Odysseus on the island of the Sorceress Kirka
We sailed for a long time on the boundless sea, shedding tears for the fallen comrades. Finally, we reached the island Eei, where the beautiful-haired sorceress lived Kirka, daughter of the god Helios. We spent two days on the shore of a quiet bay. On the third day, girding myself with a sword and taking a spear, I went into the depths of the island. From a high cliff I saw in the distance smoke rising from behind the forest. I decided to go back to the ships and send some satellites to find out who lives on the island. On the way to the ship, I managed to kill a huge deer with a spear. I brought him to the ship, we prepared a meal for ourselves, and, having refreshed ourselves with food and wine, we fell asleep to the sound of the sea waves. In the morning I divided my companions into two detachments. I was in charge of some, but I instructed others to be in charge Eurylochus. We cast lots for who should go into the depths of the island, the lot fell to go to Eurylochus with twelve comrades.
They set off and quickly reached the Kirka Palace. Tame lions and wolves walked around him. When they saw my companions, they ran up to them and began to caress them, like dogs caressing their masters - so Kirka tamed them with a magic drink. At this time, my companions heard ringing singing from the palace, and my companions called a Pickaxe from the palace. She came out and kindly asked them to come in. In the palace, she served them wine in bowls, mixing the juice of a magic herb into it. My companions drank the wine, and the Pickaxe, touching each with a wand, turned them all into pigs, leaving them only a mind. The Pickaxe drove them into the barn and threw them, shedding bitter tears, to eat acorns. Only Eurylochus escaped. He didn't enter the palace with everyone else.
Eurylochus ran to the ship and told with horror about the misfortune that had befallen my companions. Immediately I went to the Kirk's palace, thinking only of one thing - how to save my companions. On the way, God Hermes appeared to me under the guise of a beautiful young man. He taught me how to free my comrades from the power of the sorceress, and gave me a miraculous root that was supposed to make the Pickaxe's charms harmless to me. I came to the Kirk's palace. She greeted me affectionately, led me into the palace and, seating me on an ornate chair, brought me a magic drink. I drank it calmly. She touched me with her wand and said:
- Go now to the pigsty and wallow there with the others.
I, having drawn my sword, as the god Hermes commanded me, rushed at the sorceress and began to threaten her with death. Kirk fell on her knees in front of me.
- Oh, who are you? - she exclaimed, - no one has been able to escape from my magic drink until now. Oh, I know you're clever Odysseus! Hermes predicted to me long ago that you would come to me. Put your sword in the scabbard!
I, however, sheathed my sword and made Kirk swear that she would not harm me. She gave me an unbreakable oath of the gods. After taking an oath, Kirka asked me to stay with her and offered me a rest. I agreed. While I was resting, Kirka's maids, the daughters of the gods of the river and streams, prepared a sumptuous meal. When I had rested, I dressed in luxurious clothes, entered the banquet hall, sat down at a table covered with rich viands, and plunged into heavy thought. I couldn't eat anything out of sadness. Kirka asked me about the reason for the sadness. I replied that I would not eat anything until she returned the former image to my companions. Immediately the Pickaxe brought the pigs out of the stable, anointed them with magic ointment, restored them to their former image and made them even more beautiful and stronger than they were before. My companions were delighted to see me; their joy touched even the Pickaxe. The sorceress asked me to go to the seashore for my companions who remained there and bring them all to her palace. I immediately complied with Kirka's request and brought all my companions to her, although Eurylochus persuaded them not to trust the insidious sorceress. When we all gathered in Kirka's palace, she gave a magnificent feast.
We lived in the Kirka Palace for a whole year. After a year, I began to ask Kirka to let us go home. The great sorceress agreed. She told me that before returning to my homeland, I should visit the kingdom of the gloomy Hades and there ask about my fate the shadow of the Theban soothsayer Tiresia. Kirka told me how to reach the entrance to the underground kingdom of shadows, and taught me how I should make sacrifices and summon the shadows of the dead. I listened to the instructions of the goddess and began to gather my comrades on the way. Woke up to the noise of our fees Elpenor, sleeping on the roof of the palace. He hurriedly jumped up from his bed and, forgetting that he was on the roof, ran towards the voice of his comrades. He fell to the ground from a high roof and crashed to his death. We wept bitterly, seeing the death of our friend. We could not immediately perform the burial, we had to rather go on a long journey to the end of the earth, to the entrance to the kingdom of gloomy Hades.