Kalypso, the Divine Among the Goddesses: Allegorisation, Symbolisation and Reception from Homer to Star Trek
Öz
According to Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus takes ten years to return home from the Trojan War, yet seven of these he spends on a beautiful island in the company of an equally beautiful goddess. Not only did Kalypso, “the divine among the goddesses” (as she is repeatedly called by Homer), enchant Odysseus, she has also intrigued millions of readers and inspired scholars, writers and artists. In a tour de force through 2700 years of scholarship, reception and reworkings, this article traces, by way of example, the different paths that Kalypso has taken ever since she offered Odysseus hospitality and – albeit unsuccessfully – immortality. The cultural significance (broadly defined) of the goddess Kalypso is discussed, beginning with her first appearance in the Odyssey and ending with a selection of examples of reception from the twentieth century. First, Kalypso’s role and function in the Odyssey is discussed, along with an analysis of her name and the epithets assigned to her. Thereafter, three major aspects of Kalypso’s reception are considered: allegorical and symbolic interpretations in scholarship, visual depictions, and popular reception. It is demonstrated that allegorical and symbolic readings play an important role in all these areas and that many of them are rooted in hermeneutic challenges and textual gaps that stem from the Odyssey.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kalypso, Homer, Odyssey, allegorisation, symbolisation, reception
Kaynakça
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