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Apuleius
The Tale of Cupid and Psyche
Book Four
28. There lived a king and a queen in a certain state. They had three beautiful daughters, but although the older ones were beautiful in appearance, one could still believe that people would have enough praise for them, but the youngest girl was such a wonderful beauty, so indescribable that words in human language sufficient to describe and glorify it cannot be found. So many of the local citizens and many foreigners, who were gathered in greedy crowds by rumors of the extraordinary spectacle, delighted and shocked by the unattainable beauty, covered their mouths with their right hand, placing their index finger on their outstretched thumb, 1
...covered their mouth with their right hand... - As a sign of pious admiration and worship, the ancients raised their right hand to their lips and kissed it.
It was as if they were worshiping the goddess Venus herself in a sacred way. And already in the nearest cities and adjacent regions a rumor spread that the goddess, whom the azure depth of the sea gave birth to and the foamy moisture of the waves raised, by her permission shows mercy everywhere, revolves in the crowd of people, or again from the new seed of the heavenly bodies not the sea, but the earth gave birth to another Venus, gifted with the color of virginity.
29. This opinion was strengthened immensely from day to day, and the growing fame spread across the nearest islands, across continents, and across many provinces. Crowds of people, not stopping at the distance of the journey, at the depths of the sea, flocked to the famous miracle. No one went to Paphos, no one went to Knidos, no one even went to Cythera itself to see the goddess Venus; 2
Paphos is a city on the island of Cyprus; Cnidus is a seaside city in Asia Minor; Kythera is an island off the southern coast of the Peloponnese. The most famous temples of Aphrodite were located in these places
Sacrifices have become rarer, temples are abandoned, sacred pillows are scattered, 3
Sacred pillows are pillows on which images of the gods were placed during a special sacrifice, when statues of the gods were placed in front of a set table.
Rituals are neglected, images of gods are not decorated with garlands, and widowed altars are covered with cold ash. They turn to the girl with prayers and, under mortal features, they honor the greatness of such a powerful goddess; when the maiden appears in the morning, gifts and sacrifices are brought to her in the name of the absent Venus, and when she walks through the squares, the crowd often strews her path with flowers and wreaths.
The excessive transfer of divine honors to a mortal girl greatly inflamed the spirit of the real Venus, and in impatient indignation, shaking her head, she says to herself in excitement:
30. “What, ancient mother of nature! How, the ancestor of the elements! How, mother of the whole world, 4
These words of Venus are reminiscent of the words of Isis (Isis) about herself (XI, 5), with whom she was identified by the religious syncretism of the 2nd century.
Venus, do I endure such treatment that a mortal maiden shares royal honors with me and my name, established in heaven, is defiled by earthly uncleanness? Will I really agree to share dubious honors with my substitute, who accepts atonement sacrifices under my name, and a mortal girl will wear my image? In vain, perhaps, the notorious shepherd, 5
...the notorious shepherd... - Paris, son of the Trojan king Priam. His birth was accompanied by bad omens, and his father ordered the newborn to be abandoned on Mount Ida, but he was picked up and raised by a shepherd. Paris was the judge in the famous dispute between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite about which of them was more beautiful.
The judgment and justice of which the great Jupiter confirmed, preferred me for my incomparable beauty to such beautiful goddesses? But it was not to her joy that that impostor, whoever she was, appropriated my honors! I will arrange it so that she will repent even of her most illicit beauty!” Now she calls to her the son of her winged, extremely daring boy, 6
The winged boy - the son of Venus, Cupid (Greek Eros) was depicted as a youth or boy with golden wings, with a bow and arrows, a quiver and sometimes with a torch.
Who, in his malice, neglecting the social order, armed with arrows and a torch, runs at night through other people's houses, dissolving marriages everywhere, and, committing such crimes with impunity, does absolutely nothing good. She also excites him, out of unbridled natural depravity, with her words, and leads him to that city and Psyche. 7
Psyche - from the Greek word psyche - soul.
- that was the girl’s name - she shows him with her own eyes, tells the whole story about the beauty competition; sighing, trembling with indignation, she says to him:
31. “I conjure you with the bonds of maternal love, with the tender wounds of your arrows, with the sweet burns of your torch, to avenge your mother. Give full measure and cruel revenge to the daring beauty, do the only thing that I most want: let this maiden fall ardently in love with the last of mortals, to whom fate denied origin, and fortune, and security itself, in such squalor that There couldn’t be a more pitiful thing in the whole world.”
Having said this, she kisses her son long and hard with her half-open mouth and goes to the nearby edge of the sea-washed shore; As soon as she stepped with her pink feet on the wet surface of the noisy waves, she was already resting on the quiet surface of the deep sea, and as soon as she wished, the sea retinue immediately appeared, as if prepared in advance: here were the Nerean daughters, singing in chorus, and Portunus with her disheveled hair. blue beard, and Salacia, whose folds of clothing are full of fish, 8
Nerean daughters - Nereids, sea nymphs, daughters of Nereus. Portunus is the Roman god of ports and marinas. Salacia is the goddess of the stormy sea.
And the little driver of the dolphins, Palemon; here and there newts jump across the sea: 9
...the dolphin driver Palemon... - The myth tells that King Atamant, whom the goddess Hera deprived of his mind, wanted to kill his wife Ino, but she rushed into the sea with her son Melikert. Both were revered as sea savior deities (Melikert - under the name Palemon). He was named the driver of dolphins because, according to legend, the boy’s corpse was washed ashore by a dolphin. Tritons are minor sea deities, depicted as half-human, half-fish.
One gently blows a sonorous conch shell, another stretches out a silk blanket from the hostile heat of the sun, a third holds a mirror to the mistress’s eyes, others float on double-harnessed chariots. Such a crowd accompanied Venus, who was on her way to the Ocean. 10
... was on her way to the Ocean. – According to the ideas of the ancients, the Ocean is a huge river surrounding the whole world.
32. Meanwhile, Psyche, for all her obvious beauty, did not make any profit from her beautiful appearance. Everyone admires, everyone glorifies, but no one appears - neither the king, nor the prince, nor even anyone from the common people who would want to ask for her hand. They marvel at her as at a divine phenomenon, but everyone marvels at her as at a skillfully made statue. The eldest two sisters, about whose moderate beauty no rumor had spread among the people, had long been matched with suitors from the royal family and had already entered into happy marriages, and Psyche, a widow in maidenhood, sitting at home, mourns her desolate loneliness, unwell in body, with pain in my soul, hating my beauty, although it attracted all people. Then the ill-fated father of the most unfortunate maiden, thinking that this is a sign of heavenly displeasure, and fearing the wrath of the gods, asks the most ancient soothsayer - the Milesian god 11
...the Milesian god... - that is, Apollo, one of whose oracles was located in the village of Didim near Miletus.
