Parents: Phorcys and Ceto

Birth: Scylla was once a beautiful sea nymph. The sorceress Circe, jealous of the sea god Glaucus's love for Scylla, poisoned the waters where she bathed. Scylla was transformed into a terrifying monster with six heads and twelve legs, forever trapped in the rocks of the Strait of Messina.

Story: Scylla lurked in a rocky cave on one side of the Strait of Messina, directly across from the deadly whirlpool Charybdis. Sailors who tried to avoid Charybdis would drift too close to Scylla's rocks, where her six monstrous heads would snatch six sailors at once from their ship. The most famous encounter was with Odysseus, who was forced to choose between the two monsters on his voyage home from the Trojan War. Following Circe's advice, Odysseus sailed closer to Scylla, sacrificing six of his men rather than risking his entire ship to Charybdis.

Scylla and Charybdis: The narrow strait where Scylla lived was made even more dangerous by Charybdis on the opposite side — a massive whirlpool that swallowed entire ships three times a day. Sailors faced an impossible choice: sail too close to Scylla and lose six men to her snapping heads, or drift toward Charybdis and risk losing the entire ship. The phrase "between Scylla and Charybdis" became a saying that survives to this day, meaning a situation where both choices lead to disaster. Odysseus, on Circe's advice, chose to pass closer to Scylla, sacrificing six of his crew rather than risking everyone to Charybdis.

Symbol: Six heads, rocky cliffs.

Represents: Unavoidable danger and the impossible choices of life.