Today, Cupid is often portrayed as a winged cherub. He is seen time and again around Valentine’s Day where his likeness appears on everything from boxes of chocolate to Valentine’s Day greeting cards and the decorative tag found on a dozen red roses. There have even been two Cupid television shows. But today’s symbol is a far cry from the Greek and Roman god.
Cupid’s Parents
There is some debate over Cupid’s parentage. The Roman writer and philosopher, Cicero, offered three possible lineages: Mercury and Diana, (in Greek mythology they were known as Hermes and Artemis), Mercury and Venus, (Aphrodite) and Mars, (Ares), and Venus.
Another school of thought is that Cupid was parentless, rising from Chaos and Earth which would make him one of the oldest of the mythological gods, and that his connection with Venus, (Aphrodite), came later.
Cupid Legends
In both ancient mythology and modern day depictions, Cupid is armed with arrows. Although the most accepted form of myth regarding Cupid’s arrows is that when one pierces the heart, the victim falls in love with the first person he sees, legend contends that there are two types of arrows in Cupid’s quiver. The golden arrow represents love and is the most well known and the leaden arrow, signifying sexual passion.
Cupid’s mother, Venus, was the Goddess of Love, and consequently, Cupid is the God of Love. Legend has it that his powers were stronger than those of his mother. This led to heartbreak for Cupid when he fell in love with the mortal woman, Psyche.
Perhaps one of the reasons that roses are such a popular gift on Valentine’s Day has to do with how they were created. Legend has it that while Cupid was taking a vase of sweet nectar to the gods on Mt. Olympus, a drop spilled on the ground from which a lovely flower grew.
Another story associating Cupid with roses is how they got their thorns. The story goes that Cupid bent to smell a rose and a bee rose up and stung him. In his anger he shot an arrow into the center of the rose causing it to grow thorns.
Cupid’s Appearance
In ancient times Cupid was described as the god he was, a young, handsome man. But, another portrayal has him as a winged baby carrying a quiver of arrows.
Ovid, the ancient poet, depicted Cupid as a winged child, “ see how sadly he walks, wings drooping. How he beats his bared breast. How the tears rain down on his hair, now lying all tangled…”
Today he is most often seen as a mischievous cherub whose golden arrows can create havoc on St. Valentine’s Day.
