Calypso

Calypso is a name used for several distinct topics in myth, music, botany, and maritime history. The most enduring associations are with a sea nymph of Greek mythology, a Caribbean musical tradition, and the orchid Calypso bulbosa.

In Homer’s Odyssey, Calypso is a nymph, daughter of Atlas, who lives on the island of Ogygia. She keeps Odysseus prisoner for seven years, offering him immortality and marriage if he stays. The arrival of Hermes ends the captivity, and Odysseus departs with help from the goddess Athena.

Calypso music originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 20th century, evolving from Afro-Caribbean street singing and Creole influences. It is characterized by witty, topical lyrics, strong rhythmic percussion, and a call-and-response performance style. The genre influenced later Caribbean styles and global popular music.

Calypso bulbosa, commonly called the Calypso orchid or fairy slipper, is the sole species in the genus Calypso. It grows in cool, damp forests across northern North America and parts of Asia. The plant features a single broad leaf and a solitary pink to purple flower; it forms mycorrhizal associations with fungi.

Calypso was the name of Jacques Cousteau's famous research vessel, used for oceanographic expeditions and documentary films from the 1950s through the 1980s, and decommissioned in the 1990s.

The name Calypso has been applied to other ships, fictional works, and commercial products, often invoking the mythic or musical associations of the term.