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PSYCHE AND CUPID; A Theory by Dr. Harold Luvdahed (In the interest of space, the following has been greatly reduced from its original treatment; should the reader wish to read a better telling of the tale, it is suggested that reference be made to a reliable book of Greek mythology, or, a copy of Bulfinch's mythology.) ONCE UPON A TIME, there lived a king, his queen, and their three daughters. The two elder daughters were beautiful, and had married royal princes, but the loveliness of the youngest daughter was said to surpass any other mortal, and even to rival the gods. In fact, the people of the kingdom were so smitten with her that they sang her praises, showered her with gifts, and openly stated that her comeliness was more than that of Venus. Soon, they abandoned Venus' altars altogether, and no longer offered sacrifice to the goddess. Because of this Venus was furious and sought to have revenge upon the "young virgin". To do so, Venus enlisted the divine assistance of her son, Cupid. After stating her wishes ( that she should come to love a monstrosity, no less), he went into her gardens and filled two amber vases with waters from two different founts. One, which flowed with sweet water; the other, with bitter. Cupid then went to Psyche's room and drizzled a few drops of the bitter water onto her lips. Then, he lightly poked her side with the tip of an arrow. Psyche's response was to immediately awaken and stare in his direction, causing him to wound himself with that same arrow. Though she could not see him, he was so moved by the cruelty of the deed and her beauty, that he poured the whole contents of the sweet waters over her hair. There after, Psyche was sad and lonely, and her parents consulted the oracle of Apollo to know what to do. It was then that they learned she was destine NOT to marry a mortal, but a beauteous monster which resided high on a neighboring mountain. With a great procession, the inhabitants of the kingdom conducted her to its summit and left her there. While standing atop the mountain, she was borne away on the Zephyr (the wind?) and was gently deposited in a flower-filled valley. Upon awaking, her attention was drawn to a nearby stand of trees. Entering the grove, she was amazed to find a splendid palace of godly design and build. Venturing into the temple, she found it to be a depository of great treasures, art, and natural objects. While viewing these trappings, she was addressed by voices that welcomed her and offered hospitality. Openly, they told her that the palace was to be her residence, and, that they would serve her needs. As if by magic, she was served with bath, bed chambers, and food. The voices also told her that her immortal husband was soon to come, and she waited to greet him. After darkness had fallen, he joined her in the privacy of the bed chamber and caused her to promise not to try looking at him, because of his grotesque form. Psyche, enamored of him, consented to the arrangement and accepted these conditions -- for a time. Before long, she grew homesick and conveyed this feeling to her husband, who eventually gave his unwilling consent for her to bring her sisters to visit. After partaking in the hospitality of her home, they grew envious of her position; before long, they had Psyche confessing that she had never seen her husband. Further conversation convinced Psyche to secrete a lamp and knife in her bed chambers, by which to view the monster, and to kill it, should need be. One night she succumbed to temptation and shone the lamp on her sleeping lover, only to find not a hideous monster, but Cupid himself! While holding the lamp over him, a drop of hot oil fell onto his shoulder and he awoke. "O foolish Psyche" he began, "it is thus you repay my love? After having disobeyed my mother's commands and made you my wife, will you think me a monster an cut off my head? But go; return to your sisters, whose advice you seem to think preferable to mine. I inflict no other punishment on you than to leave you forever. Love cannot dwell with suspicion." This having been said, Cupid left her crying on the ground. When Psyche next looked around her splendid palace and gardens had vanished, and she found herself in the vicinity of her sisters homes. After having told them the story at length, they misled her to believe their sorrow. In actuality, they both secretly sought to supplant her. Consequently, they visited the summit of the mountain separately and beseeched the Zephyr to take them to Cupid's palace. Each in her turn jumped to embrace the Zephyr, and each in turn fell to their deaths. Meanwhile, Psyche wandered without food, drink, or rest by day and night until she noticed a temple on top of yet another mount. Thinking that it may be the home of Cupid, she entered therein. Instead of finding him, she found it to be filled with various grains and harvesting tools, scattered haphazardly. Seeking divine intervention, she set about organizing the mess and separating the grains into their respective kinds. Ceres (whose temple it was) noticed the work and told Psyche to offer herself in employ to Venus, so as to regain her husband and be respected by the goddess. Though Venus received her, it was not without rebuke. After admonishing her at length, Venus ordered Psyche to be put to the test, and instructed her to enter into the storehouse and separate the grains by type; the task to be accomplished by nightfall. Considering the task insurmountable, Psyche sat and did nothing. Feeling pity for her, Cupid caused ants to enter into the temple and to separate the grains, and to depart when it was finished. On returning, Venus admonished her that the work had not been done by Psyche, but by the intervention of Cupid. At close of the event, she gave Psyche a crust of black bread and left. The next morning, Venus told her to venture to a nearby river and to approach a flock of golden fleeced sheep that fed there. Further, she instructed Psyche to collect samples of every animals wool, then, to return. But when alone, the river god told Psyche that it was dangerous to approach the sheep, as they were disposed to attacking any who ventured too close. This god then suggested that she wait for the sheep to rest in the shade at midday, and then to collect the wool from the bushes and branches that they brushed against. Soon after, Psyche returned to Venus with a good quantity of the wool, but Venus was not fooled, and the goddess gave the mortal yet another task to perform: to take a black box to the goddess Proserpine and to beseech her to fill it with a portion of godly cosmetics, on the behest of Venus. Psyche knew that to do so, she had to travel to Erebus (the netherworld between earth and Hades) to collect the required substance. Resigning herself to fate, she climbed a high tower from which she would leap and thereby enter Erebus, but a voice intervened and told her of a cave by which she could enter, how to avoid Cerberus, and to prevail upon Charon to ferry her across the dark river. Before she departed, the voice cautioned her to never look into the box, or even to open it. Soon after, the errand was nearly finished, and Psyche was returning to Venus with the box; it was then that curiosity overtook her, and she peered into the box. What she found appeared to be nothing, but it was, in fact, a magical sleep, which immediately caused her to fall unconscious on the roadway. But Cupid, now recovered from his wound, escaped the confines of his chambers and flew to her side. Intervening, he gathered the affliction from her body and resealed it in the parcel. Once again awakening Psyche with a poke of an arrow, he told her to immediately finish her task, and that he would finish the matter. Cupid then flew to the heavens and pled their case before Jupiter, who, in turn, convinced Venus to consent to their bond. Mercury was sent to conduct Psyche to their assembly, where she was given a cup of ambrosia and invited to become immortal. Soon there after, a child was born to them, and they called her Pleasure. Perhaps it is obvious that the tale of Cupid and Psyche is an allegory of the human mind. The reader is encouraged to review this tale and to find comparisons to brain function and to think about common phrases and conceptions concerning the human thought processes. In so doing, we may all gain a better understanding and appreciation for the uniqueness of being thinking, conscious beings. # # # Copyright 1993 Dr. Harold Luvdahed ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Harold holds Honorary Doctorates from several mail-order schools, and is usually a good Fellow. He actually derives his living from working with bagatelle, while seeking his desired vocation as editor of a "true" literary magazine for one of his supporting universities. ========================================================================