Narcissus history myth. Narcissus - Myths of Ancient Greece
The ancient Greeks are today considered the teachers of the entire Old World. It was they who laid the foundations of science, sports, democratic government, art and literature. Much of their knowledge has come to us through ancient myths that explained the universe and the order of things, coincidences and others. The myth of Narcissus is very interesting, which we will consider in our article.
So, the myth of Narcissus. Briefly, its content can be recounted as follows: a young man fell in love with his own reflection and died, unable to tear himself away from contemplating himself in the water, even to eat. At the place of death, a flower grew from the young man’s body, which was just as beautiful and leaned down. He was named after the young man and was considered a symbol of death, sleep from which one can wake up in a different guise, oblivion, but also a symbol of resurrection. But in reality, the myth of Narcissus is much more complex.
Narcissus was a very handsome guy, the son of a nymph named Liriope and the river god Cephissus. When the boy was born, the soothsayer Tiresias told his parents about his future. He was destined to live a long and happy life, but only if he never saw his reflection. Since there were no mirrors then, the parents were calm.
But time passed. Narcissus grew up to be a guy of amazing appearance, with whom girls and women fell madly in love. Even representatives of the stronger sex paid attention to the handsome man. But he remained indifferent and pushed everyone away. The rejected fans called on the Olympian gods for help and tearfully asked to punish the proud man. As the ancient myths go on to tell, Nemesis heeded their pleas, and Narcissus saw his face in the river mirror. The old prophecy immediately came true: the young man became inflamed with passion for his own reflection and died, unable to move away from the water.
Unhappy Echo
The myth of Narcissus tells not only about the sad fate of a beautiful young man, but also about the nymph Echo. Many boys and girls were dying of love for Narcissus and, pushed away by the proud handsome man, raised their hands to the sky, begging for revenge. Among them was the nymph Echo.
Her fate is especially tragic. She was once a friend of Hera (Juno), her trusted companion. The formidable goddess trusted her as herself. But Echo accidentally learned about the adventures of Zeus (Jupiter), the wife of Hera, and hid them from her mistress. The angry mistress of Olympus drove the nymph away and also took away her voice. The girl could only repeat the last words spoken by someone. Only love could save her, and she diligently searched for her other half.
Love line Narcissus - Echo
According to Narcissus, he is a handsome and proud guy who did not love any woman. When he met the nymph Echo, she did not make an impression on him. The girl, on the contrary, was inflamed with passion. She followed him until her body withered away and only her voice remained. But the young man still did not pay attention to her. Then the nymph clasped her hands to the sky and cursed the guy, wishing that the one whom Narcissus would finally love would also remain indifferent to him.
Love did not bring happiness to either Echo, who disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving only her voice - feedback, echo - or Narcissus. The image in the river couldn't reciprocate even if it wanted to.
Philosophical research
The myth of Narcissus is not just a story about He carries hidden meaning, condemnation, but also regret. The young man is gifted by the gods with rare beauty, but he is a toy in the hands of fate. He saw external beauty, albeit his own (Narcissus did not know that he saw his own face in the river), and forgot about everything in the world. The guy is not trying to find inner beauty, to see the soul. Perhaps if he tried to do this, he would understand that a person is both a soul and a body, he would find himself, his Self. The narcissist really suffers as the girls in love with him suffered, but cannot or does not want to take pull yourself together. He remains weak-willed, preferring melancholy and suffering, death to the struggle for his own happiness.
Echo - exhausted, disappointed. She could not resist Zeus and hid his adultery from Hera. By doing this, she betrayed her friend, for which she received punishment. But her lot seems very difficult: she lost herself, but could not find solace in love. The nymph also saw only visible beauty, only external gloss, and therefore was doomed.
Delightful flower
An amazing flower grew from the body of the dead Narcissus. Its touching petals and incredible aroma captivated at first sight, but also made me sad. This is probably why the plant was considered a symbol of death, dead people, a sign of sadness. But the flower, which received the name of the hero of ancient myths, is also the personification of resurrection, the triumph of life over the kingdom of gloomy Hades. And this is probably why people grow daffodils in their front gardens and flower beds, and they are delighted with their rare beauty, blooming as soon as the snow melts and the sun warms the earth with its rays.
LEGENDS ABOUT NARCISSUSNARCISSUS FLOWER OF SPRING AND POETS
“The tulip and bitterweed lit up with love,
And the wondrous handsome man, Narcissus in love,
Blooms over the stream and looks at itself,
Until he dies, loving endlessly..."
(Shelley "Mimosa")
Narcissus
Its scientific name is Narcissus poeticus"narkao" (to intoxicatepoetic",
Myself MahometKing Cyrus nicknamed him .
I admired him ShakespeareEdgar Poe.
Narcissa.Narcissus.
nymphEcho
But
And in Ancient Rome was a narcissist symbol of victory
In China,
To Europe the narcissist got into
Known from above 30,000 varieties of narcissus
In Prussia daffodil symbol spring and happy marriage
Narcissus was my favorite flower Turgenev
In Switzerland, in Montreux
30-40 daffodil sculptures.
held in the city Gérardmer near Strasbourg.
And in Ukraine, in Transcarpathia There is Valley of Narcissus
Opened here Narcissus Museum
………………
(Shelley "Mimosa")Narcissus. This is not only a symbol of a narcissistic person. This is the flower of poets and spring, festivals and sun!!!
Its graceful white flowers, swaying on a light stem, are very graceful.
In Ancient Persia, the daffodil was called “nargis”, translated as “beautiful eye”.
