Week 4 Story: My Great Love Story

We have all heard of Cupid. You know, the chubby baby with cherub cheeks and golden curls that goes around and shoots people in the butts making them fall in love? Well that version of cupid is only a wives’ tale my friends. And I would know, considering I am none other than Cupid himself.

Like I said my name is Cupid, I am 22 years old and you would think from looking at me that I pretty much have it made. Living in a giant palace in the clouds, being the god of love and attraction, I must be pretty happy right? Wrong. You see, as I’ve spent so much time helping others with their love life’s and happiness, mine has fallen by the wayside. I recently broke up with my one and only true love Psyche, a mortal woman that I met by accident while I was on a mission. Back to the shooting arrow thing, like I said most people just think I shoot arrows into people’s butts and I’m on my way, but trust me it is much more complicated than that, and no the arrows do not go in people’s butts.

So, you’re probably wondering why we broke up. Well you see, my job can be quite demanding at times and if I said I was good at time management I would be lying. Essentially cancelled dates, not calling enough, basically not putting enough effort into the relationship is what got me where I am now. Don’t get me wrong, I really do love her, but I’ve been going through a lot lately and it doesn’t help that my mom Venus (a.k.a Aphrodite the goddess of love), doesn’t approve of my divine/mortal love affair.

Anyway, since the breakup, I’ve tried dating around trying to fill the void that Psyche left, nut no other woman compares to her. I really want to try to win her back (that should be easy considering I’m the god of love, right?) but there’s just one problem, she has a new boyfriend and I’ve heard he is quite the catch. Apparently, he takes her on lavish dates, they spend tons of time together and he is the “sweetest man she has ever met”. (sometimes being able to listen in on mortal conversations is a bad thing).

But need not worry, I have come up with a master plan to win her back, but first I must win over the approval of my mother. If you know anything about Venus, you know that her love life hasn’t been roses and butterflies either. She got stuck with this real drag of a god that she never truly loved named Vulcan. To fill her need for love, she took on a great lover named Ares, (god of war). Let’s just say that that didn’t work out for her very well in the end when Vulcan found out about it. It’s true that she doesn’t approve of Psyche because she is mortal, but in reality, I think the bigger issue is that she is jealous that I have found great love like she never has. So, my plan is to get rid of that dweeb Vulcan, help get my mom and Ares back together and then go win back my girl.

Vulcan is the god of forge and metalworking so he’s not the brightest, but does he know how to fashion some nets! I figured that it wouldn’t be too hard trick him into one of his own. So that’s just what I did. Late one night I snuck into his shed and took one of his finest nets that he had woven himself. Using my charming powers, I cast a charm of lust and love over the net and laid it out in front of his house for him to awake to. The next morning sure enough, Vulcan awoke from his sleep and came stumbling out of his house to take on another day. Although, instead of taking off towards the shed like normal, he immediately saw the beautiful net and was enchanted so much by it he didn’t even realize it was his own work. “This must be the work of a great craftsman, far better than I and I am a god!” Unable to resist due to the charm Vulcan stepped onto the net to get a better look and the next thing you know he was hanging from a tree entangled in it. With Vulcan angry and confused, I came forward and told him that if he did not free my mother of her misery by leaving this place and never coming back, allowing her to have the great love that she deserved, he would surely hang there for eternity and suffer. Vulcan, who didn’t really love Venus much either gave in and fled the land leaving nothing behind.

I then went to my mother and explained to her what I had done. At first, she started crying and I thought to myself, surely this is not out of sadness? But then she raised her face and I saw that they were tears of happiness! Now free to go find Ares and live happily ever after she expressed her gratitude to me and in return gave me her blessing to win Psyche’s hand back and marry her if she will have me.

Now onto the biggest part of the plan, winning Psyche back. After Venus’s blessing I flew immediately down to earth to find Psyche and profess my love for her. Barging in on a date with her new man, I flew in, grabbed her from her seat and looked her straight in the eyes and said these worlds, “My love, I know that these past few months I have not given you the attention that you deserve or have I put in the effort into our relationship, but after you left me I realized just how lost I am without you. I have gotten my mother’s blessing and if you will have me, I want to whisk you away to the clouds and marry you, making you immortal and we will live happily ever after in the clouds in our grand palace. There is no one else that I would rather share my life with and I promise to never neglect you again.” A small tear fell from Psyche’s eye, and I gently swept it away. Awaiting her response, I looked over at her new boyfriend who looked quite dumbfounded and confused. After a moment of pause, Psyche said to me, “My dearest Cupid, how my heart has yearend for you to come and whisk me away, yes! I will take you back and be married to live happily ever after!”

