Ancient Greek mythology, which became the ancestor of the philosophy of the Hellenes, gave rise to many gods and mythical creatures. Some of them were loved, others were worshiped out of fear, and there were those that only the initiates knew about. Largely thanks to the poems of Homer, information about the diversity of ancient Greek legends and myths has survived to this day in a practically unchanged state. The goddess Calypso does not appear in the best light in the stories of Homer, although in reality her role in Greek mythology was more significant and important than the ancient poet showed.
Majestic Calypso: who is she?
The Greeks knew how to create in their myths a special world in which everything was very closely interconnected. They endowed their gods with extraordinary abilities, but at the same time they admitted the fact that higher beings can show purely human weaknesses. Therefore, the main gods of Greece have so many children from mortal women andgoddesses.
Parenthood of Calypso is attributed to several gods. According to one version, she is the daughter of Atlanta and the Oceanids, according to another, the Ocean can be considered her father. But in any case, Calypso - the pagan goddess of the seas - took a special place among the gods of Olympus. She had many mutually exclusive qualities, which seemed quite natural to the Greeks, given that Calypso was also a nymph. It was the nymphs that were the most amazing creatures in Greek mythology, able to combine the magic and vulnerability of the human soul.
The meaning of Calypso in Greek mythology
Scientists still argue about the significance of Calypso in the life of the Hellenes. Some experts assign her the role of an ordinary nymph living on a secluded island. But others argue that it is worth considering this topic much deeper.
The name that the goddess Calypso received at birth is fraught with a very deep sacred meaning. Translated from Greek, it means "one that hides." If we analyze all the features of the mythology of the Hellenes, then we can safely say that Calypso, the goddess of the seas, was at the same time a deity who controlled death. This explains some isolation of her life on a distant and lost island, which is unusual even for nymphs and dryads.
Calypso was endowed with many positive qualities:
- she was strikingly beautiful;
- could transform into a mortal woman;
- perfectly mastered many musical instruments;
- wove canvasesstunning beauty;
- control the sea currents and winds;
- all marine life and many animals on land obeyed her.
Surprisingly, even the main gods of Olympus did not have such a number of qualities at the same time. Such love and reverent awe of the ancient Greeks, which Calypso, the goddess of the seas, called to herself, could be envied even by Zeus and Poseidon. It was they who exiled the beauty to a remote place away from Olympus.
Calypso: mythical goddess and amazing nymph
Ancient Greek mythology clearly separated the main gods of Olympus from lower creatures with divine roots. But the nymphs were something extraordinary. The goddess Calypso was also a nymph, which explained her phenomenal abilities and abilities.
The word "nymph" is translated from Greek as "virgin". Therefore, it is easy to imagine that the nymphs were young and beautiful maidens, personifying various natural forces. They were an integral part of all life, without nymphs flowers and trees could not grow, and rivers would not flow. Islands, valleys, mountains and forests had their nymphs. The most important and ancient of them were water nymphs. It is to them that the goddess Calypso belongs.
Her origin determined the further life of the nymph - she had to live in a mysterious island grotto near four sources with the purest water, which symbolized the cardinal directions.
Calypso - the goddess of the sea, who owns the power of a nymph
As alreadyit was mentioned that the nymphs were very powerful sorceresses, many natural phenomena obeyed their power. Most of the water nymphs guarded all kinds of springs gushing out of the ground. Many of these sources had healing power, so the nymphs began to be credited with the glory of healers. They held the secrets of life and death and could even resurrect people they liked a lot.
Nymphs knew how to predict fate, and this is not surprising - in ancient times, rivers and springs were used as an aid to divination. Young girls, dreaming of a groom, often climbed the mountains and threw the alleged names of their beloved into the source. If a piece of paper with a name floated calmly and did not turn over, then the girl was predicted to get married soon. Just as often, the river was the last argument in legal feuds, when a bound suspect was thrown into rough waters. In the event of his death, it could be argued that the gods had done justice and the man was guilty.
Nymphs were fragile and gentle, but in anger they are able to deprive a person of reason, which was considered the most cruel punishment in ancient times. Although, having repented of their deed, they in return gave the madman secret knowledge about the nature of things. This is how soothsayers and soothsayers appeared.
Surprisingly, nymphs were not considered immortal creatures. Their life was finite, as was the nature of which they were a part. Therefore, the nymphs tried to live every day in fun and joy, and did not deny themselves love interests with ordinary men.
Calypso andOdysseus - part of Homer's poem
Homer told the whole world about the goddess of the seas in his Odyssey. He sang of Calypso, who rescued the hero Odysseus after a shipwreck and brought him to her dwelling on the island of Ogygi. There, in a magical grotto, she appeared to him in all her glory and offered herself to Odysseus as his wife. The navigator refused, but spent seven long years on the island. The goddess Calypso did not let him go and every evening entertained him with dances and chants, hoping to overshadow the memories of his home.
Athena noticed the disappearance of the hero after seven years and told Zeus about everything. He quickly found Odysseus and sent a messenger to Calypso with orders to help the brave traveler get home. By this time, the goddess of the sea had given birth to several children from Odysseus and was very in love with him, but she obeyed the will of Zeus, releasing the hero to his native shores.
Interpretations of the Calypso myths
Homer touched on only a small part of the stories about Calypso. But the further fate of the goddess is not traced either in poems or in other sources. Fragmentary information about Calypso is found in various myths and stories. For example, some ancient Greek myths tell that the goddess Calypso was very sad after the departure of Odysseus and committed suicide a few years later.
Other stories say that Odysseus was just one of the heroes who ended up on the island of Ogygi as a punishment for the obstinate goddess, who once took a not too correct position in the war of the gods and the titans. Once in a thousand years beautyCalypso saves the hero and falls in love with him, but he rejects the goddess and her heart breaks for a whole thousand years.