- and asks the great shrine with prayers and sacrifices for the destitute virgin for a husband and marriage. Apollo, although a Greek and even an Ionian, 12
Ionian - a resident of Ionia, that part of the coast of Asia Minor where the Greek colonies were located.
Out of respect for the compiler of the Milesian story, he gives a prophecy in Latin:
33. King, place the doomed maiden on a high cliff
And in her funeral attire for her wedding rites;
Don’t hope to have a mortal son-in-law, unfortunate parent:
He will be wild and cruel, like a terrible dragon.
He flies around the air on wings and tires everyone,
He inflicts wounds on everyone and scorches them with a burning flame.
Even Jupiter trembles before him and the gods are afraid.
He inspires fear in the Styx, a gloomy underground river.
Having heard the answer of the holy soothsayer, the king, once happy, sets off on his way back dissatisfied, sad and informs his wife of the predictions of an ominous lot. They are sad, cry, and are killed for many days. But nothing can be done, we have to fulfill the gloomy dictates of a terrible fate. Preparations are already underway for the funeral wedding of the most unfortunate maiden, the flames of the torches are already turning black from soot and extinguished from the ashes, the sound of a gloomy flute turns into a plaintive Lydian mode, 13
Lydian mode... - The ancient Greeks and Romans distinguished several tones, or modes, in music; Apuleius himself writes about them in “Florida”: “The simplicity of the Aeolian mode, the wealth of the Ionian, the sadness of the Lydian, the piety of the Phrygian, the belligerence of the Dorian” (excerpt 4).
And the cheerful hymens end in gloomy screams, and the bride wipes away her tears with her wedding veil. The whole city sympathizes with the sad fate of the dejected family, and by universal consent an order for public mourning is immediately issued.
34. But the need to obey heavenly instructions calls poor Psyche to the prepared torment. So, when everything was prepared for the celebration of the funeral wedding, the funeral procession sets off, accompanied by all the people, with general grief, without the deceased, and the tear-stained Psyche is led not as to a wedding, but as to her own burial. And when the dejected parents, excited by such a misfortune, hesitated to commit an unholy crime, their daughter herself encouraged them with these words:
“Why do you torment your unhappy old age by crying for a long time? Why do you bother your breath, which belongs to me rather than to you, with frequent cries? Why do you stain the faces I honor with useless tears? Why darken my light in your eyes? Why are you tearing out your gray hair? Why do you hit the breasts, why do you hit these sacred nipples with blows? Here is my worthy reward for your unprecedented beauty! You came to your senses late, struck by the mortal blows of wicked envy. When peoples and countries showed us divine honors, when with one voice they proclaimed me the new Venus, then they should mourn, then shed tears, then they should mourn me, as if I had already died. I feel and see that the very name of Venus has ruined me. Lead me and place me on the rock to which fate has sentenced me. I am in a hurry to enter into this happy marriage, I am in a hurry to see my noble husband. Why should I hesitate, delay the coming of the one who is born to destroy the whole world?”
35. Having said this, the maiden fell silent and, with a firm step, joined the procession of the crowd accompanying her. They go to the indicated cliff of a high mountain, place the girl on the very top of it, leave, leaving the wedding torches that illuminated her path and were immediately extinguished by the flow of tears, and, lowering their heads, everyone goes home. And her unfortunate parents, dejected by such misfortune, locked themselves in the house, immersed in darkness, and abandoned themselves to eternal night. Psyche, fearful, trembling, crying at the very top of the rock, the gentle breeze of the soft Zephyr, shaking her floors and swelling her clothes, slightly lifts her, gradually carries her with a calm breath from the slope of a high rock and in a deep valley into the bosom of a flowering meadow, slowly lowering her, lays her down.
Book five
1. Psyche, quietly resting in a gentle, flowering meadow, on a bed of dewy grass, having rested from such a rapid change in feelings, fell asleep sweetly. Sufficiently refreshed by sleep, she got up with a light soul. He sees a grove decorated with large, tall trees, he sees the crystal waters of a transparent source. Right in the very middle of the grove, next to a flowing spring, a palace stands, not created by human hands, but by divine art. As soon as you enter there, you will know that in front of you is some kind of god, a bright and sweet haven. The artificial ceiling, skillfully made of thuja and ivory, is supported by golden columns; all the walls are lined with chased silver with images of wild animals and other animals, as if rushing towards those entering. Oh, truly he was an amazing man, a demigod, of course, or, rather, a real god, who, with the art of a great artist, turned so much silver into animals! Even the floor, made up of small pieces of expensive stones, forms all kinds of pictures. Truly blessed, twice and many times blessed are those who walk on gems and jewels. And the other parts of the house, spread out in length and width, are priceless in value: all the walls, weighed down with a mass of gold, shine with such brilliance that if the sun refused to shine, they themselves would flood the house with daylight; every room, every gallery, even every door leaf is on fire. The other decorations are no less consistent with the grandeur of the house, so that one might truly think that the great Jupiter created these heavenly palaces for communication with mortals.
2. Attracted by the charm of these places, Psyche comes closer; Having gained a little courage, he crosses the threshold and soon with admiring attention he examines all the details of the most beautiful spectacle, examining the warehouses located on the other side of the house, built with great art, where great treasures are collected. There is nothing on earth that is not there. But, besides the extraordinary nature of so many riches, the most amazing thing was that the treasures of the whole world were not guarded by any chain, no bolt, or guard. While she was looking at all this with the greatest pleasure, suddenly a voice, devoid of a body, reached her. “Why,” he says, “lady,” are you amazed at such wealth? It's all yours. Go to the bedroom, rest from fatigue on the bed; Whenever you want, I’ll order the bath to be prepared. We, whose voices you hear, your slaves, will diligently serve you, and as soon as you put yourself in order, a luxurious table will not be slow to appear.”
3. Psyche felt bliss from divine protection and, heeding the advice of an unknown voice, first with sleep and then with a bath she washes away the remainder of her fatigue and, seeing a semicircular table appear immediately next to her, set, as evidenced by the dining set, for her meal, she willingly lies down for him. And immediately wines like nectar and many dishes with various dishes are served, as if driven by some kind of wind, and there are no servants. She was unable to see anyone, she only heard words being heard, and only voices were at her service. After a hearty meal, someone invisible came in and sang, and another played the cithara, which she also did not see. Then the sounds of many voices singing reached her ears, and although none of the people appeared, it was clear that this was a choir.
4. At the end of the entertainment, yielding to the admonitions of twilight, Psyche goes to sleep. In the dead of night, some light noise reaches her ears. Here, fearing for her virginity in such solitude, she becomes timid, horrified, and afraid of some kind of misfortune, especially since it is unknown to her. But the mysterious husband had already entered and ascended to the bed, made Psyche his wife and hastily left before sunrise. Immediately the voices waiting in the bedroom surround the newlywed who has lost her virginity with worries. This went on for a long time. And according to the laws of nature, novelty from frequent habit acquires pleasantness for her, and the sound of an unknown voice serves as a consolation for her in loneliness.
