Cupid and Psyche - Psyche Listens to Ceres

Psyche obeyed Ceres' (Greek Demeter's) commands and made her way to the temple of Venus (Greek, Aphrodite), and along her way, Psyche gathered her wits and tried to determine how best to approach Venus when, by doing so, she surely risked more of Venus' wrath.

Venus received her with great anger still, saying, "Most undutiful and faithless of servants-- do you at last remember that you really have a mistress? Or have you rather come to see your sick husband, yet laid up of the wound given him by his loving wife? You are so ill favored and disagreeable that the only way you can merit your lover must be by dint of industry and diligence. I will make trial of your housewifery." Venus ordered that Psyche to be taken to the great storehouse within her temple. Here there was a great amount of wheat, barley, millet, vetches, beans, and lentils prepared for food for her pigeons." Venus commanded Psyche to separate all the grains, placing the same kind of grains in a separate parcel. She ordered that the work be done by nightfall.

After Venus left her to her work, Psyche was so overwhelmed that the was immobile, mute, unable to lift a finger and begin the impossible task. While she sat, deflated and still, Cupid summoned the little ant and urged the ant to take compassion on Psyche, to assist her with this great taks. The ant mobilized a great number of his fellow ants and began sorting the piles, grain by grain, with diligence and steadiness. When the job was complete, the ants vanished.

When Venus returned from the banquet of the Gods just prior to nightfall, she exclaimed, "This is no work of yours, wicked one, but his, whom to your own and his misfortune you have enticed." She threw Psyche a bit of black bread, which was to act as a very insufficient supper, and Venus rushed out of the storehouse.

The next morning, Psyche was summoned to go see Venus who said, "Behold yonder grove which stretches along the margin of the water. There you will find sheep feeding without a shepherd, with golden-shining fleeces on their backs. Go, fetch me a sample of that precious wool gathered from every one of their fleeces."

Psyche went to the river, intending to do as ordered, but the river was too dangerous for Psyche to cross. The river god noticed Psyche's predicament and made the reeds speak, "Oh maiden, severely tried, tempt not the dangerous flood, nor venture among the formidable rams on the other side, for as long as they are under the influence of the rising sun, they burn with a cruel rage to destroy mortals with their sharp horns or rude teeth. But when the noontide sun has driven the cattle to the shade, and the serene spirit of the flood has lulled them to rest, you may then cross in safety, and you will find the woolly gold sticking to the bushes and the trunks of the trees."

At an appropriate time, the river god further instructed Psyche on how to accomplish her task, and after a time, work accomplished, Psyche returned to Venus with arms full of the requested golden fleece. Venus was displeased again, "I know very well it is by none of your own doings that you have succeeded in this task, and I am not satisfied yet that you have any capacity to make yourself useful. But I have another task for you. Here, take this box and go your way to the infernal shades, and give this box to Proserpina (Greek, Persephone) and say, "My mistress Venus desires you to send her a little of your beauty, for in tending her sick son she has lost some of her own.' Be not too long on your errand, for I must paint myself with it to appear at the circle of the gods and goddesses this evening."

Psyche was truly daunted at this next command, for the 'infernal shades' meant to go to 'Erebus,' an area of darkness and shadow that was part of Hades in the Underworld. Though afraid, she resolved to make herself go to Erebus. She paused near a tower, trying to fortify her resolve, when a voice from the tower spoke:

"Why, poor unlucky girl, do you design to put an end to your days in so dreadful a manner? And what cowardice makes you sink under this last danger who have been so miraculously supported in all your former?" Then the voice told her how by a certain cave she might reach the realms of Pluto (Hades), and how to avoid all the dangers of the road, to pass by Cerberus, the three-headed dog, and prevail on Charon, the ferryman, to take her across the black river and bring her back again. But the voice added, "When Proserpina (daughter of Ceres, wife of Orcus/Pluto/Hades) has given you the box filled with her beauty, of all things this is chiefly to be observed by you, that you never once open or look into the box nor allow your curiosity to pry into the treasure of the beauty of the goddesses."

Feeling somewhat less burdened now, encouraged, by this assistance, Psyche hurried, travelling safely to the kingdom of Hades, and she was welcomed into Proserpina's palace. Psyche refused the rest and banquet that was offered, but accepted some coarse black bread before delivering the message she carried from Venus.

The box was filled with the beauty of Proserpina, Psyche departed from the land of shadows quickly and was grateful very soon, when she reached the light of day once more. Having survived so many trials, she began to relax but then a sudden desire overtook her - a desire to see what was inside the box.

