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In ancient Greek mythology,the warrior king Odysseus,on his ten year journey home from the Trojan War to his homeland of Ithaca,landed on the Island of Aiaia. Unknown to Odysseus and his crew this was the home of the enchantress and sorceress Circe,and her nymph attendants. |
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Drawn towards the centre of the island by the sight of smoke rising across the dense forest and undergrowth,they set out to investigate. |
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Eventually they reached a clearing in the heart of the forest. |
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Here stood Circe's palace,where docile wild animals prowled around the house and grounds. With the use of magic potions and a wand Circe transformed her enemies and those who upset her into wild animals. The men obviously appeared a threat to her so she set about changing them into wild boar,however with the help of the God Hermes,Odysseus persuaded her to release them from the spell. Renowned for her knowledge of herbs and drugs it seems that she had excellent protection against unwelcome invaders. Odysseus remained on the island for a year before continuing his journey. |
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Painting by John William Waterhouse - 1891 Goddess Circe,daughter of Sun God Helios,offering a potion to Odysseus. |
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I always think this beautiful vase by Siddy Langley looks like a potion bottle.When I bought it,sometime in the 90s, I remember being told something about an ancient Roman technique incorporating gold being used in it's design. The colours glow as the light changes throughout the day. |
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Poseidon blowing on the waters ! |
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I'm making a wand for Circe. Hopefully the completed work will be shown in my next post. |
