O is for Orpheus

Orpheus was one of the greatest musicians of his age, taught by the god Apollo. It is said that nobody could resist his music.
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
He fell in love with a nymph named Eurydice, and they were happy together and got married. One day she was pursued by a shepherd, Aristaeus, and in her haste to escape she stepped on a poisonous snake, was bitten and died.

Orpheus was devastated, and decided to travel to the Underworld to beg the gods to give his wife back. Apollo protected him as he found a cave which led to Hades, and followed Eurydice to the Underworld.
The King of the dead was swayed by Orpheus' beautiful music, and agreed to let him have his wife back - on one condition. Orpheus was not allowed to look at Eurydice until they had left the shadows of the Underworld.

On the journey through the Underworld, Orpheus could hear Eurydice's footsteps behind him and had to exercise extreme self control so that he didn't turn to look at her. As soon as he stepped into the light, he turned to look at his wife, but she was still in the shadows and so was taken back to the Underworld, forever.

Orpheus was unable to love another woman as long as he lived, and spent his life mourning his wife. A group of women who were jealous and angry because he spurned their advances killed him and cut him into pieces, throwing them into a river. On the way down the river to the sea, Orpheus' head still sang.
His soul went to the Underworld, where he was reunited with Eurydice at last.

Comments

  1. Miss H17 April 2013 at 10:07

    Aww well at least they were reunited in the end

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nick Wilford17 April 2013 at 10:59

    Miss H said what I was thinking. An epic and tragic love story, but at least they were back together finally.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Outcast17 April 2013 at 13:19

    That's so sad that he ended up being murdered just because he wouldn't fall in love with somebody else, so sad that he lost her after following her all the way back into the Underworld.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown17 April 2013 at 13:24

    Are there ever any happy endings in Greek Myth?

    ReplyDelete
  5. S. L. Hennessy17 April 2013 at 14:11

    I think this is my favorite Greek myth (other than Psyche and Eros).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dani and Jax17 April 2013 at 14:41

    Women and their jealousy. But at least they helped him reunite with his wife faster. And what a trickster that Hades is.
    Cover Girls

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mina Burrows17 April 2013 at 15:24

    Some people will take love anywhere they can...in heaven or hell. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rob Z Tobor17 April 2013 at 16:15

    I would not like to have been fishing the day that head passed by

    Rob Z Tobor

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dani17 April 2013 at 18:13

    ^^^Rob is cracking me up!
    Love stories - so tragic! But in the end, they had each other.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Unknown18 April 2013 at 04:02

    Wow. That is an awful story. Poor guy. I mean, I guess he got to be with her at the end but damn...guess turning people down wasn't a great idea back then...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Disha Doshi Shah18 April 2013 at 12:22

    as you sow , so shall you reap.. Happy to connect. Do visit www.disha-doshi.blogspot.com I am following you via #AtoZChallenge

    ReplyDelete

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