Cupid
has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. He is
known as a mischievous, winged child, whose arrows who would pierce the
hearts of his victims causing them to fall deeply in love. In ancient Greece
he was known as Eros the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and
beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and to his mother Venus.
One
legend tells the story of Cupid and the mortal maiden, Psyche. Venus was
jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal.
But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife,
but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him. Psyche was happy until
her sisters convinced her to look at Cupid. Cupid punished her by departing.
Their lovely castle and gardens vanished with him and Psyche found herself
alone in an open field.
As
she wandered to find her love, she came upon the temple of Venus. Wishing
to destroy her, the goddess of love gave Psyche a series of tasks, each
harder and dangerous than the last. For her last task Psyche was given
a little box and told to take it to the underworld. She was told to get
some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in the
box.
During
her trip she was given tips on avoiding the dangers of the realm of the
dead and also her warned not to open the box. Temptation would overcome
Psyche and she opened the box, but instead of finding beauty, she found
deadly slumber.
Cupid
found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the sleep from her body and
put it back in the box. Cupid forgave her, as did Venus. The gods, moved
by Psyche's love for Cupid then made her a goddess.
Inspirations of Love
Valentine Poems
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