Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche Part A

(Photo by Reji)

Her Dream - the young woman tells the old woman that she dreamed she was snatched by thieves the day before her wedding to her childhood friend that she loves dearly. One of the thieves threw a rock that killed her fiancee as they kidnap her. She woke up terrified. The old woman told her that dreams during the day don't come true, and that nightmares usually mean the opposite will happen.

Psyche's Beauty - the old woman tells the young woman a story. A king and queen, 3 beautiful daughter's, the youngest the most beautiful. People gathered around and revered her as if she were the goddess Venus. It was rumored that Venus had begun appearing among mortals, and the people thought it was the girl, so they showered her with flowers when she walked outside. This made Venus angry; she vows to make the girl regret her beauty. She summoned her son Cupid who had been going around ruining people's marriages and shows him Psyche and asks him to make her fall in love with the most wretched of men. 

The Oracle of Apollo - Psyche had been admired by all like a statue, but no one wished to marry her. Her two sisters became engaged easily. Psyche was left alone and sad. Her father asked the oracle of Apollo to find her a husband. The oracle told him to lead his daughter to the mountain for her fatal marriage. The prophecy made her parents sad. Her wedding was more like a funeral procession. Psyhce tells them to stop crying and waiting, that they should have cried for her the day her name became associated with Venus, and to take her to the cliff to meet her husband. The town's people and her parents left her at the top of the cliff. A wind carried her down to the bottom. 

The Magical Palace - Psyche woke by aa exquisite palace that must belong to a god. She entered the palace, surprised that none of the treasures were locked up. A voice told her that everything there was hers, and to make herself comfortable. Food and nectar appeared at the table when she sat, without servants to carry them. 

The Mysterious Husband - Psyche went to bed, afraid because she was all alone in a strange place. Her husband came to her in the night (in the dark so she can't see what he looks like) to consummate the marriage. One night he tells her that her sisters will come to the cliff top and to not answer or look in their direction or it will cause him great pain. She cried and begged him to let her see her sisters. He said she could, and could give them gold and treasure, but that she couldn't allow them to persuade her to investigate his appearance. She told him she loved him and even Cupid couldn't compare to him. 

The Jealousy of Psyche's Sisters - When her sisters come crying on the cliff, Psyche runs out of the palace to let them know she's there and they don't need to cry for her. She summons the wind to carry them down to her, and shows them the palace. They became envious of her riches and wanted to know who her husband was. To keep her promise, Psyche made up a description of a handsome man who was a hunter. She gave them gold and jewelry to distract them, but they were jealous and angry that they didn't have a life like hers. She sends them away on a breeze and they decide to not tell their parents she's alive, and to find a way to get back at her for her arrogance. 

Psyche's Husband Warns Her - The sisters hid her gifts and plotted to murder her. Her husband warns her that she is in danger and they are plotting by tempting her to see what he looks like. He reminds her that if she does, she'll never see him again. He tells her if she keeps their secret, they will have a child. She becomes pregnant, and her husband warns her that the sisters are coming. She again pledges her loyalty to him, and asks him to let her see her sisters.

Fears and Doubts - The sisters come and pretend to flatter her, they tell her if the baby takes after its father it will be a Cupid. They ask questions about her husband. She makes up . new story about him, gives them more gifts and sends them away. The sisters realize that she may not know what he looks like, so he must be a god, and may give birth to a deity. They go back and tell her that her husband is a serpent, reminding her of the oracle's prophecy. They tell her that he'll devour her after she has the baby. She admits that she has never seen her husband's features and asks them to help her.They give her a blade and a plan to sneak out of bed, turn on an oil lamp and sever his head. They promise to come help her escape with his treasures afterwards.

Psyche's Husband Revealed - Psyche implements the plan and reveals her husband to find handsome Cupid asleep in the bed. He tells her that he disobeyed his mother by shooting himself with one of his own arrows and falling in love with her, instead of making a wretched creature love her. He tells her he will get revenge on her sisters, and punishes her by leaving.

Psyche's Despair - Psyche goes to the river and Pan happens to be there. He tries to soothe her by telling her instead of suicide she should pray to Cupid. She goes to see one of her sisters and tells her what happened, but adds that he said he was going to embrace the sister and threw her out of the palace. The sister immediately makes up a story to tell her husband, goes to the cliffs and tells Cupid she is there to be his wife. She falls to her death. Psyche tells the other sister the same story, and she has the same fate.

Notes for me: The Beautiful Lady Ann (Panther) as Psyche. I haven't really worked all the details yet. I think I need to do reading B before I'll know where my story needs to go. 

"Cupid and Psyche" from The Golden Ass by Apuleius. Web Source.