"Cupid's there, quiver reversed, bow broken,
Holding a burnt-out torch.
See how sadly he walks, poor child, wings drooping,
How he beats at his bared breast,
How the tears rain down on his hair, now lying all tangled
Thus he looked, they say, long ago, when he saw his
Brother Aeneas to the grave..."
It is perhaps through art that one can see most clearly why Cupid-the god of love-is depicted as a young boy with wings and arrows. We all know the basic concept...Cupid finds us, shoots us with his arrow through the heart and we fall madly in love. Easy enough right? But why does he have wings? This is the question that puzzled me the most, initially. After some research and deliberation I draw the most logical connection to Mercury (believed to be Cupids father and the messenger god). So Cupid is biologically love's messenger.
Next, why does Cupid shoot his subjects through the heart with an arrow to cause them to fall passionately in love (in pictures showing two sets of arrows the gold-tipped arrows are believed to inspire love while lead-tipped arrows are believed to inspire hatred)? Well, for those of us who have been in love... there is nothing more true in life then the fact that love is both the best most wonderful thing, while at the same time love is the thing that holds the most power to break you. Hence the common cliche statements such as "love is war," which makes the symbolic representation of love somewhat satirical-love is both pleasurable and painful.
All the previously stated trivia about Cupid, much of it based in experienced derived logic and much of it based Roman mythology, is argument enough to explain and praise Cupid's survival as the ultimate symbol of love through the ages.
Work Cited
"Mythography, The Roman God Cupid in Myth and Art." Loggia, Exploring the Arts and Humanities! Web. 20. Jan. 2010.
Photograph. Scoobyjosh.blogspot.com. Web. 19. Jan. 2010.
http://www.%20toniannemagickals.com/
"Simbols Dictionary - Love Simbols -- Add Love Simbols to a Painting." About.com
Web. 19. Jan. 2010
I like how you told the Roman myth of Cupid and revised it into a modern point of view. It makes it easier to understand. You point out that his father was the messenger God. That is a really strong point that supports your reason why Cupid is the God of love. Adding that he is biologically the messenger of love leaves no room for debate that Cupid carries all of these props to make people fall in love. Adding the picture of him was a nice touch too.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that u put this in modern context as well. what i found interesting that may help explain explaining him in a modern context: he was also associated with the latin word: Amor. Which we use today in spanish and italian for love.
ReplyDeleteah, cupid/eros, son of she who will be desired. his weakness was a mortal girl, psyche, an identity for dreams and other mental activity. She was not supposed to look, just touch and be touched. our class is about looking, thinking, and knowing what we want to touch, retouch, maybe even revise. it took me some neurons to revamp my circuits for this blogging activity. i think i've got it and hope it's contagious. --chance, best one i have.
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