Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, spans 24 books and captures the end of one man’s 10 year journey home after the Trojan War. It follows Odysseus (Fictogram guest #325), king of Ithaca, who outsmarts a cyclops, escapes a sorceress, and navigates his way through channel of water with sea monsters on either side. 

In the poem, the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis are feared by all for their destructive nature, inhabiting the narrow channel that separates Italy from the island of Sicily. On one side resides Scylla, a vengeful six-headed monster; on the other side, Charybdis, a tempestuous whirlpool. Odysseus chooses to chart his course closer to Scylla and sacrifice six of his men to the monster, in order to save the rest of the men on his ship. 

Interestingly, these sea monsters may not be entirely fictional. Scholars say that Odysseus’s demons might in fact be poetic representations of real dangers that sailors faced in the Strait of Messina. Research from the University of Oregon has unpacked some of the geology behind the lore, showing how seismically active faults created a narrow passage filled with hazards. Locals may have used Scylla and Charybdis to explain why so many ships and men perished at the strait. The phrase "between Scylla and Charybdis" has come to symbolize being caught between two perilous options, much like the modern idiom "between a rock and a hard place."

https://news.uoregon.edu/content/uo-geologist-explores-science-explains-greek-myth

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Scylla-and-Charybdis

Monday, October 7 to Sunday, October 13.

The following are the shortest paths from last week:

Play Forgeous for Oct 13