Circe
Circe EuropeIn Homer's Odyssey a goddess living on the fabulous island of Aeaea, later identified with Italy. Her magical powers turned Odysseus' men into swine. With the help of Hermes, the hero overcame her spells, restored his crew, and gained Circe's advice on how to navigate the waters of the Sirens and the dangerous passage between Scylla and Charybdis.
Homer does not describe the appearance of the Sirens, whose songs lured sailors to their deaths; artists show them as half women, half birds. A six-headed sea-monster, with a triple row of teeth and twelve feet, Scylla lived in a cave opposite Charybdis, a violent whirlpool. The dreaded narrows between Scylla and Charybdis were thought to be the Straits of Messina.
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