#epic the musical scylla

[madbard]

“We are the same, you and I.”

I can’t get over how Scylla was the first threat that Odysseus did not defeat in any way. He started the journey by blinding Polyphemus. He used a storm to escape Poseidon before his punishment was over, and he was able to reason with Circe. He killed the sirens. Even if Odysseus lost some men, he always found a way through on his own terms. His enemies were either swayed to his side or left dissatisfied, damaged, or dead.

Then he encountered Scylla. Scylla, that which terrifies the very god of the seas so deeply that he dares not enter her realm. Scylla, who acknowledged Odysseus as her own kind. And he didn’t try to come up with a plot to get around her safely, to reason with her, to injure or kill her. Like Eurylochus said, he “didn’t take a stand.” He weighed his options and chose to sacrifice six of his men for passage. She was left satisfied, and it doesn’t matter that most of his men survived.

For the first time in his journey, Odysseus truly lost.

[dearqueerheart]

sorry just let me infodump for one second, ok? ok.

epic the musical has me in a chokehold (spoilers ahead, PLEASE GO LISTEN if it seems like something you’d be into). and i was rethinking on the song Monster. specifically, the part where he begins to justify being cruel by comparing himself to the foes he’s faced. polyphemus, circe, poseidon (i 1000% think the order matters, ill get there in a second). and all of that just shows how his, like so many dangerously intelligent men in greek myths, big flaw is hubris. overwhelming hubris. he thinks that he’s allowed to be cruel because a cyclops, a witch, and a god are allowed to be cruel. he is just one of so many greeks who think they’re as good as — or even better than — the gods.

and there are hints of this throughout the entire show up until that point. he attempts (and succeeds in, after facing tragic losses) to deceive polyphemus by drugging him with the lotus fruit, believing that he is more powerful and intelligent than the cyclops. he tries to reason with poseidon after being asked by the sea god for an apology for blinding his son, but he does this in SUCH a manipulative way. poseidon tells him, “i won’t kill your men if you apologize to me,” and ody goes, “alright bet,” and gives him such an incredible non-apology (“poseidon, we meant no harm”). he is too fucking proud to apologize, and will attempt to MANIPULATE AN OLYMPIAN GOD in order to protect that pride. it’s wild.

he actually does successfully “defeat” circe, but only by literally begging her (“i beg you circe, grant us mercy”) to save his men and help him get home. he wins this fight because he puts his pride aside for once in his goddamn life, and rescues the scouting party because of it.

so here’s why the order matters in the song monster: he’s working himself up to comparing himself to an olympian. he doesn’t list his foes in chronological order. he lists them in amount of power and intelligence. if you just take what he’s saying at face value, he says “well, polyphemus was justified, and circe was justified, and poseidon was justified, then i must be, too!” but if you read deeper, he’s comparing his evil deeds to the evil deeds of people far more powerful and complicated and experienced than him.

in the thunder saga, both scylla and zeus manipulate this pride. scylla uses it to drop odysseus’ guard, inviting him to compare himself to her, and to find kinship with her, as they’re both “monsters” (“deep down, you know that we are the same”). and zeus tests his pride, to see how deep it fully goes, and possibly to reveal to odysseus himself how prideful he is. like poseidon and athena, zeus may be trying to teach odysseus a lesson, albeit significantly harsher than the latter. (“if i had to make you choose the lives of your men and crew or your own, why do i think they’d lose?”) it’s one of my favorite moments in that song, because it’s really just zeus pushing all of odysseus’ buttons to force him to make the choice that zeus wants him to make.

anyway that’s all. it’s just so cool and i have a lot of thinks!! i could make a whole essay just about the gods’ desire to teach odysseus but i’ll save that for another time.

[mgert-m]

IM SORRY FOR BEING OBSSESSED WITH HIM

I DIDNT MEAN TO

also scylla :D

[circusinarun]

Drown in your sorrow and fears!

CHOKE ON YOUR BLOOD AND YOUR TEARS!

Without effects

[doppy-enjo]

The Lair of Scylla... My take on Scylla! I know in the source material, the heads are dog heads, but uhhh humanoid heads can serve as back up singers so :]c (also for your information, she was fat even before she was cursed by Circe. So sayeth I)

[kyuutpie]

I can't believe I finally finished this piece! I started it in July, and it is now September. I wanted to finish it while the Thunder Saga was still new, but it's better late than never. This was how I envisioned Odysseus betray to his men to Scylla. Fully abandoning them on a nearby shore to die.

Im so happy I challenged myself and made such a complex piece for my skill.

[micaartiste]

i have been listening to the song Scylla, from the Thunder Saga from the Epic the Musical Concept Album, on repeat for hours and this is what came out of it!!

[thaliajoy-blog]

Hello my soon to be snacks 👋

It's my greek summer, so I finally get into greek myths drawing with a Scylla design (from Epic the Musical 🫶)

[madbard]

Listening to Epic is this intense battle between “they’re a very bad person, they’ve done awful things, they’re DOING awful things” and ��damn their voice is hot.”

[mythica0]

Question about Epic cause I’ve never read the odyssey, what is Scylla? And also why does she take sacrifices? What’s the purpose of that? What’s her motive? What would have happened if they tried to go through her lair without lighting any? Why are there six eel heads?

I’m wondering and hoping someone who’s actually read the odyssey or has more knowledge can answer lol.

[ldma-boodyshaker900]

Hey guys, we have some Doodles of A month ago i Just finished doing a colash so here You go

[blitzosicedcoffee]

See the first chapter is love bombing the reader. Omg look at the Blorbos they're so happy!

Then from the second chapter on ...

ROW FOR YOUR LIVES

DROWN IN YOUR BLOOD AND YOUR TEARS

BLEED TIL YOU RUN OUT OF YEARS

WE MUST DO WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE. !!!

BATHE IN THE BLOOD WHERE YOU LAY!!!!

LIVE OUT YOUR LIFE AS A WRAITH!!!

WE MUST DO WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE!!!!

Author and blood covered Blorbo: We are the same you and ...IiiiiiiiiIIIIIIII.

[doppy-enjo]

Officially in my ??? era of Epic: The Musical fanart

[vint-knight]

WIP short Scylla animatic progress

[jq37]

Odysseus said he was gonna become the monster to "everyone but us" but neglected to inform his crew that "us" had three members and the other two are in Ithica.

[pupateer]

Hi guys