Meanwhile, her parents grew old in unrelenting grief and despondency, and the widespread rumor reached the older sisters, who found out everything and quickly, leaving their hearths, hurried, gloomy and sad, one after another, to see and talk with their parents.
5. That same night, the husband spoke to his Psyche like this - after all, he was inaccessible only to sight, but not to touch and hearing: “Psyche, my sweetest and dear wife, cruel fate threatens you with disastrous danger, to which, I believe, should be treated with special attention. Your sisters, who consider you dead and are anxiously looking for your traces, will soon come to that cliff; if you accidentally hear their complaints, do not answer them and do not even try to look at them, otherwise you will cause me severe grief and certain death for yourself.”
She nodded in agreement and promised to follow her husband's advice, but as soon as he disappeared with the end of the night, the poor thing spent the whole day in tears and lamentations, repeating that now she would certainly perish, tightly locked in a blissful prison, deprived of communication and conversation. with people, so that even her sisters, who are grieving for her, cannot provide any help and cannot even wait to see them for a short time. Without resorting to a bath, or food, or any other reinforcement, she goes to sleep, crying bitterly.
6. Not even a minute had passed before the husband, who had appeared a little earlier than usual, lay down on the bed, and, hugging her, still crying, he asked her: “Is this what you promised me, my Psyche? What should I, your husband, expect from you, what should I hope for? And day and night, even in conjugal embraces, your torment continues. Well, do as you know, give in to the demands of the soul thirsting for death. Just remember, when belated repentance comes, about my serious admonitions.”
Then she, with requests and threats that otherwise she would die, obtained from her husband consent to her desire to see her sisters, moderate their sadness and talk with them. So the husband gave in to the requests of his young wife; moreover, he even allowed them to give them as a gift whatever she wanted, from gold jewelry or precious stones, repeatedly warning and reinforcing her words with threats that if she, having heeded the disastrous advice of her sisters, tried to see her husband, then with this sacrilegious curiosity she will overthrow herself from the pinnacle of happiness and will forever be deprived of his embrace. She thanked her husband and with a clearer face said: “It’s better for me to die a hundred times than to lose your sweetest marriage!” After all, whoever you are, I love you passionately, like my soul, and I cannot compare you with Cupid himself. But, I pray you, fulfill my request: order your servant Zephyr to deliver my sisters here in the same way as he delivered me.” - And, having planted a kiss for persuasion, making a gentle speech, clinging with his whole body to seduce, he adds to these caresses: - “My honey, my hubby, your Psyche’s gentle darling!” The husband gave in to the power and authority of the love whisper against his will and made a promise that he would fulfill everything, and as soon as the light began to approach, he disappeared from the hands of his wife.
7. And the sisters, having asked where the cliff is and the place where Psyche was abandoned, rush there and are ready to cry their eyes out, beating their chests, so that the rocks and stones respond to their frequent cries with an answering sound. They call their unfortunate sister by name, until, at the piercing cry of their lamentations coming from the mountain, Psyche, beside herself, trembling all over, ran out of the house and said: “Why are you killing yourself in vain with pitiful cries? Here I am, for whom you mourn. Stop the gloomy cries, finally wipe your cheeks, wet from prolonged tears, since you have the will to embrace the one you are mourning.”
Here, calling Zephyr, he conveys his husband’s orders to him. Now, having come to the call, he delivers them in a safe manner with the calmest breath. Now they are already exchanging mutual hugs and hasty kisses, and the tears that had stopped flow again from joyful happiness. “But come, he says, with joy under our roof, to our hearth, and comfort your sorrowful souls with your Psyche.”
8. Having said this, she begins to show the countless riches of the golden house, and draws the attention of their ears to the great multitude of serving voices; generously reinforces their strength with the most beautiful bathing and the luxury of a table worthy of immortals, so that in the depths of their souls, having enjoyed their fill of the magnificent abundance of truly heavenly riches, envy awakens. Finally, one of them, with great persistence and curiosity, began to ask who is the owner of all these divine things, who is she and what does her husband do? But Psyche, fearing to violate marital instructions, does not reveal her innermost secret, but quickly comes up with the idea that he is a young, handsome man, whose cheeks have just become covered with the first fluff, and is mainly busy hunting in the fields and mountains; and in order not to accidentally violate the decision she had made while continuing the conversation, loading them with gold things and necklaces made of precious stones, she immediately calls Zephyr and hands them over to him to deliver back.
9. When this order was carried out without delay, the good sisters on the way home, filled with the bile of growing envy, talked a lot and animatedly among themselves. Finally, one of them began: “What a blind, cruel and unfair fate! It pleases you that, born of the same father, the same mother, such different lots befall us! You betray us, who are, after all, older in age, to foreign husbands as servants, tear us away from our homeland, from our homeland itself, so that far from our parents we drag out the life of exiles; She, the youngest, the last fruit of an already tired childbearing, owns such riches and a divine husband, but she herself does not know how to properly use such an abundance of benefits. You saw, sister, how much jewelry there is in the house, what sparkling clothes, what brilliant pearls, and how much gold is scattered everywhere under your feet. And if, moreover, her husband is as handsome as she claims, then there is no happier woman in the world. Perhaps, as the habit of her divine husband intensifies and her attachment strengthens, he will make her a goddess. By Hercules, this is where things are headed! That’s how she behaved, that’s how she held herself. Yes, she points to the sky; This woman behaves like a goddess, since she has invisible servants, and commands the very winds. And what happened to me, the unfortunate one? First of all, my husband is old enough to be my father; he is balder than a pumpkin, has a frailer build than any boy, and keeps everything in the house locked and locked.”
10. Another one picks up: “What kind of husband do I have to put up with? Crooked, hunched over from gout and for this reason extremely rarely in love with me; Most of the time I rub his crooked, stone-hardened fingers and burn these thin hands of mine with odorous poultices, dirty rags, stinking plasters, as if I were not a legal wife, but a nurse hired for work. It is clear that you, sister - I will say openly what I feel - are enduring this with complete or even slavish patience. Well, as for me, I can no longer stand that such a blissful fate fell to the lot of an unworthy one. Just remember how proudly, how defiantly she behaved with us; this very boasting, immoderately displayed, proves the arrogance of her spirit; then, from such countless riches, she reluctantly threw us a crumb and immediately, burdened by our presence, ordered us to be removed, blown out, whistled. If I were not a woman, I would stop breathing if I did not overthrow her from the pinnacle of such wealth. If you too, which is quite natural, are outraged by this insult, let’s both seriously consult together and decide what to do. But we will not show the gifts that we brought with us to either our parents or anyone else, and we will not mention at all that we know anything about her salvation. It is enough that we ourselves saw, what would it be better for us not to see, and not to divulge to our parents and all the people about her such well-being. Those whose wealth is unknown to no one cannot be happy. She will find out that we are not her servants, but her older sisters. Now let’s go to our spouses and to our poor, but completely honest hearths; Without haste and having carefully considered everything, we will return stronger to punish pride.”
