S5E8 - Circe

The stories featured in Greaking Out are original adaptations of classic Greek myths.

Today's story features bad decisions, using potions to solve your problems, unrequited love, a sea change, and personal growth.

Hey, Oracle, do you like magic?

I do not believe in magic.

Wait, we've been doing this for how long and I'm just finding out now that you don't believe in magic?

I prefer to believe that magic is just science we do not yet understand.

Huh, I never thought of it that way.

Well, okay, today's episode is all about magic or science we do not yet understand.

And before there were all those popular books and movies about witches and wizards, there were powerful sorcerers known to do supernatural and mysterious things.

Today's episode is all about Circe, or as the ancient Greeks called her, Kyrki, one of the most magical characters in Greek mythology.

But Circe's powers weren't always respected.

In fact, growing up, her family just thought she was kind of strange.

They didn't make much of an effort to get to know her at all, and Circe spent a lot of time alone trying to understand her magical powers.

You see, Circe was born into a particularly noble family.

She was the daughter of the god Helios.

Helios was the god of the sun.

He's said to have driven a fiery chariot of light from east to west across the sky every day.

He was featured in an early episode of Greaking Out.

That's right.

And Circe's mother was the Oceanid named Perse.

Oceanids are goddess nymphs.

They are known for their beauty.

Yes, but unfortunately, Circe did not inherit the kind of beauty that Oceanids are known for possessing.

She also had a voice that was said to have squawked like a bird when she talked.

This might have been how Circe earned her name.

In Greek, the word Circe translates to bird.

Because of this, Circe had a rather lonely childhood.

She was often left out or forgotten.

And while her family ignored her and continued to go about their business, Circe began to practice the fine art of sorcery.

She discovered that she had a particular talent and passion for potion making, and she spent her days carefully brewing her concoctions.

She also practiced spellcasting and began to use small magic against those who offended her.

But as Cersei's power began to grow, her reputation started to plummet.

She had never really been appreciated by her family, but now she was more or less despised.

Her family was threatened by her magic and suspicious of her newfound power.

They didn't like that she had a gift that they did not possess, and they were scared of what she might do with it.

And then she met a mortal named Glaucus, and things went from bad to worse.

The first time she met him, he was standing on the beach, staring out towards the ocean.

Circe hesitated.

She had never met a mortal before, and everyone in her family seemed to dislike her.

Was it worth it to introduce herself to another creature?

Why put herself through the pain of yet another rejection?

But Circe was intrigued.

Maybe she could learn things from this new person.

Hello there!

She called out to him.

Upon seeing Circe, Glaucus immediately fell to his knees.

Beautiful goddess, he said.

I am sorry to disturb you.

I was just admiring your beaches, looking for fish.

I will leave immediately.

Circe paused.

No one had ever called her beautiful before.

Stay,

please.

There is much we can discuss.

And there are fish over there, she said, pointing to a shallow pond in the distance.

Well, the two hidden off immediately.

Glaucus was in awe of Cersei's beauty and wisdom, and Cersei found the attention rather flattering.

She liked learning about mankind and its discoveries.

The pair continued to meet every day for months.

One day, Glaucus came to Cersei with a request.

Goddess Cersei, he began, I have loved spending time with you.

I am in awe of your magic.

I have seen you do amazing things.

So I wonder if you might be able to do an amazing thing for me.

What would you like?

I need to leave soon.

I have to go fish in a different corner of the world.

But I wish to stay here with you.

But the only way to do that is for me to become immortal.

Otherwise, I will always be tied down to my human life and responsibilities.

Cersei was floored.

She had never considered the possibility of turning Glaucus into an immortal.

She had never attempted such magic.

She doubted she would be strong enough to do it.

Here is a fun fact about immortality.

Around the 9th century, Tang dynasty alchemists created the recipe for gunpowder while trying to create a substance that would give people eternal life.

Ironically, gunpowder would go go on to kill millions of people for centuries to come.

Wow, they really missed the mark there.

But Circe loved spending time with Glaucus.

She loved how she felt in his presence, seen and valued.

She didn't want him to leave.

And at that moment, she realized that she would do just about anything to make him stay.

I will try, she replied.

And for the next few days, Circe worked around the clock to make an immortality potion for Glaucus.

Despite her best efforts, nothing was working.

Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration.

Not a potion, she exclaimed to herself.

An herb!

There has to be a magical herb that already has immortality properties.

According to common definition, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, and for fragrances.

So, like basil?

Yes, basil is a culinary herb, but I think it is safe to say that it does not give its consumers immortality.

