The ancient Greeks today are considered teachers of the entire Old World. It was they who laid the foundations of science, sports, a democratic political system, art and literature. Many of their knowledge came to us through ancient myths that explained the universe and the order of things, circumstances, and other inexplicable facts. The myth of Narcissus, which we will consider in our article, is very interesting.
Myth Summary
So, the myth of Narcissus. Briefly its contents can be retold as follows: a young man fell in love with his own reflection and died, unable to tear himself away from contemplating himself in the water even to eat. At the place of death, a flower grew from the body of a young man, which was just as beautiful and leaned down. He was named after the young man and was considered a symbol of death, a dream from which one can wake up in a different guise, oblivion, but also a symbol of resurrection. But in fact, the myth of Narcissus is much more complicated.
Narcissus was a very handsome guy, the son of a nymph named Lyriope and river god Kefissa. When the boy was born, the soothsayer Tiresias told his parents about his future. He was destined to live a long and happy life, but in the event that he would never see his reflection. Since there were no mirrors then, the parents were calm.
But time passed. Narcissus grew up as a guy of amazing appearance, with whom girls and women fell in love without memory. Even the stronger sex paid attention to the handsome. But he remained indifferent and repelled everyone. The rejected fans called the Olympic gods for help and tearfully asked to punish the proud. As ancient myths tell further, the goddess of justice Nemesis heeded their prayers, and Narcissus saw his face in a river mirror. A long-standing prophecy immediately came true: the young man burned with a passion for his own reflection and died, unable to move away from the water.
Unhappy Echo
The myth of Narcissus tells not only about the sad fate of a beautiful young man, but also about the nymph Echo. Many of the boys and girls dried up with love for Narcissus and, pushed away by a proud handsome man, raised their hands to heaven, praying for revenge. Among them was the nymph Echo.
Her fate is especially tragic. Once she was a friend of Hera (Juno), her trusted companion. The terrible goddess trusted her as herself. But Echo accidentally found out about the adventures of Zeus (Jupiter), the wife of Hera, and hid them from her mistress. The angry mistress of Olympus drove off the nymph, and also took away her voice. The girl could only repeat the last words spoken by someone. Only love could save her, and she earnestly sought the other half.
Love Line Narcissus - Echo
According to the myths of ancient Greece, Narcissus is a handsome and proud guy who did not like a single woman. When he met the nymph Echo, she did not impress him either. The girl, on the contrary, was inflamed with passion. She followed him until her body was dry and only a voice remained. But the young man still did not pay attention to her. Then the nymph twisted her arms to the sky and cursed the guy, wishing that the one whom Narcissus would finally love would also remain indifferent to him.
Love did not bring happiness either to the Echo, which disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving only its voice on it - recall, echo, or Narcissus. The image in the river could not reciprocate, even if it wanted to.
Philosophical Surveys
The myth of Narcissus is not just a story of unrequited love. It carries a hidden meaning, condemnation, but also regret. The young man is gifted by the gods with rare beauty, but he is a toy in the hands of fate. He saw external beauty, albeit his own (Narcissus did not know that he saw his face in the river), and forgot about everything in the world. The guy is not trying to find inner beauty, to see the soul. Perhaps if he tried to do this, he would understand that a person is both a soul and a body, he would find himself, his Self. Narcissus really suffers as the girls in love with him suffered, but he cannot or does not want to take pull yourself together. He remains limp, preferring longing and suffering, death over the struggle for his own happiness.
Echo - exhausted, disappointed. She could not resist Zeus and hid from Hera his marital infidelity. By this she betrayed her friend, for which she received a punishment. But her destiny seems very difficult: she lost herself, but could not find solace in love. The nymph also saw only visible beauty, only an external gloss, and therefore was doomed.
Beautiful flower
An amazing flower grew from the body of a dead Narcissus. Its touching petals and incredible aroma conquered at first sight, but also made us sad. Perhaps this is why the plant was considered a symbol of death, dead people, a sign of sadness. But the flower, named after the hero of ancient myths, is also the personification of the resurrection, the triumph of life over the kingdom of dark Hades. And, probably, because people grow daffodils in their front gardens and flower gardens, and he delights them with his rare beauty, blooming, as soon as the snow comes down and the sun warms the earth with his rays.