Podcast Summary: Get Sleepy – The Odyssey: Part 2 – Calypso’s Island

Host: Thomas (Slumber Studios)
Release Date: February 4, 2026
Episode Theme: A calming, immersive retelling of Odysseus’s time on Calypso’s island, blending guided sleep meditation with mythological storytelling.

Overview

This episode of Get Sleepy continues its gentle retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, focusing on Odysseus’s time as a captive of the nymph-goddess Calypso and his eventual escape. The narrative is interwoven with soothing descriptions and a tranquil, sleep-inducing tone. Listeners are invited to unwind as they follow the hero through mythic landscapes, divine interventions, and a test of endurance and hope.

Key Discussion Points & Story Segments

1. Guided Relaxation & Settling In

• Timestamps: 02:39-05:00
  • Host Thomas gently leads listeners to relaxation: “Close your eyes and allow all the muscles in your body to settle. … Your mind can relax just like your body, letting go of the thoughts and worries of the day.” (03:04)
  • Instructions include body scanning and letting go of tension, setting a peaceful tone for the narrative.

2. Hermes’s Journey to Calypso’s Island

• Timestamps: 05:00-08:30
  • Opens with a bird’s-eye view of the ocean as seen by Hermes, the messenger god, who is sent by Zeus to deliver a message to Calypso.
  • Vivid description of Hermes flying, skimming the sea with his winged sandals, and enjoying the solitude of the open sky.
  • “On his feet he wore his winged sandals, and in his hand he carried his magic wand. Both were made of the brightest gold.” (06:04)
  • Arrival at Calypso’s lush, secluded grove, rich with scents and sounds of nature.

3. Calypso’s Cavern & Divine Conversation

• Timestamps: 08:30-13:40
  • Calypso is described weaving and singing in her cavern, surrounded by fragrant trees, grapes, and birdsong.
  • Hermes, after being offered ambrosia and nectar, delivers Zeus’s command: Odysseus must be set free to return home.
  • Calypso reacts with sorrow and frustration: “How typical it was of the male gods to be so cruel and jealous. … She had loved and cared for him all these years. Her plan was to make him immortal so they could live together forever.” (12:10)
  • Nonetheless, she agrees to let Odysseus go, albeit reluctantly.

4. Calypso Informs Odysseus

• Timestamps: 13:40-19:20
  • Calypso finds Odysseus on the shore, melancholic, his eyes red from longing for his homeland.
  • She promises him freedom, help with supplies, and a favorable wind, though she reminds him it is not entirely her will: “She swore by heaven and earth and by the waters of the River Styx that she meant no harm.” (18:26)
  • Touching moment as Odysseus doubts the offer, but Calypso reassures him with solemn oaths.

5. Farewell Dialogue & Emotional Underpinnings

• Timestamps: 19:20-24:40
  • Calypso reflects on her love and what might await Odysseus; she laments: “If only he knew what troubles awaited him on his journey home.”
  • Odysseus responds with tact and gratitude, emphasizing love over beauty: “Beauty wasn’t everything and Odysseus still longed to return home. Even if he was shipwrecked once again, even if he was struck down by the gods, he was willing to risk it all for a chance of seeing Penelope and his beloved homeland.” (23:05)
  • Calypso’s pain and Odysseus’s steadfastness are tenderly rendered.

6. Preparing the Raft for Departure

• Timestamps: 24:40-29:00
  • Descriptive montage of raft-building: Calypso provides tools, materials, and care.
  • “The raft was carefully constructed, the planks interwoven with strands of willow to keep the water out.” (27:09)
  • Farewell scene characterized by mutual respect and lingering sadness.

7. Sailing from Calypso’s Island

• Timestamps: 28:34-32:20
  • Calypso’s final gift is a wind to guide Odysseus.
  • “After a warm embrace of farewell, Odysseus climbed onto the raft and happily spread the sails. The raft moved quickly, then quicker still as the sails picked up a gust of wind. Calypso’s parting gift.” (29:08)
  • Odysseus’s solitude at sea, gratitude, and stargazing: “On other nights he thought of his family and faraway Ithaca. And sometimes, after long hours watching the sky, his mind emptied completely.” (30:30)

8. Poseidon’s Wrath & the Furious Storm

• Timestamps: 32:20-39:20
  • Poseidon discovers Odysseus’s escape and conjures a violent storm.
  • Striking quote: “The wind seemed to be blowing in every direction all at once, and the waves were rising like mountains.” (34:44)
  • Odysseus is thrown into the sea as his raft is destroyed.

9. The Saving Intervention of Ino

• Timestamps: 39:20-41:38
  • Sea goddess Ino appears, offering Odysseus her veil for protection.
  • “Ino told Odysseus to take off his clothes and abandon the raft. She would give him her very own scarf to tie around his body. … No harm would come to him.” (40:30)
  • Though hesitant, Odysseus follows Ino’s instructions as his raft finally breaks.

10. Athena’s Guidance and Final Rescue

• Timestamps: 41:38–end
  • Athena sends the winds to sleep and calms the waves, ensuring Odysseus’s safety.
  • Odysseus reaches land at last, exhausted but alive: “He simply lay on his back, utterly exhausted. But as his senses slowly returned to him, he moved his fingers, relishing the feel of earth and grass.” (43:05)
  • He finds shelter and, with Athena’s intervention, drifts into deep, restorative sleep.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Calypso’s pain:
  “How typical it was of the male gods to be so cruel and jealous. … She had saved Odysseus from the shipwreck. She had loved and cared for him all these years.” (12:10)

• Odysseus’s conviction:
  “Even if he was shipwrecked once again, even if he was struck down by the gods, he was willing to risk it all for a chance of seeing Penelope and his beloved homeland.” (23:05)

• Calypso’s farewell:
  “Calypso would give him one last gift. She promised to send favourable breezes his way for as long as she could. But once Odysseus was far out on the open ocean, he was on his own.” (28:51)

• Poseidon’s fury:
  “He must be stopped. The sea God flew higher up to gather the clouds. Then with his trident, he stirred the sea and air, summoning up great waves and gusts of wind.” (33:18)

• Athena’s mercy:
  “Athena, daughter of Zeus, saw Odysseus struggling in the ocean and came up with a plan. She sent the winds to sleep.” (41:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:39 – Relaxation exercise begins
• 05:00 – Story opens with Hermes’s journey
• 08:30 – Hermes meets Calypso
• 13:40 – Calypso’s conversation with Odysseus
• 24:40 – Raft-building and preparations
• 28:34 – Farewell to Calypso, departure
• 32:20 – Poseidon unleashes a storm
• 39:20 – Ino intervenes with her magical scarf
• 41:38 – Athena calms the sea, Odysseus reaches land
• 43:05 – Odysseus rests, cradled by sleep

Tone & Style

• The storytelling is gentle, mesmerizing, and richly descriptive.
• Dialogue and narration blend empathy, myth, and dreamy atmosphere, perfect for sleep.
• Narration maintains a low, soothing register with pauses for ambiance and relaxation.

Summary

In this episode, listeners are lulled into a peaceful state with a poetic retelling of The Odyssey. The story moves from divine messengers and the melancholy of immortal love, to the hero’s determination and the unpredictable intervention of gods. Odysseus’s longing for home, Calypso’s heartbreak, and the ever-present dangers of divine whimsy are wrapped in a comforting bedtime cadence, guiding listeners softly toward sleep.