Charybdis is one of the terrifying monsters the hero Odysseus had to face on his long journey home in Homer’s “Odyssey.” This creature belched forth seawater, taking down unsuspecting sailors. Charybdis was likely written to personify a whirlpool, and the other creature she is often paired with, Scylla, is frequently depicted in art as a rock or reef. The idiom “between Scylla and Charybdis” means to be caught between two equally unpleasant outcomes or choices.