Eurydice and I hear Orpheus cry.... Why must love die? |
Sitting in my sorrow I sigh, As my psyche wonders why My true love decided to turn away…. The river Styx gleams at my feet, The flowing tears of Orpheus’ defeat Shimmering with Sunlight’s faded day. But still he left me for the ground, And like Eurydice*, to Death, I am bound, And my heart shall now with Hades* stay. *Eurydice (yoo-rih-duh-see): a beautiful dryad, she was part of one of the truest loves of all Greek mythology, and was the beloved of Orpheus. She was so beautiful and pure that it wasn’t long till she caught the eye of the god Aristaeus, who wanted her as his own. However, the love that she had with Orpheus was so strong, that she refused to love another. Eurydice ran from Aristaeus, but stepped upon a snake while she ran, and was bitten by the venomous creature. She died, and her soul went to the Underworld. Orpheus made a deal with the god of the Underworld, Hades, to bring his love back to life, but there was a catch: on the way back to the living world, he could not look back to see if Eurydice was following him. Orpheus had agreed to the bargain willingly, but had been tricked, for Hades’ had known that a mortal would soon have doubts. Unfortunately, Orpheus did turn to see his love not a few paces from the entrance back to life, and Eurydice was brought back to reside in the Underworld for the rest of eternity, and would only be reunited with her true love in death. |