Famous in the world of romance is the cuddly little cupid, wielding his dainty bow and arrow, and fluttering around in search of lonely hearts to shoot love into. Did you know that cupid is a god? Who is cupid exactly?
Widely popular on Valentines Day, the winged cupidmay not seem like a god; an angel perhaps, but no more. However, Cupid is no angel, and is certainly no cherub. Cupid was the god of love in Ancient Roman mythology.
Who was the god Cupid? What made Cupid the god of love? Even more interesting, who did the Roman god of love himself helplessly fall in love with?
The Roman Cupid
And by and by she [Venus] called her winged son Cupid.
— Apuleius
Knack for amorous romance apparently runs in the family. The god Cupid — in Latin Cupido,meaning “Desire” — was the son of none other the Roman goddess of love, Venus.
Many often confuse the Roman god Cupid with the Greek love god Eros, son of Aphrodite. Those people have good reason to, since Greek and Roman mythology have been an inextricable pair, with the Romans finding equivalents of their gods in Greek mythology. Still, the Roman Cupid and the Greek Eros are twodifferentgods, albeit of similar role. Each god has stories native to him, and one is imagined differently from the other.
In his portrayals Eros was either a full-grown man or chubby little child who doesn’t grow up. On the other hand, the Roman love god blossomed out to become a handsome young man. How beautiful was the Roman god of love?
Cute Cupid
She saw his hairs of gold, that yielded out a sweet savour: his neck more white than milk: his purple cheeks, his hair hanging comely behind and before, the brightness whereof did darken the light of the lamp.
— Apuleius
Born of the goddess of beauty herself, Cupid, god of love, is a divinely beautiful deity, whose fine features epitomize innocent youth, and yet make their owner incredibly attractive. Fragrant golden hair waves around the Roman love god’s delicately rosy cheeks, and his skin is so gorgeously smooth, soft and extraordinarily fair. There is light that shines from the Roman god Cupid, and his brightness puts the lamplight in shadow.
Feathered wings arched above the god Cupid’s shoulders, while quiver filled with arrows hangs against his back. A bow oftentimes lay in the Roman god of love’s hand. For what purpose, you might wonder, are Cupid’s arrows and bow?
Cupid Bow
The gods themselves and powers that seem so wise, with mighty love be subject to his might.
— Apuleius
Also known in Latin as Amor — meaning “Love,” the god Cupid’spower — Cupid both wonderfully and dangerously lives up to his name as the Roman god of love. Cupid sows love in one’s heart, the most basic of love; the carnal, romantic ardor; the raw, almost animalistic passion of lovers. When one is enchanted by the Roman love god’s magic, that defenseless soul, whether god or human, sees the world in a new light, and finds another to be his perfect partner.
How the Roman god Cupid enamors people is through his bow and arrow. Cupid’s arrows are tipped with fire, fire that burns with ardent passion, flames that crackle with fiery hot love. Cupid, god of love, withdraws arrow from his quiver, pull the love-poisoned arrow on his bow string, and — twang — one helpless soul falls madly in love. Do gods and humans find such a love beneficial?
Cupid Love
O rash and bold lamp, the vile ministry of love, how darest thou be so bold as to burn the god of all fire when he invented thee, to the intent that all lovers might with more joy pass the nights in pleasure?
— Apuleius
Cupid, the Roman god of love, keeps the fire of passion and pleasure alive in the cold of night. However irreconcilable with the playful rascal’s facade, too babyish for lust and erotic desire, the god Cupid’s power and function are to ignite and rekindle the flames that draw lovers in a tight embrace, lock the two souls in fierce kisses, and take their earthly bodies down to the naked, cosmic climax that is the consummation of love.
To command human beings to multiply and populate the world is by no means enough. There needs to be a god who impregnates people with the irresistible urge to actually mate and breed. So have babies come out of the womb: thanks to the Roman love god. Has the Roman god Cupid been this popular among gods and mortals, though?
Cupid Arrows
Cupid, rash enough and hardy, who by his evil manners, contemning all public justice and law, armed with fire and arrows, running up and down in the nights from house to house, and corrupting the lawful marriages of every person, doth nothing but that which is evil.
— Apuleius
Unfortunately it was not only lawfully single men and women who were penetrated by the god Cupid’s arrows. The Roman god of love is a little prankster, naughty and reckless, playful and mischievous, bearing little regard for order and propriety, caring not who his arrows struck, but interested most of all in game and fun, playing his frivolous little pranks that cause much havoc and mayhem. In a frolicsome manner the Roman love god shoots burning passion into hearts that would otherwise morally refuse to love.
The Roman god Cupid even enchanted his own mother, throwing the goddess of love into quite a few illicit love affairs. Was there no one who was invulnerable to the Roman god of love’s magic?
The Baby Cupid
Howbeit, remembering … that I [Jupiter] have nourished thee with mine own proper hands, I will do and accomplish all thy desire.
— Apuleius
The Roman god Cupid was not raised by her mother alone. No less than the father of gods had to step in to discipline such a troublesome spirit. Exactly who it was that brought up the Roman god of love, however, mortals fail to agree.
Some say it was Saturn, the god of agriculture, who in exasperation was compelled to cut Cupid’s wings off with a scythe.
Others, including Apuleius, who told the myth of Cupid in his novel Metamorphoses, say that it was Saturn’s son Jupiter who had to suffer rearing the Roman love god, and got himself hit by cupid arrows more than a few times. The god Cupid made the king of gods turn himself into savage beasts — birds, bull and other shapes — just to consummate love for the women that the impish love god’s arrow pricked him for. Was Cupid the god of love himself immune to his own arrows?
