Myths and Legends * Circe. Circe is a sorceress goddess The contract between Odysseus and Circe

Circe Circe

(Circe, Κίςχη). Daughter of Helios and Perseus, famous sorceress. She lived on the island of Eee, on which Odysseus was abandoned during his wanderings. Circe, meeting his companions, gave them a magical drink to drink, from which all of them, with the exception of one Eurylochus, turned into pigs. Odysseus, with the help of Hermes, managed to save himself from the spell of Circe and convince her to return the human image to his unfortunate companions. Odysseus stayed with Circe for a whole year and had a son Telegon from her.

(Source: "A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities." M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition of A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)

(Kirka) - a sorceress with Fr. Eya, who turned the companions of Odysseus into pigs, and kept him on his island for a year. Daughter of the sun god Helios and the oceanids Persians (Perseids). Sister of Eeta and Pasiphae. Half-sister (or native) of Phaethon and Heliad. Half-sister of Faetusa and Lampetia. In Roman mythology, the mother of Auzon and Telegon (from an alliance with Odysseus), and also, possibly, Roma, Ankias and Ardeus. In a figurative sense - an insidious seductress.

// Ivan Bunin: Circe

(Source: "Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary Reference." EdwART, 2009.)

See what "Circe" is in other dictionaries:

Burne Jones, Circe ... Wikipedia

In Greek myth. daughter of Helios and Perseis, sorceress. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. Circe in Greek. mythol., daughter of Helios and Perseid oceanides, sorceress, queen of wa Ei; fell in love with Odysseus and ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

From the poem "Odyssey" by the legendary poet of Ancient Greece Homer (IX century BC). Circe is an insidious sorceress who, in The Odyssey, turns Odysseus' companions into pigs with the help of a magical drink. And only Odysseus, to whom the patron of all ... ... Dictionary of winged words and expressions

- (inosk.) charming beauty (a hint of Circe in Homer's Odyssey). Wed And yet I arrived at the right time: that blue-eyed Circe with her amiable would have robbed me clean ... Markevich. Child of life. 1, 8. Cf. Moscow dandies and circuses ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

Kirka, seductress, temptress, temptress, sorceress, sorceress, siren Dictionary of Russian synonyms. circe, see temptress Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M: Ru... Synonym dictionary

Circe- and, well. circée f. obsolete, poet On behalf of the sorceress who turned the companions of Odysseus into pigs. Charmer, seductress, dangerous beauty. BAS 1. Wanderings of the heart Odyssey There I began with you, There I found my circus And succumbed to divination. ... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

- (Kirka) in Greek mythology, a sorceress from Fr. Eya, who turned the companions of Odysseus into pigs, and kept him on about. Eya for a year. In a figurative sense, an insidious seductress ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Or Kirk (Kirkh, Circe) the daughter of Helios and Oceanis Persians, the goddess of the moon related to Hekate and, like Hekate and Medea, a representative of sorcery. She lived on the island of Eze (Aiaia, the location of the island in the legends about Ts. is geographically indeterminate). where ... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Circe- (Kirka), in Greek mythology, a sorceress from the island of Eya, who turned Odysseus' companions into pigs, and kept him on the island of Eya for a year. In a figurative sense, an insidious seductress. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

I Circe Kirk, in ancient Greek mythology, a sorceress from Fr. Eya, who turned Odysseus' companions into pigs (See Odysseus), and kept him with her for a year. From Odysseus, Ts. had a son Telegon, who, when he grew up, went to ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Books

• Circe. Roman, Maxim Chertanov. Moscow, the near future: everyone has long been accustomed to war, you won’t surprise anyone with public executions, and only a maniac killer, inventive and merciless, terrifies and secretly delights the inhabitants ...

In ancient Greece, very loving women did not have support groups, which is bad, because the sorceress Circe (or Kirk) could well put together such a group. She was definitely devoted to love, but always chose the wrong object. But if she was abandoned, she was instantly cured of love for the unworthy.

It is not surprising that Circe led a similar lifestyle, since she came from a very disorderly family. Her father was Helios, who drove the sun chariot of the god Apollo across the sky all day, which meant that his children did not see him often. He left for work while they were still asleep, and came when they were already asleep. Circe's sister, Pasiphae, was the ill-famed queen who fell in love with a bull and climbed inside a stuffed cow to have sexual intercourse with him. The result of their twisted connection was the Minotaur, a half-bull, half-human monster kept by Pasiphae's husband, King Minos, in a labyrinth beneath the royal palace. You don't even have to ask what profession Pasiphae had.

