Title: Circe

Author: Madeline Miller

Pages: 333

Hi all,

I decided to reacquaint myself with Circe, Greek mythological witch, since it has been 019-2019 that I last was in touch with her.

The book is split into XXVII chapters and tells the story of Circe’s upbringing, time as a young goddess until her final days in exile on the island Aiaia, off the western coast of the Italian peninsula.

Birth

Circe was born a nymph (lower goddess) from Helios (Titan – god of the sun) and one of Oceano’s (Titan) nymph/naiad daughters, Perse. She was the eldest of four. Her other siblings included Pasipha, Perses and Aeetes. In the book it is described that she was of moderate beauty, but that her father did not manage to find her a suitor amongst the lower gods, nor among princes, which were the two categories they deemed it appropriate for gods to associate with.

Siblings

Her siblings Pasipha and Perses keep amongst themselves, as well as with their mother, since they are crude characters and deem her to be of no use but the worst of Helio’s children. With her youngest brother Aeetes she manages to build a bonding relationship. The fortunate thing for gods is that from childbirth to being young adults, this transpires within a mere day, and not a couple of years, as is the case with mortals.

Friendship with Glaucos, and Scylla’s transformation

Due to having difficulty in acquiring friendships amongst the other gods, she spends her time on a beach on earth. There she meets a fisherman boy called Glaucos. They become good friends and he starts to frequently visit her there. She is so smitten by him that she makes enquiries with her grandmother Tethys (wife to Oceanos) to hear if it is possible for mortals to become immortal as them. She says that such power is beyond them. She then brings up a discussion that her father’s friends (other Titan gods) have talked about. —- During the battle between the Titans and Olympians (and select Titans siding with them), they inflicted each other with wounds that resulted in titan blood dropping to the earth. This resulted in special flowers taking root on these locations. —- Circe asks her grandmother whether it is possible for that these flowers possibly hold some power that could make this possible. Her grandmother doesn’t answer her, but dismisses her.

Circe takes matters into her own hands and locates the specified flowers, and drains juices from them, dripping it into Glaucos’ mouth whilst he has taken a nap on the beach. Whilst doing this, she wills/wishes for him to become a perfect godly transformation, which he does. Happy that it worked, she brings him to meet her uncles, who immediately welcome him amongst them. He is even granted an audience with Poseidon and given his own kingdom below the sea. With things going well as they have, she goes to meet up with him again, only to find that he is engaged with another nymph, Scylla.

Scylla is a beasty nymph, and not friendly towards anyone, and therefore, out of spite/jealousy, Circe takes the same flowers she used on Glaucos and mixes a juice once again. This time, she brings the mixture to a cove where Scylla is known to house and drops it there whilst she is asleep. This time, she wills that Scylla will show her true form so others will see her true self and not the beauty behind the beautiful face. It has its effect and Scylla changes to become a monster. She retreats from her cove to another, which is located between the straits of the Italian peninsula and Sicily. There, she now lives to live off seafarers that dare to make their way through the straits. The outcome has shocked Circe and she keeps quiet of her doings.

Sent to exile on Aiaia

It comes to pass that Pasipha’s hand is given in marriage to king Minos of Crete, a son of Zeus. Perses didn’t remain at home long much after her departure and leaves for Babylon, since the people call themselves by a name similar to his. Aeetes has approached his father and is set to have his own kingdom in Colchis (modern day Georgia on the far east coast of the Black Sea). This leaves Circe alone once again.

A few years have passed and no further advancements came about to bind Circe in matrimony. She is fed up with the treatment she has received and thus decides to come clean to her father, hoping that the punishment she may expect is a release of the torment she lives through as a goddess. She confesses her part in Scylla’s transformation. He dismisses it as being merely her lonely talk. The following day, Aeetes comes to visit, and takes her to their father. He confirms to him that they (Pasipha, Perses, and Aeetes) have themselves engaged in Pharmaka (witch craft) and that it only makes sense the Circe has the abilities as well.

Helios consults with Zeus how the matter best be dealt with to calm him that there will not be another Titan uprising against the Olympians. It is concluded that Circe will be sent into exile since she is the only one of the siblings that has willfully used her abilities for evil conduct.

Witch of Aiaia

During her exile on the island she spends her time learning and upskilling herself in pharmaka. Since witchcraft is not a skill that she would otherwise have learnt automatically as other gods have come to their abilities she has to physically learn everything through trial and error.

She builds her life on the island and becomes a formidable person with wisdom and insight.

• Before, she always lived in luxury, didn’t have to learn anything and neither did she need for anything. She lived in the protection of her parents and never really learnt who she really was.
• Now, being exiled from the world she had known always, she starts to really develop as a person. She learns to become independent, live her own will and becomes much stronger as a result.

After some time, other nymphs are sent to give her company on the island. They are there as a punishment for an offence committed against their parents. Circe of course has no say in the matter and has to endure their presence.

