Kalamos ( grc, Κάλαμος, lit=
reed,
reed pen; la, Calamus) is a
Greek mythological figure. He is son of
Maiandros, the god of the
Maeander river.
Mythology
A story in
Nonnus's ''
Dionysiaca
The ''Dionysiaca'' {{IPAc-en, ˌ, d, aɪ, ., ə, ., n, ᵻ, ˈ, z, aɪ, ., ə, ., k, ə ( grc-gre, Διονυσιακά, ''Dionysiaká'') is an ancient Greek epic poem and the principal work of Nonnus. It is an epic in 48 books, the longest surv ...
'' tells about the love of two youths, Kalamos and
Karpos, the son of
Zephyrus and
Chloris
In Greek mythology, the name Chloris (; Greek Χλωρίς ''Chlōrís'', from χλωρός ''chlōrós'', meaning "greenish-yellow", "pale green", "pale", "pallid", or "fresh") appears in a variety of contexts. Some clearly refer to different char ...
. Karpos drowned in the
Meander river while the two were competing in a swimming contest. In his grief, Kalamos allowed himself to drown also. He was then transformed into a water reed, whose rustling in the wind was interpreted as a sigh of lamentation.
Walt Whitman
Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among ...
's "
Calamus" poems in ''
Leaves of Grass'' may have been inspired by this story.
Etymology of the word Kalamos
Similar words can be found in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
(कलम ''kalama'', meaning "reed" and "pen" as well as a type of rice),
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
(''
kulmus
''Ktav Stam'' () is the specific Jewish traditional writing with which holy scrolls (), tefillin and mezuzot are written. ''Stam'' is a Hebrew acronym denoting these writings, as indicated by the gershayim () punctuation mark. One who writes su ...
'', meaning
quill
A quill is a writing tool made from a moulted flight feather (preferably a primary wing-feather) of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen, the metal- nibbed pen, the fountain pen, and, eve ...
) and
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
(''calamus'') as well as the ancient Greek Κάλαμος (''Kalamos''). The
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
word قلم ''
qalam
A qalam ( ar, قلم) is a type of pen made from a cut, dried reed, used for Islamic calligraphy. The pen is seen as an important symbol of wisdom in Islam, and references the emphasis on knowledge and education within the Islamic tradition.
...
'' (meaning "pen" or "reed pen") is likely to have been borrowed from one of these languages in antiquity. The
Swahili word ''kalamu'' ("pen") comes from the Arabic ''qalam''.
The Greeks also used the term for various wind instruments, especially but not necessarily
reed instruments, including the
aulos, or the plural ''kalamoi'' for the
syrinx
In classical Greek mythology, Syrinx ( Greek Σύριγξ) was a nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Pursued by the amorous god Pan, she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, ...
.
From the Latin ''calamus'' come a number of modern English words:
* ''calamus'' (aka
Sweet Flag
''Acorus calamus'' (also called sweet flag, sway or muskrat root, among many common names) is a species of flowering plant with psychoactive chemicals. It is a tall wetland monocot of the family Acoraceae, in the genus ''Acorus.'' Although ...
), a wetland reed
* ''
calamari'', meaning "squid", via the Latin ''calamarium'', "ink horn" or "pen case", as reeds were then used as writing implements
* ''
calumet'', a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
colonial-era word often used for a
Native American ceremonial pipe
* ''
shawm'', a medieval
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
-like instrument (whose sound is produced by a vibrating reed mouthpiece)
* ''
chalumeau'' register, the lower notes of a
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitch ...
's range (another reed instrument)
See also
*
Qalam
A qalam ( ar, قلم) is a type of pen made from a cut, dried reed, used for Islamic calligraphy. The pen is seen as an important symbol of wisdom in Islam, and references the emphasis on knowledge and education within the Islamic tradition.
...
, Arabic pen
References
*
Nonnus of Panopolis
Nonnus of Panopolis ( grc-gre, Νόννος ὁ Πανοπολίτης, ''Nónnos ho Panopolítēs'', 5th century CE) was the most notable Greek epic poet of the Imperial Roman era. He was a native of Panopolis (Akhmim) in the Egyptian The ...
, ''
Dionysiaca
The ''Dionysiaca'' {{IPAc-en, ˌ, d, aɪ, ., ə, ., n, ᵻ, ˈ, z, aɪ, ., ə, ., k, ə ( grc-gre, Διονυσιακά, ''Dionysiaká'') is an ancient Greek epic poem and the principal work of Nonnus. It is an epic in 48 books, the longest surv ...
'' translated by William Henry Denham Rouse (1863-1950), from the Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1940.
Online version at the Topos Text Project.* Nonnus of Panopolis, ''Dionysiaca. 3 Vols.'' W.H.D. Rouse. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1940-1942
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
Children of Potamoi
LGBT themes in Greek mythology
Fictional LGBT characters in literature
Metamorphoses into plants in Greek mythology
{{Greek-myth-stub