus (a Cyclops)

• This is what Odysseus might have seen when he first met Polyphemus. He is showing anger to Odysseus while he is outside his cave.

http://www5c.biglobe.ne.jp/~amazon66/icons/item003/cyclops.jpg

Polyphemus• The French painter Odilon Redon painted this painting

titled The Cyclops. In 1914 he used oils and vibrant colors to express mythological paintings. The Cyclops is peering over a wooded mountain. Unlike other pictures, the Cyclops appears to be calm.

http://www.rpgplanet.com/lineage/images/fanart/cyclops.jpg

Odysseus Serves Polyphemus Wine

• Odysseus is serving Polyphemus wine to get him drunk. This was illustrated by John Flaxman of France in 1835.

http://www.modjourn.brown.edu/mjp/Image/Flaxman/Cyclops.gif

The Blinding of Polyphemus

• Cedar Class- Information about painter and date unknown. This picture is painted on a vase. Odysseus is blinding Polyphemos.

http://66.90.77.92/image/P31.3Polyphemos.gif

Cyclops Becomes Enraged After Losing His Sight

• This illustration was taken from Bulfinch’s Mythology. After Odysseus and his men stabbed and blinded Polyphemus in his cave Polyphemus becomes enraged!

http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/bull29.html

The Life of Scylla, The Life of Scylla, Swallower of SailorsSwallower of Sailors

• Originally a nymph• Daughter of King Niusus and Phorcys.• One day Glaucus, converted from a man to half

fish half man, fell in love will Scylla• Scylla was appalled by his appearance and ran

away. • Glaucus went to Circe, the enchantress, and

asked for Scylla’s love.• Circe then fell in love with Glaucus, but Glaucus

rejected her.

The Life of Scylla

• Circe became angry and punished Scylla.• She poisoned her bath which transformed her to a

sea monster.• Scylla had 6 heads, 3 rows of teeth and had 12 feet • Below her waist were the 6 heads of hideous dogs. • She was unable to move except to eat anything

that passed her.

The Lesser of Two Evils• Scylla and Charybdis both located in the strait of

Messina.• Odysseus needs to make a choice to choose

between the two.• Circe advised to stay closer to Scylla, because she

was the lesser of two evils. (Book 12, 111-114)• Odysseus chooses Scylla who eats six of his men

(Book 12, 250-257)

Scylla Being Transformed into the Six-Headed Monster

http://www.uvm.edu/%7Eclassics/slides/c026.jpeg

Scylla the Six Headed Monster

• This picture of Scylla in the water at the Strait of Messina. It appears is to be an oil painting of the six headed monster.

http://www.hermespalace.co.uk/Mythology3.php

Scylla and Cyclops Modern Art

http://www.transrealart.com/selection03/odyssey/source/18.html

http://www.transrealart.com/selection03/odyssey/source/17.html

• Scylla the sea monster is at the Strait of Messina and growling at Odysseus and his men as they pass. Her arms are ready to take six of his men for each head as they pass through

http://webhome.idirect.com/~donlong/monsters/IMAGES/scylla.gif

Circe Poisoning the Sea

http://jwwaterhouse.tripod.com/paintingsA-D/circe_invideosa.jpg

• Circe is jealous of Glaucus’ love for Scylla and his rejection of Circe’s love.

• Circe proceeds to poison Scylla’s bath and transforms her to a

hideous monster.

Circe Invidiosa 1892Oil on canvasJ.W Waterhouse

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

The Life of CharybdisChurning Catastrophe

• She was the daughter of Poseiden and Gaia.• She stole Hercules’ cattle and as her punishment,

Zeus hurled her into the sea converting her to the monster.

• She sucked in water creating a whirlpool making it impossible for ships to pass near her

• Her location was across from Scylla and in between Italy and Sicily.

Charybdis

• This modern painting is trying to show the whirlpool of Charybdis. It was made in 2001 by Shadowmoon graphics.

http://www.shadowmoongraphics.com/Posters/index3.htm

Charybdis Modern Art• This oil on wood painting shows a swirl of blues and

greens which represents the whirlpool. In the distance is Odysseus and his ship of men debating whether they should go the Charybdis route. Charybdis is being lit up in this oil painting by a glowing moon. Land is on both sides and the black rim around the whirlpool is representing

force of its strength.

http://www.transrealart.com/selection03/odyssey/source/20.html

Geography of Scylla and Charybdis

• The Strait of Messina is located between Italy and Sicily. It is where the monsters, Scylla and Charybdis is in the story in the Odyssey.

http://www.eaudrey.com/myth/images/Messina.gif

Bibliography

• Bulfinch,Tomas. Bulfinch’s Mythology. New York: Crown Inc., 1979. This reference was a very good source, especially for Polyphemus and Scylla. For Polyphemus it had a good explanation of what happened in his life after he was blinded.

• Hamilton, Edith. Mythology-Timeless tales of Gods and Heroes. New York, New York: Penguin Group,1940. This source was excellent. It explained Polyphemus’ early life and the transformation of Scylla.

• http://www.transrealart.com/selection03/odyssey/source/17.htmlThis source was very good, it had many pictures about the Odyssey

• http://www5c.biglobe.ne.jp/~amazon66/icons/item003/cyclops.jpg- This source had a very good picture.

• http://66.90.77.92/image/P31.3Polyphemos.gif- Good picture of Polyphemus being blinded.