SHANA JAMES - Between Scylla and Charybdis I

Between Scylla and Charybdis

In ancient Greek mythology, Scylla and Charybdis guarded opposite sides of a treacherous sea passage, often linked to the Strait of Messina between Sicily and southern Italy.

• Scylla, a six-headed monster clinging to the rocks, would lunge out to snatch sailors from passing ships.
• Charybdis, a vast whirlpool, threatened to swallow entire vessels whole.

In Homer’s Odyssey, the hero Odysseus was warned by the sorceress Circe, who advised him to steer closer to Scylla, sacrificing a few men rather than risking the total destruction of his ship by Charybdis. From this tale comes the enduring expression “between Scylla and Charybdis” — a metaphor for navigating two equally dangerous choices, much like the modern saying “between a rock and a hard place.”

Madeline Miller’s novel Circe offers a more empathetic retelling of this myth. In her version, Circe is devastated by the consequences of her own magic, for it was she who transformed the beautiful nymph Silla into the monster Scylla, driven by jealousy and heartbreak. Miller reframes Circe not as an evil witch, but as a flawed, deeply human figure grappling with guilt and the weight of her actions.

In my artwork I reimagine this moment of peril: a boat navigating between Scylla and Charybdis, guided by Circe’s wisdom but shadowed by her past mistakes. In both the drawing and the Linocut I reimagine this ancient story, depicting the moment of peril as a metaphor for the challenges of decision-making in contemporary life. Just as Odysseus had to choose a path through danger, we, too, must navigate complex choices where every option carries risk and consequence.