Right, okay, so Cersei was on the hunt for a special rare herb that had the power to provide never-ending life.

And because she had become a skilled sorceress with decades of experience under her belt, she actually found it.

This is it!

She exclaimed.

This is the herb that will help Glaucus become immortal.

Long time listeners will know that Gilgamesh also received an herb that would prolong life.

That's right.

And at that moment, Cersei realized that she loved Glaucus.

Truly loved him.

Not love like a friend kind of love, but love like a romantic kind of love.

She would make him immortal and they would spend forever together.

Literally.

When Glaucus ate the plant and turned into an immortal, he was ecstatic.

He swung Cersei around in the air enthusiastically.

You did it!

He screamed.

You really did it!

Cersei wanted to tell him that she had fallen in love with him, but she found that she couldn't get the words out.

She also wanted to introduce him to her family so that he would be accepted, or at least acknowledged, as a fellow immortal.

She had no idea if her family would welcome him, but she shouldn't have worried.

It turned out that her family was more than willing to accept a handsome new god into their world.

The nymphs were beside themselves at the thought of a new romantic prospect.

Her father even threw a welcome dinner in Glaucus' honor.

So Glaucus spent the night eating amazing food and meeting all the gods and goddesses.

He was overjoyed.

Cersei, meanwhile, was ignored as usual.

Still, she was not willing to let a difficult night ruin her forever.

Cersei got up the next morning, ready to talk with Glaucus and confess her love.

She couldn't wait to finally be together.

But when she went to the beach that morning, Glaucus wasn't there.

She searched for him in all the usual places, but she couldn't find him anywhere.

Eventually, she saw him sitting in the waiting pool next to a nymph named Scylla.

When he noticed Cersei watching from behind the trees, Glaucus leapt up and ran to her.

Cersei, he began, I have some exciting news.

She paused.

Yes,

I am in love.

Cersei waited, her heart thumping in her chest.

Go on, she said.

I am in love with Skilla.

We met last night.

She is the one for me.

I know it.

I just know it.

And this is all because you turned me immortal.

Cersei froze.

She couldn't think.

She couldn't move.

She couldn't breathe.

The rejection rippled through her body like a gust of wind.

He did not love her.

He did not want her.

He loved Scylla instead.

She was more beautiful, more gentle, everything Cersei was not.

I know it's insensitive of me to ask for yet another request, but is it possible for you to help Scylla agree to marry me?

Maybe you can brew another one of your love potions, perhaps?

I feel obligated to point out that if you need a potion to make someone marry you, then they are not actually agreeing to marry you.

Fair point.

Cersei stared at Glaucus in disbelief.

How could he ask this of her?

And then, soon enough, her disbelief morphed into anger.

Yes, Cersei said slowly.

I'm sure there is something I can do to rectify the situation.

That night, Cersei was tormented by jealousy.

Why didn't Glaucus love her?

What had she done to be ignored like this?

Why wasn't she ever enough?

Haunted by these thoughts, Circe brewed the potion for Glaucus, but it wasn't a love potion.

In fact, it was the exact opposite.

This was Circe's most dangerous potion yet.

As if in a trance, Circe brought the potion to Glaucus the next morning.

Here is the potion.

Use it wisely.

Oh, Circe, Glaucus cried.

How will I ever repay you?

I'm sure you'll think of something, Cersei said with a smile.

And although Cersei was still angry and heartbroken, she was beginning to feel a little guilty about the effects her potion would have.

You did nothing wrong, Cersei said to herself.

What Glaucus does with the potion is his decision.

What happens next is his responsibility.

Cersei walked to Scylla's bathing pool and hid behind the reeds.

She watched as Glaucus strutted over and poured the potion directly into the water.

He smiled and laughed, ready to enjoy his day.

He didn't even have the decency to stay and see what happened next.

He'd rather wait for his future bride to find him.

Cersei shook her head in disbelief.

A few hours later, Scylla came to take her daily bath in the pool.

She undressed and stood by the water's edge, a picture of beauty.

And then she slowly walked into the water.

Suddenly, the pool turned black and began to swirl.

Scylla started to thrash around like a wild animal.

Circe leapt from her spot behind the reeds and stared down with horror.

She had meant to punish Claucus, but now that the moment was here, she was overcome with regret.

How could she do this to an innocent being?

What kind of a person was she?

She tried to reach into the water, but before she could act, the thrashing stopped.

The water stilled and began to clear.

And then, from deep beneath the waters, emerged a monster.

Scylla looked nothing like her former self.

She had six long necks with bulging eyes and gnashing teeth.

