There was a certain king who had three daughters, the youngest was the most beautiful, her beauty was extraordinary that even the human vocabulary was unable to describe. Her reputation for beauty was so great that people from neighboring places went, on pilgrimages, to see her and pay her homages that were appropriate only to the goddess Venus. The altars of Venus were increasingly empty as men turned their devotion and attention to the young virgin.
Venus was greatly offended by the exaltation of the young mortal, who received honors consecrated only to immortal powers. Very angry with that situation, the goddess Venus decided to make the girl regret her illicit beauty. For this reason she summoned her son, Cupid, who was mischievous by nature, and harassed him with her complaints. He showed him Psyche and said, “My dear son, I want you to punish that insubordinate beauty; give your mother a revenge as sweet as the damage she has done me is bitter. Instill in the breast of that insolent maiden a passion for a despicable, low and vile being, so that she may reap a mortification as great as the glory and triumph received”.
So Cupid prepared to obey his mother's orders. In the garden of Venus there were two fountains, one with fresh water and the other with bitter water. Cupid filled two amber jars, each with water from one of the fountains, and sped off towards Psyche's room, and found her sleeping. Then, she poured a few drops of the bitter water with the tip of her arrow. When she felt the touch, the young woman woke up, looking in the direction Cupid was (although he was invisible to her). Cupid was so surprised that, in his confusion, he wounded himself with his own arrow.
After that the only thought that came to her mind was to repair the damage she had done. In this way, he poured a few aromatic drops of joy over all the young girl's silky golden curls. From that moment on, Psyche, despised by Venus, could no longer enjoy any benefit of her beauty. Indeed, all eyes turned to her, and all mouths praised her beauty; but no king, young nobleman, or even commoner came forward to ask her to marry him. Her older sisters, who had been married to two royal princes long ago, were weary of their beauty, which, though it caused an abundance of flattery, failed to arouse love.
Her parents were very concerned about that situation, and fearful that they might have unwittingly provoked the wrath of the gods, consulted the oracle of Apollo, and received the following answer: “The virgin is not destined to be the bride of any mortal. Her future husband awaits her at the top of the mountain. She is a monster that neither gods nor men can resist”. Even desperate with the prediction made by the oracle, the young woman gave herself to her destiny, along with her parents and the townspeople, she climbed the mountain, those who accompanied her left her alone, and with a heavy heart returned home.
Psyche stood on top of the mountain, fearful, her eyes watering, as the gentle Zephyr lifted her from the earth and carried her very easily to a flowered valley. Little by little, her spirit calmed down and he lay down on the grass to sleep. When she woke up from her sleep, she looked around and saw a beautiful grove full of magnificent trees. Walking through the woods she saw a beautiful palace, with her opposing front, slowly she was entering the place. With every step she took she was amazed by the beauty of the Palace, with its ornaments, as she admired all the treasures that were in that place, she heard a voice, yet she saw no one, and the voice said: “Sovereign lady, all you see is your. We, whose voices you hear, are your servants and will obey your orders with the greatest care and diligence. So she withdraws you to your room and rests on your bed, and when you have rested you can bathe. Supper awaits you in the adjoining room, when it pleases you to sit there.”.
The young woman heeded the recommendations given by her invisible servants; after bathing and resting, she sat in the next room, where a feast appeared, served by the unseen servants. But Psyche had not yet seen her intended husband. He appeared only at night and disappeared before dawn, but his manifestations were filled with love and inspired in her a similar passion. Several times the young woman asked him to stay and let her see him, but he never consented. He always said that he preferred that she love him and not worship him like a god so he didn't want her to see him, and that he had no doubts about the love he had for her.
As time went by, things stopped being new and happiness was no longer present in his heart, as she missed her parents and sisters, besides, none of them knew how she was. One night when her husband appeared, he told her of the anguish she was feeling and with difficulty obtained her consent so that her sisters could visit him. The next morning Psyche called Zephyrus, conveyed the orders given by her husband, and he, obeying, immediately sought her sisters across the mountain to the valley where her palace was. When they arrived they embraced and Psyche said: Come into my house and dispose of what your sister has to offer you. Then they entered the palace, the young woman soon began to show the treasures and perks that her husband had given her.