Shipwrecks and sailors

Occasionally, some sailors land on the island and are welcomed to her table to receive fresh provisions. On one occasion the sailors find out that she is alone on the island and therefore the captain takes his turn on her. She retaliates immediately by transforming him and his men into pigs and herds them into the sty.

From this point on, when she notices that sailors were moving towards becoming too confident in their position she would cast the spell before any vulgar acts could be committed.

Hermes

The days are generally lonely and therefore it is welcome to her that god Hermes visits her from time to time and gives her the latest news and gossip that there is in the world.

Daedalus

When her sister is about to give birth to her eight child, she instructs Deadalus (inventor) to travel to Aiaia and bring Circe with them so she may aid her during her childbirth. She is at first confused why her sister would call upon her and not some other god/goddess with whom she has better relations.

She comes along and helps her to bring her child to the world. It is misshapen child, half-man half-bull. The child is locked in a cage since it has an insatiable hunger for human flesh. Circe finds out that Minos had once called on Poseidon to send him a fine white bull so he may sacrifice him to the god, his patron. When the bull steps forth from the sea Minos doesn’t immediately sacrifice the bull, since he is in awe at its prowess. However, the beast doesn’t let anyone come close and see it.

Pasipha had been impatient to see it and therefore had Daedalus build a figure that resembled a cow so she may roll towards the beast and see it in its full glory. However, a mishap has occurred. The bull had taken her and now she bore its child. (For more on this, read 011-2022 Heroes – hero Theseus)

The king reluctantly adopted the child and it became known as the Minotaur.

Afterwards, she spent a few final weeks with them, to ensure that Pasipha had recovered well enough, and that the beast could be contained sufficiently enough. Circe then is sent back to her island.

Jason and Medea’s flight

Another set of visitors she encounters is the explorer Jason with his wife Medea (see 011-2022 Heroes – hero Jason). They are fleeing from her father, Aeetes, from Colchis. Jason had acquired the golden fleece so he may lay claim to his throne in Iolcles.

They soon leave and a few days later her brother Aeetes also comes to her island, only to hear that Circe had let his daughter pass on without holding her for him to claim.

Odysseus

Her next guest is Odysseus (see 001-2020 Odysseus) who arrives after having been engaged in the 10 year siege of Troy (see film “Troy”). He keeps her company before he can finally continue to make his way back home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus.

What he doesn’t know is that he leaves her pregnant.

Telegonus

She bears her first child, and raises him amongst her nymphs.

At his birth, she had been visited by goddess Athena, who told her that her son should die because he would do something in the future that was not wanted. Circe doesn’t allow Athena to perform this act and instead casts a spell of protection over the island, which prevents other gods from being able to visit her.

When he is grown up he requests that he may set sail and visit his father Odysseus on Ithaca. Reluctantly she permits him to undertake the trip.

Telemachus and Penelope

A few weeks have passed and then her son has returned to her. Not alone. He has brought along Odysseus’ wife and son. Whilst Telegonus went to see his father, he attacked him and this resulted in his death (Athena’s prophecy and fear came true).

They seek refuge on her island.

After some time, Athena is granted permission to come on the island, where she declares to Telemachus to take hold of his destiny and become a soldier to build a great kingdom. A refugee from the Trojan war, Aeneas, has set up a small kingdom on the Italian peninsula and Athena seeks Telemachus to build a rival kingdom to hold against the barbarians. Telemachus refuses the offer, but Telegonus accepts it instead.

***

After he departs for his new life, Telemachus and Circe leave for the straights and finally bring an end to Scylla. They continue onwards to the island where she spent her time as a child and eventually met Glaucos so she may collect some flowers that had brought changes to two people’s lives before her exile.

She has decided that she doesn’t wish to live for eternity where people around her die and only she remains. Thus, she plans and hopes that the sap of the flowers will bring about one final change to her life.

Circe tells us the remarkable side of the story that we don’t see clearly from other books. She reveals that gods have amazing skills and abilities, but that they are devious and only do things so that mortals will worship them even more. They don’t really care for any mortals’ life, but only of their own standing. Even the gods don’t treat their kin well.

Another thing that the book illustrates, is the beauty of a mortal life. Because everything is so fragile and will eventually come to an end, the knowledge of this makes life more beautiful.

Summary:

Quite a sad tale, but also an empowering tale, since we follow a character that lived in luxury and always as a dependent on her father. Then, when she was exiled she had to learn to become independent and truly shaped her own personality. This may let one think she would raise her son better, but in fact almost overprotected him as well. She even admitted that she raised him only seeing the good things in life (similar to the story of Buddha’s upbringing), and therefore would not be able to deal with the harsh realities of life. But, I think he was able to deal with the harsh realities since she had not raised him amongst her own kin, or amongst luxury.

As much as it is a tale only, it also gives us lessons to take from. For this book, I will give a rating of 4.7/5.

Have a good one!