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The Story of Cupid
The chubby, naked, bow and arrow sporting cherub known as Cupid is not based on a real person from history, but from a character from Roman mythology. His name comes from the Latin word for desire. In mythology, he is the young son of Venus. In Greek mythology, a similar figure is known as Eros, who is the son of the goddess of love, Aphrodite.
Cupid's legendary arrows can either be made of gold or lead. The golden arrows cause people to fall into true love, while the lead arrows spark sensual passion only. A mischievous imp, he sometimes uses a torch to set a fire of desire between two people. Some legends and stories state that Cupid also has a small bottle of love potion with which he tips his arrows. Cupid is thought to be the father of the little winged childlike
cherubs so often seen on Valentine cards.
The Greek version of Cupid, called
Eros, is featured in a well known myth with a girl named Psyche. (The name Psyche means "butterfly" in Greek, and is also used to refer to the soul of a person.) This girl was so pretty (she is often pictured with lovely butterfly wings in classic works of art) that people quit worshiping at Aphrodite's altars and began to serve Psyche. Aphrodite sent Eros to make Psyche fall in love with someone very ugly. The plan backfired, however, when Eros himself fell in love with Psyche, and she with him. He provided magical gardens and a castle for them.
Psyche's sisters talked her into finding out Eros' true identity. When the secret was out, Eros, in fear of his mother, left her, taking his castle and gardens away. Psyche was left alone to search for her love. In her wanderings, she went to Aphrodite's temple, thinking to find her true love through the goddess of love.
Aphrodite, in her jealousy of Psyche's beauty, gave her dangerous tasks to do. The final and most dangerous task was to take a little box to the Underworld. She was to find some of the beauty of Persephone and bring it back to Aphrodite. (Persephone was the wife of Hades, a word that is still used to denote the grave.)
Her friends and family warned her not to open the box or go to the realm of the dead, but she did it anyway. She did not find beauty inside, but the slumber of death. Eros came and discovered Psyche's dead body. He took the sleep of death from her body and put it in the box, bringing her back to life. Aphrodite forgave Psyche and let her be united to Eros eternally.
This story can be considered to be an allegory that refers to the human soul. Hardships, suffering, and trials, along with the sacrifices made by true love, prepare the human soul to be able to experience true happiness.
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