Scylla in mythology. The meaning of the word skill in the directory of characters and cult objects of Greek mythology. Description by Homer

06.11.2019

Skilla(ancient Greek Σκύλλα, in Latin transliteration Scylla, lat. Scylla is a sea monster from ancient Greek mythology. Skilla, along with Charybdis, according to ancient Greek mythology, was a mortal danger for anyone who sailed past her.

In the Odyssey, Charybdis is depicted as a sea deity (ancient Greek δία Χάρυβδις), living in a strait under a rock at an arrow's flight distance from another rock, which served as the seat of Skilla.

In various mythographic sources, Skill is considered:

daughter of Phorkis and Hekate;
either the daughter of Forbant and Hecate;
daughter of Triton and Lamia (according to Stesichorus, daughter of Lamia);
daughter of Triton;
daughter of Typhon and Echidna;
daughter of Poseidon (Deim) and Kratayida;
or daughter of Poseidon and Gaia.
daughter of the river Crateida and Triena (or Forca); Homer calls her mother the nymph Kratayida, daughter of Hecate and Triton.
According to Acusilaus and Apollonius, the daughter of Forcus and Hecate, called Crateida;
According to the version, the daughter of Tyrrhen;
In Virgil, the monster Skilla is identified with the daughter of Nis.

In some legends, Skill is sometimes represented beautiful girl: so, Glaucus was looking for her love, but the sorceress Kirk herself was captivated by the Commander-in-Chief. Skilla got used to swimming, and out of jealousy Kirka poisoned the water with drugs, and Skilla became a ferocious beast, her beautiful body was mutilated, its lower part turned into a row of dog heads.

According to another legend, this transformation was performed by Amphitrite, who, having learned that Skilla had become Poseidon's lover, decided in this way (by poisoning the water) to get rid of her dangerous rival.

According to the "Epic Cycle" of Dionysius of Samos, for the abduction of one of the Gerion bulls from Hercules, Skilla was the last to be killed, but again brought back to life by her father Forkis, who burned her body.

1 Description by Homer
2 Geography
3 Interpretation
4 literature and art
5 Notes
6 Links

Description by Homer

Skilla's rock rose high with a sharp peak to the sky and was forever covered with dark clouds and dusk; access to it was impossible due to its smooth surface and steepness. In the middle of it, at a height inaccessible even to an arrow, a cave gaped, facing the west with a dark vent: the terrible Skilla lived in this cave. Incessantly barking (Σκύλλα - “barking”), the monster announced the surroundings with a piercing screech. Twelve paws moved in front of Skilla, six long flexible necks rose on shaggy shoulders, and a head stuck out on each neck; in her mouth sparkled frequent, sharp teeth arranged in three rows. Moving backwards into the depths of the cave and sticking her chest out, she tracked her prey with all her heads, rummaging around with her paws around the rock and catching dolphins, seals and other marine animals. When the ship passed by the cave, Skilla, opening all her mouths, abducted six people from the ship at once. such features are outlined by Homer to Scylla.

When Odysseus and his companions passed through the narrow strait between Skilla and Charybdis, the latter greedily absorbed salty moisture. Calculating that death from Charybdis inevitably threatens everyone, while Skilla could only grab six people with her paws, Odysseus, with the loss of six of his comrades whom Skilla ate, avoids the terrible strait

According to Gigin, a dog is below, a woman is above. She had 6 dogs born to her and ate 6 of Odysseus' companions.

Like Odysseus, he happily passed Charybdis and Jason with his companions, thanks to the help of Thetis; Aeneas, who also had a journey between Skilla and Charybdis, preferred to bypass the dangerous place in a roundabout way.

Virgil mentions several Skills, which, among other monsters, inhabit the threshold of Tartarus.