"What," said she, "shall I, the carrier of this divine beauty, not take the least bit to put on my cheeks to appear to more advantage in the eyes of my beloved husband!"

She opened the box but noticed nothing inside - certainly not the wondrous beauty that had been described and detailed previously. The box, however, was not empty. Inside, now released from Psyche having opened the box, was The Stygian sleep, a dark infernal slumber now free of its boxed prison. The Stygian sleep immediately overtook Psyche and she fell limp, right in the middle of the road, her body so still it was like a corpse without any signs of movement or life.

Cupid, finally healed from his wound, slipped through a crack in the window of his chamber and, unable to suffer the absense of Psyche longer, he flew to the place where Psyche lay collapsed. He drew the sleep up and away from her, gathering it together and putting it back in the box. He touched Psyche lightly with one of his arrows. "Again," said he, "have you almost perished by the same curiosity. But now perform exactly the task imposed on you by my mother, and I will take care of the rest."

With lightning speed, Cupid then ascended, striking upward to the heavens and brought a heartfelt, despreate story before Jupiter/Jove (Greek, Zeus). Thus, Jove was compelled to assist, so he pleaded the lovers' case very soundly with his wife, Juno (Greek, Hera) until he finally gained her consent, as well. An agreement made, Jove sent the messenger, Mercury (Greek, Hermes), forth to fetch Psyche and bring her to the heavens. Once she arrived, Jove provided her with a cup of ambrosia (only meant for the gods), and said, "Drink this, Psyche, and be immortal; nor shall Cupid ever break away from the knot in which he is tied, but these nuptials shall be perpetual."

In this way and after all this time and many trials, Psyche and Cupid became united in love. Their pairing brought forth a child and they were very happy finally. Their child was named 'Pleasure.'

Cupid and Psyche Continued

Back to the part where Cupid's real form is discovered:

Startled, awakened by hot oil from Psyche's lamp falling on his shoulder, Cupid springs to action and flies out the window. Psyche, stunned by Cupid's striking form and not thinking clearly, tries to follow him. She proceeds to extend out the window to reach Cupid, and - having no wings, herself, plummets to the ground instead.

Cupid, seeing Psyche's fall, pauses briefly to look upon her form, sprawled in the dust below and says:

"O foolish Psyche, is it thus you repay my love? After having disobeyed my mother’s commands and made you my wife, will you think me a monster and 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."

That said, Cupid flew away, leaving Psyche lying in the dirt, alone. After a time, a semblance of her composure returned and she noticed that she was no longer surrounded by the makings of the palace and gardens she had become accustomed to. Instead, she found herself near to the town where her sisters lived and once able, she composed herself further and went to them, telling her sisters of her ordeal.

Her sisters pretended to grieve with Psyche over her lost mate, however, they inwardly rejoiced, thinking then that perhaps now, Cupid would select one of them as a mate.
(Same character flaws that the step-sisters have in 'Cinderella'?)

With this in mind, the next morning, each of the sisters rose early and went out to the mountain, ascending to the top, and called Psyche's Zephyr, expecting that Zephyr would take each to his lord, Cupid. Zephyr, however, would bear neither of the sisters, and as each sister leapt to mount Zephyr, and Zephyr not sustaining their weight, each fell fast into the crevice below, dashed to pieces.

Meanwhile, in her grief, Psyche wandered, day and night, neither sleeping nor eating, constantly searching for her husband. Glancing up to view a magnificent mountain with what appeared a temple at its heights, she resolved to go there, thinking that perhaps, Cupid resided there.

She gained entry to the temple, and found herself surrounded by heaps of corn all around, some in loose ears and some in sheaves, and the corn was mixed with ears of barley. Tools of harvest lay about, too - sickles and rakes - lay carelessly strewn about, and Psyche's reaction was to put some order to this careless array of instruments.

She separated and sorted things into their proper types and places, believing she should honour the gods by doing so. Also, this might gain back the favour of the gods, and no sooner had she set the place in better order than Ceres (Greek, Demeter) noticed her efforts and spoke:

"O Psyche, truly worthy of our pity, though I cannot shield you from the frowns of Venus, yet I can teach you how best to allay her displeasure. Go, then, and voluntarily surrender yourself to your lady and sovereign, and try by modesty and submission to win her forgiveness, and perhaps her favor will restore you the husband you have lost."

Cupid and Psyche (Is This Familiar?)

