The myth of Orpheus and his beloved Eurydice is one of the most famous myths about love. No less interesting is this mysterious singer himself, about whom not much reliable information has been preserved. The myth of Orpheus, which we will talk about, is just one of the few legends dedicated to this character. There are also many legends and tales about Orpheus.
The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice: summary
According to legend, this great singer lived in Thrace, located in the north of Greece. Translated, his name means "healer with light." He had a wonderful gift of songs. Throughout the Greek land was glory about him. Eurydice, a young beauty, fell in love with him for beautiful songs and became his wife. The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice begins with a description of these happy events.
However, the carefree happiness of lovers was short-lived. The myth of Orpheus continues with the fact that once the couple went into the forest. Orpheus sang and played the seven-stringed cipher. Eurydice began to collect flowers growing in the meadow.
The abduction of Eurydice
Suddenly, the girl thought that someone was running after her through the forest. She got scared and rushed to Orpheus, throwing flowers. The girl ran along the grass, not understanding the road, and suddenly fell into a snake's nest. A snake wrapped around her legs and stung Eurydice. The girl screamed loudly from fear and pain. She fell on the grass. Hearing the plaintive cry of his wife, Orpheus hurried to her aid. But he only managed to see how the big black wings flickered between the trees. Death carried the girl to the underworld. I wonder how the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice will continue, is not it?
Mount Orpheus
The grief of the great singer was very great. After reading the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, we learn that the young man left the people and spent whole days alone, wandering through the forests. Orpheus poured out his longing in his songs. There was such a force in them that the trees that descended from the seats surrounded the singer. Beasts came out of the holes, the stones moved closer, and the birds left the nests. Everyone listened to Orpheus yearning for his beloved girl.
Orpheus goes to the kingdom of the dead
Days passed, but the singer could not be comforted. His sadness grew every hour. Realizing that he could no longer live without a wife, he decided to go to the underground kingdom of Hades in order to find her. Orpheus sought entry there for a long time. Finally, he found a brook in the deep cave of Tenara. It flowed into the Styx River, which is underground. Orpheus went down the channel of the stream and reached the coast of Styx. The kingdom of the dead was revealed to him, beginning beyond this river. The waters of Styx were deep and black. The living thing was scared to step on them.
Hades gives Eurydice
Orpheus went through many trials in this terrible place. Love helped him deal with everything. In the end, Orpheus reached the palace of Hades, the lord of the underworld. He asked him to return Eurydice, the girl so young and beloved by him. Hades took pity on the singer and agreed to give him a wife. However, one condition had to be met: it was impossible to look at Eurydice until he brought her into the kingdom of the living. Orpheus promised that throughout the journey he would not turn around and look at his beloved. In case of violation of the ban, the singer threatened to lose his spouse forever.
Return trip
Orpheus quickly headed for the exit from the underworld. He passed the possession of Hades in the form of a spirit, and the shadow of Eurydice followed him. The lovers got into the boat of Charon, who silently carried the spouses to the shore of life. A steep rocky path led to the ground. Orpheus slowly climbed up. Around it was quiet and dark. It seemed that no one was following him.
Violation of the prohibition and its consequences
But now it began to lighten ahead, the exit to the ground was already close. And the smaller the distance to the exit, the brighter it became. Finally, everything became clear. Orpheus's heart was gripped by alarm. He began to doubt whether Eurydice was following him. Forgetting his promise, the singer turned around. For a moment, very close, he saw a beautiful face, a cute shadow ... The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice tells us that this shadow immediately flew away, disappeared into darkness. Orpheus cried desperately down the path. He again came to the shore of Styx and began to call the carrier. Orpheus prayed in vain: no one answered. The singer sat alone on the banks of the Styx for a long time and waited. However, he did not wait for anyone. He had to return to earth and continue to live. He could not forget Eurydice, his only love. In his songs and in his heart lived a memory of her. Eurydice is the divine soul of Orpheus. He will connect with her only after death.
This concludes the myth of Orpheus. A brief summary of it is complemented by an analysis of the main images presented in it.
The image of Orpheus
Orpheus is a mysterious image that is found in general in a number of Greek myths. This is a symbol of the musician, by the power of sounds conquering the world. He is able to move plants, animals and even stones, and also cause the gods of the underworld (the underworld) to have compassion that is not inherent in them. The image of Orpheus also symbolizes the overcoming of alienation.
This singer can be seen as the personification of the power of art, contributing to the transformation of chaos into space. Thanks to art, a world of harmony and causality, images and forms, that is, the "human world" is created.
Orpheus, unable to hold on to his love, also became a symbol of human weakness. Because of her, he was unable to cross the fateful threshold and failed in his attempt to return Eurydice. This is a reminder that there is a tragic side in life.
The image of Orpheus is also considered a mythical embodiment of one secret doctrine, according to which planets move around the Sun, which is in the center of the Universe. The source of universal harmony and communication is the strength of its attraction. And the rays emanating from it are the reason why particles move in the Universe.
The image of Eurydice
The myth of Orpheus is a tradition in which the image of Eurydice is a symbol of oblivion and silent knowledge. This is the idea of detachment and silent omniscience. In addition, it is correlated with the image of music, in the search for which Orpheus is.
The kingdom of Hades and the image of Lyra
The kingdom of Hades, depicted in myth, is the kingdom of the dead, starting far in the west, where the sun sinks into the depths of the sea. So the idea of winter, darkness, death, night. The element of Hades is the earth, again taking its children back to itself. However, the sprouts of a new life lurk in its bosom.
The image of Lyra is a magical element. With his help, Orpheus touches the hearts of both people and gods.
The reflection of myth in literature, painting and music
For the first time, this myth is mentioned in the works of Publius Ovid Nason, the largest Roman poet. "Metamorphoses" is the book, which is his main work. In it, Ovid sets forth about 250 myths about the transformations of the heroes and gods of ancient Greece.
The myth of Orpheus expounded by this author in all ages and times has attracted poets, composers and artists. Almost all of his subjects are represented in the paintings of Tiepolo, Rubens, Corot and others. Many operas have been created on this subject: “Orpheus” (1607, author - K. Monteverdi), “Orpheus in Hell” (operetta of 1858, written by J. Offenbach), “Orpheus” (1762, author - K. V. Glitch).
With regard to literature, in Europe in the 20-40s of the 20th century, this topic was developed by J. Anouil, R. M. Rilke, P. Zh. Juve, I. Gol, A. Gide and others. At the beginning of the 20th century in Russian poetry, the motives of myth were reflected in the work of M. Tsvetaeva ("Fedra") and in the work of O. Mandelstam.