So that’s it folks. Psyche and I flew back up to the heavens leaving a shocked ex-boyfriend behind and were wed in great celebration and feasting. So far, we have both been the happiest we’ve ever been and I cannot wait for ever after with her.

Psyche and I basking in our love. 

Author’s note: In the original story, Cupid and Psyche from Apuleius’s Golden Ass, Psyche is a girl that Venus despises because she tried to take on the identity of Venus on Earth as being the most beautiful in all the land and people worshiped her. Cupid, sent to doom Psyche to a lifetime of loneliness and wretched loves fell in love with her instead and brought her to his castle where he came to her only at night to hide his identity from her, and she loved like royalty during the day alone. Cupid warned Psyche that if she ever tried to find out his identity she would lose him forever. However, Psyche was tempted and one night gazed upon him by candlelight and saw that it was Cupid. Cupid fled and Psyche was left at the wrath of Venus. She had to complete many tasks in order to try to win Venus’s approval but it wasn’t until pity of the other gods helped her out and Cupid and Psyche were wed.

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche from Apuleius's Golden Ass translated to English by Tony Kline.


Web Source for photo: Wikimedia Commons. 

Reading Notes, Cupid and Psyche, Part B

Venus and the Goddesses:

• Venus became very angry when she found out what Cupid had done.  Her goddesses tried to talk sense in to her but she turned her back and ran towards the sea. 

Psyche's Prayer: 

•  Psyche found goddess Ceres and asked for her protection to hide from Venus and the goddess pitied her but said she could not betray Venus and sent her on her way.  
• The same thing happened at Juno's temple and again Psyche was sent on her way. 

Venus and Mercury: 

• Venus still searching for Psyche, confided in Mercury the messenger god to get the word out and help find her.  

Venus and Psyche: 

• Psyche was found and Venus dragged her into her chamber by the hair and laughed.  Psyche pregnant, was tortured by Anxiety and Sorrow.  Venus ordered her sort a huge pile of different beans and wheat, which she would come back and check for approval.  
• A single ant took pity on Psyche and called all his ants to help sort the pile and then vanished. 

Psyche's Next Task: 

• Venus thought that the work had been done by Cupid and threw her a piece of bread and went to sleep.  The next day, Venus instructed Psyche to go get a sheep's wool and Psyche went planning to throw herself off the cliff instead. 
• A simple reed told Psyche not to kill herself but to wait until the sun set and wool would be clinging to the trees that she could collect. 
• Venus was not impressed and gave her another task to collect freezing water from am dark spring under the cliff. 

The Third Task: Task Accomplished

• The mountain was jagged with snakes and there was now way down, but Jupiter's eagle took pity on her and came to her. 
• Telling her that she would never be able to get the water herself and live, he took the phial adn filled it with water.  

The Jar of Beauty: 

• Even with the phial filled, Venus was still unhappy. She told her to go to the underworld and ask for some of Prosperine's beauty.  Psyche knew this was the end. 
• With instructions from the turret she was able to go to the underworld and back and get the jar of divine beauty.  However, she said she might as well take some for herself.  

The Sleep of the Dead

• Inside the jar was not beauty, but slumber that attacked her and put her to sleep.  
• Cupid, feeling better from his burn came to Pysche's rescue and woke her.  He went to Jupiter and asked for pity and she granted it, in return for a beautiful girl.  

The Wedding Feast: 

• With the help of Jupiter, Cupid and Psyche were married, making Psyche immortal so the wedding was equal.  
• Their daughter was born and named Pleasure. 

Cupid and Psyche's Wedding Feast. Web Source. 

Lucius and the Robbers: 

• back to the original story, Lucius the donkey became maimed during travel and the bandits said they were going to toss him over the cliff. 

