Calaïs, a son of the North Wind, possessed wings and joined the Argonauts. In poetry, he represents swiftness and airy freedom. His myth enriches epic adventure with imagery of flight and elemental power.

Calaïs, along with his brother Zetes, comprises the Boreads—winged sons of Boreas (the North Wind) who joined Jason's Argonauts. These brothers could fly and pursued the Harpies away from the blind prophet Phineus, earning his gratitude and prophecies that aided the Argonauts' quest. The Boreads represent the intersection of elemental forces (wind) with heroic action, embodying both their father's swift, cold nature and human heroism. Their wings mark them as liminal figures between mortal and divine, earthbound and aerial. For students analyzing the Argonautica, Calaïs and Zetes demonstrate how Jason's crew included heroes of diverse, sometimes supernatural abilities, not merely human warriors. Their pursuit of the Harpies became a famous episode illustrating how heroic intervention could relieve divine punishment. References to the winged brothers invoke themes of speed, pursuit, and the aiding wind—both literal and metaphorical—that enables heroic ventures. Their story also engages questions of kinship obligation and reciprocal aid among heroes.