Charybdis (whirlpool)

This article is about Charybdis (whirlpool). For other uses of the term Charybdis, please see Charybdis (disambiguation).

A large whirlpool in the ocean near Scotland, not necessarily Charybdis but representing the kind of hazard she presented to sailors of ancient times

In Greek mythology, Charybdis was a dangerous whirlpool, sometimes also described as a female sea monster. She was located on one side of a strait across from, but near, the sea monster Scylla. Both hazards are mentioned in many ancient Greek and Latin writings that involve sea voyages.

Boats navigating the strait could avoid either monster but not both. From this came the saying "to be between Scylla and Charybdis", which implies that one can avoid immediate danger only by making an unwanted, long detour through uncharted waters. The saying corresponds (though not perfectly) to the English figure of speech "to be between a rock and a hard place". In classical writings, Charybdis and her sister hazard Scylla, appear in the voyages of Jason and the Argonauts, the meandering journey home by Odysseus, and the trek in search of a home by Aeneas.