 |
| Canova, Antonio. Cupid and Psyche contemplating a butterfly (1796-1800) |
First let me begin by briefly mentioning what butterflies have to do with this amazing love story. Psyche is the Greek word for soul, as in the embodiment of the breath that gives us life, and that very breath leaving us when we die. Old Greeks and Romans saw the soul as a butterfly winged spirit that leaves us when we die. Understanding this, Psyche was represented with butterfly wings, as an embodiment of what gives a life. This is a tale of an impossible love between God and mortal with a homicidal mother-in-law that comes up with impossible tasks for Psyche to prove her love. Tasks like separating the each grain by type in a huge room full large baskets of mixed grains, or fetch wool from killer golden sheep or travel to and from the underworld.
The Tale of Psyche and Eros (Cupid) was first heard in the only Latin novel to survive in its entirety, Metamorphoses by Lucias Apuleius. Written around 170AD, this tale was later renamed, The Golden Ass, by St. Augustine. This novel is one of the most important pieces of literature to date, marking an important milestone in the awakening of the human conscious and spirit. The Tale of Psyche and Love has been attributed to the waking and liberation of the feminine mind. The fact that this was written by such an educated and revered male figure of that time marked a new age to female self-awareness and responsibility to women, separating from attachment and accountability to man and God.
 |
| Lucius and Charite if I'm not mistaken |
|
The actual Tale itself is a story inside a story where it is recited as an old wives tale being told by an elderly woman that belongs to a band of thieves. Beginning in Book 4 and continuing throughout all book 5, Lucius, after having accidently turned himself into a donkey, is stolen and housed with Charite, the wife to a wealthy man and the victim of a kidnapping-ransom scheme. In order to comfort Charite’s crying, the elderly women begins to tell them a most incredible story of love that defies the confines of mortality. This was the story she told Lucius and Charite…
Part 1:
There once was a Greek King and Queen blessed with three beautiful daughters. Of all three, the most beautiful by far was the youngest, Psyche, whose beauty was so great that it was worshipped and revered by man. Even Apollo attributed her beauty was too great for mortals, and the impoverished language of the humans could come up with no word to give justice to her beauty. This created a great jealousy in Venus, the Goddess the love and beauty was not about to take this sacrilegious slap in the face. With the help of her son Cupid, she set up a mischievous plot to curse Psyche so that despite her beauty, she would never marry a human suitor.
 |
| Cupid admiring Psyches beautiful before pricking himself with his own arrows |
The plan was to dab some water from a bitter fountain in Venus garden, onto Psyche’s lips and then scratch her with one of Cupid’s arrows, this was the trick to the spell. Cupid turns himself invisible (as he often did to deal with humans) and climbs into Psyche’s room with his arrow and water ready. He puts the bitter water on her lips, but he was totally unprepared for what came next. She is startled and wakes up looking directly into Cupid’s eyes, despite being invisible, and this in turn startles Cupid so much that he accidentally pricks himself with his own arrow. He falls madly in love with her and leaves her there, sickly longing for her but sticking to Venus plan.
The curse that fell upon Psyche was brought to an oracle of Apollo to foresee anything positive but were met with the same . The oracle told them that the only suitor that would take her is a horrible beast, detestable by God and mortal both. They were to carry out the wedding procession to a cliff where the King and Queen and all the procession was to leave her there alone so this horrible monster would take her as his wife. Knowing this, Cupid talks to Zephyr, the caretaker of the winds and asks him he could carry Psyche to his home in a valley made for the Gods.
 |
| The solemn procession of Psyche's marriage |
As planned, Psyche was left on the mountainside by herself and just as she is about to jump off the cliff, Zephyr whisks her away in the wind to a beautiful home waiting for her in the valley. Her new home was a beautiful mansion with golden pillars that held up the high domed ceilings, rooms dedicated to natural beauty and gardens only a God could fully appreciate. Psyche was met by a fascinating yet still calm voice that whispered to her that everything there is for hers. As if that wasn’t enough, they also tell her that her secret husband come home that evening and consummate their marriage. Talk about intense, and that is where I will end Part 1 of one of the greatest stories ever told.
In part 2, I’ll tell the obvious, what happened that night, their painful separation and the impossible tasks Psyche has to complete if she ever hopes to be with the love of her life.