The Escape: 

• Lucius escaped with the girl on his back. 

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche from Apuleius's Golden Ass. Translated to English by Tony Kline. 

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche, Part A

The Captive Woman:

• Lucius, the hero of the story has been turned into a donkey and stolen by a band of robbers and being used as a pack mule. 
• One night the robbers come back with a beautiful girl that they kidnapped from one of the rich families in order to get ransom money.  They told her not to fear for her life, they  just wanted money.  
• The girl cried and cried and began to torment herself, and the old woman that was sent to comfort her became angry that she may may ruin her bandit's chance of getting money. 

Her Dream:

•  The girl explained that the kidnapping had taken place on her wedding night, and that she had had a dream about it as well where the bandits kill her lover. 
• The old woman comforted her and said not to let a dream disturb her.  Dreams that come in the daytime are proven to be untrue, and nightmares often signifies the opposite.  The old woman started to tell her "an old wives tale". 

Psyche's Beauty and the Anger of Venus

• The story starts with a king and queen who had three beautiful daughters, the youngest being so beautiful that human speech could not describe her.  People bowed to her as the goddess Venus. 
• Word spread of Venus's human state and people came far and wide to see her.  Venus's shrines and temples became abandoned as there was no need for them anymore.  
• Venus herself was angered by all the praise going to a mere mortal girl.  She swore that she would reap no joy from using her name and that she would regret her beauty. 
• She summoned her wicked son, Cupid who goes around at night with his bow and his arrow ruining marriages and committing shameful acts.  She told him to doom Psyche with a wretched man, who would become nothing significant.  

The Oracle of Apollo: 

• Even with Psyches beauty, no man wished to marry her.  Her sisters became married to royal men and she was left at home alone.  
• Psyche's father, worried about anger from the gods prayed to the oracle of Apollo that they would send a man to marry her.  Apollo replied that if the girl were married her children would be evil serpents. 
• Psyche went to her dreadful wedding and told everyone to leave her as she was actually going to her funeral.  After everyone left she was whisked from the mountain top by a zephyr and laid down in the valley on a bed of flowers. 

The Magical Palace: 

• Psyche awoke to a beautiful  palace, made by divine hands. 
• Exploring she found beautiful treasure and wealth, and a voice spoke to her saying it was all hers and to go to her room and bathe, and her servants will ready the feast when she is ready.  All the servants and voices were invisible. 

The Mysterious Husband: 

• During the night her "husband" came and took her virginity and then left and voices spoke to her for several nights consoling her solitude.  
• Psyche's family, mourning her aged greatly and lamented in sorrow. 
• Psyche's husband said that her sisters (who think she is dead) will one day come to the cliff and yearn for her and that if she answers she will bring utter ruin to herself.  She promised to behave and ignore them.  She was sad thought and wished to see her sisters and ease their sorrows. 
• Her husband agreed to let her sisters come visit but again urged her not to listen to what they had to say or she would again be ruined. 

The Jealousy of Psyche's Sisters: 

• Psyche showed her sisters all her wealth and treasure and her sisters became envious and questioned her husband.  They then became very angry that they have suffered a great deal while she has lived in paradise and said they would return and punish her arrogance. 

Psyche's Husband Warns Her: 

• While Psyche's sisters planned her murder with their parents, her husband warned her once more that if she examine his features she will never see him again.  The sisters were coming and he warned her again.  However, she wept for her sisters and giving in, he let Zephyr bring them. 

Fears and Doubts: 

• Psyche's sisters tricked her into killing her husband in his sleep. 

Psyche's Husband Revealed: 

• As she drew her blade, she saw that her husband, was actually Cupid.  She admired him and fell in love with him anymore.  However, oil from the lamp fell on his shoulder and woke him and he flew away and told Psyche that his mother told him to give her a wretched marriage, but that he disobeyed her and made her his wife instead.  He said he would take revenge on her evil sisters and never see her again. 

Psyche's Despair: 

• Psyche returned to her sisters, and both of them tried to leap off the cliff to become Cupid's new wife, and they both fell to their deaths on the jagged rocks. 

Psyche fawning over Cupid. Web Source. 

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche from Apuleius's Golden Ass. Translated to English by Tony Kline.