Scylla and Charybdis

sil's and ka-rib'-dis, a promontory and whirlpool on opposite sides of the Strait of Messina, Italy. Scylla is a rocky promontory at the western extremity, toe, of the mainland. According to legend, it was the haunt of a monster of that name having twelve feet and six long necks and mouths, each mouth armed with three rows of sharp teeth. It barked like a dog. In reality, the promontory, while formidable, no doubt, to the ships of the ancients in time of storm, presents no unusual obstacle to the passage of modern ships. Charybdis is a dangerous whirlpool at the opposite side of the strait, off the coast of Sicily. It is a rapid eddy of dark waters caused by conflicting tides. Even to this day sailors aim to keep out of it. In mythology, it was represented as the home of a monster with upper parts like those of a woman and lower parts like those of a fish or serpent. The whirlpool is situated outside the harbor of Messina, not directly opposite the promontory. In the Homeric legends, the monsters are represented as situated so near together that unlucky sailors, aiming to keep out of reach of the horrid mouths of Scylla, were engulfed in the dark depths of Charybdis. "Between Scylla and Charybdis" is a traditional expression for a situation with implied danger on either hand.