Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.    For this week’s Femme Fatale Friday, I will be discussing Calypso!   Now, I did write about Calypso a bit in a recent post where I discussed Aquatic lore in The Odyssey, but I have surprisingly never written a whole post just about Calypso.   Given that we are in the height of Summer, I thought it was the ideal time to discuss this Enchantress based on an Island!

Calypso’s name means ‘She Who Conceals,’ likely a reference to her magickal prowess.   When we look further at this, we see that her name, referencing concealment, is very interesting, as she can easily hide things away on her Island, given her magickal abilities and her living so far away from everything.   She is described to be a daughter of the Titan Atlas.   As I mentioned, she lives on an Island, actually a very remote Island, which is named Ogygia.   In particular, Calypso is described as living in a Cave that opens into a Garden with flowers, vines, trees, and four fountains.   So, it is clear that she truly does live in a world of beauty and enchantment!       

Calypso is best remembered for her association with Odysseus, as he shipwrecked on the shores of Ogygia, and spent seven years on this paradisiacal Island with Calypso!   Calypso is alternately described as being a Nymph and a Goddess.   This is not surprising, as we often have figures in Greek mythology whose status is questionable.   That being said, it is quite clear that Calypso surpasses the powers of being a Nymph, given her descent from Atlas and her nature as a pre-Olympian Goddess.   It is likely that she is being referred to as a Nymph at all, more so because she is so enchantingly beautiful and playful.

Now, her role in The Odyssey is very important, not just because she spent seven years with Odysseus.   Her role is important because after those seven years with him, she was convinced that she wanted Odysseus to be with her forever.   Most often, it is stated that Calypso kept Odysseus on her Island against his will.   I want to state this right here, as I know that some people assume Calypso forced Odysseus into a sexual relationship with her, and that is horrific (if true).   However, I have never read Calypso’s relationship with Odysseus in this way, as I view his attraction to her as real and his desire to return to his wife as showing that he felt guilt over his love affairs with Calypso (and earlier Circe) and knew it was his duty to return to his wife!   While it does end up with Calypso keeping Odysseus on Ogygia by force, he does, at the very least humor her and accept her sexual advances in the beginning.   He does not reject becoming the lover of a Goddess or Nymph of great power, just as he had not with Circe.   

With all of that in mind, I often view this to be a case of the desire to demonize Calypso and make Odysseus look better.   It can also be said that the sex between the two happened due to Calypso using love magick on Odysseus, which is considered a curse in ancient times.   To be clear, I think that Odysseus wanted the sexual affair with Calypso, and even enjoyed her company, but (as I stated above) due to obligation and guilt, he knew he had to return to his wife!   By the end of their affair, Calypso even went as far as to offer him Immortality if he would stay on Ogygia with her.  Odysseus refused this offer, as he wanted to return to his home and his wife.   However, Calypso chose to refuse to allow him to leave, which is where the keeping him prisoner thing truly came to pass.   In fact, this act may be why Odysseus once called her the ‘dread goddess with human speech.’   This led to Zeus sending Hermes to tell Calypso that she had to release Odysseus.   Calypso listened to Zeus’ request, even helping Odysseus build a boat that would allow him to get home!   That part is another thing I want to focus on.   She not only released him, which was all she was obliged to do by order of Zeus, but she also made sure he had a boat to get him home.   I think this shows her continued affections for Odysseus, even after all that had come to pass between them and her ultimately being rejected.

As far as her abilities as a Goddess, Calypso is known to be a Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Seduction, even having some powers over Life and Death.   She is also known as a Matron of those who are selective with Lovers, those who seek only True Love, and Exciting Liaisons.   It is even said that she is a Matron of people who would rather be alone than with the wrong person!   

Given that Calypso is so associated with choosing the right lover, many may assume that we know a lot about her other lovers (besides Odysseus), but that is not really the case.   It is sometimes stated that Calypso had a liaison with Hermes, which is not super surprising, as Hermes, being the messenger of the Gods, had many affairs, including with Circe, showing his desire to bed rulers of Enchanted Islands.  That is about all that is discussed when it comes to Calypso’s other lovers.   I think this may be due to the fact that she is so associated with True Love and being with the right person, plus most people simply prefer to focus on her relationship with Odysseus!

I hope you have enjoyed reading a bit about Calypso.   What is your favorite part of Calypso’s story?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Telemachus Landing on the Isle of Calypso (from Homer’s ‘Odyssey’)

Richard Westall.    I found the art on https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/telemachus-landing-on-the-isle-of-calypso-86715.      

LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries 

Further Reading

• The Odyssey by Homer
• Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes
• https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/odysseus-and-calypso/#google_vignette
• https://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheKalypso.html