Are you caught between a Scylla and a Charybdis?
Do you know what I am asking in the above question? Scylla and Charybdis are two monsters found in Greek mythology. They are located next to each other, on either side of the Strait of Messina. In The Odyssey, Odysseus must travel between these two monsters. The problem he faces is deciding which one is the "lesser of two evils." If he travels towards Scylla, she will devour six of his men, one for each of her dog-like heads, while Charybdis, a whirlpool with teeth will swallow all of them. He is faced with a difficult decision, but he realizes that choosing Scylla over Charybdis is the better of the two options. So, when you are caught between a "Scylla and a Charybdis" it means that you are caught between two difficult decisions, neither of which has a positive outcome.
This image depicts two of Scylla's six heads. She eats six of Odysseus' men.
This image depicts Odysseus traveling between the two monsters.If you missed class on Tuesday, Nov. 11th..... We did the following:
1. Submitted our Nature Myth Revisions along with our First Drafts.
2. Read through the information regarding our Lesser gods and Monsters research assignment. Each student was given the option of working with a partner or on an individual basis. We then drew the characters that we will be researching. If you missed class, I drew for you. All the students in b2 (but one), and b4 were present. So the following list pertains primarily to b1`students. The b2 student that was absent can find herself located below the list of b1 students!
B1
Briaunna/ Mollee= The Lotus Eaters and Laestragonians (Odysseus)Marlyse/Jeremy=Polyphemus and Tiresias (Odysseus)
Jonathan B./Helen K.=Stymphalian Birds/Cerynian Hind (Heracles)
Nichole/Christi=Scylla and Charybdis (Odysseus)
B2
Emily/Annie= Hydra/Eurymanthian Boar (Heracles)
Each student was given the assignment to research their particular characters via the Internet prior to class on Thursday. Each student should have a HARD COPY of their Internet sources when they come to class. In addition, each source should be underlined and/or highlighted with information about their research topic and how the characters relate to the specific hero indicated in parenthesis.
Eventually each partnership will create their own web page detailing the information they discovered about their characters; however, prior to creating the site, you must do some research! We will be researching in class on Thursday, but I expect you to do some research at home before returning to class. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to e-mail me (koriandjc@yahoo.com).
3. REMEMBER THAT YOUR "UNDERWORLD" ASSIGNMENT IS DUE ON THURDAY. YOU WILL NEED TWO COPIES OF YOUR WRITTEN PORTION!
I have included some images of several of the monsters you will have the opportunity to learn more about through this assignment!
This is a Siren...beware of her deadly song, as it is irresistible, and only death awaits you!
This is a Stymphalian Bird. Their beaks and feathers were made of bronze.
This is the Hydra. It has nine heads, and when a head is "removed" two will grow back in its place.
These are the Graea or Grey Witches. They shared one eye and one tooth between them.
The Amazons are women that you did not want to challenge in battle. They possessed no fear, and their martial skills were compared to that of the Spartans.Just a brief introduction...more to come! Happy researching.....May the power of Athena be with you!
