Okay, so after leaving Kirke's island, we continued on the journey that she set for us. I don't really know why I'm STILL listening to her, considering we're gone from her island and she's no longer in control of me, but for some reason I feel obliged to continue to submit to what she wants from me. Either way, when we reached the first realm of the underworld, and Helios took us down to the depths of the sea, I knew that the first thing we had to do was make an offering to the dead, and summon them to help us on our journey. We gave them milk, honey, sweet wine, water, and barley. The first man to emerge was Elpenor, a man from my crew who we had left, dead, on Kirke's island. He begged me to go back to Aiaia after leaving the underworld, to bury his body. I agreed to lay Elpenor's unhappy soul to rest, and he left. I feel as if this first encounter was a test, to see if I would listen to what Elpenor had to say, for after he left, Teiresias, the dark prince of Thebes, emerged. He told me that I would return home safely to find my wife amidst with suitors, and that I would make those men atone in blood! I was happy with this- why, if my wife had ever slept with another man........ Teiresias also told me to make amends with Poseidon, and to make a large sacrifice to him in return for his cooperation and an end to his harassment. Lastly, he told me that unless I wanted to lose all of my crew and face a most perilous journey home, I should not touch the flocks of the Sun when I reach the land of Thrinacia. Ahh, temptation... There must be a reason I should not touch these flocks, but I actually don't much understand it. Anyways, the next person I spoke to was my mother!! However, it was not much of a pleasant surprise to find that she had died out of grief waiting for me to come home, and that my father is indeed very close to the same fate. I sure hope that Penelpope does not feel the same way. My mother told me that Telemakhos has been caring for the house while I've been gone. After an emotional reunion with my mother, I talked to a lot of random people, many mortals with godly lovers, etc. etc. Then, I was approached by Persephone and Agememnon, who told me about how his wife, Klytaimnestra, killed him. Next, Achilles, who asked me about how his son, Neoptolemus. After attempting to speak with just a few more people, I descended completely into the underworld. I witnessed the terrible tortures that were put upon the wrongdoers. There was Tantalus and Sisyphus, who were eternally trying to simply satisfy their needs. (Tantalus was eternally hungry, and Sisyphus eternally attempted to push a boulder up a growing hill.) Suddenly, however, I found myself bombarded by millions of souls, all asking me how their loved ones were doing in the mortal world. It was scary! I felt like Haley Joel Osment in 'The Sixth Sense!' So, I ran into my red tent of a ship, and sailed away as fast as I could.
It was at this point of the story that I decided I had to cut it short. I mean, there is a time for stories, and a time for sleep...It was DEFINITELY time for sleep...
P.S. - Here's a picture of me talking to Teiresias!
Later-
-Odysseus :)
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