What is the legend Scylla and Charibis?

Scylla and Charibdis are two legendary sea monsters that appear in Greek mythology. They were often described as living on opposite sides of a narrow strait, where sailors had to choose between passing through one and risking being eaten or being sucked into a whirlpool and drowned.

According to the myth, Scylla was originally a beautiful sea nymph, but she was transformed into a monster by Circe, a powerful enchantress. Scylla now had six heads, each with a row of sharp teeth, and she would lie in wait for ships to pass, snatching up sailors with her long arms.

Charibdis, on the other hand, was a whirlpool caused by a sea god. It would periodically suck in large amounts of water, creating a powerful current that could drag ships and sailors to their deaths.

To avoid these dangerous creatures, sailors had to carefully navigate the strait, keeping a close eye on both Scylla and Charibdis. It was said that the only way to pass safely was to hug the side of Scylla, as it was better to lose a few sailors to the monster than to risk the entire ship being destroyed by Charibdis.

The legend of Scylla and Charibdis has been used as a metaphor to describe the dangers of facing two equally dangerous options or being confronted with a "rock and a hard place" scenario.