11. The two villainesses liked the villainous plan; So, having hidden all the rich gifts, tearing out their hair and scratching their faces, which they deserved, they feignedly resumed crying. Then, frightening the parents, whose wound has opened again, full of madness, they quickly go home, building a criminal, truly patricidal plan against their innocent sister.
Meanwhile, her husband, unknown to Psyche, again convinces her in his nightly conversations: “Do you see what danger you are exposed to? Fate has begun the battle from afar, and if you do not take very strong precautions, it will soon fight you face to face. These insidious girls are preparing disastrous intrigues against you with all their might, and their main goal is to persuade you to recognize my features, which, as I have already warned you more than once, once you have seen, you will not see again. So, if after some time the lamias 14
Lamia - see note. 26.
These worthless ones, full of evil plans, will come here - and they will come, I know this - then don’t say a word to them. If, by your innate simplicity and tenderness of soul, you cannot do this, then at least do not listen to any speeches about your husband and do not answer them. After all, soon our family will increase, and your still childish womb carries within itself a new child for us - divine, if you hide our secret with silence, if you break the secret - mortal.”
12. At this news, Psyche blossomed with joy and, consoled by the divine offspring, clapped her hands, and rejoiced at the glory of her future fruit, and rejoiced at the venerable name of her mother. In impatience, she considers how the days go by and the months pass, marveling at the unusual, unknown load and the gradual growth of the fruitful womb from such a short-term injection. And those two plagues, two most vile furies, breathing snake venom, were in a hurry to set sail again with criminal haste. And again, for a short time, the husband who appears convinces his Psyche: “The last day has come, the last resort; the hostile sex and blood enemy took up arms, broke camp, formed ranks, sounded the signal; already with a drawn sword, your criminal sisters are approaching your throat. Alas, what disasters threaten us. The most tender psyche! Have pity on yourself, have pity on us, and with holy abstinence save your home, your husband, yourself and our baby from the misfortune of impending doom. Oh, if only you didn’t have to hear or see these worthless women, who, after their murderous hatred of you, after trampling their blood ties, are not allowed to be called sisters, when they are like sirens 15
Sirens are fairy-tale maidens who with their singing lured sailors sailing past to the island in order to destroy them. In the time of Apuleius, they were represented as sitting on a cliff, on which the ships of enchanted sailors were broken.
From a high cliff they will echo the rocks with their destructive voices!”
13. Drowning her speech with pitiful sobs, Psyche answered: “As far as I know, you have already had time to be convinced of my fidelity and taciturnity, now I will give you no less proof of my spiritual strength. Just give the order to our Zephyr to fulfill his duty and, in exchange for the sight of your sacred face that was denied me, let me at least see my sisters. I conjure you with these fragrant curls falling on both sides, with your tender, round cheeks similar to mine, with your chest filled with some mysterious fire - may I at least recognize your features in our little one! - in response to humble requests and impatient pleas, give me the joy of hugging my sisters and comfort the soul of your faithful and devoted Psyche with this happiness. I won’t ask a word more about your face; the very darkness of the night no longer annoys me, since your light is with me.” Enchanted by these speeches and sweet embraces, her husband, wiping away her tears with his hair, promised her to fulfill everything and disappeared, warning the light of the coming day.
14. And a couple of sisters, bound by a conspiracy, without even seeing their parents, quickly head straight from the ships to the cliff and, without waiting for the appearance of the wind that carried them, rush into the depths with daring recklessness. But Zephyr, remembering the royal orders, took them, albeit against their will, into his bosom and lowered them to the ground with a light breath. Without hesitation, they immediately enter the house with a hasty step, embrace their victim, hypocritically hiding behind the name of the sisters, and, under a joyful expression, keeping within themselves a cache of deep hidden deception, they turn to her with a flattering speech: “Here, Psyche, now you are You’re not the same girl, you’ll soon be a mother yourself. Do you know how much goodness you carry for us in this bag? What joy will you bring to our whole family? What happiness it is for us to be able to nurse this golden child! If, as should be expected, the child matches his parents in beauty, probably. You will give birth to Cupid.”
15. So, with the help of fake tenderness, they little by little take possession of the sister’s soul. As soon as they rested from the journey on the armchairs and refreshed themselves with the hot steam of the bath, she began to treat them in the most beautiful dining room to amazing, perfect dishes and snacks. He orders the cithara to play - it rings, the flute to play - it sounds, the choir to perform - he sings. With all these sweet melodies, invisible musicians softened the souls of listeners. But the crime of worthless women was not appeased even by the soft tenderness of the sweetest singing: directing the conversation towards a premeditated insidious trap, they begin to cunningly ask who her husband is, where he comes from, and what he does. She, in her sheer simplicity, having forgotten what she said last time, invents it again and says that her husband is from the nearest province, conducts large trading business, is a middle-aged man, with rare gray hair. And, without dwelling on this conversation, he again loads them with rich gifts and hands them over to be sent to the wind.
16. While, lifted by the calm breath of Zephyr, they return home, they talk to each other: “What can you say, sister, about such a monstrous lie of this fool? Either a young man whose cheeks are covered with the first fluff, or a middle-aged man whose gray hair is already showing through. Who is he that in such a short period of time he suddenly managed to grow old? It’s no different, the sister, or the scoundrel, lied about it all, or didn’t even see her husband; whatever the truth is, it must first of all be brought down from the heights of well-being. If she doesn't know her husband's face, that means she married some god 16
If she doesn’t know her husband’s face, it means she married some god... - Myths tell that when connecting with mortal women, gods usually hid their real appearance.
And is preparing to give birth to a god. And if she (let this not happen!) becomes known as the mother of a divine child, I will immediately hang myself with a strong noose. However, let us return to our parents and, as the beginning of those speeches with which we turn to Psyche, we will weave a suitable lie.”
17. So, inflamed, having talked arrogantly with their parents, tired from a sleepless night, early in the morning they fly to the cliff and, from there, quickly carried down with the help of the usual wind, squeeze tears out of their eyes and with such cunning begin their speech to their sister: “ Happy, you sit, not worrying about the danger that threatens you, blissful in the ignorance of such a misfortune, and all night long, without closing our eyes, we thought about your affairs and bitterly mourn your misfortunes. We have certainly learned and cannot hide from you, sharing your sorrow and grief, that secretly a huge snake sleeps with you at night, writhing with many loops, whose neck is filled with destructive poison instead of blood and whose mouth is gaping like an abyss. Remember the predictions of the Pythian oracle, 17
...predictions of the Pythian oracle. – The oracle that predicted the fate of Psyche is called Pythian here because the most famous oracle was in the temple of Pythian Apollo at Delphi, and Apollo himself is often called the Pythian.
What marriage with a wild monster proclaimed to you. In addition, many peasants, hunters who hunted nearby, and many surrounding residents saw him returning from the pasture in the evening and wading across the nearest river.
