The myth of a cupid and psyche

The myth of a cupid and psyche

"Being beautiful is a curse," Psyche thought to herself as she peered over the edge of the cliff where her father had abandoned her. Given her flawless physical attributes from birth, people revered her as a fresh manifestation of Venus, the goddess of love. However, genuine romantic partners were too afraid to even come near her. The Oracle of Apollo, the deity of light, reason, and prophecy, was consulted by her father for advice. It was instructed for him to leave his daughter on a steep crag, where she would marry a vicious, winged, serpentine enemy. Zephyr the West Wind, leaving Psyche alone on the cliff, softly lifted her into the air.

She was placed in front of a palace. "You are at home," a voice outside her vision said to her. "Your husband awaits you in the bedroom, if you dare to meet him." Psyche told herself that she had enough bravery. She couldn't see her husband because the bedroom was so dark. But he felt nothing like a serpent. He had smooth skin, a delicate voice, and a gentle approach. He told her that when she asked him who he was, it was the one question he would never be able to respond to. She wouldn't need to know if she loved him. Night after night, he continued to make visits. Psyche became pregnant quickly. She was happy, but she felt mixed emotions.

With a man she had never seen, how could she raise her child? Psyche approached her sleeping spouse that evening while carrying an oil candle. She discovered that Cupid, the god who shot pinpricks of arrows that made gods and mortals lust after one another, was real. While burning Cupid with boiling oil, Psyche dropped her lamp. He declared that he had been in love with Psyche ever since his envious mother Venus had urged him to pierce the young lady with an arrow in order to humiliate her. But Cupid took one look at Psyche and struck himself with the arrow.

On the other hand, he rejected the idea that humans and gods could love equally. He took off, his hopes of happiness destroyed now that she understood his true form. Psyche was left in despair until the voice from beyond the veil materialized once more, assuring her that she and Cupid could love one another on an equal footing. Emboldened, she decided to search for him. However, Venus stopped Psyche and told her that she could only marry Cupid if she accomplished a number of challenging tasks. Psyche was first given the task of organizing a sizable, disorganized mound of seeds in a single night. She was about to give up until an ant colony saw her need and offered assistance.

Following her triumph in the first trial, Psyche was tasked with delivering the fleece of the golden sheep to Venus. The sheep was known for its ability to disembowel wandering travelers, but a river deity helped her gather the fleece after it had become entangled in briars. To place a drop of Proserpina's beauty in a box for Venus, Psyche had to finally journey to the Underworld and persuade the queen of the dead. Psyche was saved once more by the voice from beyond. She was instructed to bring barley cakes for Cerberus, the Underworld's guard dog, and cash to tip Charon, the boatman, who would transport her across the Styx River.

Psyche went back to the real world after completing her third and last task. Hoping to take some of Proserpina's beauty for herself, she opened the box of beauty just outside Venus's palace. Unfortunately, Psyche slumped on the road as the box within was packed with sleep rather than beauty. Flying to his sleeping spouse, Cupid flew back from his wounds. He admitted his mistake and foolishness to her.

She was clearly superior to him because of her bravery in the face of the unknown. Psyche became eternal when Cupid bestowed upon her amborsia, the nectar of the gods. Psyche gave birth to their daughter soon after. They gave her the name Pleasure, and ever since, Psyche—whose name means soul—has complicated people's romantic relationships.