Circe was also a queen, but when her husband, the king, died under suspicious circumstances, she moved to Aea, a small island in the Mediterranean, to avoid being accused of poisoning her husband. Here she built herself a modest little palace in the depths of the island and spent her days in the kitchen, stirring the concoctions in a huge cast-iron cauldron. This lady loved to cook!

Once an attractive young man Glaucus moored his boat to the shore of the island. The girl quickly becomes bored on the island in the company of toads and poisonous mushrooms, and Glaucus had the appearance of a Greek god. Circe glanced at the strong muscles that played under the young man's tunic, and exhaled: "Stay to eat."

She quickly concocted a modest five-course meal with two wines, and for dessert she changed into a more comfortable outfit, which in this case was identical to Eve's. Glaucus turned pale and began to stutter: “I am, um, really flattered, Circe, and, um, in any other circumstances, yes, but, you see, I am in love with the nymph Scylla. She is thinner than you, and her breasts are fuller, so I came to you for a magic potion that will make her love me.

Circe managed to restrain herself. She took a deep breath and said, “It's okay, ha ha, I don't mind that you reject me. As for your beloved Scylla, you would tell me where this young lady likes to swim, and I will pour some magic potion into the water.

And she really put something into the water, only this something turned Scylla into a terrible monster.

The next man to break Circe's heart was the minor god Pictus, who asked Circe for funds to win the favor of the goddess Pomona. Circe treated him to a magical drink and turned him into a woodpecker. And suddenly she was visited by an epiphany: “All men are animals,” she announced, “so I will turn all of them into animals!”

After that, Circe tried her concoctions on all the unfortunate travelers whose ships washed up to her island. She showed exceptional hospitality: generously regaled travelers with dishes, followed by fragrant wine, which turned men into lions, tigers and bears. Soon the island literally resembled a menagerie. One day, the Greek hero Odysseus landed on the island, returning with his companions from the Trojan War. As soon as the Greeks set foot on the island, they were surrounded by a whole flock of wild animals, which were supposed to be ferocious, but for some reason these animals rubbed against the legs of travelers, like ordinary domestic pussies or dogs.

“Oh, I don’t like all this,” said Odysseus’ first assistant, Eurylochus. "I think there's some kind of witchcraft involved."

"Nonsense," replied Odysseus. - Don't be so suspicious. You know what: take the people and go explore the island, and I will stay here and watch the ship.

Eurylochus and other sailors soon reached the marble palace of Circe, and the sorceress herself came out to meet them in a beautiful short tunic and apron, with a wooden spoon in her hand. “Welcome to my humble island,” she said. "You must be hungry?"

All the travelers willingly entered the dining room, except for the suspicious Eurylochos, who remained outside and peeped through the crack in the door. His comrades, who were common people and had not been trained in good manners, did not know how to use knives and forks. They seized delicious dishes with their hands and loudly sipped soup from golden bowls. Circe looked at them with disgust, thinking: "What pigs - and this is an idea!"

And after drinking magical wine for dessert, the men felt their noses turn into pigskins, their hands become front legs, and screams of horror sound like pig grunts. They all turned into pigs! Eurylochus, who saw everything through the door, hurried back to the ship.

“Hurry, Odysseus,” he said breathlessly, “we are in trouble! Some crazy woman turned all our friends into pigs!”

But Odysseus was a real man and could not stand a woman getting the better of him. He grabbed his sword and ran to the palace of Circe. Before she could ask, "Are you staying for dinner?" - he put the tip of the sword right to her throat.

Circe

Circe was in a sense a masochist and had a weakness for men who knew how to seize power into their own hands. She exhaled, "My man!" and threw off her tunic.

Circe returned Odysseus's companions to their former appearance, and she herself lived with Odysseus for a whole year, spending most of her time cooking French dishes for her beloved and his comrades. Then, one day, Odysseus said to her, "Listen, this was huge, but it's time for me to get back to my wife and son."

Circe was dumbfounded. “Wife and son? she sobbed. “You didn’t tell me anything about them!” And she wanted to immediately turn him into a pig, but Odysseus was too cunning to drink the sorceress's broth. He even managed to convince her to load the ship with provisions (only no wine!) and provide them with a good map.

