Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

Escape from whirlpool by clinging to a tree

escape_from_whirlpool_by_clinging_to_a_tree

A motif of the The Hero's Journey family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

2 occurrences

1 traditions


greek

  • The Odyssey BOOK XI / THE VISIT TO THE DEAD.88 / BOOK XII / THE SIRENS, SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS, THE CATTLE OF THE SUN.; lines 5610-5710 confidence: high

    The south wind drives Ulysses back toward Charybdis; by sunrise he reaches Scylla's rock and the whirlpool, where Charybdis sucks down seawater and he clings to a fig tree above the pool.

    At Charybdis, Ulysses clings to a fig tree above the pool until his mast and raft are discharged, then drops back to the raft and rows away.

    read in the book
  • The Odyssey BOOK XI / THE VISIT TO THE DEAD.88 / BOOK XII / THE SIRENS, SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS, THE CATTLE OF THE SUN.; lines 5610-5710 confidence: high

    The south wind carries Ulysses back to Charybdis; at sunrise he reaches Scylla’s rock and the whirlpool, where he clings like a bat to a fig tree until his raft emerges, then drops to it and rows by hand.

    Ulysses survives Charybdis by clinging to a fig tree until his mast and raft reemerge from the whirlpool.

    read in the book