- In Greek Mythology Charybdis was the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia.
- She was originally a Whirlpool, who was then changed into a Sea Monster by Zeus.
The Myth in Homer‘s Odyssey (Book XII)
- Charybdis was traditionally located in the Strait of Messina, between Sicily and Italy.
- Charybdis could engulf an entire vessel and was a menace to Greek shipping.
- Opposite her was another Sea Monster with six heads called Scylla. Each head would swallow one sailor.
- Between Scylla and Charybdis means caught between two extreme dangers.
- Between a rock and a hard place is the everyday expression (Idiom) derived from this Greek Myth.
- In the Odyssey written by Homer, Odysseus is advised by Circe to sail closer to Scylla than to Charybdis, as it would be better to lose a few men than to lose the whole vessel.
Strait of Messina