Festive, Selana Candles

Eros and Psyche: the promise of eternal love

The story of Eros and Psyche inspired our third Valentine special candle, ‘Eros and Psyche’.

This famous love story is one that has survived in an account by Apuleius. For this last blogpost of this year’s Valentine’s Day celebration, we thought we would end with the story behind the candle ‘Eros and Psyche’.

What sparked our interest was the fact that not even the God of romantic love himself could escape his own power, as he too was betrayed from his lover.

Psyche: a mythical beauty

Psyche, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)

Apuleius does not tell us much about who Psyche was; only that she was a mortal princess of some unnamed kingdom.

She was the youngest of three daughters and the most beautiful woman on earth. On account of her beauty, people from all over the world came to worship her.

They went so far as to call her the second Aphrodite, neglecting to honour the goddess as they should. This understandably incited jealousy in Aphrodite who in revenge asked her son Eros to pair Psyche off with the vilest and meanest of all mortal men.

Eros and Psyche’s meet cute

Upon seeing her however, Eros instead fell in love with her and went against his mother’s wishes. He made Psyche his wife, without ever showing himself to her.

Instead he had the West Wind Zephyros carry her to their palace, and invisible servants tend to her needs there. For us at Selana Ways this palace is filled with the fragrance from all the flowers that decorate its gardens.

Psyche Entering Cupid’s Garden, John William Waterhouse (1903)

Though virtually left to her own devices during the day, with nobody to talk to except for the disembodied voices of the palace’s servants, Psyche was nonetheless happy.

When night came, Eros returned home but did not allow for his wife to gaze upon as that would bring about destruction for both of them.

Though weary at first, Psyche found that not being able to see her husband was not a bad lot, since she enjoyed being with him in every other way.

Psyche’s mischievous sisters

Psyche’s Sisters Giving her a Lamp and a Dagger, Luca Giordano (1697)

Their covert happiness was short lived, however; when Psyche learned that her sisters were mourning for her, thinking that she had died, new threats started to enter the blessed, if secret, household of Eros and Psyche.

His wife begged Eros to be able to see her sisters and let them know that she was fine. Though reluctant at first, her husband obliged her.

Upon their arrival at the rich palace where their youngest sister was mistress, Psyche’s sisters were struck with a ferocious jealousy and wormed their way into their sister’s mind.

They found out that the now pregnant Psyche had not ever seen her husband and were able to convince her that he was a monster who was sure to devour her unborn child.

Terrified, Psyche resolved that night to see who her husband was and kill the beast on the spot.

The separation

She waited for him to fall asleep and once she was sure he was slumbering soundly she lit a lamp and took a razor in her hands intent on slicing the beast’s throat just like her sisters had advised.But upon seeing her husband’s lovely form, she immediately recognised him for who he was and fell in love with him anew.

Yet as she was leaning over his sleeping form a drop of hot oil from that lamp dripped on his shoulder causing a burn which stirred Eros from his sleep. With a start he awoke only to discover Psyche’s betrayal.

Cupid and Psyche, Orazio Gentileschi (1563-1619)

He flew away and Psyche, having immediately regretted her actions, searched far and wide for her husband, intending to soothe him and win him back.

In the meantime, Aphrodite learned of Eros’ betrayal and in a fit of rage she ordered for Psyche to be found and brought to her. Psyche had wandered to various shrines of other goddesses, like Demeter’s and Hera’s, where she sought a way to get to Eros.Her wanderings were in vain, however.

Hera had advised that even though she did not think Psyche was in the wrong she would have to eventually make her way to Aphrodite and confront her destiny. And so, Psyche walked to Aphrodite’s abode, without knowing that Eros was recovering from the lamp wound in one section of the goddess’ palace.

Psyche’s trials

Now in front of Aphrodite, Psyche was tasked to prove herself to her divine mother-in-law, or else face the consequences and perish. At this point in the myth, Apuleius presents us with a hopeless Psyche who even though does not fight against the goddess’ wishes and goes out to perform the tasks imposed upon her, she prefers to die.

However, at each point in the narrative where Psyche embarks on a task only to find a way to take her own life, some disembodied voice always intervenes and helps her accomplish her tasks.

It is not made clear in the narrative why, for example, grass is suddenly infused with human speech and decides to help Psyche and tell her how to perform her task, or why a tower tells her how to collect water from the river Styx; or even why an eagle swoops down and decides to tell Psyche how she may descend into the Underworld and come back.

But they do, and Psyche is given the information that she needs at the point where she is at her lowest. She eventually succeeded in completing all the tasks Aphrodite asked of her

The fatal mistake and the victory of true love

But during her return from the Underworld she makes one fatal mistake.

Psyche Opening the Golden Box, John William Waterhouse (1903)

She could not help herself and open the lid of a box which was supposed to contain the means of beautification sent from Persephone to Aphrodite. The box instead contained a spell which casts eternal sleep on whoever opens the lid.

When Psyche opened the box intending to beautify herself so as to be presentable for Eros when she next saw him, she instead fell into an eternal sleep and collapsed on the road to Aphrodite’s palace.

In the meantime, however, Eros had had enough of staying away from Psyche. He flew towards her and lifted the sleep in which she descended, waking her up and taking her to Aphrodite himself.

The goddess finally relented, especially after Zeus’ intervention which Eros had pleaded for, and the story ends with their wedding on Olympos, where all the gods and goddesses are in attendance and where even Aphrodite takes centre stage and dances at her son’s wedding.

The meaning of the story: love conquers all

This love story is one of our favourites, although we think it could use a 21st century version, where the motivations of the disembodied voices would be more clearly understood, and where Eros’ thoughts and feelings would perhaps be described in a little more depth.

But even so, and as myths go, we leave the minute details up to you to figure out;

secretly, we think that the disembodied voices helping Psyche along her path were in fact Eros in disguise.

What do you think?

 

(Ancient Source: Apuleius, The Golden Ass 4. 28 – 6. 24. For more information check out theoi.com.)

 

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