The Goddess Psyche and myths about her have always been very popular. The story of her relationship with Cupid (Eros) is considered especially beautiful and romantic. This story became the basis for many works of art. And some psychologists are convinced that this myth is not just a beautiful fairy tale, but also a deep, philosophical work.
Goddess Psyche: who is she?
In ancient Greek (as well as ancient Roman) culture, Psyche was a kind of personification of the soul. Most often, the goddess was described as a girl with wings, and sometimes depicted as a butterfly. By the way, in some sources there are stories about how Eros chased a butterfly with a torch, probably this is how the well-known saying and favorite analogy appeared.
Psyche-butterfly was depicted on tombstones next to the skull and other important symbols of death. Frescoes with this goddess were found during the excavations of Pompeii - here she was painted with a lead, flute and some other musical attributes. And the frescoes of the House of the Vettii depict various scenes, inwhom Eros and Psyche gather flowers, work at the oil mill, etc. By the way, many different interpretations of the love story of two gods are described on gems created in the 3rd-1st centuries BC.
Where did the myth of Psyche and Cupid come from?
It is impossible to find out exactly when the first mention of the goddess-soul and the tragic story of her love appeared in folklore. The first small mentions are found in the works of Homer and some other historians of that time.
The myth is completely contained in the works of Apuleius, a famous ancient Roman writer and philosopher. The only thing known about the author is that he was born in one of the African provinces of Rome, namely in Madavra. Apuleius created many works during his life, and he wrote both in Latin and in Greek. The most famous work of the writer is the novel "The Golden Ass" (another name is "Metamorphoses"), created in the second century AD. This novel consists of eleven volumes, and all of them have come down to us, with the exception of a few damaged pages. It was in Metamorphoses that Apuleius wrote about Eros and Psyche - in this form the myth has survived to this day.
Psyche's Love Story Part One
According to legend, one king had three daughters, the youngest of whom was Psyche. The goddess (still a simple girl) was so beautiful that men from all over the world came to admire her beauty. Over time, they began to worship her as a deity, forgetting about Aphrodite, which could not help but anger her.
That's whyUsing various methods, Aphrodite convinced Psyche's father to dress his daughter in wedding clothes and marry her to the most terrible monster. The girl suddenly found herself in an unknown castle next to her husband, who set her a condition - she should never see his face.
When the happy and pregnant Psyche went to visit her parents, the sisters scared her, saying that the terrible monster that is her husband would soon eat both her and the unborn child. The trusting Psyche that night, armed with a lamp and a dagger, went to her husband's bedroom, where for the first time she saw the beautiful face of her husband Eros. In surprise and surprise, she tilted the lamp strongly - a few drops of oil fell on her husband's skin. When Eros woke up and realized what exactly Psyche was going to do, he abandoned her.
A pregnant and abandoned woman is doomed to wander the earth until she finds her beloved husband. Many obstacles awaited her along the way. But, in the end, she managed to find out that Eros was in the house of her mother Aphrodite - here the tormented girl was met by the great goddess herself. Psyche agreed to fulfill all the whims of her mother-in-law in the hope of seeing Eros.
Four tests for the Soul from the point of view of psychologists
Aphrodite told the girl that she would allow her to meet her son only if she could complete four tasks. All tasks were practically impossible, but each time Psyche miraculously managed to solve them. Psychologists have their own opinion on this matter. After each completed task, the woman acquired newknowledge and skills. She didn't just do her best to meet her loved one - she evolved to become worthy of a god.
For example, first Aphrodite took the girl to a room with a huge pile of different seeds and ordered them to be sorted. Psychologists consider this an important symbolism. Before making a final serious decision, a woman must be able to sort out her feelings, cast aside fears, separate something important from completely insignificant.
Then Psyche had to get some golden fleece from the solar rams. These huge aggressive monsters would trample the girl if she dared to pass between them. But the reed told her to wait for the night when the animals leave the field. From the point of view of psychologists, such a task is a metaphor - a woman should be able to gain strength without losing her personality traits, the ability to empathize.