Geography

Geographically, the location of Charybdis and Skilla was timed by the ancients to the Messenian Strait, and Charybdis was located in the Sicilian part of the strait under Cape Pelor, and Skilla was located on the opposite cape (in Bruttia, near Rhegium), which in historical times bore her name (lat. Scyllaeum promontorium, etc. - Greek Σκύλλαιον). At the same time, attention is drawn to the discrepancy between the fantastic description of the fabulous dangerous strait at Homer and the actual nature of the Messenian Strait, which seems far from being so dangerous for sailors. In fact, Skilla is a few pointed rocks, Charybdis is a whirlpool.

Interpretation

A rationalistic interpretation of these monsters is given by Pompeii Trog According to the interpretation of Polybius, fishing is described at the Scylian rock. According to another interpretation, Skilla is a fast trireme of the Tyrrhenians, from which Odysseus fled. According to the third interpretation, Skilla lived on the island, was a beautiful hetero and had parasites with her, with whom she “ate” (that is, ruined) strangers.

In literature and art

There was a poem by Stesichorus "Skilla" (fr. 220 Page), dithyramb of Timothy "Skilla".

In works of art, Skilla was depicted as a monster with a dog's head and two dolphin tails or with two heads of monsters and a dolphin's tail.

The asteroid (155) Scylla, discovered in 1875, is named after Skilla.

Notes

Myths of the peoples of the world. M., 1991-92. 2 vols. T. 2. S. 445, Lubker F. Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. M., 2001. 3 vols. T. 3. S. 251-252
Hesiod. Great Eoi, fr. 262 M.-U.
Commentary by D. O. Torshilov in the book. Hygin. Myths. SPb., 2000. S. 154
Lyubker F. Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. M., 2001. 3 vols. T. 3. S. 251-252
Scholia to Homer. Odyssey XII 73; Pseudo Virgil. Osprey 66; Ovid. Metamorphosis XIII 749
Apollonius of Rhodes. Argonautica IV 818

skill

Daughter of the sea deity Forkis and Hekate (option: Echidnas, Crateids, etc.). S. is a monster with six dog heads on six necks, with three rows of sharp teeth in each mouth and twelve legs. S. lived on a steep rock in a narrow strait, on the other side of which lived another monster - Charybdis. The strait between S. and Charybdis was extremely dangerous for sailors, and only Odysseus managed to sail there, losing six companions captured by six heads of S. According to the myth, S. was once a beautiful girl who rejected all suitors. When she rejected the love of the sea god Glaucus, he asked for help from the sorceress Kirka, who was in love with Glaucus and out of jealousy turned S. into a monster.

The daughter of King Megara Nisa, in love with King Minos, who laid siege to their city. Minos promised to marry S, and she killed her father by tearing out of his head the magical purple hair that made him immortal. Capturing Megara, Minos drowned S.

Wikipedia

Skill (disambiguation)

Skill Can mean:

In ancient Greek mythology:
- Skill - sea monster from ancient Greek mythology.
- Skilla is the daughter of the Megarian king Nis.

Skilla (daughter of Nis)

Skill- character of ancient Greek mythology. Daughter of Nis, king of Megara. She fell in love with Minos and killed her father by cutting off his hair. According to another explanation, Minos promised her gold. Minos, having mastered Megara, tied Skilla to the stern of the ship by her legs and drowned her, or tied her to the steering wheel and forced her to drag along the sea until she became a bird. Her body was thrown away in Argolis, on a cape called Skillion.

According to Latin poets, she turned into a bird kiridu, and her father - into a yellow-winged eagle. In fact, the kirida is a fish.

Skilla (mythology)

Skilla(, in Latin transliteration Scylla,) - a sea monster from ancient Greek mythology. Skilla, along with Charybdis, according to ancient Greek mythology, was a mortal danger for anyone who sailed past her.

In the Odyssey, Charybdis is depicted as a sea deity, living in a strait under a rock at an arrow's flight distance from another rock that served as a residence Skills.

