Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice
Mythologies are very complex beliefs, full of great stories that cover all kinds of topics, so we can also find a series of stories that talk about love, or at least about the concept of love that the cultures that worshiped these myths had. To explain one of the most romantic stories in all of Greek mythology, in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to offer you a summary of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Index
- Who were Orpheus and Eurydice?
- The death of Eurydice
- Descent to the Underworld the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice
Who were Orpheus and Eurydice?
To begin this lesson we must talk about the two protagonists, trying to explain who were, to better understand how they came to the story of this myth and the reason for its tragic final.
Orpheus was an important poet and musician on the Greek mythology, where it was thought that he was the son of Apollo and Calliope. His father was god, among many other things, the arts and music and that is why Orpheus had an innate capacity for music, being able to calm beasts through his lyre. It is thought that Orpheus was of Thracian origin, but his passion for traveling led him to distant destinations in Thrace, it is believed that he even visited Egypt.
One of the most incredible feats of Orpheus was the trip that he made with the Argonauts, being a group of heroes who traveled in search of the golden fleece. On this journey Orpheus played an important role, using his lyre to protect the crew from the song of mermaids, so without his intervention all the Argonauts would have been killed by the mermaids.
Eurydice instead she was an auloniade nymph, that is, a minor goddess associated with nature, being associated the auloniades to the pastures, accompanying the god Pan who took care of nature. Almost nothing is known about Eurydice before her relationship with Orpheus, the sources being very limited, which only speak of her origin as a nymph.
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The death of Eurydice.
To continue with this lesson on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, we must talk about its beginning, thus knowing the reasons why Orpheus went down to the underworld to look for Eurydice.
Orpheus and Eurydice's love was at first sight and therefore shortly after meeting they married, living a happy life for a time. But in Greek mythology, happiness rarely lasts long, and this case was no exception. Eurydice not only caught the attention of Orpheus, but also that of other sons of Apollo, such as Aristeus, a rival shepherd of Orpheus. Aristeo tried to kidnap Eurydice, but the nymph was able to flee from the shepherd, although she was bitten by a viper on her escape and she died.
Orpheus went to the shore of the River Strymon, where, dejected by the death of his love, he began to sing the saddest songs that could exist. The sadness of his songs was such that many gods and nymphs went there, and they recommended Orpheus to go down to the Underworld to find his wife. Orpheus didn't think twice and went down where no one had been able to get out to rescue his wife.
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Descent to the Underworld the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Upon his arrival in the Underworld, Orpheus met Charon, the ferryman and he asked her to take him in his boat down the river Styx, as it was the only way to go through there. Charon at first refused, fearful of Hades 'wrath if he failed to do his job, but Orpheus' music ended up convincing the ferryman.
Orpheus' music was the most wonderful that she had been heard in the Underworld and that was why he was able to make demons and spirits let pass, and even he convinced Cerberus, guardian of the gates of the Underworld, to let him happen.
It was then that Orpheus met Hades and Persephone, the king and queen of hell, and thanks to music he convinced both of them to let him rescue Eurydice. But Hades put a condition on it, Orpheus should go before Eurydice and not turn to look at her until they had left the Underworld and the rays of light had completely bathed the nymph.
Orpheus kept his promise, crossing the entire Underworld without turning to look at his beloved, not even to see if she survived the encounter with the monsters of hell. Once on the surface Orpheus turned to see his beloved, but Eurydice still had one foot in the shade of the Underworld and for that reason the nymph vanished before the eyes of her lover. Orpheus was banished from the Underworld forever and the couple could never be found again.
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