18. Everyone assures that he will not fatten you for long, flatteringly pleasing you with food, but he will devour you, burdened with the best of the fruits. Now you are presented with a choice: either you want to listen to your sisters, who care about your dear salvation, and, having avoided death, live with us in safety, or you will be buried in the entrails of the most cruel reptile. If you like the solitude of this village filled with voices, or the secret unions of fetid and dangerous love and the embrace of a poisonous serpent, it’s up to you, at least we have fulfilled our duty as honest sisters.”
Poor Psyche, simple at heart and tender, was struck with horror by such ominous words: all her husband’s instructions flew out of her head, her own promises were forgotten, and, ready to throw herself into the abyss of misfortune, all trembling, covered with deathly pallor, stuttering, in an intermittent whisper, she began to speak these words to the sisters:
19. “You, dearest sisters, as one would expect, are fulfilling your sacred duty, and those, apparently, did not lie who told you such information. After all, I have never seen my husband’s face, I don’t know at all what he is like; Only at night do I hear the voice of my mysterious husband, and I have to put up with the fact that when the light appears, he takes flight, so I can fully believe your statements that he is some kind of monster. He himself often and threateningly forbade me to seek to see him and threatened me with great disaster if I was curious to see his appearance. If you can do anything to save your sister who is in danger, do it now, otherwise further carelessness will destroy the benefit of the original foresight.”
Then, approaching through the already open gates to the unprotected soul of their sister, the criminal women threw away all cover of secret tricks and, drawing the swords of deception, attacked the timid imagination of the simple-minded girl.
Myths and legends about Psyche and Eros (Cupid)
Psyche (Greek y u c h, “soul”, “butterfly”), in Greek mythology the personification of the soul, breath. The ancient Greeks imagined the souls of the dead in the form of a butterfly or a flying bird. The souls of the dead in the kingdom of Hades are depicted as flying; they appear to be flying out of the blood of the victims, fluttering in the form of shadows and phantoms. The souls of the dead swirl like a whirlwind of ghosts around Hecate; the ghost of Achilles appears accompanied by a whirlwind during the siege of Troy.
Myths about Princess Psyche tell about the desire of the human soul to merge with love. For her indescribable beauty, people revered Psyche more than Aphrodite. Apuleius in Metamorphoses retells the myth of the romantic love of Cupid and Psyche; the wanderings of the human soul, eager to meet its love.
The myth of the love of Eros and Psyche
In a certain country there lived a king and a queen. They had three beautiful daughters, and the youngest, Psyche, was so beautiful that she surpassed Venus herself in beauty.
People revere her like Venus herself, abandoning the old sanctuaries of the goddess.
Venus was annoyed with the mortal beauty and decided to punish her severely.
Venus, justifiably indignant, “now called to her the son of her winged, extremely impudent boy, who, in his malice, neglecting the social order, armed with arrows and a torch, runs at night through other people’s houses, dissolving marriages everywhere, and, committing such crimes with impunity, is decidedly good.” does nothing. Due to the natural depravity of the unbridled, she also excites him with words, takes him to that city and... shows “the girl, urging him to make Psyche fall in love with the most insignificant of people and be unhappy with him all her life. ".
Cupid flew to carry out his mother's orders, but everything did not turn out the way Venus wanted. Seeing Psyche, Cupid was struck by her beauty, and the beautiful princess, without suspecting it, stung the god of love himself with love. Cupid decided that the beauty should become his wife, and began to discourage all suitors from her.
The king and queen were perplexed: the two eldest daughters had already been successfully married, but Psyche, despite her beauty, still lived in her parents’ house and not a single groom had wooed her.
The king turned to the oracle, and the oracle announced (of course, at the instigation of Cupid) that the princess was destined for an unusual fate.
The oracle said that her husband would not be a man, but someone winged, scorching with fire, the threat of the gods and even Styx. He ordered that Psyche be dressed in a wedding dress, taken to a high mountain and left there awaiting the unknown husband destined for her.
The king and queen grieved for a long time, but they did not dare to disobey the will of the gods and did everything as the oracle ordered.
Unhappy Psyche in her wedding dress found herself alone on the top of the mountain. She looked around in horror, expecting that some monster was about to appear.
But suddenly a light, gentle Zephyr breeze flew in, picked up Psyche, carried her from the inhospitable rock to a green valley and lowered her onto the silky grass.
A shady grove grew nearby, and among the trees stood a white marble palace. Seeing that nothing bad had happened to her so far, the princess perked up and wanted to take a closer look at the palace. The doors opened of their own accord in front of her, and the princess, timidly, went inside.
Psyche had never seen such luxury before. The walls shone with gold and silver, the ceiling was made of ivory, and the floor, which she trampled under her feet, was made of precious stones.
Suddenly, a friendly voice was heard from somewhere: “Hello, princess! Be the mistress here.”
Psyche walked around the palace all day, but was never able to explore all its rooms. Invisible servants accompanied the princess, fulfilling her every desire, as soon as she had time to think about it.
In the evening, tired, Psyche went to bed, and under the cover of darkness Cupid came down to her bed. Psyche did not see, but only felt her unknown husband, but, nevertheless, she fell in love with him dearly. In the morning, before it was dawn, Cupid left, only to come again when it got dark.
Cupid, unable to see his beloved wife in sadness, said: “I will fulfill your wish. See your sisters, but be careful - they can give you bad advice.”
He sent Zephyrs for Psyche's sisters, and they carried them on their wings to the palace.
Coming to their senses after traveling by air and seeing that their younger sister was alive and well, the sisters were very happy. But when Psyche told them how happy she was, walked around the palace and showed her wealth, envy awoke in their hearts.
When the sisters began to ask her about her husband, the simple-minded Psyche replied that her husband was kind and affectionate, and, apparently, young and handsome, although she could not say this for sure, because he visits her only under cover of darkness.
Here the sisters were filled with even greater envy, since one of them had a husband who was old and bald as a pumpkin, while the other’s was crooked from rheumatism and constantly smeared himself with stinking ointment.
Returning home, the sisters did not even tell their parents that Psyche was alive, and they drew up an insidious plan to ruin her happiness.
Soon Psyche again wanted to see her sisters, and they, like the last time, flew to visit her on the wings of the Zephyrs.
Seeing Psyche, the sisters portrayed feigned grief on their faces and exclaimed: “Oh, unfortunate one! Your husband is a disgusting and evil snake. The local farmers have more than once seen him crawling on his belly across the river and hiding in your palace. Beware! One day he will bite you - and you will die a terrible death! And they both began to sob loudly.
Frightened and confused, Psyche asked: “What should I do?”
The sisters said: “Hide a sharp knife under your bed, and when your husband comes to you tonight, kill him.”
The treacherous sisters returned home, leaving Psyche in fear and sadness.
After reflection, she doubted the sisters’ words and decided, before killing her husband, to look at him to make sure that he really was a snake. She filled the lamp with oil and hid it near the bed.
