| Cupid | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Other Names |
Amor, Eros, Cupid |
|
First Appearance |
Greco-Roman Myth |
|
Created by |
Greco-Roman Myth |
Origin[]
Eros and Psyche
In classical mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor. In both ancient and later art, Cupid is often shown riding a dolphin.
His Greek counterpart is Eros. Although Eros is generally portrayed as a slender winged youth in Classical Greek art, during the Hellenistic period, he was increasingly portrayed as a chubby boy. During this time, his iconography acquired the bow and arrow that represent his source of power: a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid's arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire.
In myths, Cupid is a minor character who serves mostly to set the plot in motion. He is a main character only in the tale of Cupid and Psyche, when wounded by his own weapons, he experiences the ordeal of love. Although other extended stories are not told about him, his tradition is rich in poetic themes and visual scenarios, such as "Love conquers all" and the retaliatory punishment or torture of Cupid.
To adapt myths for Christian use, medieval mythographers interpreted them morally. In this view, Cupid is seen as a "demon of fornication". The innovative Theodulf of Orleans, who wrote during the reign of Charlemagne, reinterpreted Cupid as a seductive but malicious figure who exploits desire to draw people into an allegorical underworld of vice. To Theodulf, Cupid's quiver symbolized his depraved mind, his bow trickery, his arrows poison, and his torch burning passion. It was appropriate to portray him naked, so as not to conceal his deception and evil. This conception largely followed his attachments to lust, but would later be diluted as many Christians embraced Cupid as a symbolic representation of love.
In contemporary popular culture, Cupid is shown drawing his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an icon of Valentine's Day.
Public Domain Appearances[]
Literary Appearances[]
All published appearances of Cupid before Janurary 1, 1929 are in the public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Metamorphoses
- Nineteenth Idyll of Theocritus
- Aeneid
Theatrical and Musical Appearances[]
- The Sweet Girl Graduate (play), by Carolyn Wells (May 1921)
Comic Appearances[]
- The American Legion Weekly v5 #29
- Puck #6
- Judge #1575, 1625, 1851, 1858, 2075-2076, 2079, 2241, 2481
- Successful Farming v14 #11
- Cartoons by Bradley
- Pictorial Love Stories #22
- First Love Illustrated #1-2, 10-11, 48
- Pictorial Love Stories #22-24
- National Comics #13-20, 23, 29-32, 35-37
- America's Greatest Comics #5
- Uncle Sam Quarterly #7
- Police Comics #24
- The Bouncer
- Prize Comics v5 #4
- Giggle Comics #39
- The Kilroys #5
- My Love Secret #25-29
- Barnyard Comics #27
- True Life Secrets #1
- Romance Stories of True Love #47
- Popular Romances #11
Notes[]
- "La Belle et la Bête" ("The Beauty and the Beast") was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve. It has been said that Gabrielle was inspired by the tale Cupid and Psyche.