Entry 3

Book 11: The Land of the Dead

When Odysseus enter the under world, he meets with the blind prophet, Tiresias who informs him that since he has been gone there are many suitors looking to take his wife and his son is looking for him. But while he is down there, he sees two very unexpected people, his mother who died of a broken heart, and his friend Elpenor. He had apparently fell off a roof one night when he was drunk and died. He asks Odysseus to please bury him when they get home. Then Tiresias tell him of an island he will soon come across. It is the island of Helios and there are many young cattle. You must not eat them when you get there or there will be grave consequences. Guess what? They eat them and Odysseus's boat and crew sink and everyone dies except him and that's how he ends up with Calypso. But that is later, back on track with book 11. So now there is a divine intervention. A god tells him about the future monsters. If you wish to hear the songs of the sirens, have your men tie you to the mast and put bees wax in your men's ears. Also take the path of Scylla the six headed monster, not the path of Charybdis the monster who sucks in water. Scylla only can kill six of his men, but everyone else will survive. If you take Charybdis, you might all survive, or you might all die.

Book 12: The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis

Odysseus has his men tie him to the mast so he can hear the sirens song. He continues to resist until they are out of sight. Now he reaches the paths of Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus takes the smart way of Scylla and only loses six men.