Odysseus was not wooed by Circe’s sugary words. “You must do two things if you want to save your dear life. First, set all my companions free. Next, swear by the gods that you will not use your magic on me. Only after you promise these will I even consider letting you free,” replied Odysseus, his sword still held aloft in the air.
Without a
murmur, Circe ordered all of Odysseus’s companions to be released and restored
to their human forms. Then she turned towards Odysseus and said: “Why don’t you
bring the rest of your sailors here? You shall all be my guests for sometime.”
Odysseus
decided to accept the invitation and went away to bring back his men. The men
in the ship had been worrying about their captain’s safety and the fate of
their comrades. They danced with joy to see Odysseus return with a triumphant
look on his face. They went with him to the palace where Circe entertained them
with boundless hospitality for a year. After that, Odysseus told her that he
wished to return to Ithaca.
Circe
cautioned him: “Mind you, Odysseus. You aren’t yet destined to reach Ithaca.
You should first go to the land of the dead and learn about your destiny. The
Theban poet and prophet Teiresias retains the power of predicting the future
even after his death. Go to him.” She then gave him the directions to reach the
place and instructed him what he should do there.
Odysseus’s
ships were loaded with provisions, and Circe set a favourable breeze into
motion. Soon the sailors reached the Cimmerian shores where the dead spirits
dwelt. The land looked pall and gloomy as the rays of the sun never entered it.
“I shall go
into the island and perform the sacrifices needed to appease the gods. You may
wait for me here,” said Odysseus to his men and went into the island with a
black ram to be sacrificed to the spirits. Following Circe’s instructions, he
dug a deep pit and filled it with wine, milk, honey, and the blood of the ram.
Soon, several spirits including that of Odysseus’s mother Anticlea swarmed the
pit to lap up the concoction. But Odysseus held them all at bay until Teiresias
appeared and drank it to his fill.
His thirst
appeased, Teiresias described the future to Odysseus. “You’ll endure the
dangers and trials on your path, but eventually return to your kingdom safely.
You’ll reach a land where men eat their meat without salt. They’ll mistake your
oar for a winnowing-bat. Make a sacrifice to Poseidon there to ensure a safe
return to Ithaca and to regain it,” said Teiresias.
Odysseus
now invited his mother and the other spirits to consume the sacrificial drink.
He was overjoyed to meet the spirits of former comrades like Agamemnon,
Achilles, Hercules, and others.
He then
returned to Aeaea and told Circe all that had happened. The next day, he
started for Ithaca.
“Good-bye,
dear Odysseus! But do not think that your journey back home will be smooth.
You’ll come across plenty of dangers. But I shall tell how to get over them.
Listen carefully.” And the enchantress went on to give the valiant Greek some
useful tips.
Odysseus
and his men set sail. Odysseus knew that he now had to look out for the Sirens.
The Sirens were three sea-nymphs who sang enchantingly. Anybody who listened to
their songs would be compelled to seek them out. But no one who visited the
Sirens in their island home drawn by their music ever returned alive.
Soon, the
men were nearing the island of the Sirens.
Odysseus
remembered Circe’s advice. He wanted to hear the irresistible music of the
Sirens and yet not be tempted to visit their home. “Friends,” he called out to
his men. “I want every one of you to plug your ears with melted wax. After
that, bind me tightly with a thick rope to the mast of the ship. As we sail
along the island of the Sirens, after I hear the Sirens’s melodious songs, I
might want to disembark on their island. I might try to intimidate you and
threaten you. But do not pay heed to me, and keep rowing till we pass the
island,” he told them. The men did as they were ordered.
When the sea-nymphs saw the approaching vessel, they raised their voices and sang soulfully. They promised the men to tell them what their future had in store.
(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
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 5
