| Circe | |
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Real Name |
Circe |
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First Appearance |
Ancient Greece |
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Created by |
Greek Folklore |
Origin[]
Circe is a goddess of magic (or sometimes a nymph, witch, enchantress, or sorceress) in Greek mythology. By most accounts, she was the daughter of the sun god, Helios, and Perse, one of the three thousand Oceanid nymphs. Her brothers were Aeetes, keeper of the Golden Fleece, and Perses. Her sister was Pasiphaë, the wife of King Minos and mother of the Minotaur. Other accounts make her the daughter of Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. She was often confused with Calypso, due to her shifts in behavior and personality, and the association that both of them had with Odysseus.
Circe was renowned for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs. Through the use of these and a magic wand or staff, she transformed her enemies, or those who offended her, into wild beasts. Circe arrived to the solitary island of Aeaea in Helios' chariot. One tradition in roman times identified the island in the Cape Circeo.
Circe traped Odysseus and his tripulation in her island, transforming the men in pigs. Odysseus was prevented of the machinations of the witch by the action of the god Hermes. So he pretended to be enchanted to trap Circe and made her return his men to their original forms. Then, Odysseus passed a year with Circe, and then parted to his home island. Circe advised him about the dangers of the voyage, like the Sirens or Scylla and Charybdis. Circe had various sons with Odysseus, including Telegonus.
When Telegonus was of age, Circe gave him a poisoned spear as weapon and sent him to search for his father. In a tragic turn of events, Telegonus killed Odysseus unknowingly after mistaking Itacca. Then Telegonus brought Telemachus and Penelope to Aeaea, where Athena ordered that Circe married Telemachus, and Telegonus married Penelope. After burying Odysseus, Circe made the other three immortal.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- Blackhawk #18
- Classics Illustrated #81
- Feature Comics #100
- Forbidden Worlds #5
- Out of the Shadows #6
- Rangers Comics #16
- Smash Comics #66
Notes[]
- In botany, the Circaea are plants belonging to the enchanter's nightshade genus. The name was given by botanists in the late 16th century in the belief that this was the herb used by Circe to charm Odysseus' companions.
- There are a variety of chess variants named Circe in which captured pieces are reborn on their starting positions. The rules for this were formulated in 1968.