In the third task, Psyche had to draw water from a forbidden spring that rushed from the cracks of the highest rock. Naturally, the girl could have been crushed to death if the eagle had not come to her aid in this matter. Some experts believe that such a metaphor means the ability to see the big picture of what is happening, which is extremely important for solving some problems.
The last task is to bring a box with healing ointments from the underworld. Yes, going down to the underworld was equal to death. But the essence of the task is to focus on your goal and say “no” if necessary. Indeed, along the way, Psyche met many people who begged her to share the medicine. Thus the woman is notallows himself to be used, even in spite of pity and sincere sympathy.
The end of the story
When Psyche returned from the underworld, she decided to use some healing ointment from the chest to wipe the traces of suffering from her face before meeting her husband. She did not know that in fact the chest contained the spirit of Hypnos, the god of sleep. And after all the wanderings, Psyche fell into a deep sleep. Here Eros found her, waking her up with his arrow of love.
After that, the god of love took his betrothed to Olympus, where he received Zeus's permission to marry. The Thunderer granted the girl immortality and introduced her to the pantheon of gods. The goddess Psyche and Eros gave birth to a child - Volupia, the goddess of pleasure. Only the union of soul and love can give rise to real pleasure, real happiness.
Myth or reality?
Many readers perceive myths as some fantasy tales. In fact, this is not entirely true - experts involved in the study of ancient myths claim that each such story carries a very deep philosophy.
Psychologists often used the image of Psyche to draw analogies. And Jung explained the appearance of similar myths and the description of the same events by different people as proof of the existence of the so-called "collective unconscious".
Educators, teachers and psychologists believe that reading myths is a useful activity, as it allows one or another situation, feelings, ethical rules and patterns to be explained in an accessible form.
Ancient Greek myth in literary works
In fact, the romantic story of the fusion of soul and love has become the basis for the plots of many famous literary works. In particular, Jean de La Fontaine created The Love of Psyche and Cupid. Ippolit Bogdanovich used the myth to create Darling. There is also an "Ode to Psyche" written by John Keats. "Psyche" is in A. Kuprin, V. Bryusov, M. Tsvetaeva. And in the famous work of Suskind “Perfumer. The story of one killer" spirits are named after the goddess.
And the myth of Psyche, at least its echoes, can be seen in folk art and children's stories. One has only to think about "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast", as well as many fairy tales where older evil sisters pretty much spoil the life of the main character - there are really a lot of such works.
The story of the goddess in music
Of course, musicians could not ignore such a meaningful and philosophical myth. The story of Cupid and Psyche has been used to create a mass of true masterpieces. In particular, in 1678, a lyrical tragedy (opera) by Jean-Baptiste Lully called "Psyche" appeared. By the way, the author of the libretto used is Tom Corneille. And Cesar Franck created an oratorio called "Psyche" for a symphony orchestra and choir.
If we talk about more modern art, then in 1996 in the city of Kurgan the musical group "Psyche" was created, working in the style of alternative rock.
Fine art: the myth of Cupid and Psyche
Of course, dozens and even hundreds of artistsused myth as the main subject for their paintings. After all, Psyche is a goddess who personifies a passionate, strong and at the same time soft woman, capable of anything for the opportunity to be with her beloved. For example, the work of Batoni Pompeo en titled "The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche" is very popular. In 1808, Prudhon created the painting Psyche Kidnapped by Marshmallows.
In 1844, Bouguereau's work en titled "The Ecstasy of Psyche" appeared. The masterfully crafted painting is considered one of the most popular illustrations of the myth. Cupid and Psyche were repeatedly depicted by Raphael, Giulio Romano, and also by P. Rubens. François Gerard created a beautiful painting called "Psyche receiving her first kiss". A touching love story was also portrayed by A. Canova, Auguste Rodin.
