After the draw of lot, it fell to Eurylochus and his team to explore the Island of Aeaea. Leading his twenty-two men, he walked in the direction of the palace. It was an exquisite marble mansion and on its sprawling wild, open grounds roamed ferocious lions and mountain wolves. The men were frightened when the animals rushed towards them.
To the
surprise of Eurylochus and his men, the lions and wolves behaved like tame
animals. They were not a bit ferocious and wagged their tails and licked the
men’s feet. The men heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly, they heard a melodious
voice crooning out soulful songs, songs that were familiar to the Greeks.
The men
felt a lump in their throats when they heard those songs of their homeland.
They were eager to know who the singer was. Their legs dragged them towards the
halls of the mansion. As they approached the palace, there appeared at the
doorway the most enchanting woman on earth. She was Circe, the mistress of the
mansion. With an enchanting smile on her
lips, she welcomed them inside.
Eurylochus
sensed something amiss and stayed back. But his men promptly entered the palace
without waiting for the directions of their leader. Eurylochus was at a loss.
All he could do now was to position himself at a window and peer into the room.
‘Wonder who this woman of great charm is!’ he thought to himself.
Inside the
grand palace, Circe ordered her servants to spread out an elaborate feast for
the weary men. Cheese, barley, honey and wine - the table was filled with
goodies. The men, who had not set their eyes on good food for days together,
began to gorge greedily on the food and drown in the overflowing wine casks.
But their happiness was short-lived. Soon Circe rose from her couch and waved her
wand at the men and muttered some magic words. Alas! The mirth making sailors
turned into squealing hogs. Shocked at their wretched state, they scrambled
hither and thither about the palace hall. The wicked enchantress and her
servants drove the hogs into a sty and locked them inside. The poor animals
squeaked and shrieked miserably.
Meanwhile,
Eurylochus waited impatiently for his men to return. As hours passed, he was
sure that some mishap had befallen his comrades. He returned to the ship
lamenting
loudly, “Odysseus, a great misfortune has befallen our friends!” As Odysseus
plied him with questions, he went on to narrate what had happened.
Odysseus
was greatly disturbed by the news. He donned his armour, seized his sword, and
got into action immediately, though he did not have any sound plan in his mind.
“Let’s leave the unfortunate men to their fate, O Odysseus!” said Eurylochus.
“Let’s not venture again into the island lest we fall a victim to the same evil
that has claimed our comrades.” But Odysseus would hear none of it. He was
already on his way to the palace.
As he
approached the palace, he encountered a youth of immortal grace and beauty. He
was Hermes, a god who desired to help Odysseus.
“Greetings
to Odysseus, the valiant warrior! Pay heed to me before you proceed to the
palace. The woman you are planning to encounter has incredible powers. You need
to safeguard yourself from her magic. Here’s the moly, the famed flower
of the gods. It will keep you safe from her overtures,” warned Hermes as he
handed a scented white flower with a black root to Odysseus. He told Odysseus
what to expect at the palace and disappeared.
The gates
of the palace opened wide and Odysseus strode gallantly inside. There he met
the bewitchingly beautiful Circe. The enchantress invited him to dinner and led
him towards a sumptuously laid table. She personally filled the dishes with
tasty meat and heady wine. When Odysseus proceeded to eat his food, she raised
her wand and mumbled the magic words. But her magic had little effect on her
noble guest. Circe was taken aback when she saw Odysseus leap up from his seat
and draw out his sword.
Circe
realised it was useless to resist him and she fell down on her knees and
implored him to spare her. “Show mercy on my humble soul, noble sir! You must
be Odysseus, whom the gods told me is the only mortal who has the courage to
defy my magic. Kindly put the sword back into its sheath, and we shall turn our
hatred into a longer lasting relationship,” she begged of Odysseus.
(To be continued)
- The Adventures of Odysseus - An Introduction
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 1
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 2
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 3
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 4
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