Gone were her slender legs, and in their place was the tail of a sea serpent, surrounded by what appeared to be the legs of a dog.

This creature was the exact opposite of a nymph.

It was huge.

It was ferocious.

It was the deadliest sea monster that Cersei had ever seen.

And when the monster locked eyes with Cersei, she felt her heart drop.

Scylla, she whispered, I am so sorry.

Please forgive me.

I will send you back, I promise.

I'll figure out a way.

But before Cersei could finish her sentence, the gods came crashing onto the scene, ready to fight this terrifying new monster.

Scylla roared her heads in anger and ran to the ocean, knocking a few gods down on her way.

She launched herself into the sea and swam underwater as far away as possible, never to be seen again.

False.

Scylla goes on to become one of the deadliest monsters in Greek mythology.

In fact, we mention her in season one, episode three, entitled, Ancient Greek Monster Mash.

Wait a second.

Whoa.

This is the same Scylla as that sea monster?

Yes.

Oh, man.

Yeah, well, I guess we know how things turn out for Scylla, which, to be fair, is good if you're a sea monster, but pretty bad if you're a nymph.

Cersei was devastated by her ability to cause so much pain and suffering.

She felt unbearable shame.

According to Brene Brown, a researcher at the University of Houston, Shame is an intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.

And that was exactly how Cersei was feeling.

Unworthy of love and belonging.

She tried to shake away these feelings.

She tried to tell herself that this was all Glaucus' fault.

He asked for a potion.

He was going to hold Scylla against her will.

If he hadn't approached Cersei, this would never have happened.

But unfortunately for Circe, her father and the rest of the kingdom found her to be at fault.

She was exiled from her home and sent to the island of Aea, where she could do no harm to anyone ever again.

Aea's modern-day location is unknown, but many experts believe it could be located off the coast of Italy.

And even though Circe was being punished for her crime, the island wasn't too shabby.

She had her own stone mansion with every possible luxury and accommodation.

She had a huge garden filled with plants and herbs.

She even had a few nymphs to act as her servants.

Not too bad of a punishment, if you ask me.

And it was here on Aea that Circe lived out most of her days and had incredible adventures.

There are so many stories that we could tell about Circe and her sorcery, but instead we're going to focus on a key plot point in her very long, very complicated, and very magical life.

Odysseus.

Now, fans of Greek mythology know who Odysseus is.

He's kind of a big deal.

Odysseus is the hero of the epic poem written by Homer called the Odyssey.

He is famous for his journey, or Odyssey, home, after fighting in the Trojan War.

Yes, and we could dedicate an entire episode or two, or dare I say, season, to Odysseus and the Trojan War, but today's story comes at the tail end of his journey.

Now, you may remember how in a previous episode about Odysseus, we talked about what happened next.

His men made a complete mess of her home, so she turned them into pigs.

But Odysseus and Circe really hit it off.

In fact, they liked each other so much that eventually their friendship transformed into a full-fledged relationship.

Soon enough, Cersei and Odysseus were officially a couple.

In today's culture, they would be considered a power couple.

That consists of two people who are each successful in their own right.

And that's exactly what they were.

Their relationship was special.

They spent every day with each other on Aea and quickly became each other's closest confidant.

It had been a a long time since Circe had let herself be happy, and now that Odysseus was here, she never wanted him to leave.

So when he came to her one night and told her that he had to continue his journey home to Ithaca, she was devastated.

But why can't you stay here?

We're happy!

I am happy, but I am on a quest, and my quest ends in Ithaca.

Ithaca is a Greek island located in the Ionian Sea to the west of continental Greece.

Circe understood.

She had known it from the moment she met him.

Odysseus had a mission he needed to complete.

She also suspected that Odysseus had a wife and maybe even a family back at home in Ithaca.

They had never discussed it, but she assumed it was highly likely.

The thought of Odysseus returning to another woman made Circe sick with jealousy.

Odysseus was, in fact, married to a woman named Penelope.

They had one child together, a son named Telemachus.

Penelope had been faithfully waiting for Odysseus's return for years.

Cersei felt her heart begin to harden towards Odysseus.

She couldn't help but feel like he was choosing to spend his days with someone else.

Still, Cersei helped him and his crew as they got ready to sail.

She told him all about Scylla and even gave him advice on how to get past her.

She tried her best to calm her anger and her sadness sadness at being left behind.

It seemed like no one actually wanted to stay with her.

And when the day came for Odysseus to finally leave, Circe was heartbroken, but also greatly relieved.

Loving people was too risky.

She was better off on her own.

