When one thinks of cupid, one of the most prominent images that come to mind is that of an angel with a bow and arrow who helps people fall in love. This image of Cupid is not too far off from the Roman Mythological figure of Cupid, who is also considered to be the figure of love and affection.
Cupid In All His Forms
Cupid was seen as the God of desire and love, and someone who is considered to have helped those who were on the lookout for happiness in a partner. He is considered to be the God of love in all forms, be it emotional, physical or sexual. There are several names that the God of Love is referred to by, each one of these showing resemblances to the original Cupid from Roman Mythology.
In Greek Civilizations, he was referred to as Eros, and in Latin Cultures, was referred to as Amor. In all of these versions, he remains the son of Mercury and Venus and is a child that was born out of pure love. However, it is noted that he was born out of asexuality, even though there were several other notable figures that were born out of paternal and maternal combinations. This is mainly because Roman Mythology considers the birth of Cupid to be before the time the concept of gender was adequately established.
The resemblance of Cupid differs from text to text, some of which portray him as contradictory personalities. One of the most prominent literary portrayals of Cupid was concerning Latin texts, which represent him as someone who is careless, and someone who brought people together in a union without intending to. In spite of this negative portrayal, he was seen as someone who worked for the greater good, and someone who had good intentions. It is however stated that Venus, his mother, had a big role to play in the shaping of Cupid’s actions.
These actions, however, did have inevitable consequences, which did not always work out in favor of Cupid. One instance of this was the interaction that took place with Psyche, who was someone Venus wanted to take revenge on. Through her plan, she tried to put Psyche through a considerable amount of emotional pain, but the plan backfired when Cupid fell in love with her. This resulted in Cupid making Psyche immortal, thereby causing a wedge between Venus and Cupid.
Depictions Of Cupid
There are two main kinds of depictions that are showcased when referencing cupid. One of the first depictions is what is commonly used to describe Cupid, even in modern times. In this depiction, Cupid is seen as a child or teenager, who bears a slightly chubby frame. This skin is fair, and his hard is adorned with golden locks. He is shown as having red wings and holding a bow and arrow. In some of these depictions, she is seen blindfolded, which resembles the carelessness that he become known for.
The second depiction of Cupid is not as commonly referred to, even though there is evidence to support that this was the depiction that people adhered to when referring to the Roman God Cupid. In this, Cupid is seen as a young man, who has a slender yet muscular frame. He is shown as having fair skin and golden hair, with wings that extend below his knees. In most depictions of this kind, Cupid is shown as having white wings, instead of red. The bow and arrow remain a constant, but this depiction never indicates Cupid as being blindfolded.
Theorists believe that these two depictions might just be different ages of Cupid’s life, with the first one being in his younger days, and the second one being during his entry into adulthood.
The Arrows Of Love
The arrows that Cupid uses were considered to be one of his greatest tools when trying to achieve his goals of bringing people together. Cupid carried two kinds of arrows, one being a golden point arrow, and the other being a blue tip. These two arrows worked in different ways to bring people closer, or push them apart. The golden arrow was considered to be the main tool that Cupid preferred to use, is the one that was used to bring two individuals in unison. However, the blue tip arrow was considered to be reserved for those who encountered a great deal of misfortune, or who engaged in one of the societal evils. Cupid would strike individuals with the blue arrow, leading to them experiencing the feeling of wanting to flee and retreat from the person that they were interested in.
One of the more notable instances that showcase the power of Cupids Arrows involved Apollo and the nymph Daphene. This takes place as a result of an act that Apollo engages in with the intention of demining Cupid’s archery skills.
Cupid wanted to strike Apollo with a golden arrow, causing him to fall in love, he instead decides that he would hit Apollo’s only desire, Daphene. As a result of this, Daphene spent the rest of her life resenting Apollo and was stuck in an endless cycle of disdain and unhappiness. As a result of this, Daphene decided to pray to her father Peneus who agreed that the only way to free her from this cycle was to turn into her into something that Apollo could not desire. Accepting this fate, Daphene was turned into a tree, which Apollo revered for as long as he lived.