Re-post :
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.
