Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Odyssey: Part 7 - The Return to Ithaca
Episode Date: July 1, 2026Get Sleepy is now coming to you 5 nights a week! Narrator: Thomas Jones 🇬🇧 Writer: Alexandra Turney ✍️ Sound effects: crickets 🌌 Welcome back, sleepyheads. Tonight, at long last –... after 10 years of war, and another 10 years of travelling – Odysseus is about to set foot back on his homeland of Ithaca. 😴 Includes mentions of: Mythology, Literature & Literary History, Bodies of Water, Religious Traditions, Food, Animals. Watch, listen and comment on this episode on the Get Sleepy YouTube channel. And hit subscribe while you're there! Enjoy various playlists of our stories and meditations on our Slumber Studios Spotify profile. Get Sleepy Premium Listen completely ad-free and access our entire catalogue of stories and meditations by subscribing to our premium feed. Your support means the world to us and makes it possible to keep the show running! ❤️ Get your 7-day free trial: getsleepy.com/support. Connect Stay up to date on all our news and even vote on upcoming episodes! Website: slumberstudios.com/getsleepy/ Facebook: facebook.com/getsleepypod/ Instagram: instagram.com/getsleepypod/ Our Apps Redeem exclusive unlimited access to Premium content for 1 month FREE in our mobile apps built by the Get Sleepy and Slumber Studios team: Deep Sleep Sounds: deepsleepsounds.com/getsleepy/ Slumber: slumber.fm/getsleepy/ FAQs Have a query for us or need help with something? You might find your answer here: Get Sleepy FAQs About Get Sleepy Get Sleepy is the #1 storytelling podcast designed to help you get a great night’s rest. By combining sleep meditations with a relaxing bedtime story, each episode will guide you gently towards sleep. Thank you so much for listening! Feedback? Let us know your thoughts! slumberstudios.com/contact-us/. Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. Check out our podcasts, apps, and more at slumberstudios.com. That’s all for now. Sweet dreams ❤️ 😴 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Welcome to get sleepy.
When we listen, we relax.
and we get sleepy.
Now coming to you five days a week.
My name is Thomas and I'm so honored to be your host.
Tonight we're continuing our wonderful adaptation of The Odyssey,
written by Alexandra and read by me.
Last time, Odysseus told the story of his more recent adventures.
including the tale of the sun god's cattle.
Now, it's almost time to go home.
At long last, after ten years of war and another ten years of travelling,
Odysseus is about to set foot on Ethica.
We'll join him in just a moment.
First, though, check that you're comfortable.
Make sure your arms and legs are nice and loose.
And your head is resting comfortably on your pillow.
I do hope you're feeling relaxed and restful,
but know that it's okay if you're not just yet.
It's important to be patient with oneself if the body or mind feels a bit restless.
Trying to force that away is only like,
to make relaxation even trickier to come by.
Eventually, sleep will come.
For now, just focus on the relaxation and rest
that you're already giving yourself,
just by being here in this calm environment.
And before we begin,
I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I've been hosting this show
for several years now, and it still means so, so much to me. Of course, there are a number of
amazing people involved that make get sleepy happen. But as the person whose voice you tend to hear
each time you listen, I want to thank you all from a personal standpoint for accepting me just as I am,
for encouraging me to be authentic and to exhibit the care and compassion I have
for those of us seeking a calming and healthy way to rest.
I really do love and appreciate you all dearly for listening and supporting this show.
So again, thank you so much, my friends.
Now, before I start getting myself too emotional,
let's pick up with our adventure.
where we left off last time, in the palace of King Alcinous, where Odysseus has just finished
telling his tale. This is where our story begins. There was a hush in the palace hall.
After listening to Odysseus's story, incredible tales of gods, monsters, and shipwrecks,
the phyatians had fallen into an awe-struck silence.
But at last, King Alcinuas spoke.
Odysseus, he said.
Your wanderings are over.
Of course, the fiatians would help him to return home.
The king would see to it that his guest was sent on his way,
along with plenty of gifts.
But now it was late.
It was time that they all went to bed
after a long night of storytelling.
