For students enrolled in Latin I, this is one of the very first verbs (amo) that we learn to conjugate.Two of the major planets in our solar system bear the names of Cupid’s mother Although Cupid is portrayed with a bow and arrow, most people don’t know that he actually had two arrows or perhaps one arrow with two very different tips. In "Amor and Psyche," mid- 20th-century German psychologist and student of Karl Jung's Erich Neumann saw the myth as a definition of the psychic development of women. Found in the collection of The Hermitage, St Petersburg.Venus and Cupid, circa 18th century.

Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know now on politics, health and more In the Archaic period, Eros — the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love — would play with the hearts of mortals and gods to cause mayhem. Cupid’s other Latin name is ‘Amor’. Venus and Cupid, circa 18th century. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our © 2020 TIME USA, LLC. “I think sometimes having Cupid depicted on the card behind a couple, [he is] kind of pushing them together to do just that: to express their love, their friendship.”

If you mention ‘Cupid’ to just about anybody, they will tell you he is the God of Love, but how much do we really know that is fact rather than fiction.In Latin, Cupid goes by two names that have different origins, but whose meanings are both associated with love. The story of Cupid is therefore necessarily also the story of his mother. February 13, 2019 3:00 PM EST This form means ‘desire.’ If we stop to think about it, regardless of our age, the people we love deeply are ones we enjoy and desire to be with as much as possible. [Eros] invincible in battle, [Eros] who falls upon men’s property, you who spend the night upon the soft cheeks of a girl, and travel over the sea and through the huts of dwellers in the wild! But it’s actually quite simple. As Valentine’s Day became more convenient, Cupid imagery only continued to grow.Valentine’s Day has remained one of Hallmark’s two biggest holidays, along with Christmas, since the company’s founding as a postcard company in 1910. All Rights Reserved. By Courtesy of Hallmark Archives / Hallmark Cards, Inc. He is the lieutenant of his mother, Venus/Aphrodite. He’s under control, only the son of Aphrodite,” Martin says. Of course, the first person Cupid wanted help and comfort from was his mother.Even in today’s world when we experience pain although lots of people around us offer help and comfort, the person we truly want to be with is our mother because we believe nobody’s help or comfort has the power of love that hers does.In one account, Cupid had a girlfriend named Psyche who led a very lonely life because none of her female friends liked her and none of the male gods paid any attention to her until she met Eros. They named him Cupid, a synonym for Eros that also translates to “desire.” (His mother was likewise Venus, the Roman version of the Greek Aphrodite. His Greek counterpart is Eros. Shakespeare’s words about Cupid changing his mind apply to the blindfolded Cupid and his use of the blunt-tipped lead arrow. This is where different variations of the myth disagree. While Cupid is always shown with wings, Psyche whose name means ‘soul’ is depicted as a beautiful butterfly.To please her mother, Psyche was given the task of finding her way to an underworld cave where she was to locate a special treasure box and bring it back to Venus. Based on his mother’s wishes rather than his own chaotic impulses, he would use his powers to create relationships between people.When the Roman era began, because Greeks were seen as culturally sophisticated, much of this Greek mythology was adopted by the new ruling classes. “It’s more like he causes you to fall in love, and that can lead to tragedy,” Martin says of Eros — a “cosmic force for bringing things together.”But something strange happened around the 4th century BCE.People were intimidated by this sexually powerful, controlling man, who could strike people into loving one other. Cupid has always played a role in the celebration of love and lovers. Some say that Cupid and Psyche were officially married at this point while others say that they were never married. Painting in … If he fired the gold one which had a very sharp tip, the female heart where it landed was immediately filled with love and the desire to be with a certain male forever. Centuries later, Renaissance painters took up this imagery and depicted the Cupid figure as a child. Seeking vengeance, Venus recruits her son, this bringer of … Cupid’s other Latin name is ‘Amor’. None among the immortals can escape, you, nor any among mortal men, and he who has you is mad.This is pretty far off from the modern depiction of this god as a playful little boy. But social status of women in Athens — the central city of Greek literature — was falling drastically. To the Romans he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus. The moment Cupid saw Psyche’s beauty, he could do no harm to her. Cupid learned of what his mother was doing and asked Jupiter to put a stop to it. The Greek conception of Eros as a god who used his power for ill is not what Cupid stands for today.“Sometimes, people need a little bit of a push to make that first move — to better express themselves,” she says. Cupid (also known as Amor in Latin) is the Roman god of erotic love, affection, and desire. History According to this account, as a small boy Cupid tried to get some honey out of a bee hive and was stung in the process. By signing up you are agreeing to our The Psychology of Cupid and Psyche . There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. He visited her at night to conceal his identity. Impelled by the love of her beautiful husband, she implored her mother-in-law to give her another chance. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros the young son of Aphrodites, the goddess of love and beauty. His job is to spread love to mortal beings by causing them to fall in love with one another at first sight.