Long ago a king and queen had three lovely daughters. The youngest,
named Psyche (Greek name which means Soul), was the fairest and
brightest girl in the kingdom. People began to desert the altars of
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and worship Psyche
instead. In fact, some were even beginning to call Psyche the second
Aphrodite.
Aphrodite, furious about Psyche’s fame, ordered her son Cupid to
wound the princess with one of his arrows. “Avenge your mother!” she
cried. “Make Psyche fall in love with the vilest of men - the most
miserable and meanest beast you can find!”
Cupid set at once to do his mother’s bidding. But when the god of love
laid eyes upon the fair maiden, he felt in love with her.
Psyche's father asked to Apollo in his Oracle, about her daughter future
and
Apollo said: “Leave her alone on top of a mountain, because her destiny
is get married with a terrible monster".
When Psyche’s father returned home and reported what Apollo had
said, a cry of grief went up from the household, for they all knew they
would soon lose their beautiful Psyche. But since the commands of the
gods must always be obeyed, the king and queen prepared their
daughter for her lonely exile.
When they reached the topmost peak, Psyche spoke to her family and
friends: “Fear not. Do not torment yourself with grief, but leave me now
to meet my fate.”
Psyche cried until she finally fell asleep on the deserted mountaintop.
But while she slept, the gentle West Wind lifted her up and bore her
down to a flowery plateau. And in the morning, when she woke, she
found herself lying in a bed of grass before a great palace that had a roof
of ivory and columns of gold. A chorus of sweet music filled the air, and
the soft voices of invisible beings whispered in her ear, “ All of this is
yours now.”
Psyche wandered about the golden, gleaming palace. She bathed
herself in refreshing spring waters and ate a wonderful dinner, which
invisible hands placed before her.
During the night, Cupid came to her. “You are my wife,” he said in the
dark. “I love you more than anything. But I must ask that you never try to
look upon my face. I will only visit you in the night; but our nights will be
glorious and filled with joy.”
When Psyche asked why she could not look at him, Cupid only said,
“Honor my request, for if you look upon me, we will be separated
forever.”
Psyche loved her nightly visits with Cupid, though during the day she
was sad and lonely. One night, she asked her husband to allow her to
send for her two older sisters.
“If they come here, it will be the beginning of our doom,” Cupid said but
he ordered the West Wind to bring Psyche’s older sisters to see her.
When the sisters arrived at the palace, they were overjoyed to find
Psyche alive and well. But as soon as they began to look about and
note the splendor in which she lived, they grew envious. By the time
they returned home, they were in a jealous rage because their own
husbands were not as wealthy as Psyche’s.
On their second visit to the palace, the sisters demanded to meet
Psyche’s husband.
“I’m afraid I cannot let you see him,” she said.
“Why? Is he so ugly that you are ashamed?”
"No, he cannot allow himself to be seen. Even I have not seen him in the
daylight.
He’s very gentle and kind, and he seems to love me more than life itself.”
The two sisters grew more envious than ever when they heard how
much Psyche’s husband loved her.“We don’t believe your husband is
so wonderful after all. We’ve been to an oracle, and she said your
husband is a loathsome, horrible monster! And, that’s why he won’t let
you look upon him!”
“No! That’s not true!” cried Psyche. But finally her sisters persuaded
her that her husband was indeed a horrible monster; and they
convinced her that in the night, she most hold a lantern above him - and
then cut off his head.
In the dark, all was quiet, except for the sound of Cupid’s soft breathing
as he slept. Psyche trembled as she slipped from their bed and fetched
the oil lamp and knife she’s hidden earlier.
When she returned to bed, Psyche lit her lamp, then slowly lifted it
above Cupid’s head. She was stunned to see the flushed, shining face
of Aphrodite’s son.
As she caught herself, a drop of oil fell from her lamp onto Cupid’s
shoulder.
Cupid woke up. When he saw Psyche staring wide-eyed at him, holding
a knife in her hand, a look of sadness crossed his face. “My love, were
you afraid that I was a hideous monster?”
Before Psyche could answer, he said, “There can be no love if there is
not trust. I will never come to you again.” And with those sad words, he
started to fly away.
Then she lay alone in the cold dark night, wishing she could die.
Thereafter, Psyche wandered the earth, searching for her lost husband.
She didn’t know that Cupid was as sad as she; and that he lay in bed at
his mother’s palace, wounded by his love for her. Psyche desperately
sought help from all the gods and goddesses, but none wished to incur
the wrath of Aphrodite. Only Demeter, the goddess of grain would give
her counsel.
"Seek Aphrodite and beg her forgiveness,” Demeter advised, “for her
son now lies in her palace, mourning for you. And Aphrodite tires of
caring for him. Beg her to unite the two of you again.” But Aphrodite let
out a wild shriek when she saw Psyche humbly standing on her
doorstep. The great goddess ordered her handmaidens Trouble and
Sorrow to fall upon the girl and tear her clothes and pull her hair. Psyche
had to pass through terrible tests.
Meanwhile Cupid had escaped out of the window of his palace room;
and as he was flying over the earth, searching for Psyche, he saw her
lying unconscious beside the road.
Cupid hastened down to her and quickly gathered the sleep from her
body and closed it back inside the box. Then he woke Psyche with a
kiss.
Before Aphrodite could catch them, Cupid lifted Psyche from the ground
and carried her high into the heavens to Mount Olympus to the home of
Zeus, god of the skies; and he bid Zeus to officially marry them.
Since then, Love and Soul are united. That's what Christine had to
learnt in order to understand Erik and show her love for him.