At night, Cupid, as usual, came to Psyche’s bed. When he fell asleep, Psyche slowly got up, lit the lamp and, frozen with horror, looked at her husband. Imagine her amazement and joy when, instead of the disgusting snake, she saw the golden-haired god of love. Having accidentally been pricked by Cupid's arrow, Psyche was inflamed with even greater love for God, however, Psyche's hand trembled, the lamp tilted, and a drop of hot oil fell on the sleeping man's shoulder.
Cupid immediately woke up. Seeing Psyche with a lamp in her hands, he exclaimed in anger and grief:
“After all, I, the most simple-minded Psyche, contrary to the command of my mother Venus, who ordered to instill in you a passion for the most pitiful, the last of mortals and doom you to a wretched marriage, I myself chose to fly to you as a lover. I know that I acted frivolously, but, the famous shooter , I wounded myself with my own weapon and made you my wife so that you would consider me a monster and want to cut off my head with a razor because it contains these eyes that are in love with you. I have always urged you to beware. , always persuaded in a friendly manner. Your respectable advisers will immediately answer me for their disastrous invention, but I will punish you only with my disappearance,” he said, stopping in the garden, and flew away.
The unfortunate Psyche was left alone, crying bitterly and cursing her gullibility.
She tried to drown herself, but the river, not wanting to quarrel with the god of love, rejected her body. Seeing her, tearful and exhausted, Pan advised her not to kill herself, but to pray to Cupid, and although such advice was almost absurd, Psyche decided to find a husband at all costs.
Having reached the nearest city, in which her sister was the queen, Psyche went to her and told her that the light of the lamp had revealed to her that Cupid himself was her husband, but that he woke up and drove her out, declaring that he preferred her sister (and Psyche called Name). The enthusiastic sister immediately boarded the ship, sailed to the cliff from where Zephyr had previously carried her to Cupid’s palace and, without waiting for the wind, jumped off the cliff.
Meanwhile, Psyche reached the city where her second sister lived and told her the same story as the first; and this envious woman crashed in the same way. So, she moved from one city to another in search of her lover.
Cupid, meanwhile, flew to the palace of his mother Venus. His burned shoulder hurt badly, he moaned and complained loudly.
The efficient seagull, who learned about this, hurried to Venus and told her about her son’s illness and that people no longer fall in love or get married, and that they scold the idlers Venus and Cupid for this. The seagull also did not forget to mention Psyche, whom Cupid made his beloved contrary to his mother’s orders.
Venus was angry with her son, who dared to marry the one she wished harm without her knowledge, but the goddess was even more angry with Psyche. Venus strictly forbade gods and people to help the unfortunate woman, to give her shelter and consolation, and began to search for the “runaway servant.”
Venus appears to Jupiter in a chariot drawn by birds and demands that Mercury be given to her. Mercury announces everywhere that the one who “returns from hiding or can indicate the place where the fugitive, the royal daughter, the servant of Venus, named Psyche, is hiding,” will receive as a reward from Venus “seven sweet kisses and another most honeyed one with a gentle touch of the tongue.” "
But Psyche is ready to bow to her mother-in-law herself in order to soften her anger and find a husband.
Psyche wandered for a long time, rejected by everyone, and finally came to the palace of Venus.
At the gate, Habit, Care and Dejection greet her with abuse, beat her with whips, Venus mocks her and refuses to recognize Psyche as her daughter-in-law and herself as the grandmother of the unborn child. She tears Psyche's dress, pulls her hair and asks her impossible tasks. Promising not to allow Psyche to give birth, she mixed rye, barley, millet, poppy seeds, peas, lentils, beans and told Psyche to sort it all out in a day.
Psyche began to cry, not daring to even begin this endless work.
However, the ants took pity on Psyche, and when Venus returned from the feast, the work was already done.
The next morning, Venus ordered Psyche to bring a tuft of wool from the golden fleece rams that were grazing in the meadow. The girl obediently went, but only to drown herself in the nearest river, along the banks of which reeds grew. One reed took pity on the girl and said: “Psyche, look, don’t get close to the terrible sheep at this hour: when the heat of the sun burns them, they are usually attacked by wild rage... When in the afternoon the sun’s heat subsides and the pleasant coolness of the river calms the flock , then... you will find golden wool stuck everywhere among the intertwined branches - you just have to shake the foliage of the neighboring trees."
Psyche listened to the advice and brought Venus an armful of golden wool.
The angry goddess did not hesitate to give the next task. This time Psyche needed to fill a vessel with water from a source gushing at the top of a steep cliff. When Psyche, holding a crystal vessel in her hands, stood at the foot of the rock and looked with despair at the impregnable peak, an eagle flew past. He picked up the crystal vessel and, rising on his wings to the top of the rock, scooped up water from the source.
Frustrated, Venus came up with a new task: she ordered Psyche to go down underground into the kingdom of death, ask its mistress Proserpina for a casket of beauty and, without opening it, bring it to Venus.
The miserable Psyche thought that it was easier to die than to complete this task. She climbed a high tower to throw herself down and put an end to her torment. Her grief was so great that the cold stones from which the tower was built took pity on her. They spoke and showed Psyche the way to the underworld, teaching her to bribe the ferryman across the river separating the world of the living from the world of the dead with two coins and appeasing the dog guarding the entrance to the underworld with two pieces of bread. The stones of the tower also warned: do not even think about opening the jar that is in your hands or looking into it, do not show curiosity about the treasures of divine beauty hidden in it.
Having done everything as the tower advised, Psyche received a jar from Proserpina.
She remembered that she shouldn't look into it, but she couldn't control her curiosity. As soon as she emerged from the underground kingdom into the light, she opened the lid.
The casket contained a dream of the underworld, similar to death. He enveloped Psyche in black fog, she fell to the ground and fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Cupid's burned shoulder healed, and along with the pain, his anger towards Psyche passed away. He found her, immersed in an enchanted sleep, and woke her with a kiss. Psyche told her husband how cruelly Venus oppresses her, and Cupid promised that from now on this would come to an end. “But for now, diligently carry out the assignment that my mother gave you with her order, and I will take care of the rest,” said Cupid and flew away again.
He flew to Jupiter himself and began to ask him to establish peace between his mother and wife.
Jupiter called Venus and said to her: “Oh, most beautiful! Do not complain that your son chose not a goddess, but a mortal as his wife. I will give her immortality, and she will be equal to the gods.” He filled the goblet with ambrosia - the drink of the gods - and gave it to Psyche to drink.
Psyche became immortal, like her husband. The gods sang praises to her beauty and good disposition; Venus had to humble herself and recognize Psyche as her daughter-in-law.
Soon Cupid and Psyche had a daughter, whose name is Pleasure.
