Calypso

In ancient Greece, Calypso was a water nymph, the queen of a "western" island. She kept Odysseus (Roman Ulysses) and his men on her island for seven years after he was shipwrecked. She tried him to persuade him to stay longer, until Zeus commanded her to let him go.

English word: Our word calypso refers to a ballad-like improvisation in African rhythms. It is often a satire on current events, composed and sung by natives of Trinidad. It is also played in the British West Indies at an annual pre-Lenten carnival.

Calliope

In ancient Greek and Latin myth, Kallos (meaning beauty and voice) was the name of one of the nine muses. She was the patroness of epic poetry. She and Apollo were the parents of Orpheus, who became the patron of music.

Orpheus was one of the Argonauts. When the Argonauts had to resist the call of the Sirens, he played his lyre and sang, preventing their song from attracting the sailors.

Orpheus is perhaps best known with Euridice, his beloved. Orpheus literally went to Hell to win her back from death. Like Lot's wife, who turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back at the forbidden place from which they came, Euridice was lost to Orpheus, drawn back into the underworld.

English word: The word calliope has one clear meaning in English: a steam-powered musical instrument. It is played from a keyboard, as an organ. It is commonly associated with circuses.

Caduceus

In Roman myth, the caduceus was the staff of Mercury, god of speedy communication, trade, and merchandise. Originally, the staff belonged to Apollo, who gave it to Mercury in exchange for the lyre, which Mercury invented. Apollo was the god of both music and medicine, hence the symbol for doctors: a staff with two entwined snakes, with a pair of wings at the top.

English word: The word caduceus has survived intact in English, referring to the symbol for doctors.