In various mythographic sources, Skill is considered:

daughter of Phorkis and Hekate;
either the daughter of Forbant and Hecate;
daughter of Triton and Lamia;
daughter of Triton;
daughter of Typhon and Echidna;
daughter of Poseidon and Kratayida;
or daughter of Poseidon and Gaia.
daughter of the river Crateis and Triene; Homer calls her mother the nymph Kratayida, daughter of Hecate and Triton.
According to Acusilaus and Apollonius, the daughter of Forcus and Hecate, called Crateida;
According to the version, the daughter of Tyrrhen;
In Virgil, the monster Skilla is identified with the daughter of Nis.

In some legends, Skilla sometimes appears as a beautiful girl: for example, Glaucus was looking for her love, but the sorceress Kirka herself was captivated by the Commander-in-Chief. Skilla got used to swimming, and out of jealousy Kirka poisoned the water with drugs, and Skilla became a ferocious beast, her beautiful body was mutilated, its lower part turned into a row of dog heads.

According to another legend, this transformation was performed by Amphitrite, who, having learned that Skilla had become Poseidon's lover, decided to get rid of her dangerous rival in this way.

Examples of the use of the word skill in the literature.

In addition, inside, along with the soldiers, was Skill, so Gies didn't have to bother.

nemez, Skill and Briareus, who had been standing at the door a moment ago, eight meters from the table, disappeared, and among the figures dressed in black and red, three gleaming chrome statues appeared.

Designs called Nemez, Skill and Briareus continued to move east.

nemez, Skill and Briareus looked at the Shrike from the other end of the suspension bridge.

At the command of Nemez Skill and Briareus rushed at the Shrike, the Hyperion demon spread all four arms and rushed to Nemez, but the clones intercepted him.

The Shrike's huge jaws closed around Briareus's neck at the very moment when Skill slashed at one of the giant's four arms, bent it back and seemed to break it at the joint.

To please my beloved Minos, Skill cut off her father's head and presented it to Minos.

One day when Skill swam in the sea, she was met by the sea god Glaucus, who used to be a simple fisherman, and became a god after he tasted a special herb that revived fish.

Angry Circe, knowing where she usually refreshed herself in the sea Skill, went there and, out of revenge, Glaucus tried to inspire him with disgust for her beloved.

When Skill came there and, as usual, plunged into the water, her hair instantly turned into dogs, which did not stop barking and howling, and then she herself became a sea cliff.

In this way, and even listening to the quiet whisper of the dead, I recreated the picture of the beating of the innocent on the Seventh Dragon, heard a hissing hiss and saw deadly actions Skills, Giesa, Briarea and Nemez on Vitus Grey-Balian B.

This is how the Centaurs and all sorts of Skills, With Kerberos similar dogs, and with your own eyes the ghosts are visible Those whom death has carried away and whose bones are embraced by the earth: Ghosts of every kind everywhere and everywhere, because ghosts rush, Partly arising in the air space of their own accord, Partly separating from different things and flying away, And resulting from their images, combined together .

With the help of spells and the juice of herbs, she turned the bathing place Skills into the stinking and damned.

Gies is here,” she told Briares and Skille who, along with the soldiers, were in the city.

Kill them, she ordered. Skille and Briareus and headed for the palace, not even looking back at the clones that had gone into combat mode.

Scylla (Σκύλλα) or Skilla, in Greek myth-making, a terrible sea monster that lived in a cave on a steep rock of a narrow strait and, together with Charybdis, destroyed sailing sailors and their ships. The rock of Scylla rose high with a sharp peak to the sky and was forever covered with dark clouds and dusk; access to it was impossible due to its smooth surface and steepness. In the middle of it, at a height inaccessible even to an arrow, gaped a cave, facing the west with a dark mouth: the terrible Scylla lived in this cave.

