Download File - Greek Mythology Project

Circe the Enchantress
By Michael Antolak
Introduction
• The goddess that I am assigned to
research is Circe.
• Her name is pronounced: SUR-see
• There are many different spellings
and pronunciations of “Circe.”
• Other Spellings with Pronunciations:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Circe (KUR-kee)
Circé (SUR-see)
Kirke (KUR-kee)
Kerke (KUR-kee)
Kerké (KUR-kee)
Kerkê (KUR-kee)
Who is Circe?
• Many people agree that Circe is a minor goddess, but
others say she is simply a woman with magic powers.
She is most commonly defined as a “witch” or an
“enchantress.”
• Circe is most well-known for her appearance in The
Odyssey. She would lure male travelers onto her island
(Aeaea) and then turn them into animals.
• According to a legend that came about after The Iliad
and The Odyssey, Circe gave birth to a boy named
Telegonos. He later unwillingly killed his father,
Odysseus.
What Does Circe Look Like?
Most people believe that
Circe is beautiful…
Others, not so much.
Circe’s Family Tree
?
Autolikos
Antiklea
Hyperion
Laertes
Perseis
Odysseus
Helios
Circe
Telegonos
Female Male ?- Mate Unknown
?
If I was Circe/ If I had her abilities…
•
If I could use magic to turn people into animals, I would use this skill to my
advantage.
•
I would use the magic to make my life easier.
–
•
If someone does something really mean to me, I would turn them into some really ugly
animal and then bring them to school for “Show and Tell.”
I would also use these abilities to help others.
–
Being able to turn people into animals could contribute greatly to warfare. I could turn
soldiers into really tough animals (like elephants or rhinos) or really fast animals (like
cheetahs) or even really small animals (like mice or insects) Heck, we wouldn’t even need
airplanes anymore if I was nearby. I could just turn you into a bird and then turn you back to
human once we get to wherever we’re going.
–
I could also transform people into animals to explore new places. I could make people into
animals that “see” with the sense of touch to explore darkened, underground caves. I could
turn people into bioluminescent fish to discover the depths of the ocean. I could even turn
people into animals that have adapted to different climates like high altitudes, sweltering
heat, or arctic temperatures. The possibilities are endless!
Circe’s Role in the Odyssey
• When Odysseus and his men arrived on Circe’s island,
Aeaea, she offered them a feast. Then, when the men
weren’t expecting it, she used her magic to turn them
into swine. The god Hermes had given Odysseus an
herb that protected him from the magic. Odysseus made
a deal with Circe. They agreed that if they had a
relationship together, she would let Odysseus and his
men free.
• Click here to see the original text.
Connection to Roman Mythology
• Circe does not play a part in Roman
mythology. Perhaps this is because she
was not a major character in Greek
mythology in general.
Bibliography
•
“Circe." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 02 Oct. 2010. <Dictionary.com
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/circe>.
•
Yarnall, Judith. Transformations of Circe: the History of an Enchantress. Urbana: University of Illinois, 1994.
Google Books. Web.<http://goo.gl/AQ8L>
•
Atsma, Aaron. "GREEK MYTHOLOGY FAMILY TREE 3." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring Mythology &
the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. <http://www.theoi.com/Tree3.html>
•
The Walters Art Museum. "Family Tree." The Walters Art Museum. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.
<http://thewalters.org/exhibitions/heroes/greek-mythology-family-tree.pdf>.
•
"Circe." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.
© 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease.
© 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease.
03 Oct. 2010 <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0812290.html>.
•
"Truth as Circe." Moody Lawless. 29 Nov. 2009. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. <http://m-o-o-dy-l-a-w-l-e-ss.blogspot.com/2009/11/truth-as-circe.html>.
•
"CIRCE : Greek Goddess, Witch of Aeaea ; Mythology ; Pictures : KIRKE." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY,
Exploring Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. Web. 03 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.theoi.com/Titan/Kirke.html>.
•
Skidmore, Joel. Odysseus. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. <http://www.mythweb.com/odyssey/>.
•
Parada, Carlos, and Maicar Förlag. "Circe - Greek Mythology Link." Greek Mythology Link. Web. 03 Oct. 2010.
<http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Circe.html>.
Stolen Images
• http://peperonity.com/go/sites/mview/ench
anted/17637795
• http://www.kunsterniert.ch/imagestxt/circeodyssey-calypsogreekmythology.html
• http://thanasis.com/circe.htm