Circe Lifts the Curse from Odysseus’ Men by Geiger Richárd (1900); Geiger Richárd (1870-1945), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In ‘The Odyssey’ (2026), Circe transforms Odysseus’ men, who banked on her expected ‘hospitality’, into beasts… but not without the following words, before and after. Even if ‘merely’ mythological, the lessons are very real and relevant. Is this not why meaningful myths continue to be re/told, in print and on screen?
[1] Greed: Referring to one of Odysseus’ men devouring meat, literally and figuratively ‘pigging out’, Circe remarks, ‘Eating so hard he can’t breathe.’ While your hunger might be reasonable, your greed at the possible expense of your own life, and that of many others is surely not so.
[2] Insatiability: Referring to a man eating excessively, ‘Too much is never enough.’ That too much is already too much, yet never enough if you want too much. If you keep wanting too much, you will never have enough.
[3] Slaughter: Referring to the many pigs around Odysseus, ‘Grab a hog. You can slaughter it for your dinner.’ Circe was actually feeding some humans transformed to be pigs, to more humans, Odysseus and his men. In the rounds of rebirth, are you not devouring ex-humans too (if not yet vegan)?
[4] Revelation: Referring to her ‘transformation’ of the men into pigs, ‘I didn’t turn your men into anything! This is who they are. Look at them — beasts!’ If you are to take shape in terms of your predominant mindstate, who will you be? Humanly, beastly, demonic, Buddha-like or…?
[5] Nature: Referring to the men who are now squealing and writhing pigs, ‘Base. Disgusting, primal urges you value in battle… they’ve raped and pillaged across the world for you — you think that’s against their nature? You think they only did those things because you ordered them to?’ Do you use your chosen occupation or vocation to justify or minimise your savage instincts, or realise or stray away from your Buddha-nature?
[6] Savagery: Referring to Odysseus’ lack of understanding, ‘A true commander thinks his men’s savagery is actually discipline. You don’t seem that deluded. But you sent them to me, here, on my own. A gang of filthy soldiers with empty bellies and hot blood. You thought they’d respect me and my home? Look at them. Know your own men.’ Know yourself well, before you try to know others. Never mistake your ‘leadership’ and ‘soldierliness’ as principled discipline if it hides self-justified savagery.
[7] Illusion: Referring to the pigs being transformed back to be humans, ‘Come back. Back into your disguises.’ As a final rebuke, Circe was commenting that the true forms of the men were actually as greedy pigs, that despite returning to their human forms, they were merely returning to their ‘disguises’. Their animal nature was more real than their human nature. Are you in your true form now, or are you in a disguise too?
[8] Meat: Referring to the food his men should take after regaining their human forms, Odysseus instructs, ‘Take all the food you can carry. Not the meat.’ As the meat foods present were ex-humans, to eat them would be cannibalistic, savage indeed. Concurring with the Buddha’s teachings, all animals presently devoured were not only once (and many times) humans, they are all our past relatives too. So… take all the food you need, but not the meat and other animal produce.