Glaucus and Scylla, 1582, Bartholomeus Spranger

Incessantly barking (Σκύλλα, translated means barking), the monster announced the surroundings with a piercing screech. Scylla had twelve paws in front, six long, flexible necks rose on shaggy shoulders, and a head stuck out on each neck; her mouth glittered with frequent, sharp teeth arranged in three rows. Pushing backwards into the depths of the cave and sticking her chest out, she tracked her prey with all her heads, rummaging around with her paws around the rock and catching dolphins, seals and other marine animals.

When the ship passed the cave, Scylla, opening all her mouths, abducted six people from the ship at once (Homer, Odyssey, XII 85-100, 245-250). In such terms, Scylla is described by Homer. As for the genealogy of Scylla, Homer calls her mother the nymph Crateida, daughter of Hecate and Triton. In other mythographic sources, Scylla is considered the daughter of Phorkis and Hecate, or Triton and Lamia, or Typhon and Echidna, or Poseidon and Crateis. In post-Homer tales, Scylla is sometimes presented as a beautiful girl. Ovid says that in the beginning Scylla was a beautiful nymph. She spent all her days at sea with her friends, each time rejecting the love offered to her.

Once, the sea god Glaucus fell in love with her, and the sorceress Circe, who herself was captivated by Glaucus, out of jealousy for Scylla, disfigured her beautiful body, turning its lower part into a row of dog heads (Ovid, Metamorphoses, XIII 730-737; 900-968).

Scylla and Charybdis, Roger Payne

According to another legend, this transformation of a beauty into a monster was completely Amphitrite, who, noticing that Poseidon was seduced by the beauty of Scylla, decided in this way to get rid of a dangerous rival. Scylla was the last to be killed for stealing the Geryon bulls from Hercules, but was again brought back to life by Forkis. Virgil mentions several Scylla, which, among other monsters, inhabit the threshold of Tartarus. In works of art, Scylla was depicted as a monster with a dog's head and two dolphin tails or with two heads of monsters and a dolphin's tail.

Geographically, the location of Scylla and Charybdis was timed by the ancients to the Messenian Strait, and Charybdis was located in the Sicilian part of the strait under Cape Pelor, and Scylla was located on the opposite cape in Brutus, near Rhegium, which in historical times bore her name (in Greek Σκύλλαιον, in Latin Scyllaeum promontorium) . At the same time, attention is drawn to the discrepancy between the fantastic description of the fabulous dangerous strait at Homer and the actual nature of the Messenian Strait, which seems far from being so dangerous for sailors.

Skilla (ancient Greek Σκύλλα, in Latin transliteration Scylla, lat. Scylla) and Charybdis (ancient Greek Χάρυβδις, transcription of Charybdides is acceptable) are sea monsters from ancient Greek mythology.

In Greek mythology, Scylla and Charybdis are two monsters of the Sicilian Sea, who lived on both sides of a narrow strait and killed sailors passing between them. These are the ruthless embodiments of the forces of the sea.

Once beautiful nymphs, they were turned into monsters with six heads, three rows of teeth in each head, and ugly long necks.

These roaring, rumbling monsters swallowed the sea and spit it back out (the personification of a terrible whirlpool, the opening of the deep sea). Being between Scylla and Charybdis means being in danger from different directions at the same time.

A long time ago, a beautiful nymph lived in Greece - a sea goddess named Scylla. The girl was so beautiful that not only the sailors who sailed on the sea but also the sea gods stared at her. The goddess herself at that time lived on an island, where she swam in a wonderful forest lake.

The god of fishermen Glaucus looked at her. This was the end of the normal life of the beauty. The fact is that Glaucus also loved the witch Circe, who amused herself by turning people into animals. She poisoned the lake on the island of Scylla. and when the girl dived into the waters of the lake, she emerged as a terrible monster - a many-headed dragon dog. Seeing her reflection in the sea, she went crazy - climbed onto a rock, and began to devour passing sailors on ships. By the way, those who were not eaten by Scylla were devoured by Charybdis. Charybdis is such a sea demon, or rather a demoness. No one saw her, but everyone saw the whirlpool that creates a charybdis when it draws in the ships with the people whose people Scylla is not fed up with...

