The goddess Psyche and myths about her have always been very popular. Particularly beautiful and romantic is the story of her relationship with Cupid (Eros). This plot has become 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 the ancient Greek (as well as the 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 portrayed 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 a well-known saying and a favorite analogy appeared.
Butterfly psyche was depicted on tombstones next to the skull and other important symbols of death. Murals with this goddess were found during excavations of Pompeii - here she was painted with a stylus, flute and some other musical attributes. And the frescoes of the Vettiev house depict different scenes in which Eros and Psyche pick flowers, work in an oil mill, etc. By the way, on the gems created in the III-I centuries BC, many different interpretations of the story of the love of two gods are described.
Where did the myth of Psyche and Cupid come from?
It is impossible to find out exactly when it was in folklore that the first references to the goddess-soul and the tragic story of her love appeared. The first small references were found in the works of Homer and some other historians of the time.
The myth is completely contained in the works of Apuleius, a well-known 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 "Golden Donkey" (another name - "Metamorphoses"), created in the second century AD. This novel consists of eleven volumes, all of which have come to us, with the exception of a few corrupted pages. It was in “Metamorphoses” that Apuleius wrote about Eros and Psyche - in this form, a myth and has survived to this day.
Psyche's Love Story: Part One
According to legend, one king had three daughters, the youngest of which is Psyche. The goddess (still a simple girl) was so beautiful that men from all over the world gathered to admire her charms. Over time, they began to worship her as a deity, forgetting about Aphrodite, which could not but anger her.
That is why, using various methods, Aphrodite convinced Psyche's father to put his daughter in wedding clothes and marry the most terrible monster. The girl suddenly found herself in an unknown castle next to her husband, who set her the 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, who is her husband, will soon eat both her and the unborn child. Trusting Psyche that night, armed with a lamp and a dagger, went to her husband’s bedroom, where she first saw the beautiful face of her husband Eros. From surprise and surprise, she strongly tilted the lamp - 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 roam the earth until she finds her beloved husband. On this way, many obstacles awaited her. But, in the end, she managed to find out that Eros is 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 with her son only if she could complete four tasks. All the 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 new knowledge and skills. She did not just do everything possible to meet her beloved — she developed to become worthy of God.
For example, at first Aphrodite took the girl to a room with a huge pile of different seeds and ordered to sort them. Psychologists consider this an important symbolism. Before making a final serious decision, a woman should be able to understand her feelings, cast off her fears, and separate something important from completely insignificant.
Then Psyche was supposed to get a little golden fleece from the sunny rams. These huge aggressive monsters would trample the girl, dare she pass between them. But the reed told her to wait until the night when the animals left 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 the characteristics of her personality, ability to empathy.
In the third task, Psyche was supposed to draw water from a forbidden source that was thrown from the cracks of the highest rock. Naturally, the girl could have been killed to death if an eagle had not come to the rescue in this matter. Some experts believe that such a metaphor means the ability to see the general picture of what is happening, which is extremely important for solving some problems.
The final task is to bring a box with healing ointments from the underworld. Yes, to go down to the underworld was equal to death. But the essence of the task is to focus on your goal and, if necessary, say no. After all, on the way, Psyche met a lot of people begging her to share the medicine. Thus, a woman does not allow herself to be used, despite her pity and sincere sympathy.
Ending story
When Psyche returned from the underworld, she decided to use a little healing ointment from the casket to erase the traces of suffering from her face before meeting her husband. She did not know that in fact in the chest was the spirit of Hypnos - the god of sleep. And after all the wanderings, Psyche fell asleep in a deep sleep. Here, Eros found her, waking her arrow of love.
After that, the god of love took his betrothed to Olympus, where he received permission from Zeus to marry. The Thunderer granted the girl immortality and introduced her to the pantheon of the gods. The goddess Psyche and Eros gave birth to a child - Volupiya, 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 fantastic tales. In fact, this is not entirely true - experts in the study of ancient myths argue 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 by different people of similar events as evidence of the existence of the so-called "collective unconscious."
Educators, teachers, and psychologists believe that reading myths is a useful activity, as it allows us to explain in an accessible form this or that situation, feelings, ethical rules, and patterns.
Ancient Greek myth in literary works
In fact, the romantic story of the fusion of soul and love became the basis for the plots of many famous
literary works. In particular,
Jean de Lafontaine 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. A. Kuprin, V. Bryusov, M. Tsvetaeva have “Psyche”. And in the famous work of Suskind “Perfumer. The Story of a Murderer "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 recall the "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast", as well as many tales, where the older evil sisters pretty much spoil the life of the main character - there are really many such works.
The story of the goddess in music
Of course, the musicians could not ignore such a substantial and philosophical myth. The story of Cupid and Psyche was used to create a mass of real masterpieces. In particular, in 1678 a lyrical tragedy (opera) by Jean-Baptiste Lully appeared under the name "Psyche". By the way, the author of the libretto used is Tom Cornell. And Cesar Frank 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.
Visual Arts: The Myth of Cupid and Psyche
Naturally, dozens and even hundreds of artists used the myth as the main plot for their paintings. After all, Psyche is a goddess who personifies a passionate, strong and at the same time gentle woman, capable of everything for the sake of being able to be with her beloved. For example, the work of Batoni Pompeo entitled “The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche” is very popular. In 1808, Prudon created the painting "Psyche, abducted by marshmallows."
In 1844, Bouguereau's work appeared entitled Ecstasy of Psyche. A masterfully created picture is considered one of the most popular illustrations of the myth. Cupid and Psyche were repeatedly portrayed by Raphael, Giulio Romano, as well as P. Rubens. Francois Gerard created a beautiful picture called "Psyche, receiving the first kiss." A touching love story was also portrayed by A. Canova, Auguste Rodin.