The legend of where the Fan came from
The god of the west wind, Aeolus, fell in love with the wife of the god of love Eros, Psyche. During the absence of Eros, Aeolus entered the room of the sleeping Psyche and began to kiss her. Returning Eros angrily tore off his opponent’s wing. Psyche woke up from the noise. Taking her husband’s trophy, she flirtatiously began to fan herself with it. This is how, according to Greek legend, the first fan appeared.
Good day, my dear readers!
In this article I decided to introduce you to the wonderful myth "Cupid and Psyche". It seems to me that everyone who wants to study psychology should be familiar with the historical roots of the origin of both the science itself and its name. Yes, as you probably already guessed, science, which is so popular in our time, got its name in honor of ancient Greek goddess Psyche, which translated means soul, breath.
In Greek art the soul was represented in the form of a butterfly or a young girl with butterfly wings. It was this butterfly soul that the Greeks identified as a companion to the winged Eros (the god of love, the personification of love and sexuality), who was also called Eros, Cupid or Cupid. The most famous is the fairy-tale plot of the relationship between Psyche and Cupid by the ancient author Apuleius (2nd century), which was translated into Russian by M. A. Kuzmin.
William Bouguereau
The king and queen had three beautiful daughters. People revered Psyche, the youngest and most beautiful, as Venus, abandoning the old sanctuaries of the goddess. The fame of Psyche's beauty spread throughout the entire earth and many came to the city to give her divine honors. The angry Venus, having decided to destroy her rival, orders Cupid to instill in the “impostor” love for the worst of people. No one wanted to marry Psyche, and she felt very unhappy because everyone admired her as if she were a soulless beauty, and no one sought her hand.
"Psyche, revered by people" Luca Giordano
Worried about his beloved daughter, the father turned to the Milesian Oracle, and God replied that Psyche’s husband would not be a man, but someone winged, scorching with fire, the thunderstorm of the gods and even Styx. Psyche should be taken to a high cliff and left there.
The parents obeyed and carried out the will of the Oracle. When the father brought the girl to the indicated place and left her alone, with a blow of the wind Zephyr (the god of the wind) carried the beauty to the palace, where she was surrounded by invisible servants.
At night he comes to her Amur, which leaves before sunrise. He warns her many times that if she tries to see him, she will forever lose the marital embrace. hopes to recognize her husband in the features of the unborn child she carries under her heart. She learns from her husband that her sisters are looking for her, but this meeting is dangerous. Psyche tearfully begs for permission to meet in the palace.
"Psyche shows her sisters the gifts of Cupid" Jean Honore Fragonard
The sisters come to the cliff and Zephyr takes them to the palace. So they appear several times. From Psyche’s contradictory stories about her husband (either he is a young and handsome hunter, or a venerable merchant), they conclude that he is a god, but out of envy they say that he is a dragon, ready to eat Psyche along with the child.
"Cupid and Psyche" Domenico Corvi
At their instigation, she prepares a razor and an oil lamp to cut off the head of the sleeping monster, but discovers “the gentlest and sweetest monster of all wild beasts” - Cupid.
"Cupid leaves Psyche" The oil from the lamp wick burns the shoulder of the “master of all fire,” and Cupid flies away. Psyche, hanging on his leg, flies and falls. Cupid, the “famous shooter” who, out of love, “wounded himself with his own weapon,” reproaches her for ingratitude, sitting on the top of a cypress tree, and then flies away.
"Psyche at the Throne of Venus" Matthew Edward Heil
She walked for a long time across all lands, looking for her lover, until she was forced to bow before her mother-in-law Venus, who was waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on her and had already sent Mercury to find her. At this time, Amur, sick from a burn, was lying with his mother. Finding herself under the same roof with her husband, but separated from him, Psyche had to endure all sorts of persecutions from Venus, who, seeking her death, came up with various impossible jobs. So, she was tasked with sorting a huge pile of mixed grain into grains and species, getting golden fleece from mad sheep, getting water from the Styx and bringing a box of wonderful ointments from the underworld from Proserpina.
"The Delight of Psyche" William Bouguereau
Thanks to the help of others, Psyche did everything that Venus told her, until Cupid finally recovered.
"The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche" Pompeo Batoni
Then he turned to the assistance of the supreme Olympian god and with his help obtained the consent of the celestials to marry Psyche, who received immortality from Zeus and was introduced to the host of gods.
The envious sisters of Psyche were punished for their envy and deceit by crashing on a cliff, jumping from it in the hope that Zephyr would take them to the magical palace of Cupid. From the marriage of Psyche with Cupid, Pleasure (Lust) was born.
For a long time there were disagreements regarding the translation of the name of the son of Cupid and Psyche, so the Russian poet I.P. Bogdanovich writes:
From them a daughter was born, as beautiful as her mother;
But what should I call her?
Writers don't know Russian.
Some call this daughter Joy,
Others - Joy, and Life, finally;
And let every wise man do as he pleases
A special pattern calls to her.
Nature is not changed by the name:
The reader knows that, and all the people know,
What kind of fruit should be born?
From Dushenka and from Amur [Bogdanovich 1957: 126].
Undoubtedly, such a beautiful fairy-tale plot reflects the entire essence of the human soul, what kind of torment it has to endure in defending its love, how many mistakes it makes and corrects in order to finally achieve pleasure. But the most important thing that runs through many fairy tales is that you should never lose hope of realizing your dreams!
P.S. What do you think about the plot of the myth? "Cupid and Psyche"? And what feelings did you have after reading it?
The myth of the love of Cupid and Psyche originated in Greece, but gained recognition and widespread use in Rome. It was processed and included in his book of short stories “The Golden Ass” by the ancient Roman writer Apuleius. Therefore, all the heroes of this myth, goddesses and gods, are named by Roman names, except for the earthly Psyche - she retained her former Greek name, which meant “soul, breath.” Apuleius reflected the popular, folklore origins of the tale of the love of two young people.
In one beautiful country there lived a king and a queen, who had three daughters, all three beauties. But the youngest, Psyche, was more beautiful than her older sisters, and they said that she surpassed even the goddess of love Venus in her beauty. This news reached Venus. The goddess got angry and didn’t believe it, but decided to kill Psyche anyway. She called her son Cupid, called Eros by the Greeks, a handsome, strong young man who appreciated female beauty, and instructed him to go to that beautiful kingdom where the king and queen lived, who had three daughters, the youngest of whom was called Psyche.
Be careful not to fall in love with her,” Venus instructed her son. “Make sure that she falls in love with the most unworthy person, so that she will be unhappy with him all her life.”
Cupid went to fulfill his mother's task. He arrived in a beautiful kingdom, looked around the palace, saw two older sisters, but as soon as he looked at the younger Psyche, he realized that his heart and soul belonged to her. He could not take his eyes off Psyche and forgot all his mother’s instructions. He could not resist the feeling of love and decided to marry an earthly girl.