Charybdis - a terrible sea monster from Greek mythology, was considered the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia.

Many believe that Charybdis is a huge whirlpool than an animal. But if it's an animal, it's clearly an invertebrate.

Interesting Facts:
In Konchalovsky's Odyssey, Scylla looks like a multi-headed dragon, and Charybdis looks like a giant mouth that swallows ships.
"Scylla" means "barking" in Greek.

In the Adriatic Sea there is a shrimp with the same name.
Also in some fantastic works of domestic authors there are multi-headed space animals with the same name.
Virgil mentions several Skills, which, among other monsters, inhabit the threshold of Tartarus.

In the story of the Strugatsky brothers The Far Rainbow "Charybdis" is the name of the mechanism (a device on caterpillars) that absorbed the energy of the Wave - a cataclysm caused by the experiment of physicists.

In the Adriatic Sea there is also a network of Scylleian rock (according to legend, Scylla lived on it).
On a par with Medusa the Gorgon, Scylla is one of the monsters in the game "Castelvania"

Origin of Scylla and Charybdis

According to the description in Homer's Odyssey, the rock of Scylla rose to the very sky and was always covered with dark clouds and dusk; it was impossible to climb it because of the smooth surface and the steepness. In the middle of the rock, at a height inaccessible to an arrow, a cave gaped, facing the entrance to the west: the terrible Scylla (Skilla) lived in this cave. Incessantly barking, the monster announced the surroundings with a piercing squeal. In front of Scylla, twelve thin paws moved, six long flexible necks rose on the shoulders, and a head stuck out on each neck; in her mouth sparkled frequent, sharp teeth arranged in three rows. Having put all six heads out of the cave and twirling them, Scylla tracked down prey and caught dolphins, seals and other marine animals. When a ship passed by the cave, Scylla, opening all her mouths, abducted six people from the ship at once.

“... this smooth cliff, as if hewn by someone.

They rummage around on a smooth rock and catch fish under it.

“Know this: not mortal evil, but immortal Scylla. ferocious,

Terribly strong and wild. It's impossible to fight her.

You can't take it by force. There is only one escape.”

Don't get close! Even the Landsman himself would not have saved you here! .

In general, in the ancient Greek epic, Charybdis was the personification of the representation of the all-consuming sea abyss. Sometimes a sea deity or monster living in Charybdis was depicted under it. Origin of Scylla and Charybdis

In ancient Greek mythology, Scylla (Skilla) and Charybdis were sea monsters. According to Homer's "Odyssey" (approx. VIII century BC), Scylla and Charybdis lived on different sides of the sea strait on a rock (Scylla) and under a rock (Charybdis) at an arrow flight distance from each other. In ancient times, the location of Charybdis and Skilla was most often associated with the Strait of Messina, 3 to 5 km wide between Italy and Sicily.

Various ancient Greek authors considered Scylla the daughter of Forkis and Hecate, Forbant and Hecate, Triton and Lamia, Typhon and Echidna, Poseidon and the nymph Kratayida, Poseidon and Gaia, Forkis and Kratayida. Homer called her mother Kratayida, daughter of Hecate and Triton. Acusilaus and Apollonius called Scylla herself, the daughter of Forcus and Hecate, Kratayida. Charybdis was considered the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia.

Incessantly barking, the monster announced the surroundings with a piercing squeal. In front of Scylla, twelve thin paws moved, six long flexible necks rose on the shoulders, and a head stuck out on each neck; in her mouth sparkled frequent, sharp teeth arranged in three rows. Having put all six heads out of the cave and twirling them, Scylla tracked down prey and caught dolphins, seals and other marine animals. When a ship passed by the cave, Scylla, opening all her mouths, abducted six people from the ship at once.

“... this smooth

to the cliff, as if hewn by someone.

Gloomy there is a large cave in the middle of the cliff.

It is turned by the entrance to the darkness, to the west, to Erebus.