(Roman deity names)

It is said that long ago a particular couple of quite some status (A king and queen) had 3 daughters - of which, the youngest was breathtakingly beautiful. The two older daughters were charming and attractive enough, however, this youngest daughter's beauty was without sufficient words to describe.

Strangers from neighboring areas would flock to pay her the kind of honour usually reserved for only Venus (Greek, Aphrodite) herself - to the extent that Venus' altars were often deserted while people offered praise and song to the young maiden.

Naturally, this offended Venus, who demanded, "Am I to be eclipsed in my honors by a mortal girl?" Venus soon asserted, "[...she shall not so quietly usurp my honors. I will give her cause to repent of so unlawful a beauty."

Venus called her winged son, Cupid (Greek, Eros) - the mischievous one, and made heavy complaint to him. She pointed out Psyche, saying, "My dear son, punish that contumacious beauty; give thy mother a revenge as sweet as her injuries are great; infuse into the bosom of that haughty girl a passion for some low, mean, unworthy being, so that she may reap a mortification as great as her present exultation and triumph."

Cupid obediently filled two amber vases from each two fountains within Venus' garden - one with flowing sweet waters, and one fountain of bitter water. He rushed to the chamber that Psyche frequented, but found her asleep. He placed a few drops from the bitter fountain to Psyche's lips though the view of her sleeping in all her unaware beauty moved him to pity. Still, he touched one of his arrows to her side and at this, she awoke.

So startled was Cupid at being under Psyche's sudden, awakened gaze, that he started, jabbing himself with his own arrow.

Despite his wound, his concern was entirely for undoing the mischief he had just started with Psyche, and he poured drops of the sweet water, drops of joy, all over Psyche's silken ringlets to counteract the effects of the bitter water.

Because Psyche's beauty overpowered the instructions Venus gave to her son, Venus was additionally insulted and enraged. Psyche's parents became actuely aware of this and they feared the anger of the Goddess, so they went to consult the oracle of Apollo on this matter. The oracle gave this answer:

"The virgin is destined for the bride of no mortal lover. Her future husband awaits her on the top of the mountain. He is a monster whom neither gods nor men can resist."

The awful decree of the oracle filled everyone with dismay and her parents grieved with abandon.

Psyche asked, "Why, dear parents, do you now lament me? You should rather have grieved when the people showered upon me undeserved honors, and with one voice called me Venus. I now perceive that I am a victim to that name. I submit. Lead me to that rock to which my unhappy fate has destined me."

The people prepared a procession and the royal maid took up her place within it, though it resembled a funeral procession much more than a nuptial occasion. Together, with her parents, family and community, Psyche ascended the mountain. On the summit everyone left her alone, with sadness in their hearts and they returned home.

As Psyche stood atop the mountain consumed with fear, her eyes brimming with tears, the gentle Zephyr (Or, Zephyrus, sometimes Favonius in Roman) lifted her from the earth and carried her effortlessly into a flowery dale. Gradually, she was able to compose her mind and she lay herself down on the grassy bank to sleep. When she awoke, refreshed, she looked around, spotting a grove of tall, magnificent trees and walked toward it.

Entering the grove, she walked until she encountered a fountain which spouted crystal-clear waters. Nearby, a spectacular and impressive palace loomed, which she took to be unlike the work from any mortal hands. Drawn to the palace, she couldn't stop her urge to enter. Every object within filled her with wonder, the golden pillars supporting the vaulted roof, the carved and richly painted walls, the scenarios of beasts of the chase and rural scenes in the paintings themselves all served to charm her immeasurably.

As she walked further into the building, she perceived that other rooms would also present all manner of treasure, beautiful and precious productions of nature and
art, and so she continued on.

Finally, a voice addressed her then became many - though she could see no sources of the words:

"Sovereign lady, all that you see is yours. We whose voices you hear are your servants and shall obey all your commands with out utmost care and diligence. Retire, therefore, to your chamber and repose on your bed of down, and when you see fit repair to the bath. Supper awaits you in the adjoining alcove when it pleases you to take your seat there."

Psyche gave ear to the admonitions of her attendants, though mere voices with no form. After repost and refreshing herself with a bath, she seated herself in the alcove where a table immediately presented itself - strangely, with no aid from visible waiters or servants. It was covered with the tenderest and greatest food delicacies, including the finest wines. Music played, as well, feeding her ears from invisible sources, including a lute and the wonderful harmony of a full chorus.

[Does this remind you of another, more modern story?]