Odysseus was exhausted,
but he was also filled with a deep sense of contentment,
knowing that he would soon be home again.
That night, he fell asleep,
with a smile on his face.
The next day, the phyatians began to make preparations.
They rushed about gathering gifts and preparing the ship for departure.
Still, they had time for another feast.
The men sat around the table, enjoying the finest food and wine, while the bard doing.
while the bard Demodocus sang and strummed his lyre.
But Odysseus was growing impatient.
All the while, he gazed at the sky, waiting for the sun to set.
The plan was to depart at dusk.
At last, Odysseus spoke to King Alcinous.
He thanked him for his generosity.
and said that he wished the fiatians all the best.
Blessings for them and their families.
But now, Odysseus wanted nothing more than to arrive safely home,
so he could be reunited with his own loved ones.
After one more drink and an offering to the gods,
Odysseus bid his host farewell.
And then, just as the sun was setting, he made his way towards the ship.
He was accompanied by some local men and women, who brought with them a lavish array of gifts.
Once everything had been packed away in the hold, the women went up to the deck,
where they prepared a bed for Odysseus.
That way, he could sleep peacefully while the ship brought him home.
As Odysseus settled down, the rowers got into position, and the ship began to move.
Odysseus was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open.
There were just a few vague sensations.
The rocking of the boat.
the salty scent of the ocean, and a final glimpse of the stars.
Before he knew it, he was fast asleep, lost in the most blissful slumber.
At the cusp of dawn, the ship approached Ithaca.
It sailed towards a sheltered harbour, a peaceful place with water so calm.
that the ships barely needed to be moored growing at the head of the bay was a graceful olive tree
and nearby was a sacred cave the home of the sea nymphs known as the nearyates inside the cave
were the most wonderful things exquisite stone vases
Beehives dripping with golden honey and looms where the nymphs wove purple cloth.
Wine dark like the sea.
The phyatians rode into the bay, just past the cave and swiftly disembarked.
Then, instead of waking Odysseus, who was sleeping so peacefully,
They lifted him up, still wrapped in his blanket, and laid him gently on the sand.
Odysseus barely stirred.
The fiatians carried all the gifts out of the ship, the new clothing, the beautiful bronze, and more besides,
and placed them around the trunk of the olive tree.
They would be safe there, waiting for Odysseus when he woke up, and then the fiation set sail,
Homeward bound. As always, the gods were watching. Rothful Poseidon watched from the skies.
He would never forgive Odysseus, after what he had done to his son, the Cyclops.
So, Poseidon spoke to Zeus.
With such a show of disrespect from the mortals, said Poseidon.
He would surely be dishonoured by the gods as well.
Here was Odysseus, safe and sound in his homeland of Ithaca, surrounded by magnificent gifts.
Fine clothes, bronze, even gold.
His success was Poseidon's humiliation.
Everyone would mock him.
Zeus shook his head.
The other gods looked up to Poseidon.
They would never disrespect him, but if humans were disrespectful.
Well, that was another matter.
Poseidon could punish them himself.
This was the answer that Poseidon had been waiting for. He had been longing to punish the humans,
and he had only held back out of respect for Zeus. Now, what he really wanted to do was destroy the
fiation's ship. That way, they would never help a traveler again. Zeus approved of Poseidon's plan,
and even made a suggestion.
Why not turn the ship to stone?
Just as it was about to arrive in the harbour,
Poseidon could transform the ship,
right in front of the waiting crowd.
What a shock that would be!
And what a lesson to them!
Poseidon wasted no time.
Right away, he flew.
to the land of the Fyatians, and waited for the ship's arrival. And then, just as it was heading
towards the shore, Poseidon acted. In an instant, he turned the ship to stone. Every part of it,
and with a swift movement of his palm, he bound the ship to the sea bed. Then, as
quickly as he arrived, Poseidon flew away, disappearing into the clouds. Meanwhile, on the shore,
the watching crowd murmured among themselves. What exactly had happened, but King Alcinous
understood. Long ago, his father had told him that Poseidon hated the phyedias.
because they helped travelers to return home.
His father had said that one day the sea god would destroy a ship on its return,
and now this prophecy had come true.
Odysseus was the last traveler they would ever help.
With a sigh, Alcinous said that there was nothing they could do,
but ask the God for mercy.
They should prepare a sacrifice and pray to Poseidon.
Their fate was in his hands.
Back on Ithaca, Odysseus finally woke up,
refreshed after his long sleep.
But as he looked around, he had no idea where he was.
The goddess Athena had cast a silvery mist over the land.
She didn't want Odysseus to return to his palace until she'd had a chance to talk to him.
As Odysseus gazed at the unfamiliar landscape, the trees covered in mist.
His heart sank. What land was this?
It seemed the phyatians had betrayed him.
Having promised to take him back to Ithaca, they'd left him on some other island.
Perhaps they'd taken his gifts too.
Odysseus went to the olive tree and checked the treasures heaped around its trunk.
But no, they were all there.
That was some consolation.
But Odysseus still felt heart-sick.
He paced up and down, wondering what to do next.
Just then, a young man appeared from the trees and came towards him.
At first, he looked like a shepherd.
But he was finally dressed, with skin as soft as a shepherd.
a princes. In his hand, he held a javelin. Odysseus greeted the young man eagerly. He was the first
person Odysseus had seen since arriving in this strange land. Where was he? Who lived in this place?
Smiling, the young man replied, that Odysseus must be a foreigner from Adiress.
distant land, the island was well known. Although it was small, there was plenty of grain and
wine, and it was a good place for goats and cattle. Even in Troy, that faraway city, people knew
the name of Ithaca. Odysseus was overjoyed. He was in it. He was in it. He was in
Ithaca after all. The phyacians had kept their word and brought him home. But Odysseus didn't
want to reveal himself just yet. He didn't know who this young man was, or if he could be
trusted. So, he invented a story, telling the man that he came from Crete. He had an explanation for
everything, including his hoard of treasure. It was a lively tale, one of murder, exile, epic journeys,
and great misfortune. The young man listened, smiling all the while, when Odysseus came to the end of
his tail. He took him by the hand. Odysseus stared in astonishment as the stranger's hand transformed
before his eyes. From that of a young man to one of a goddess, soft and shining, the stranger's body
transformed too. Now, standing before Odysseus,
was a tall, beautiful woman, carrying not a javelin, but a spear. It was the goddess,
Athena. Her eyes glittered as she spoke. What a talented liar Odysseus was.
Even here, in his own land, he continued to tell tales. But for all his talents,
He had failed to recognize her.
Athena, daughter of Zeus.
The goddess who had always watched out for him,
she had been with him in the land of the Fyatians,
making sure that they took good care of him.
And now she was here to help him come up with a plan.
It was important, said Athena.
that Odysseus kept his identity a secret for the time being.
Further challenges awaited him on Ithaca.
So, instead of rushing to announce his return,
Odysseus must remain silent and listen to her advice.
Reflecting on what Athena had said,
Odysseus had mixed emotions.
He recalled how the goddess had helped him years ago at Troy.
But when the Greeks had left Troy, there had been no sign of her, nor any other god.
Odysseus had felt so alone, deserted by the gods.
And yet, it was true that Athena had helped him with the phyatians.
Now, he didn't know what to think.
Tell me, said Odysseus.
Is this really Ithaca?
He couldn't help but fear that he was being tricked.
Athena smiled.
She was impressed by Odysseus' intelligence and intuition.
Most men would rush home to their family, but Odysseus knew better.
He was clever.
Cautious, Athena had never doubted that Odysseus would get home eventually.
But she had kept a careful distance, intervening only when necessary.
After all, she didn't want to anger her uncle, Poseidon.
He was still furious with Odysseus.
After that incident with the Cyclops,
Athena said that she would now show Odysseus
exactly where he was on Ithaca.
This was the bay of the sea god, Phocis.
Nearby was the sacred cave of the nymphs, the nereids.
And just over there was the mountain of Nereton,
The goddess stretched out her arm, and the silvery mist disappeared.
Now, Odysseus could see everything.
The familiar trees, the green mountain, his beloved homeland, overcome by emotion,
Odysseus bent down to kiss the earth.
Then, kneeling on the grass, he made a prayer of gratitude.
Now, said Athena, before they did anything else, they should make sure to hide Odysseus's treasure.
The precious gifts from the phyatians.
Together, they moved the treasure from the olive tree to the nymphs cave.
Once everything was safely hidden away, they sealed the entrance with a boulder.
Next, Odysseus and Athena sat beneath the olive tree and talked at length.
They needed to come up with a plan.
As Athena explained, Odysseus's palace had been overtaken by arrogant arrogant young men.
The suitors, for the past few years, they had been living in the palace as if it were their own,
and courting Odysseus's wife, Penelope. Of course, Penelope wanted nothing to do with them.
She was loyally awaiting Odysseus's return.
Odysseus was grateful to Athena for this information.
If he hadn't known, he might have met the same fate as Agamemnon.
Sorted on his return home, Odysseus agreed that they needed a strategy.
Then, with the goddess on his side, he could fight off 300 men.
Athena promised that she would stand beside him.
she also had the perfect idea to keep Odysseus safe, she would transform his appearance,
disguising him as an old beggar in shabby clothes.
Not even his own wife and son would recognize him,
but before Odysseus approached to the palace, Athena recommended that he said,
seek out Eumaeus, the swine herd.
Eumaeus was a good, trustworthy man, who loved Odysseus and his family, while Odysseus talked
to Eumaeus.
Athena would travel to Sparta.
There, she would fetch Telemachus, Odysseus's son.
He had gone to Sparta to look for news of his father.
Odysseus was taken aback by this information.
Why, he asked Athena,
had she not told Telemachus herself?
In going to Sparta,
Telemachus had left the suitors unsupervised in the palace
and risked his own life.
Athena did her best to reassure Odysseus.
She told him that she had guided Telemachus
herself, and that all was well in Sparta. As they spoke, Telemachus was feasting with King Manilaeus.
It was true that the suitors planned to ambush Telemachus on his return, but Athena was not
worried. She had a feeling things would turn out all right. Then, Athena, Athena,
took her wand and tapped Odysseus on the shoulder. His strong muscular body transformed in an instant.
His hair turned grey and his skin wrinkled. He now looked like an old man in tattered clothes,
complete with a walking stick. Now that Odysseus was safely disguised,
They could go their separate ways.
Athena took to the air.
She was on her way to Sparta, where she would fetch Telemachus.
Odysseus, on the other hand, made his way on foot, walking through the woods.
He soon came to the swineherds yard.
Yumaeus was sitting on his porch,
crafting some sandals out of ox-hide.
In the yard were dozens of pigs,
some snuffling at the ground,
others dozing in the shade.
There were guard dogs too,
patrolling the edge of the yard.
When they spotted Odysseus,
they began barking.
But before they could rush at him,
Eumaeus shouted.
at the dogs, who quickly retreated. The swinehert then came to the gate, and spoke to Odysseus,
of course, because of his disguise. Eumaeus didn't realize that he was speaking to his own master.
He took Odysseus for an elderly beggar. It was a good thing, said Eumaeus, that the
dogs hadn't attacked, the swineherd explained that he had had troubles enough as it was.
His master had been missing for years.
Eumaeus then invited Odysseus to join him for some food and wine.
He wanted to hear the stranger's story to find out where he came from and what had brought him here.
Eumaeus then prepared a comfortable seat for them both, spreading a soft goat skin over a heap of twigs and leaves.
Odysseus was touched by this warm welcome and gave the swineherd his heartfelt thanks.
Eumaeus replied that it was simply the right thing to do.
to treat all guests well, no matter who they were or where they came from.
He was just a humble swineherd with little to offer.
But what he did have, he shared gladly.
Still, said Eumaeus, life was difficult for servants like him,
especially with his master missing, if only Odysseus was still here to take care of him.
He had been such a good master, but after all this time, the poor man must surely be dead.
Eumaeus shook his head and sighed.
Then he went off to prepare a meal for his guest.
a hot, hearty dish, and a cup of sweet wine. As Odysseus ate with relish,
Eumas spoke of the troubles at the palace. It had been taken over by young men, the suitors,
who believed that Odysseus would never return. They were greedy men, eating all day long.
Eumaeus and the other herdsmen could hardly keep up with their demands.
They wanted the best pig, the best goat.
Hearing this, Odysseus was already plotting his revenge.
But he didn't want to reveal too much to Eumaeus,
so he listened in silence.
At last, however,
He couldn't resist dropping a hint.
He told Eumaeus that he'd travelled widely these past few years.
Perhaps he had some news of Odysseus.
But Eumaeus was sceptical.
He was sure that Odysseus was dead,
his bones lying on some faraway beach.
He had already grieved him.
the man who was more like a brother than a master.
Odysseus was moved, but he chose his words carefully.
He told Eumaeus to have faith.
Odysseus was still alive.
He was sure of it.
Soon he would come home and take his revenge on those who had disrespected his family.
Yumaeus shook his head.
Odysseus would not be coming home,
so they should talk of other, happier things.
As Eumaeus refilled their cups,
he asked his guest to share stories of his own adventures.
Where was he from?
And how did he end up on Ithaca?
Odysseus was quick to come up.
with a story. He invented a whole other life, claiming to be from Crete. Then he spoke of the Trojan
War, and how afterwards he was cursed by the gods and suffered a shipwreck. So the story wasn't a
total invention, Odysseus also spoke of the people he'd met, and the stories he'd heard.
On his travels, he'd met a king. The king had told him about one of his recent guests.
A man named Odysseus. It seemed that Odysseus was still alive, still traveling, as you may as
listened to these tales. He was troubled. He just couldn't believe that Odysseus was still alive,
and this wasn't the first time he had heard such tales. Others had come to Ithaca in the past,
claiming to have seen his master. One visitor had sworn that Odysseus would be back by the
summer, along with his entire crew, but summer had come and gone with no sign of Odysseus.
Then autumn, then winter, year after year,
Eumaeus did not believe his guest's story.
A tall tale, if there ever was one, the two men had been talking for
so long that it was almost time for dinner. The other herdsmen arrived in the yard,
driving the pigs into their pens, as Eumaeus greeted the men. He told him that they had a guest.
They must prepare their best pig and have a splendid feast. In the palace, the suitors were
always feasting. So it was only right that they too indulged once in a while.
Eumaeus was an excellent cook, and he made sure to give Odysseus the best bit.
The most delicious piece of meat, once again, Odysseus was touched by the swineherd's generosity.
he thanked Eumaeus warmly.
May Zeus bless him for his kindness.
After the feast, everybody's thoughts turned to bed.
The herdsmen were weary after a long day in the fields.
At night, even with a fire blazing,
the cottage where Eumas lived was a little draughty,
ever curious, Odysseus couldn't help but wonder if there was a limit to his host's generosity.
As a test, he told Eumaeus another story.
About a cold night at Troy, where he had forgotten his cloak,
he said that he had spoken to Odysseus, who had come up with a clever trick,
allowing him to take another man's cloak, wrapped up warmly.
He was then able to sleep in comfort.
Eumaeus was impressed by his guest's story.
Of course, he still didn't believe that Odysseus was alive,
but he appreciated a good tale,
and, come to think of it,
It was a rather cold evening.
Eumaeus would give his guest an extra cloak to keep him warm.
Odysseus smiled, pleased by this show of kindness.
Eumaeus really was a good man.
The swineherd prepared a bed for Odysseus near the fire.
He even tucked him in, covering him with the warm.
thick cloak, as for Eumaeus himself, he preferred to sleep near the pigs, staying close to them
all night long, wrapped in a cloak. He set off to join his animals. Meanwhile, Odysseus lie in his
cosy bed by the fire. He could feel his eyes growing heavier and heavier. Within moments,
he was fast asleep.