Kalypso

The Nymph Kalypso

Kalypso is the German name for Calypso, the beautiful nymph mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey. She was the daughter of the Titan Atlas and an immortal being who lived on the island Ogygia in the midst of the vast ocean.

When, after the turmoil of the Trojan War, Odysseus is shipwrecked off the coast of Ogygia during his quest to return to his native Ithaca, Kalypso takes him to live with her in her grotto, which lies in a lush verdant forest with many springs. Kalypso promises Odysseus immortality if he stays with her. Despite this offer and having children together, Odysseus longs to return to Ithaca. At the behest of the gods, after seven years together – an infinity in the era of IT product cycles – Kalypso finally helps Odysseus continue on his way back to Ithaca.