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. Aww well at least they were reunited in the end

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

    ReplyDelete
  3. 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. Are there ever any happy endings in Greek Myth?

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

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

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

    Rob Z Tobor

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

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

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WEP August - Change of Heart

IWSG - July 2018

The Beginnings Blogfest!