We sailed for a long time across the boundless sea, shedding tears for our fallen comrades. Finally, we reached the island of Aeaea, where the beautiful-haired sorceress Kirka, daughter of the god Helios, lived. We spent two days on the shore of a quiet bay. On the third day, girded with a sword and taking a spear, I went into the depths of the island. From a high cliff I saw smoke rising from the forest in the distance. I decided to return to the ships and send several satellites to find out who lives on the island. On the way to the ship I managed to kill a huge deer with a spear. I brought it to the ship, we prepared a meal for ourselves, and, refreshed with food and wine, fell asleep to the sound of the sea waves. In the morning I divided my companions into two detachments. I was in charge of some, and I gave Eurylochus the command of others. We cast lots as to who should go into the interior of the island; the lot fell to Eurylochus and his twelve comrades.
They set off and quickly reached Kirka's palace. Tame lions and wolves walked around him. Seeing my companions, they ran up to them and began to caress them, like dogs caressing their owners - this is how Kirk tamed them with a magic drink. At this time, loud singing came from the palace to my companions. My companions called Kirk from the palace. She came out and cordially asked them to come in. In the palace she served them wine in cups, mixing it with the juice of magic herbs. My companions drank the wine, and Kirk, touching each one with her rod, turned them all into pigs, leaving them only with their minds. Kirka drove them into the barn and threw them, shedding bitter tears, acorns to eat. Only Eurylochus escaped. He did not enter the palace with everyone else.
Eurylochus ran to the ship and spoke with horror about the misfortune that had befallen my companions. I immediately went to Kirka's palace, thinking about only one thing - how to save my companions. On the way, the god Hermes appeared to me in the guise of a beautiful young man. He taught me how to free my comrades from the power of the sorceress, and gave me a miraculous root, which was supposed to make Kirka’s spell harmless to me. I came to Kirka's palace. She greeted me kindly, led me into the palace, sat me down on a richly decorated chair, and brought me a magical drink. I drank it calmly. She touched me with the rod and said:
“Now go to the pigsty and lie there with the others.”
I, drawing my sword, as the god Hermes commanded me, rushed at the sorceress and began to threaten her with death. Kirk fell to her knees in front of me.
- Oh, who are you? “she exclaimed, “no one has yet been able to escape my magic drink.” Oh, I know, you cunning Odysseus! Hermes predicted to me long ago that you would come to me. Sheathe your sword!
I, having sheathed the sword, made Kirk swear that she would not harm me. She gave me an unbreakable oath of the gods. Having made an oath, Kirk asked me to stay with her and invited me to rest. I agreed. While I was resting, the maids of Kirk, daughters of the gods of the river and streams, prepared a sumptuous meal. When I had rested, I dressed myself in luxurious clothes, entered the banquet hall, sat down at a table laden with rich dishes, and plunged into heavy thought. I couldn’t eat anything because of sadness. Kirka asked me the reason for the sadness. I replied that I would not eat anything until she returned her former image to my companions. Immediately Kirka brought the pigs out of the stable, anointed them with magic ointment, returned them to their former image and made them even more beautiful and stronger than they were before. My companions rejoiced when they saw me; their joy touched even Kirka. The sorceress asked me to go to the seashore for my companions who remained there and bring them all to her palace. I immediately fulfilled Kirka’s request and brought all my companions to her, although Eurylochus persuaded them not to trust the insidious sorceress. When we all gathered in Kirka's palace, she gave a magnificent feast.
We lived for a whole year in Kirki's palace. After a year, I began to ask Kirka to let us go home. The great sorceress agreed. She told me that, before returning to my homeland, I should visit the kingdom of gloomy Hades and there ask the shadow of the Theban soothsayer Tiresias about my fate. Kirka told me how to reach the entrance to the underground kingdom of shadows, and taught me how I should make sacrifices and call upon the shadows of the dead. I listened to the goddess’s instructions and began to gather my comrades for the journey. Elpenor, who was sleeping on the roof of the palace, woke up from the noise of our preparations. He hastily jumped up from his bed and, forgetting that he was on the roof, ran toward the voice of his comrades. He fell to the ground from a high roof and died. We cried bitterly when we saw the death of our friend. We could not immediately perform the burial; we had to quickly set off on a long journey to the ends of the earth, to the entrance to the kingdom of dark Hades.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru