Few figures in Greek Mythology travelled as extensively and famously as Odysseus. Following the Trojan War, Odysseus embarked on a voyage home to Ithaca that would take 10 years.
Poseidon, the God of the Sea, had been angered by Odysseus and did what he could to obstruct and disrupt his journey, leading to Homer’s epic retelling in The Odyssey (now set to be a major film adaptation from director Christopher Nolan in 2026).
During his travels, Odysseus had a year-long affair with Circe on the island of Aeaea which resulted in the birth of Telegonus, a son, who, when of age, went to seek out his unknowing father.
Upon meeting, a misunderstanding occurred between Odysseus and Telegonus leading to a fight, during which Telegonus stabbed him with a spear. The weapon was tipped with a barb from a stingray, the poison from which led to Odysseus’s death.
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What is the mythology behind the stingray?
Away from ancient Greece, the stingray is a familiar totem among indigenous cultures. They often appear as symbols on pottery or clothing created by tribes of the Amazon Delta, while among Māori, Aborigine, and other Pacific Island cultures, they are regarded as guardians of the sea. This reverence is due in part to the fact that they can inflict serious injury, and occasionally death, with their venom-filled, tail-mounted blades.
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Are stingrays dangerous to humans?
None of the 220 species of stingray throughout the world will attack a person unprovoked. Incidents do occur (the death of naturalist Steve Irwin was much publicised) but are rare, and away from warmer, sub-tropical waters encounters are unlikely.
Those most likely at risk are anglers, and in 2016, a beach fisher in Herne Bay required hospital treatment having been stabbed by a stingray he had caught.
Some anglers would be unaware of the threat; most fish that swim in British waters do not carry such armoury, but the common stingray (Dasyatis Pastinaca) is regularly found in the English Channel and Irish Sea, and is likely to be encountered further north as the sea temperature warms.
What do stingrays look like?
They have rounded bodies, with less pronounced snouts than the flapper skate, and smooth skin which is typically dark brown or olive in colour.
How large are stingrays?
They average around 60cm across the wings and 5kg in weight, but can grow to 150cm and 35kg.
How do stingrays use their stingers?
The stinger is located approximately halfway along the tail, which the fish will raise if threatened, a pose not unlike a scorpion. The stinger is long and dagger-like, with barbed edges and pockets of venom that are released on impact.
The stinger may break off in a wound, but the ray will grow a replacement, and the sting on an adult fish might be more than 30cm in length.
How do stingrays mate?
Like all rays, the skeleton is cartilaginous, and the males have claspers either side of the tail which are used in reproduction. Unlike the flapper skate, the embryos are developed inside the female and then delivered live after a 4-month gestation period.
A female will only bear between 8 and 18 young in a calendar year and live to around 10 years, checking population recovery from a decline across much of its range.