Direct your ship past it, noble Odysseus.

Even the strongest shooter, aiming from a bow from a ship,

The hollow cave could not have reached with his arrow.

A terribly growling Scylla lives in a rock cave.

Evil monster. There is no one who would, seeing her,

I felt joy in my heart - even if God collided with it

Scylla has twelve legs, and they are all thin and liquid.

Long six wriggling necks on the shoulders, and on the necks

On the terrifying head, in each mouth in three rows

Abundant, frequent teeth full of black death.

In the lair she sits with half her body,

Six heads protrude out over the terrible abyss,

They rummage around on a smooth rock and catch fish under it.

Hyginus (64 BC - 17 AD) in the "Myths" depicted Scylla from below as a dog, and from above as a woman. In the works of ancient Greek art, Scylla was often depicted as a monster with a dog's head and two dolphin tails, or with two monster heads and a dolphin's tail.

Virgil mentioned several Scylli that inhabited the threshold of Tartarus. According to Homer, Scylla was immortal and very strong.

“Know this: not mortal evil, but immortal Scylla. ferocious,

Terribly strong and wild. It's impossible to fight her.

You can't take it by force. There is only one escape.”

In some legends, Scylla seemed to be a beautiful girl - the beloved either of Glaucus or of Poseidon himself. According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, the sorceress Kirk, out of jealousy for her, poisoned the water when Scylla was bathing, and Scylla became a ferocious beast, and his lower part turned into a row of dog heads. According to the "Acts of Dionysus" by Nonnus (4-5 centuries AD), this transformation of Scylla was performed by Amphitrina.

Homer's Charybdis has no individuality, although he attributes it to a sea deity: it's just a sea whirlpool that absorbs three times a day and erupts the same number of times. sea water: Nobody saw her. Charybdis hides under the water, with its gigantic mouth wide open, and the waters of the strait with a roar pour inward into the black hole.

“A fig tree with lush foliage grows wildly on that rock.

Directly below it from Charybdis the divine black waters

They rage terribly. She swallows them three times a day

And vomits three times. Look, when it absorbs -

Don't get close! Even the Earthlinger himself would not have saved you here!

Skilla (Scylla), Greek - a sea monster with six dog heads (with three rows of teeth in each mouth) and twelve legs, as well as one royal daughter.

The parents of the monstrous SKILL were usually considered the sea god Forkis and the goddess of violent waves Krateida or the hundred-headed giant Typhon and his wife Echidna. It is not clear whether SKILLA was so ugly already at birth - given the ugliness of her parents, this would be quite natural. However, some authors say that SKILLA was once a beauty, and she was turned into a monster by the wife of Poseidon, who envied her beauty, or a sorceress (for the fact that SKILLA bathed in her bath with infusions of magical herbs).

SKILLA lived in a deep cave on the coastal rock of the strait, in which the terrible Charybdis lay in wait for sailors. SKILLA also tried not to miss a single ship, she captured a sailor with each of her six heads and immediately devoured her victims; she did not disdain dolphins, seals and other marine life. , returning from Colchis with the Golden Fleece, managed to sail past SKILLA without loss, just like Aeneas later; Odysseus sailed past SKILLA twice, but during the first passage, she stole six satellites from his ship. When SKILLA sailed past with the herd of Gerion, she stole one ox from him. For this, Hercules killed SKILLA, but the sea god Forkis resurrected her, and she again went back to her old ways. In ancient times, a dangerous rock in the Strait of Messina between Sicily and Calabria was considered its place of residence. In Calabria, on the shores of this strait, there is still the town of Scilla.

The second SKILLA was the daughter of Nis, the king of the Sicilian Megara (see the article "Nis").

However, it was the first SKILL that was imprinted in our minds, which is invariably accompanied by her neighbor Charybdis. "To be between Scylla and Charybdis" means "to be between two equal dangers." (A variant of this expression: "Who wants to avoid Charybdis gets to Scylla.")