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CUPID - The Most Famous of Valentine Symbols

Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love 
and lovers. He is known as a mischievous, winged child, 
whose arrows who would pierce the hearts of his victims 
causing them to fall deeply in love. In ancient Greece he 
was known as Eros the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of 
love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother 
Venus

One legend tells the story of  Cupid and the mortal maiden, 
Psyche. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and 
ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell 
deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a 
mortal she was forbidden to look at him. Psyche was happy 
until her sisters convinced her to look at Cupid. Cupid 
punished her by departing. Their lovely castle and gardens 
vanished with him and Psyche found herself alone in an open 
field

As she wandered to find her love, she came upon the temple 
of Venus. Wishing to destroy her, the goddess of love gave 
Psyche a series of tasks, each harder and dangerous than the 
last. For her last task Psyche was given a little box and 
told to take it to the underworld. She was told to get some 
of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it 
in the box.

During her trip she was given tips on avoiding the dangers 
of the realm of the dead. And also warned not to open the 
box. Temptation would overcome Psyche and she opened the 
box. But instead of finding beauty, she found deadly slumber

Cupid found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the 
sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid 
forgave her, as did Venus. The gods, moved by Psyche's love 
for Cupid made her a goddess.

Walter McCabe
EatonTown NJ
wmccabe@home.com
Updated Sept 23, 1999