Greek mythology is interesting because in it the gods like people like, hate, suffer from unrequited love. Psyche for her lover was ready for anything: go through suffering, deprivation, and in the end, finding such a long-awaited happiness - to be with Amur.
Who is Psyche in mythology?
The image of the soul from the ancient Greeks was associated with something light, beautiful and weightless, such as a butterfly. Who is Psyche, you can understand if you know the meaning of this name - "soul", "breath" - what is everything in nature, and without which there is no life. That's the beauty of the image of Psyche, which was often portrayed as a young girl with wings, sometimes transforming into a butterfly. Psyche became the personification of the science of psychology. All those tests that had to go through Psyche contain a deep sacral and philosophical significance.
Psyche mythology
Psyche is a Greek favorite character from the ancient cultural heritage. The legend of Psyche and Cupid has become a source of inspiration for many writers, many tales have been created on its basis, in which the main character passes such transformations: "Beauty and the Beast", "The Scarlet Flower". The path of Psyche is sacrifice, acceptance and redemption. Myth is loved by the Greeks also because it has a happy ending, which is rare for Hellenic mythology.
Children of Psyche
Psyche goddess, personifying the breath of life, But the rank of the deities she was erected only after passing all the tests that fell to her. For her, as for the female essence, it was worth it. In a happy marriage with Cupid (Eros), the beautiful girl Volupia was born - which means "pleasure" and "pleasure." The sanctuary in the Palatine is a place where lovers of the Greeks worshiped the daughter of Psyche and the Cupid.
Psyche and Aphrodite
The myth of Psyche and Cupid is also a myth about the very complicated relationship between Psyche and Aphrodite , two beautiful women: the beloved and the mother. The narrative begins with the fact that one king had three daughters, the younger one - Psyche eclipsed by her beauty Aphrodite. All the attention people focused on Psyche, gradually forgetting about the goddess of love. Aphrodite was offended by this attitude, and she decided to ruin her rival.
Aphrodite conceived a cunning plan and turned to the son of Amur for help, so that he would strike Psyche with an arrow of love for the most unworthy of people. Cupid hurried to fulfill the request of his mother, but seeing how beautiful Psyche himself desired her. Aphrodite did not expect such a turn of events. Not always the gods are aware of the consequences of their actions and by their attempt to ruin Psyche, the goddess contributed to the birth of love between Eros and Psyche.
Psyche and Eros
At this time, the father of Psyche in despair turns to the Miletus oracle with the question of the marriage of Psyche. The oracle predicted that his daughter was not meant for a man, but for a winged creature, he ordered her to be taken to the edge of the cliff and left. The king did so. Instantly Psyche was picked up by the god of wind Zephyr and delivered to a beautiful palace. At nights, Cupid came to her and before sunrise they indulged in love pleasures. All the attempts of Psyche to see him, Amur suppressed and severely punished did not even try to see him, otherwise she would lose her husband.
As time went. The Psyche sisters, seeing the gifts of her husband and how Psyche flourished, already carrying the child under the heart of Eros, were envious and convinced Psyche that her husband was a dragon who must be killed. Psyche prepared a lamp in advance and lit it when Eros fell asleep. Dazed by his beauty, Psyche was carried away by his contemplation, and did not notice how the lamp bent down and the hot wax fell on the shoulder of the Cupid, from the pain he woke up and left in anger. For a long time the husband of Psyche was looking for and had to turn to Aphrodite, she came up with tests that the simple mortal can not shoulder:
- to separate from a huge pile of seeds grain of wheat;
- get the golden fleece from rabid rams;
- scoop water from Styx;
- To take out from the underground world a box of Proserpine with ointments from the Eros burn.
With all the trials Psyche coped not without the help of natural forces. Cupid, seeing with what love and sacrifice the husband passes all the trials, turns to Zeus with a request to bless their marriage and grant Psyche immortality. Zeus gives good, Psyche drinks a drink ambrosia and is ranked among the host of the gods of Olympus. Cupid and Psyche legend of a happy love.