Cupid: a God Meant for Love

Everyone has heard of this little guy with the unique bow and arrow who goes around shooting people in hopes that they would fall in love and live happily ever after. So, what is the myth behind this romance angel? What would make this character so amazing?

In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of erotic love. He is equated with the Greek God Eros and another one of his Latin names Amor. Throughout ancient mythological writing, there appear to be either two Cupids or two side to the figure of Cupid. One is the son of Jupiter and Venus. He is a lively youth who delights in pranks and spreading Love. The other is a son of Nyx and Erebus, known for ritous debauchery.

Cupid being the god of love in Roman mythology, had a variation in his name. Cupido which meant desire and Amor which means love.

The ancient Romans often seen Cupid as a child or baby with wings who carried a bow and arrow.

Cupid is one of the most famous symbols of love and Valentine's Day. He is known as being very mischievous. The arrows that cupid carries signify's desires and emotions of love, and cupid aims those arrows at God's and humans, causing them to fall deeply in love with one another. Cupid has always played a role in romance and love.

There is a very interesting story about Cupid and his mortal bride Psyche in Than mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid had fallen deeply in love with her. He ended up taken her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.

The mortal wife of Cupid was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid. As soon as Psyche looked at Cupid, Cupid punished her by leaving her. Their lovely castle and gardens vanished too. Psyche found herself alone in an open field with no signs of other beings or Cupid. As she wandered tryint to find her true 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 more dangerous then the last.

For Psyche's last task she was told to take a little box to the underworld and capture some of Proserpine's beauty. During the trip to the underworld, she was given tips on how to avoid the dangers of the realm of the dead. She was also told not to open the box that she was going to be used to capture Proserpine's beauty. But as Psyche's temptation grew she opened the box. Instead of finding beauty she found deadly slumber.

When Cupid found Psyche, she was laying lifeless on the ground. He gathered the deadly sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid forgave Psyche, and so did Venus. The gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid made her a goddess as well.

Today, Cupid and his arrows have become the most popular of all love signs and love is most frequently depicted by two hearts pierced by an arrow, supposedly Cupid's arrow.

Because of the way many of people associate Cupid with a heart, they often think of him around Valentine's Day with pictures of him with his bow and arrow.