The sisters asked Psyche numerous questions, including how he was her husband. The young woman replied that he was a beautiful boy, who during the day hunted in the mountains. Not satisfied with the answer, they made her confess that she had never seen him. With that they began to fill the young woman's heart with several doubts, especially about the appearance of her husband, telling her that the oracle of Apollo announced that she would marry a horrible and trembling monster. They said he was treating her well to devour her later.
They advised the young woman to hide and to equip herself with a lamp and a knife and when her husband was sleeping soundly, she should go out. from its hiding place and see with your own eyes its true appearance, and if it were a monster with the aid of the knife cut the neck. Psyche resisted such advice as long as she could, but doubt afflicted her heart, so she decided to follow her sisters' advice. She waited for her husband to sleep and, armed with a lamp and a knife, she approached the boy, contrary to what she imagined, there was not a horrifying monster, but the most beautiful and enchanting one. of the gods, with blond locks falling over her snow-colored neck and pink cheeks, a pair of wings on her shoulders, whiter than snow, feathers bright as the flowers of the spring. When he lowered the lamp to see him more closely, a drop of hot oil fell on the god's shoulder, who woke up with a start and looked at Psyche. Without speaking a word, he spread his wings and flew out the window, in the failed attempt to follow him, he threw himself through the window and fell to the ground. Cupid stopped his flight for a moment and looking at Psyche lying on the ground he said: “O foolish Psyche, is this how you repay my love for you? After I disobeyed my mother's orders and made you my wife, do you take me for a monster and try to cut off my head? Go away, return to your sisters, whose advice you seem to prefer to mine. I impose no punishment on him other than leaving you forever. For love and mistrust cannot live together under the same roof”. He left, leaving Psyche prostrate on the floor to whine.
When she felt a little better, she looked around her, but the palace and all its wonders were gone, and she found herself in an open field not far from the city where her sisters lived. She went to them and told them what had happened, the spiteful creatures, feigning great sadness actually delighted in that situation, thinking they might have a chance with Cupid.
With that idea in mind, and without saying a word about her intentions, each of them got up early the next morning to go to the mountain. When they reached the summit, each one summoned Zephyrus to receive her and take her to their master. After that, they threw themselves into space, but were not supported by it, falling over the precipice and dying in pieces.
Meanwhile Psyche wandered without food or rest, day and night, in search of her beloved. When suddenly she saw a majestic mountain and on its summit a wonderful temple, thinking that there she could meet her beloved, she went there. She had barely entered, she saw heaps of grain, some still in cobs and others in sheaves, mixed with barley, etc. It was all messed up, so the zealous Psyche decided to organize that mess, separating and putting everything in its proper place. She was convinced that she should not neglect any of the gods, but strive so that with her devotion, get them to intercede on her behalf. The sacred Ceres, to whom that temple belonged, seeing it so religiously occupied, decided to teach her how to soften the wrath of Venus. And with the teachings of Ceres, Psyche left towards the temple of Venus, striving to strengthen your spirit and thinking about what you should say and how best to make peace with the goddess angry. Venus received her with great anger, but decided to teach Psyche a lesson by imposing some tasks on her, if the young woman correctly fulfilled each task she could regain her great love.
She fulfilled each assigned task, but always with the help of some gods, including Cupid. However, she failed at last, but for her happiness her husband came to save her. After helping Psyche in her last task, Cupid flew as fast as he could, penetrating the heavenly heights, and presented himself before Jupiter with his supplication. The god decided to defend before Venus the love of Cupid and Psyche, with his vehemence he won the goddess's approval. With that, Mercury was sent to bring the girl to the heavenly assembly, and when she arrived, she was given a cup of Ambrosia, so that by taking her she would become immortal. In this way, Psyche and Cupid were finally united, in due course they had a daughter whom they named Pleasure.
Symbology of the story: Psyche would be the human soul, which is purified by misfortunes and sufferings, thus preparing itself to enjoy pure and true happiness.
by Eliene Percília
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/mitologia/cupido-psique.htm