The heart of the sorceress was broken, but she did not leave hope for the return of her lover and for a good six months she walked along the shore and looked into the distance if Odysseus's ship was sailing. Finally she had to come to terms with the bitter truth. “He does not come and write,” she exclaimed sadly. “This is what I deserve for all my beauty and love.”

Circe was the daughter of a god, so she apparently still lives on her island, experimenting with new magical spells while waiting for the next traveler to try the magic potion. She does not touch women, but if you are a man and spend your holidays in the Mediterranean, you are advised to be on the lookout!

The mythology of Ancient Greece is rich in stories about the history and exploits of the gods of Olympus. We know about the supreme gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Persephone, Apollo, Athena, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis. But the ancient stories about the travels of Odysseus brought to our time another name of the Greek sorceress goddess - Circe.

Who is she? Where did it come from and what abilities does it have? What character does it have? Whom did she love and who loved her? Was she honest and noble, or evil and cruel? All these questions will be answered by the literature of Ancient Greece.

Biography

Once upon a time, the sun god Helios met Perseid, the daughter of the mighty titan of the Ocean. Young without memory. From their love, a girl was born, whom her parents named Circe. In addition, the young demigoddess was related to Hekate - the goddess of the moon, darkness and magic, the keeper of dreams, the patroness of sorcerers.

Thanks to divine genetics, little Circe had an innate gift to charm people from childhood. In addition, the girl had strong magical abilities, which, together with a huge potential, developed surprisingly quickly.

Odysseus

Reading the stories of Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey", you can plunge into the amazing stories about the travels of the king - one of Circe's lovers. Legends describe him as a strong warrior, loving father and husband named Odysseus.

The author tells about how long and difficult it was for the main character to return home to his family. The writer allows you to feel the atmosphere of life and culture of the people of the island of Ithaca. He introduces us to the king's son Laertes and his beautiful, wise and faithful mother Penelope, who was waiting for her husband for 20 long years. Where was the king all this time?

Odysseus spent the first 10 years in the Trojan War. For the next ten he tried to return home, overcoming all the adventures sent to him by the gods. Tempting the man, Poseidon sent his ship to the island of Eze.

Eze Island

When the travelers were on the ground, they did not recognize the area. Odysseus, as a captain, chose several sailors and ordered them to explore the island: are there settlements nearby, food, drinking water? Subordinates immediately set off. However, as it turned out, they were absolutely unexpected guests. Since no one invited them, they did not immediately accept them with respect, punishing them for their curiosity.

Circe

The daughter of Helios and Perseid herself lived on the island - the sorceress Circe. She was the queen of the island. Circe punished all groups of scout sailors sent one after another to familiarize themselves with the island. The goddess offered the sailors a drink that turned the visitors into pigs.

Help of Hermes

When the next group of sailors left and did not return, Odysseus decided to go looking for them on his own. Descending Hermes told him about the inhabitants of the island. The messenger's warning about the divine gift of the goddess to enchant all people did not frighten the hero. Then Hermes gave the man a magical plant that blocks the magic of Circe. This will give him a chance to stay sane.

Treaty of Odysseus and Circe

Odysseus came to the castle of the sorceress for his people. Circe, seeing a strong man, moreover, with immunity to her magical effects, showed interest in the captain. Odysseus made an agreement with the goddess: she would turn the sailors back into people, then the man would remain with her as a lover. The sorceress agreed.

Life on the island

The whole year the captain spent with the team on the island. During this time, a boy named Telegonus was born from the love affair between Odysseus and Circe. Sailors were treated like important guests. But the long absence did its job, the crew got homesick. Knowing what Circe means to the captain, the sailors asked the king to persuade the girl to let them go home. She agreed and even advised her beloved to go down to the underworld to find out her fate.

Beloved Circe

In addition to Odysseus, the goddess fell in love with other men who suffered the revenge of the sorceress. The sea god Glaucus was also lucky enough to become the object of Circe's sighs. He, as it turned out, fell in love with the girl Skilla. The sorceress turned the unfortunate woman into a terrible monster. When asked what Circe did to Skilla, the goddess confessed to jealousy and resentment due to Glaucus's dismissive attitude.

Another victim of one-sided love was Peak, the king of Ausonia and the son of Saturn. He did not reciprocate the goddess, for which he was reincarnated as a woodpecker.