She didn't want to be tethered to anyone else ever again.

A few weeks later, Circe realized she was pregnant.

Circe and Odysseus had a child together, a son named Telegonus.

Wait, hold on.

Isn't that the name of his son with Penelope?

No,

you are thinking of Telemachus.

Well, that's confusing.

Anyway, Circe raised Telegonus all by herself on the abandoned island of Aea.

And although she swore off romantic love for good after Odysseus left, she was completely bowled over by her feelings of love and affection for her son.

Motherhood suited her.

She would do anything for her son, anything at all.

For the first time in her life, she felt true, pure, reciprocal love.

She was the happiest she had ever been.

But as the years passed, Telegonus became more and more interested in who his father was.

Circe told him that he was a great warrior, a brilliant man who had done many important things, but Telegonus wasn't satisfied with that answer.

Why wasn't his father here with them?

Was he ever going to come back?

Did he even know he had a son?

And as Telegonus asked all of these questions, Circe found herself getting angrier about the situation.

Why wasn't Odysseus here?

Why wasn't she worth staying around for?

And why was he still causing her all this pain after all this time?

And worst of all, why did he have to cause her son pain as well?

So when Telegonus came to her one day and asked to go to Ithaca to find his father and get answers, Circe agreed.

It seemed her son was just as angry with his father as she was, and that kind of made her feel justified in her own anger.

I cannot leave Aea, she told him, but you can.

Go, find your father.

But Circe was worried about her son going out into the world.

He had never left the island.

What would happen to him?

What if he was hurt or injured?

And how would Odysseus react?

What if Telegonus needed to protect himself?

The night before he left on his journey, Circe gave Telegonus a spear tipped with the point of a stingray.

A stingray tail is sharp and releases venom into the wound.

They can at times be fatal.

Circe knew it was a risk to give her untrained son such a dangerous weapon, but he needed to be able to keep himself safe.

And besides, she reasoned, Telegonus was a grown man.

What he did with the spear was his choice and responsibility.

It wasn't her fault if he hurt someone.

He had to take responsibility himself.

The next morning, Circe cried as Telegonus set sail in the direction of Ithaca.

Please let him return, she whispered.

Please, please, please.

After a grueling journey, Telegonus made it to the shores of Ithaca.

He was starving after his long trip and was looking forward to eating something other than fish.

He found a flock of sheep grazing nearby and took one for his dinner.

That night, as he was roasting lamb over a fire, he saw a man running towards him down the beach.

What have you done?

The man screamed at Telegonus.

I'm just eating some lamb for dinner, he explained.

Eating sheep is against the law.

You should know that.

Teleganus tried to explain that he was a visitor who had just arrived in Ithaca a few hours ago, but the man would not listen.

He continued to yell at Telegonus.

He was out of his mind with anger and could not be calmed down no matter how much Teleganus tried.

Leave now, Telegonus cried.

But the man would not leave.

He began to push Telegonus and drew a sword from his waist.

Before Teleganus could process what was happening, the man was chasing him around the fire with his sword, threatening to kill him.

Teleganus grabbed the only weapon he had, his poisoned spear, and thrust it into the man's chest.

Now this wouldn't have been a fatal wound, but remember, the spear was poisoned.

The man began to convulse and shake on the ground.

He took one last breath and then he was gone.

Telegonus sank to his knees.

He hadn't meant to kill this man.

He didn't even know why he was being attacked.

He had never taken another man's life before, and he was overcome with guilt and shame.

And of course, you know what happened here.

It is imprecise to make assumptions.

Okay, okay, then I'll tell you.

The man Telegenus killed was his own father.

Odysseus.

Penelope, Odysseus' wife, was the one to tell him when she found him crying over the body of her husband.

She hadn't known the young man was her husband's son, but she listened to his story with compassion and was truly sorry for his pain.

To search for your father a whole lifetime, only to kill him on your first meeting, was an enormous burden.

Of course, Penelope was devastated by the loss of Odysseus as well.

But the truth is, he hadn't been the same person when he'd come home from his journey, his Odyssey.

A sea change is a device used in storytelling when a character goes to sea and comes back very different on the inside.

Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad.

Right, and whether it was the horrors of war or the 20-year journey back home or whatever, Odysseus had not been okay for a while.

Everyone in Ithaca walked on eggshells around him.

Penelope was a practical person, and she couldn't help but think what came next here.

This young man should not have to suffer for what was clearly self-defense.

She knew how her husband could be, but Odysseus was the king of Ithaca, and so Telegonus would be punished for his death.