Please, don't copy this text and photos without my permission.
named Psyche (Greek name which means Soul), was the fairest and
brightest girl in the kingdom. People began to desert the altars of
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and worship Psyche
instead. In fact, some were even beginning to call Psyche the second
Aphrodite.
Aphrodite, furious about Psyche’s fame, ordered her son Cupid to
wound the princess with one of his arrows. “Avenge your mother!” she
cried. “Make Psyche fall in love with the vilest of men - the most
miserable and meanest beast you can find!”
Cupid set at once to do his mother’s bidding. But when the god of love
laid eyes upon the fair maiden, he felt in love with her.
Psyche's father asked to Apollo in his Oracle, about her daughter future
and
Apollo said: “Leave her alone on top of a mountain, because her destiny
is get married with a terrible monster".
When Psyche’s father returned home and reported what Apollo had
said, a cry of grief went up from the household, for they all knew they
would soon lose their beautiful Psyche. But since the commands of the
gods must always be obeyed, the king and queen prepared their
daughter for her lonely exile.
When they reached the topmost peak, Psyche spoke to her family and
friends: “Fear not. Do not torment yourself with grief, but leave me now
to meet my fate.”
Psyche cried until she finally fell asleep on the deserted mountaintop.
But while she slept, the gentle West Wind lifted her up and bore her
down to a flowery plateau. And in the morning, when she woke, she
found herself lying in a bed of grass before a great palace that had a roof
of ivory and columns of gold. A chorus of sweet music filled the air, and
the soft voices of invisible beings whispered in her ear, “ All of this is
yours now.”
Psyche wandered about the golden, gleaming palace. She bathed
herself in refreshing spring waters and ate a wonderful dinner, which
invisible hands placed before her.
During the night, Cupid came to her. “You are my wife,” he said in the
dark. “I love you more than anything. But I must ask that you never try to
look upon my face. I will only visit you in the night; but our nights will be
glorious and filled with joy.”
When Psyche asked why she could not look at him, Cupid only said,
“Honor my request, for if you look upon me, we will be separated
forever.”
Psyche loved her nightly visits with Cupid, though during the day she
was sad and lonely. One night, she asked her husband to allow her to
send for her two older sisters.
“If they come here, it will be the beginning of our doom,” Cupid said but
he ordered the West Wind to bring Psyche’s older sisters to see her.
When the sisters arrived at the palace, they were overjoyed to find
Psyche alive and well. But as soon as they began to look about and
note the splendor in which she lived, they grew envious. By the time
they returned home, they were in a jealous rage because their own
husbands were not as wealthy as Psyche’s.
On their second visit to the palace, the sisters demanded to meet
Psyche’s husband.
“I’m afraid I cannot let you see him,” she said.
“Why? Is he so ugly that you are ashamed?”
"No, he cannot allow himself to be seen. Even I have not seen him in the
daylight.
He’s very gentle and kind, and he seems to love me more than life itself.”
The two sisters grew more envious than ever when they heard how
much Psyche’s husband loved her.“We don’t believe your husband is
so wonderful after all. We’ve been to an oracle, and she said your
husband is a loathsome, horrible monster! And, that’s why he won’t let
you look upon him!”
“No! That’s not true!” cried Psyche. But finally her sisters persuaded
her that her husband was indeed a horrible monster; and they
convinced her that in the night, she most hold a lantern above him - and
then cut off his head.
In the dark, all was quiet, except for the sound of Cupid’s soft breathing
as he slept. Psyche trembled as she slipped from their bed and fetched
the oil lamp and knife she’s hidden earlier.
When she returned to bed, Psyche lit her lamp, then slowly lifted it
above Cupid’s head. She was stunned to see the flushed, shining face
of Aphrodite’s son.
As she caught herself, a drop of oil fell from her lamp onto Cupid’s
shoulder.
Cupid woke up. When he saw Psyche staring wide-eyed at him, holding
a knife in her hand, a look of sadness crossed his face. “My love, were
you afraid that I was a hideous monster?”
Before Psyche could answer, he said, “There can be no love if there is
not trust. I will never come to you again.” And with those sad words, he
started to fly away.
Then she lay alone in the cold dark night, wishing she could die.
Thereafter, Psyche wandered the earth, searching for her lost husband.
She didn’t know that Cupid was as sad as she; and that he lay in bed at
his mother’s palace, wounded by his love for her. Psyche desperately
sought help from all the gods and goddesses, but none wished to incur
the wrath of Aphrodite. Only Demeter, the goddess of grain would give
her counsel.
"Seek Aphrodite and beg her forgiveness,” Demeter advised, “for her
son now lies in her palace, mourning for you. And Aphrodite tires of
caring for him. Beg her to unite the two of you again.” But Aphrodite let
out a wild shriek when she saw Psyche humbly standing on her
doorstep. The great goddess ordered her handmaidens Trouble and
Sorrow to fall upon the girl and tear her clothes and pull her hair. Psyche
had to pass through terrible tests.
Meanwhile Cupid had escaped out of the window of his palace room;
and as he was flying over the earth, searching for Psyche, he saw her
lying unconscious beside the road.
Cupid hastened down to her and quickly gathered the sleep from her
body and closed it back inside the box. Then he woke Psyche with a
kiss.
Before Aphrodite could catch them, Cupid lifted Psyche from the ground
and carried her high into the heavens to Mount Olympus to the home of
Zeus, god of the skies; and he bid Zeus to officially marry them.
Since then, Love and Soul are united. That's what Christine had to
learnt in order to understand Erik and show her love for him.
Please, don't copy this text and photos without my permission.
