Calypso (mythology)

According to Greek mythology, Calypso was one of the nymphs most often believed to have been born to the ocean Titan Atlas (or, according to some accounts, Nereus or Oceanus). Titans were giants of extraordinary strength, immortal descendants of Uranus, who represented heaven, and of Gaia, the earth. The nymphs were minor nature goddesses, conceived of as beautiful young women who inhabited the natural elements, such as trees, oceans, lakes, rivers, forests, meadows, and mountains.

Calypso plays an important role in Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey (ca. 8th century BCE). She gives shelter to Odysseus, also known as Ulysses, after a catastrophe at sea. The story of Calypso and Odysseus is detailed in book 5 of the Odyssey, which describes how Odysseus—whose ship and crew had been destroyed—arrives at Calypso’s island. Calypso gives him refuge in her cave, plies him with delicacies, and seduces him, keeping him away from his wife and homeland for years and offering him immortality in exchange for staying with her. Odysseus, however, cannot stop yearning for his wife, Penelope, who faithfully awaits him in Ithaca. In the end, Calypso is forced to let him go. Her story has since inspired artists and poets throughout the ages.

Overview

Calypso was exiled to the island of Ogygia (a most likely fictional place variously placed in the Ionian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean) as punishment for supporting her father in the Titanomachy, the mythic battles fought between the older order of gods, the Titans, and the younger generation of gods, the Olympians. The latter won the war and ruled from Mount Olympus, with Zeus as king of all gods and the universe.

During his journey back to his homeland of Ithaca following victory in the Trojan War, the Greek warrior Odysseus lost his ship and crew and drifted at sea for nine days before arriving at Ogygia. After walking through pleasant meadows, he found Calypso, who welcomed him. Calypso fell in love with Odysseus and kept him by her side for years, tending to him lovingly. Odysseus, however, could not get over his feelings of homesickness. The goddess Athena, who had always favored Odysseus, asked her father, Zeus, to intervene. Zeus sent the god Hermes, Odysseus’s maternal ancestor, to Calypso with orders to free Odysseus. Calypso tried to retain him by offering him immortality if he chose to stay. However, Odysseus felt such nostalgia for his home and wife, he declined the opportunity to live forever.

Moved by Odysseus’s suffering, Calypso agreed to let him go; she even helped him prepare for his journey by providing him with a beautiful bronze axe, showing him where to find trees on the island to build a raft, and instructing him on how to construct it. She then wove the sails for his vessel while he cut down the trees and assembled the raft. On the fifth day, their work was done, and Calypso provided him with warm clothes, wine, and water, as well as favorable winds to ensure he traveled safely.

Stylistically, the story of Calypso and Odysseus is vivid with imagery and detail. Calypso is described as an alluring woman, beautifully attired and adorned with braided hair. The poet describes carefully the implements used in the story, such as Calypso’s golden shuttle and Odysseus’s bronze axe, as well as landscapes of violet meadows, crystalline waters, and grapevines heavy with fruit. Homer even describes the enticing fragrances of cedar, sandalwood, and juniper emanating from Calypso’s hearth.

There are different versions for the period of time Odysseus stayed with Calypso; some state it was seven years while others claim ten. Some versions also describe at least two children born from the couple’s union.

Impact

Although the social structure reflected in Greek mythology is deeply patriarchal, feminist scholars have found powerful female characters in its stories, such as Athena and Artemis, goddesses of wisdom and of the hunt. Calypso may be a minor deity who ends up abandoned, but her character is strong. Besides supporting her father in the Titanomachy, she does not let Odysseus leave without first berating the god Hermes; in a famous speech, she accuses the gods of feeling threatened and jealous when goddesses openly love a human and choose him for a lawful consort. She also suggests that they operate within a double standard that allows gods to have as many affairs as they wish but condemns goddesses who do the same. Rather than acting spitefully, however, she generously proceeds to help Odysseus leave.

Despite these qualities, Calypso is a complex character, capable of manipulation and deceit. When ordered by Zeus to release Odysseus, Calypso leads him to believe that she is letting him go out of compassion. Yet, unlike Circe, Calypso does not resort to magic spells in order to retain Odysseus but seeks to negotiate an agreement by offering immortality.

The figure of Calypso has long been an inspiration for painters from several schools that follow the classical through the Renaissance, baroque, and romantic periods. Her story has also been an inspiration in poetry and literature, as well as other forms of culture and the arts. Some believe that the Afro-Caribbean musical genre from the former French Antilles known as "calypso" is named after the nymph of Homer’s epic. It is unlikely, however, that the Greek character is related to this musical genre.

Bibliography

Cohen, Beth. The Distaff Side: Representing the Female in Homer’s Odyssey. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1995. Print.

Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Stephen Mitchell. New York: Atria, 2013. Print.

James, Sharon L., and Sheila Dillon, eds. A Companion to Women in the Ancient World. Hoboken: Wiley, 2012. Print.

Jenkyns, Richard. Classical Literature: An Epic Journey from Homer to Virgil and Beyond. New York: Basic, 2016. Print.

Martin, Richard. Classical Mythology: The Basics. London: Routledge, 2016. Print.

Montiglio, Silvia. From Villain to Hero: Odysseus in Ancient Thought. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 2011. Print.

Perry, Walter Copland. The Women of Homer. New York: Dodd, 1898. Print.

Pontari, Filippomaria. "Speaking and Concealing—Calypso in the Eyes of Some (Ancient) Interpreters." Symbolae Osloenses 87.1 (2013): 30–60. Print.