When Cupid Got a Taste of His Own Medicine  or  Eros and Psyche – the original Valentines Serves him right, that roman mischief maker Cupid, to feel what it is like to fall madly in love, go through trial, tribulation and separation, misunderstanding and a meddling would-be-mother-in-law, Venus! (Commentary)

Painting by William Bouguereau 'The Abduction of Psyche'

Yes, it is all Roman/Greek (mythological) history with a happy ending.  But first a little background about our sunny boy Cupid (or Eros in Greek mythology).  His origins are disputed, but one popular belief of this most famous god of love and desire, darling of poets, artists and lovers everywhere is that he is the son of Venus and Mars or for the Greeks, Aphrodite and Ares.  A lesser known version is that he is the son of Venus and Mercury or Aphrodite and Hermes - which would have made him the original hermaphrodite, having the attributes and characteristics of both sexes.  Another version claims Zeus was the father.  Or perhaps irresistible Venus forgot who was who.  But back to our story.

Venus, the goddess of Love and Beauty who was accustomed to filled temples of adoring mortals, noticed  a shocking decline in her followers.  No longer were the temples so frequented and many were simply abandoned.  Furious and offended she did her detective work and found that a mere mortal, Psyche, the daughter of a king was the cause.  Everywhere sweet Psyche went, people were in awe of her beauty and grace. There was no need for Venus - for there walked amongst mere mortals, the epitome of loveliness and modesty in human form. 

Livid over this, Venus sent her son Cupid with his famous arrows to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest most grotesque  creature available.  It was night when Cupid made his visit to the sleeping Psyche intent on doing Mama Venus’s dirty work for her.  Instead, he was so startled by Psyche’s beauty that he accidentally scratched himself with his own arrow and fell madly, hopelessly in love with her.  Hah!

He devised a plan on how he could have her for himself and escape Venus’s wrath and so unknowing Psyche was led to a secluded hide-away and told to await her fate-marriage to a hideous creature.  Again it was night when Cupid approached her in the darkness as her new husband, whispering sweet nothings in her ear.  He also forbade her to ever look upon him.  Before each dawn broke, he would steal away, leaving a lonely and increasingly curious Psyche. 

This eventually got the best of her, of course and so one night she lit the lamp and looked upon her sleeping husband.  It was love at first sight for her and rapid flight for Cupid who was crushed at this betrayal of his trust.  Psyche roamed the earth in search of her heart throb.  Venus, the meddling mother-in-law found out and put poor Psyche through many trials to prove her worthiness of her darling boy (does this sound familiar?). 

Falling into a coma because she failed one of Venus’s tests, she is found by poor Cupid who is also suffering from separation anxiety and is most likely moulting feathers over their situation.  He tells Zeus the whole story.  Zeus takes pity and makes Psyche a goddess and all live happily ever after on Mount Olympus – Home of the Deities.   Read the full story at one of the best mythology sources here  http://www.loggia.com/myth/psyche.html .  By the way, their daughter was Voluptas ('pleasure').

The story of Psyche and Eros really is a charming allegory whose elements have been found in later fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty.  It is interesting to note that Psyche means ‘soul’ in Greek  as well as ‘butterfly’.  What better symbol can there be than the metamorphosis of a lowly caterpillar (human Psyche) , its ‘death’ (her coma) and then immergence as a striking butterfly of brilliant wings feeding on sweet nectar (the sweet life of a goddess)!

Through the centuries, however, Eros’ prestige slipped.  Myth and tradition transformed a handsome, enchanting youth to Venus’s  mischievous accomplice, causing joy (and at times havoc) on humankind – a chubby cherub zinging his arrows into the hearts of unsuspecting couples. 

What would we do without him?

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