Calypso = Heathen God = Aztec curse?[]
I'm piggybacking this discussion from Talk:Calypso, as it is within the same topic. Long story short, there was a comment from an interview with writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio that suggested a connection between Calypso and the heathen gods that placed a curse upon the Aztec gold of the treasure of Cortes. This being the comment in question:
- Ted Elliott: One thing I'm really happy with—and it's a small, subtle thing—[relates to] one of the criticisms we've had with all the movies: [the assertion that] death has no meaning [because] nobody stays dead. In At World's End, there's a little thing that Davy Jones says that ties these escapes from death to the same source—Calypso, from the original Aztec curse, which refers to Calypso as one of the heathen gods, a callback to how Barbossa describes the effects of the curse in the first movie. It's one of those things that's there for somebody who might notice it. It's not necessary to get to understand but that was actually our intent—to make this temporary death state have a singular cause. Of course now that Calypso is free, that may not exist.
- Box Office Mojo: Interview: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio on 'At World's End'
Most fans (myself included) took Mr. Elliott's comment as potential confirmation that Calypso may have had a part in the Aztec curse, if not being the sole god responsible, with the idea being added into at least one edit. Taking the historical context as well as what is officially known in the films, it was considered a possibility that couldn't be ruled out, but also the need for more "definitive proof" on the subject, which seemed unlikely. Almost one year later, a question about the heathen gods was brought to Wordplay and Mr. Rossio answered, which basically debunked Calypso's involvement. But what is more interesting is the added context to the subject, stealing borrowing from the full post:
- >> who were the "heathen gods" that cursed Cortes' gold prior to the first
- >> PotC movie? Was Calypso one of them?
- Presumably, any God not of Barbosa's faith would be deemed "heathen." But in this case, it seems likely a specific reference Gods worshipped by the Aztecs.
- Among the Aztec Gods, one might be tempted to go with Huitzilopochtli (the sun and war god) or Mictlantecuhtli, god of Mictlan (the Underworld). But they might be too 'high up' for such a task. So my money is on Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli, god of frost, ice, cold, winter, and punishment.
- No, Calypso had nothing to do with the Aztec curse.
Now, given the flux of this information, this may be better suited for detail in the "Behind the scenes" section. So I think our more official answer will be "heathen gods" or "Aztec gods" cursed Cortes' treasure at Isla de Muerta without providing specific names of gods involved. And of course this is all under one's presumption that this storyline won't be covered, overwritten or retconned in some future material. -- J FanOn Stranger Tides 23:59, 18 June 2025 (UTC)