Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon features a character named Circe with magical powers. Like the Circe of Homer's epic poem, she lives in a mansion surrounded by dense wood.
The molü that Hermes gives Odysseus to arm him against Circe's magic is a real drug. (Source)
Circe's (or Kirkê's) name comes from the Greek word kirkoô, meaning "to secure with rings" or to "hoop around." It is said that this name refers to her magical powers. (Source)