Cupid’s Heart
O simple Psyche, consider with thyself, how I, little regarding the commandment of my mother, who willed me that thou shouldst be married to a man of base and miserable condition, did come myself from heaven to love thee, and wounded my own body with my proper weapons to have thee to my spouse.
— Apuleius
No one needs the god Cupid’s magic to love by his own will, but the Roman god of love, upon finding love in a mortal maiden, properly wounded himself with his arrow to fuel his passion. It was a relationship disdained by his mother, who had in fact instructed the Roman love god to ruin the girl by making the beautiful mortal lust after the ugliest of creatures.
Beauty, it seems, has a way of finding its path to a man’s heart. The enamored god of love could not bear leave the fairest of maidens to the vilest of monsters. The Roman god Cupid defied his mother and instead took care of the beautiful mortal. Cupid, god of love, housed and married the mortal named Psyche. Did Psyche know she was marrying a god?
Cupid and Psyche
And when with great pleasure she viewed all these things, she heard a voice without any body.
— Apuleius
Psyche knew she bedded a god, but never knew which god. Psyche never beheld her husband, never saw how he looks, never knew who she was sleeping with at night. The Roman god Cupid kept himself invisible from her, kept Psyche in the dark about his identity, on account that if Psyche knew, and her sisters consequently knew, and other people far off knew — his mother would know, and that meant big trouble both for Cupid and Psyche, who of her beauty had robbed the goddess of beauty herself of her followers.
Venus is jealous of Psyche, and wants the most beautiful mortal ruined, undone. Finding out that her son, instead of delivering the girl to her undoing, has chosen Psyche as daughter-in-law to the goddess, would throw Venus into a rage. Thus, thinking of the best for both him and his wife, the Roman god of love kept himself invisible to Psyche: an effort of pure mature love from a rather mischievous youth. Did the mortal Psyche love the god back?
The Image of Cupid
O wretched caitiff, behold thou werest well-nigh perished again with thy overmuch curiosity.
— Apuleius
Not fiercely enough to keep her from raising the razor and spilling the lamp that burned him, no, Psyche did not love the god Cupid enough. But who can blame Psyche, not having seen the creature lying beside her in bed, unknowing whether it was a man or a monster?
Her sisters told Psyche it was a serpent, a huge serpent just waiting for her to give birth so it could devour both her and her child. Fear threw Psyche into a panic, and she resolved to kill her husband. Razor in hand and lamp on the other, Psyche charged at the Roman god of love, who lay in exhausted sleep on their bed. Did Psyche manage to cut Cupid’s head off?
Cupid Wings
The god being burned in this sort, and perceiving that promise and faith was broken, he fled away without utterance of any word, from the eyes and hands of his most unhappy wife.
— Apuleius
Had the lamplight not revealed the beauty of the Roman god of love, Psyche might have sliced Cupid’s lovely neck. But then Psyche saw how beautiful her husband was, saw who the god really was. Psyche picked the god Cupid’s arrow and pricked her hand with it of her own choice. Love flared in Psyche’s eyes: love that would no longer doubt and waver, but love that would endure, whatever her sisters or other people say.
Alas, a drop of oil spilled from her lamp and fell aflame on the Roman love god’s shoulder, scorching the young god, who consequently perceived betrayal. Hurt, both physically and emotionally, the Roman god Cupid took off to the abode of gods, where in Venus’ chamber he lay, sick and depressed. There the love god’s secret was revealed to his mother. Did Cupid the god of love ever see her beloved Psyche again?
The Wedding of Cupid
And then he [Jupiter] took a pot of immortality, and said: “Hold, Psyche, and drink to the end thou mayst be immortal, and that Cupid may be thine everlasting husband.”
— Apuleius
Psyche was nearly dead when the god Cupid found her again. Out of her incurable curiosity, Psyche looked into a secret box from Hell whose deadly content cast her into a deep sleep. Fortunately the Roman god Cupid was able to wipe this affliction off her.
Not until Psyche finished several labors as perilous as Hercules’ to appease Venus — including getting the secret box from Hell — were Psyche and Cupid joined in wedlock. The Roman love god asked his grandfather Jupiter to administer the wedding, and the father of gods enthusiastically agreed, in return for the Roman god of love shooting comely women around the world with cupid arrows for the king of gods.
Mother Venus could not object to the marriage now, but simply danced, as she does finely, in the banquet that followed, where Psyche was served the drink of the gods and became immortal. Psyche was thence formally married to Cupid the Roman god of love.
The Myth of Cupid and Psyche
Thus Psyche was married to Cupid, and after she was delivered of a child, whom we call Voluptas.
— Apuleius
Psyche, who had been heavy with child even as she received the harsh, almost impossible punishments of Venus, bore the Roman god Cupid a fine goddess. Her name is Voluptas, Hedone in Greek, meaning “Pleasure.”
Thus was the result of the love between Cupid and Psyche, the fruit of the marriage between Love and the Mind. The Mind in her suspicions might hurt, even kill, her Love; but Love always comes back to save Mind, where the latter has brought herself to peril with her curiosity. Desire and Reason might clash, but the two may always live together in harmony, out of which beautiful union comes Pleasure, Bliss.
Cupid Forever
Cupid lives on in Valentines Day.Albeit not in his former glory as the Roman god of love, Cupid is alive in people’s thoughts, especially on February 14 each year.Cupid is remembered as the source of infatuation, passion, as well as genuine love. Portrayed as a winged angelic creature whose arrows are poisoned with love, Cupid is paraded around as the valentine cupid, who, with his arrows, bring lonely heartstheir valentines. Cupid mythology remains bright and vibrant. Do you like Cupid the god of love?
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