Also, she remembered her time without Odysseus in Ithaca, and to say it was unpleasant was an understatement.

She had been hounded by suitors for 20 years who ate her food, destroyed her house, and were mean to her son.

She didn't want to go through that again.

So she came up with a plan.

When Circe saw Telegonus' boat in the distance, she was incredibly relieved, but also nervous.

Would Odysseus be with him?

Did he embrace his newfound son?

Would Telegonus be happy or would he be crushed by rejection the same way Circe herself had been?

When the boat finally made it to the shore, Circe saw that Telegonus was not alone.

Two other figures were with him on the boat.

When Telegonus saw his mother, he sprinted to her side and threw his arms around her in a way he hadn't done since he was a child.

I killed him, Telegenus whispered.

I killed Odysseus.

Cersei continued to comfort her son, but she was devastated that Odysseus was really gone for good.

She couldn't believe she would never again be able to talk with him or tell him about their son.

She didn't know what to think, but she knew this was not her son's fault.

When Telegonus finally stopped crying, he motioned to the shore where where Penelope and Telemachus stood in the distance.

That's Penelope and Telemachus.

They are Odysseus' wife and son.

Their kind hearts are the only reason that I'm not in jail.

Circe was shocked.

Odysseus' wife was here on Aea?

What did she want?

And why had she saved Telegonus from his terrible fate in Ithaca?

Penelope slowly made her way over and introduced herself and her son.

Your son has told us about you.

We thought it would be best to bury Odysseus here, where he was happy.

Circe was surprised at Penelope's grace and eloquence.

She thought Penelope would despise her, but the woman was greeting her kindly.

Circe decided to treat her with the same respect.

Thank you for making sure my son got home safely.

Please, come inside and have something to eat.

Later that evening, Penelope and Circe got a chance to talk by the fire.

The two quickly realized they had a lot in common and were surprised by how natural the friendship felt.

Penelope told Circe about her life in Ithaca without Odysseus and how she had taken her son to start a new life somewhere else.

Circe was racked with guilt and regret.

She could finally admit that she bore responsibility for the things she did.

Not just giving Telegenus the poisoned spear and sending him to find his unpredictable father, but prolonging Penelope's suffering by keeping Odysseus away and even forgiving Glaucus the potion for Scylla.

It didn't matter what her intentions were.

The outcome was the same.

Her son was devastated and had to carry the guilt of killing his own father.

Penelope was mourning her husband and had left her home.

Telemachus would never get a chance to become closer to his father.

And Circe would never again speak to Odysseus.

Her actions had hurt everyone.

But she could learn from this decision.

She could decide to no longer be a person who seeks revenge at any cost.

She could let herself soften.

She could let herself change.

And so she did.

This is called personal growth.

It means improving your behavior and habits and becoming the best version of yourself.

That's true, Oracle.

And Circe did undergo a great deal of personal growth.

She transformed into the kind of person she had always wanted to become.

She invited Penelope and Telemachus to live on the island with her, and the four of them, Circe, Penelope, Telemachus, and Telegonus, spent decades together on Aea and became sort of a family all on their own.

Circe thought she would hate Penelope, but they ended up becoming best friends.

And as Penelope and Telemachus began to grow older, Circe realized that she had the perfect opportunity to atone for all the harm that she had caused Odysseus' family.

Would you like to become immortal?

She asked Penelope one evening.

Penelope was shocked by the question.

She certainly wasn't expecting to find eternal life here on Aea.

But Penelope was happy there, and so was her son.

So she decided to take Circe up on her offer.

And that is the story of how Circe somehow stumbled upon the true definition of love.

It was friendship.

It was family.

It was choosing to be there for someone no matter what.

And that is how she chose to live out her days.

No potion required.

Well, technically, she did need to brew a potion to make them all immortal.

Okay, I guess that's true, but you know what I mean.

The love part didn't require any potion or magical acts.

Maybe love is a form of magic in and of itself.

You know, Oracle, you might just be right about that.

That's it for season five.

Grab a parent and let us know what you want to hear more of in the reviews.

More mythology from other places?

More adventure stories?

More stories with snakes in them?

What other podcasts would you like to hear from Nat Geo Kids?

We read all the reviews, so let us know.

We're already hard at work making a great season 6, releasing April 2022.

National Geographic Kids Screaking Out is written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes and hosted by Kenny Curtis, with Tori Kerr as the Oracle of of Wi-Fi, audio production and sound design by Scotty Beam, and our theme song was composed by Perry Gripp.

Dr.

Diane Klein is our subject matter expert, and Emily Everhart is our producer.