Calypso
Calypso – She Who Conceals
Calypso (from kalyptein, “to hide” or “to conceal”) is a nymph and pre-Olympian goddess of Greek mythology, associated with concealment, seduction, isolation, and the liminal boundary between life and death. Her parentage varies by source: she is described as the daughter of Atlas and Pleione, or alternatively of Oceanus and Tethys. Through these lineages she is counted among the sisters of Hyas, the Hyades, the Hesperides, Maia, and the Pleiades.
Calypso dwells on the remote island of Ogygia, described by Homer as lying far beyond the reach of mortals and even the Olympian gods. The Mediterranean island of Gozo (Malta) is traditionally identified with her mythic home, and remains associated with her cult and legend.
Calypso is best known for her role in Homer’s Odyssey. After being shipwrecked, Odysseus arrives on Ogygia and remains there for seven years as Calypso’s lover. Homer describes her as both a nymph and a goddess, calling her the “dread goddess with human speech.” During Odysseus’s stay, Calypso received him hospitably, entertained him, and became his mistress. By him she bore two sons:
- Nausinous, whose name means “cunning sailor”
- Nauisithous, described as being in the service of the sea goddess
Calypso offered Odysseus immortality if he would remain with her forever. Her offer was sincere; she is believed to have originally been a goddess connected with death, possessing authority over both life and mortality. Despite her beauty and power, Odysseus longed to return to Ithaca, his home and wife. Although Calypso was reluctant to release him, Zeus commanded her to let Odysseus go, sending Hermes as his messenger. Hermes found Calypso in her grotto and delivered Zeus’s decree. Obedient, though unwilling, Calypso assisted Odysseus by supplying materials to build a raft, provisions for the journey, and a favourable wind to speed him on his way.
Calypso appears again in later literature. In François Fénelon’s Telemachus, which recounts the adventures of Odysseus’s son, Telemachus visits Calypso’s island. As she had done with his father, Calypso offers Telemachus immortality, but he refuses. The escape is aided by Minerva (Athena), appearing in the guise of Mentor, Telemachus’s companion. They flee by leaping from a cliff into the sea and reaching a waiting boat. Lord Byron later alludes to this episode in Childe Harold, writing:
“But not in silence pass Calypso’s isles.”
Calypso is regarded as an ancient, pre-Olympian goddess, older than the Olympian order itself. She is associated with love, beauty, seduction, and selective desire, presiding over those who prefer solitude to untrue companionship, and who seek only profound or transformative relationships. Some traditions suggest she may have had a liaison with Hermes.
Calypso, her garden, and her long affair with Odysseus have inspired artists for centuries, including Arnold Böcklin and Max Beckmann. In modern media, she is portrayed by Vanessa Williams in Andrei Konchalovsky’s 1997 television miniseries The Odyssey.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Kalypso
MANIFESTATION:
She is described as eternally beautiful.
TREE:
Poplar
REALM:
Calypso lives in a cave, which opens into a garden with wildflowers; fruiting vines, poplar, and cypress trees; and four fountains.
SACRED SITE:
Calypso Cave on the Mediterranean island of Gozo
SEE ALSO:
SOURCES:
- Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses– Written by Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.
- Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow-Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante
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