Cupid & Psyche: Literature's First HEA
Everything has to have a first, including happily ever afters (HEAs). The love story of Cupid & Psyche is noted to be literature's first fairy-tale. Elements within the story influence tales such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Shakespeare also drew on elements from the tale for his Midsummer Night's Dream.
The story of Cupid & Psyche itself is cleverly embedded within a larger story, called Metamorphoses (which was also called The Golden Ass), written by Roman author Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis in 2nd century AD. Cupid & Psyche's story is one of overcoming obstacles with a heavy dose of soap-opera drama. You know those fickle, attention-greedy mythological gods.
The general plot goes something like this: Psyche is gorgeous and Venus is jelly. She sends her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a nobody, to punish her for stealing the adoration of humankind. But, as in all good love stories, Cupid takes a liking to her and sets her up in a McMansion, visiting her only at night. When her two sisters find out, man, are they jelly, and plot the down-fall of the simple, dim-witted Psyche. Check. She foils her own plan to gaze upon Cupid during the night, and he peaces out. But Psyche is determined to win him back and overcomes many trials, mostly with the help of Cupid behind the scenes, to be reunited with her lover. Cupid asks Jupiter to make her immortal, Jup agrees and hosts a big wedding party. Good times where had by all, except for the two sisters who were tricked into their own untimely deaths. The moral for their part of the story - you reap what you sow? Sure. But more like, don't **** with the dim-wit. The moral of the whole story? No idea. But I'm grateful for the introduction of the HEAs we all expect in our romance novels.
The element of Cupid & Psyche's story that is found directly in the original Beauty & the Beast tale is the invisible servants that care for and entertain Psyche during her stay at the McMansion. Also, at one point Psyche's sisters convince her that her lover is a devious snake who will eat her once she's given birth (yep, she's preggers throughout her adventures). She says this: "she hated the beast but loved the husband."
Viva Cupid & Psyche! May you live on in the over-abundance of romances, delivering happily every afters to readers the world over.
I read this version, by the way: Apuleius: The Story of Cupid and Psyche.
On a separate note, looking for some last minute Valentine ideas? Head on over to The Borrowed Rose on Pinterest, to browse a few ideas.
The story of Cupid & Psyche itself is cleverly embedded within a larger story, called Metamorphoses (which was also called The Golden Ass), written by Roman author Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis in 2nd century AD. Cupid & Psyche's story is one of overcoming obstacles with a heavy dose of soap-opera drama. You know those fickle, attention-greedy mythological gods.
Cupid & Psyche's Story: The First Happily Ever After
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| Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss by Antonio Canova (my own photo) |
The element of Cupid & Psyche's story that is found directly in the original Beauty & the Beast tale is the invisible servants that care for and entertain Psyche during her stay at the McMansion. Also, at one point Psyche's sisters convince her that her lover is a devious snake who will eat her once she's given birth (yep, she's preggers throughout her adventures). She says this: "she hated the beast but loved the husband."
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss at the Louvre
During our Paris adventure, we toured the Louvre, where Antionio Canova's sculpture, Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss is on display. I was delighted to see it, especially as my curiosity about the tale was on the rise. |
| October 2019 in Paris at the Louvre |
Viva Cupid & Psyche! May you live on in the over-abundance of romances, delivering happily every afters to readers the world over.
I read this version, by the way: Apuleius: The Story of Cupid and Psyche.
On a separate note, looking for some last minute Valentine ideas? Head on over to The Borrowed Rose on Pinterest, to browse a few ideas.
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