Meanwhile, the two older sisters got happily married, but there was no groom for Psyche. Cupid did his best to drive them away from her. And then her saddened parents went to the oracle to ask about the fate of their daughter. The oracle told them that an extraordinary fate awaited her. She must be taken to the top of the mountain and left there. Her fiance will arrive there.
The oracle did not know who he was. Even more distressed, the father and mother did just that, took their daughter to the top of the mountain and left her there.
Dressed in a wedding dress, Psyche looked around. She was afraid that her fiancé would be some kind of monster. But the wind came, picked her up and brought her to the green valley where the white palace stood. She entered it and heard a gentle voice: “Fear nothing, princess, be the mistress of this palace.”
There was beautiful furniture all around, food was on the tables. In the evening, tired Psyche lay down and fell asleep. And at night Cupid flew to her. She didn't see him. Early in the morning Cupid flew away.
This went on for quite some time. Psyche became quite comfortable in the palace, and her night husband did not bother her. But one night she said that she missed her and really wanted to see her sisters. Cupid thought. Then he replied that he was ready to bring her two sisters to the palace, but Psyche should be careful with them and not tell them anything about her husband. And he flew away.
The next day, Psyche's two older sisters appeared in front of the palace. They were very surprised to see Psyche in such a beautiful palace. Psyche showed them rooms and halls. Everything around was shining with gold and precious stones. She treated the sisters to extraordinary dishes. And envy filled the hearts of the sisters. They asked Psyche who her husband was and what he looked like. Psyche could not answer them, since she had never seen him. Then they advised her to light a lamp at night and look at him. What if he's a monster?
When the sisters went home and night fell, Cupid, as always, went down to her and soon fell asleep. This time, prompted by curiosity, Psyche lit the lamp and saw her husband for the first time. He was wonderful. She realized that her sisters said that out of envy, and she fell in love with him even more. But a drop of hot oil from the lamp fell on Cupid’s shoulder, he jumped up and with sadness in his voice told her that it was a pity that she did not listen to him. Now they will have to separate, his shoulder hurts badly. And Cupid suddenly disappeared.
In great sadness, she waited in vain for her beloved Psyche. He didn't appear again. Then she left the palace and went to look for him. Finally, the paths led her to the abode of Venus. She asked the goddess of love to help her find her beloved. Venus decided to harass her by giving her difficult tasks. She told the girl to sort out the mixed pile of grain, separating the lentils, rice and wheat, and fill the crystal jug with mountain water. Insects and birds helped Psyche complete all these tasks. But Venus still did not want to allow the girl to see her son.
And she gave her a new task - to get a glass casket from the underworld and bring it to her. Psyche was afraid that she would not be able to complete this task, but the stones took pity on her and let her into the underground vault. There, the goddess Proserpina gave her a casket and ordered her not to look into it.
On the way back, Psyche could not stand it, opened it, and the dream that flew out of the casket put her to sleep. She fell to the ground and fell fast asleep. She would have slept forever if not for Cupid. He recovered and went to look for his love, since he could no longer live without Psyche. Cupid found her sleeping in the meadow. He kissed her and she woke up. There was no end to the joy of the lovers.
But Venus did not want to hear anything about the marriage of the divine son to an earthly girl. The most important deity, Jupiter, had to intervene. He persuaded Venus not to disturb the young people and gave Psyche a drink of the divine drink. She did not become a goddess, but became immortal like the gods, and soon gave birth to Amur's son, who was named Pleasure.
Butterflies, legends and myths. Psyche
People surrounded butterflies with legends and myths. Ancient ideas about them are associated with the most important concepts for humans: life and death, soul, love, happiness.
In China, the butterfly symbolizes immortality, joy and summer. A butterfly in China is also a sign of lovers. Depicted with a plum, the butterfly symbolizes longevity and beauty, with a chrysanthemum - beauty in old age, with a feather - longevity.
Due to the fact that the butterfly resembles a double-edged ax in shape, it is considered a symbol of the Great Goddess.
The ancient Romans said that butterflies are flowers that were blown by the wind.
Among the Celts, it personifies soul and fire;
In Christianity, the stages of its development represent life, death and resurrection, which is why the butterfly is sometimes depicted in the hand of the infant Christ. “The natural cycle: caterpillar - cocoon - butterfly - corresponded to human life: life - death - resurrection.”
In Europe, the symbol of the butterfly was reflected in the image of elves.
But in Southeast Asia, butterflies play the same role at weddings as we do wheat with coins and sweets. Newlyweds are given butterflies with wishes of prosperity and love. It is believed that butterflies will take the wishes of the young to God.
In Ukraine they say: if the butterfly has flown out, then there will be no more cold weather.
There is no negative image of the butterfly in any culture in the world. Only symbols of love, beauty and prosperity.
In Japan, the butterfly is associated with the image of a beautiful girl.
There, even on the occasion of a big celebration, beautiful girls dance the ritual “butterfly dance”.
In Japan, one butterfly is a symbol of love without obligations. Two - a talisman of a happy family life
And the ancient Greeks believed that butterflies were the souls of the dead, and called them in one word - psyche.
Psyche (Greek “soul”, “breath”) - in ancient Greek mythology, the personification of the soul, was represented in the form of a butterfly or a young girl with butterfly wings.
The romantic love story of Princess Psyche and the god of love Cupid is well known. Psyche was so beautiful that the goddess of love and beauty, Venus, began to envy her. She instructed her son Cupid to strike Psyche's heart with an arrow filled with love for the most despicable of people. However, Cupid disobeyed the goddess. He himself fell in love with Psyche and settled her in a wonderful palace. Cupid warned his beloved that she should never see his face, and flew to her only on dark moonless nights.
Psyche's Dream (D. Wall)
GERARD FRANCOIS Cupid and Psyche, or Psyche receiving love's first kiss.
Cupid and Psyche Anthony Van Dyck
The renunciation of Psyche. William Bouguereau
Alas! Consumed by curiosity, Psyche lit a lamp one night and saw with admiration the face of the beautiful god. A drop of hot oil woke up Cupid, and he immediately left his young wife, who had violated the fatal prohibition. To regain it, Psyche had to go through many tests. After painful suffering, Psyche is eventually regained by Cupid, and he asks Zeus for permission to marry his beloved and reconciles her with Venus.
Zeus, delighted with the power of her love for Cupid, freed her from death forever.
Marriage of Cupid and Psyche P.D. Batoni
Cupid and Psyche (W.D. Kelly)
Psyche. P. Tenerani
In Pompeian frescoes, Psyche was depicted with the attributes of the muses - a stylus and a flute. On the topic Cupid (Eros)and Psyche were addressed by Giulio Romano, Raphael, P.P. Rubens, A. Canova, B. Thorvaldsen, J. Lafontaine, “The Love of Psyche and Cupid”, Moliere, “Psyche” and others.
Nowadays just a metaphor for frivolity, the butterfly in ancient times was a symbol of immortality, its life cycle became an excellent example of this: life (bright caterpillar), death (dark chrysalis), rebirth (free flight of the soul).