Cruelty from the selfishness of the goddess escaped only the king of Ithaca - Odysseus. The writings that have survived to this day tell us that there was a completely different Circe with Odysseus. This is seen especially in the situation with the return of her lover home. A caring and gentle girl, realizing and accepting the situation, also gave parting words on the road.

Legends tell us about such a dual nature of the goddess. Circe is a woman, goddess, sorceress, granddaughter of the titan of the Ocean, daughter of Helios and Perseid, mother of Telegon: cruel and gentle, selfish and understanding, impulsive and wise.

Circe is the Latinized name of the ancient Greek goddess Kirka. She was considered the goddess of witchcraft and magic - in some ancient sources, a nymph, a sorceress, a sorceress, a witch. She was the daughter of the solar deity Helios and the oceanid Perse. Pasifia, the wife of the Cretan king Minos, was considered her sister, and her brothers were Phaethon, Aloy, Pers, Eet. Some ancient authors called Kirk the daughter of the great goddess Hecate, inextricably linked with moonlight, magic and sorcery.

Circe surrounded by obedient lions and wolves

Kirka was well versed in herbs and potions. Skillfully using them, she could turn her enemies into animals. She married the king of Colchis and poisoned him with a witch's potion. The husband died, and Helios exiled his cruel daughter to the island of Eey. Subsequently, the island went under water, and the insidious woman moved to Italy, where she settled on Cape Circeo (west coast).

In the Homeric Odyssey, it is said that the goddess of witchcraft lived on the island of Eea in a large and beautiful house, which stood in the middle of a clearing surrounded by a dense forest. Lions and wolves roamed around the house. They were completely obedient to Circe, thanks to her magic. It was near this magical island that the ships of Odysseus appeared, en route to their native Ithaca.

Odysseus sent part of the team to explore the island. People, once on land, very quickly found a beautiful house and saw the hostess, who was engaged in yarn. She warmly welcomed the guests and treated them to cheese, honey and wine. But she added a magic potion to the bowls, and the guests, having tasted the treats, turned into pigs.

Only Eurylochus did not eat or drink anything, suspecting something was wrong. When his friends began to turn into plaintive grunting animals, the man ran away and told Odysseus about the nightmare that had happened. The commander immediately went to save his people, but was stopped by Hermes, who was sent by Athena. He gave Odysseus a special herb that protects against witchcraft.

The insidious goddess turns people into pigs

With the help of this plant, the courageous traveler resisted the spell, and when Circe asked to go to bed with him for the night, he made her swear by the names of the gods that she would not do him any harm. Odysseus conquered the goddess with his courage and honesty, and she returned his human form to people. After that, the hero of the Trojan War lived on the island for a whole year, spending time in feasts and entertainment.

But soon the thoughts of his native Ithaca began to cause a feeling of longing in the courageous traveler, and the goddess of witchcraft named two routes to his native lands for him. But first she advised me to go to the kingdom of Hades, find the soothsayer Tiresias there and find out my future from him. Odysseus did so, and then returned to the island, received valuable advice from Circe and set off on further travels.

Hesiod claimed that the goddess of magic gave birth to three sons from Odysseus: Agria, Latina and Agres. Subsequently, they settled in Italy and began to rule there, rallying the Etruscans around them. As for Homer, he did not report anything of the kind. According to other ancient authors, the son of Telegon was born to the sorceress. He went to Ithaca to meet his father. In Ithaca, he began to attack people and steal their cattle. Odysseus and his son Telemachus decided to punish the robber. But he did not recognize his father and mortally wounded him with a spear, on which, instead of a tip, a thorn of a poisonous sea fish was planted.

Angry Odysseus and Circe, who used her magic against people

Many authors who lived after Homer claimed that the cruel goddess married Telemachus and gave birth to a son Latinus from him. But Telemachus soon killed his wife, as he fell in love with her daughter Cassifona. After that, Telemachus himself died, stabbed to death by Cassifone, who was avenging her mother.

The image of the cruel and beautiful goddess Circe, who turned people into animals, was actively used not only in ancient Greek mythology, but also in Roman mythology. She was also written about in the Middle Ages, depicting her as a witch. Renaissance artists captured this mythical image on canvases. At the same time, they tried to make Circe cause in men not only fear, but also desire..