Kirke turned into pigs all the Argonauts' crew. Just
Odysseus
stayed the same because Kirke wanted to have such a famous man as a lover. Together
they had a son, Telegonos. Odysseus spent two whole years in her island, so probably it was not that bad... But one day he felt he needed to
see Penelope again. Kirke advised him that if he wanted to go back home,
first he should visit the underworld. And so he did.
He found the way to the
underworld and there he saw many known faces: his mother, friends
from the Trojan War, and also Achilles. The last one had many sorrows and
left Odysseus telling him that he should try to live as much as possible
and to enjoy every moment.
After his trip to the
underground the hero went to join his crew, who had been turned back into men,
and took the road again passing by the island of the
Sirens. It was said
that they sang so beautifully that it was not possible to resist their
call to their island. However, whoever would step on their island would be
cut in pieces and eaten after. But again Odysseus knew how to get away
of this danger. First he stuffed the ears of his men with wax and told
them to tie him to the mast of the ship so that he could hear the music
without danger.
He also ordered them that the harder he would try to get free, the
tightest they should tie him. And so the ship could sail safely by the
island of the Sirens.
Next they sailed past Skylla and
Charybdis, where Odysseus almost lost all his men. After they arrived to the
island of Thrinakia, where he slaughtered the cattle of Helios. When they
were about to leave this island, a wild storm started and Odysseus lost
his ship and all his men under the punishment of the gods.
His boat was stranded in Ogygia, the island of
Kalypso, where he stayed for around seven years.
Kalypso seemed to be really in love
with him, since she promised she would make him immortal... and
remember what Achilles had told Odysseus about leaving long? So, even if
he didn't know weather his wife and his son were still alive or not, or if he
would still find all what he left at home, and although almost 20
years had past since he left, he decided to continue his way. A little bit
of hope instead of eternal life.
With the help of
the nymph Kalypso he built a raft and left. But, again, the gods were not
by his side. A thunderstorm broke his raft and took him to a coast. It was
the coast of the island of Scheria, exactly next to the village of the
Phaeacians, a hospitable people.
Alkinoos picked him up from the beach
in a condition that he seemed everything but the great hero Odysseus. That night there
were big celebrations with music and songs. Some songs talked about
the well-known hero Odysseus, and at that moment the shipwrecked started to cry and
told his story. The Phaeacians offered him their help and this way he finally
managed arrive to Ithaca... after two years with Kirke and seven with Kalypso.
Perseus / Heracles / Theseus / The Argonauts / Odyssey / Phaethon / Orpheus