Its scientific name is Narcissus poeticus. Its first half comes from the Greek "narkao" (to intoxicate), for its intoxicating smell, and the second - “ poetic", because he was much sung by poets of all countries and centuries.Myself Mahomet said about him: “Whoever has two loaves of bread, let him sell one to buy a daffodil flower, for bread is food for the body, and daffodil is food for the soul.” And Persian King Cyrus nicknamed him creation of beauty immortal delight.
I admired him Shakespeare, who described him in his tragedy “The Tempest”, Edgar Poe, who described him among the flowers of the “valley of multi-colored grasses”, where he experienced heavenly love. The German poet Isidore Orientalis, looking at the daffodil, exclaims: This slender figure, this wonderful head bends towards itself and, shining with eternal beauty, as if looking for a source.
Legends of the beautiful Narcissus
There is an ancient Greek legend about the origin of the flower. Narcissa. The river god Cephisus and the nymph Lirioessa had a son, a beautiful Narcissus.
The young man’s parents at one time turned to the oracle Tireseus. The soothsayer said that Narcissus would live to old age if he did not see his face. Narcissus grew up to be a young man of extraordinary beauty, and when she fell in love with him nymphEcho, Narcissus rejected her. The nymph withered out from hopeless passion and turned into an echo, but before her death she said: “Let the one he loves not reciprocate Narcissus.”For this he was punished: when he saw his own reflection in the water, he fell in love with it. Tormented by passion, Narcissus died, and a beautiful, fragrant flower remained in his memory.
"Narcissist", as you know, is a person in love with himself. This is where the term narcissism comes from. In the language of flowers, “narcissus” means false hopes, desires, and selfishness.
But according to another legend, Narcissus lost his twin sister. Bending over the stream in inconsolable grief, he saw in his own reflection the features of his beloved sister. No matter how much he immersed his hands in the water to embrace his native image, it was all in vain... So he died of grief, bending over the water. And the flower appeared on the spot, symbolizing the bowed image of a beautiful young man.
And in Ancient Rome was a narcissist symbol of victory. The Romans greeted victors returning from war with a wreath of yellow daffodils. An image of this flower is found on the walls of ancient Pompeii. He was sacrificed to the Furies and Pluto.
The Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans grew daffodils as valuable essential oil plants, using them in perfumes.In China, from ancient times until now, the narcissus has been playing important role in New Year's ceremonies. IN New Year it is a must-have attribute in every home. On this day, the beautiful flower takes part in all ceremonial processions and decorates the altars of the gods.
To Europe the narcissist got into 1570 from Constantinople as a gift to the Lord of the Treasury of England and was grown first in his famous garden on the banks of the Thames. And now the daffodil is one of the favorite flowers of the British.
Known from above 30,000 varieties of narcissus and 200 new ones are added annually.In Prussia daffodil symbol spring and happy marriage. When a girl gets married, she takes the daffodil from her parents’ house to her new home and carefully looks after it because, according to legend, the happiness of the marriage depends on its beauty.
Narcissus was my favorite flower Turgenev. He made humorous notes in the album, and in one of them, for 1867, to the question “which of the flowers does he like best?” he replied "Narcissus". This album was kept by Viardo Garcia.
Narcissus has become one of the favorite flowers in Western Europe. In some cities of France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy it is held annually holidays and daffodil festivals.
In Switzerland, in Montreux In honor of this beautiful flower, an annual daffodil festival is held. During the Narcissus Festival, excursions for tourists are held through the flower meadows of Montreux. The entire city is decorated with flowers and garlands, and a performance is held where the legend of Narcissus is played out.
Daffodil Festival in Ausseerland, in Austria is held on the last weekend of May. There is a carnival cortege of cars with figures of daffodils and festive boating on Lake Grundlsee. As a rule, about 30-40 daffodil sculptures.
Festival of Daffodils in France held in the city Gérardmer near Strasbourg.
Legends say that long ago Gerardmer's fairies sowed golden sparks of daffodils in the meadows to thank people for shelter from a severe thunderstorm.
Local residents construct sculptural compositions from fresh flowers. These narcissus figures then become participants in colorful processions - land and water, which attract thousands of spectators.The motifs of the composition are made of a frame and covered with a mesh-braid. Small bouquets of daffodils are inserted into this wickerwork, thus creating a fluffy effect - 3-4 daffodils per square centimeter. For large compositions, use 30,000 or more daffodils.
In Italy, the Festival of Daffodils takes place in Roca Di Mezzo., northeast of Rome. Here, white daffodils are used to decorate the figures. All figures are accompanied by musical and dance performances.
And in Ukraine, in Transcarpathia There is Valley of Narcissus!! It is located 4 km from the Transcarpathian city of Khust, in the Kireshi tract and covers an area of 257 hectares!
Opened here Narcissus Museum, - all the information about the origin, meaning and development of this unique flower is collected here.During the flowering season, the Valley is an unforgettable sight. And what an intoxicating aroma reigns over the plain...
Narcissus has the strongest positive energy, in the flower world it means “the sun always shines when I am with you.” Flowers convey their good mood to us!………………
I wonder if anyone has been to the valley of daffodils?
In my section “Legends about Flowers” there are many more stories about flowers. I invite anyone who is interested.)))Series of messages “Until he dies, endlessly loving...”
(Shelley "Mimosa")Narcissus. This is not only a symbol of a narcissistic person. This is the flower of poets and spring, festivals and sun!!!
Its graceful white flowers, swaying on a light stem, are very graceful.
In Ancient Persia, the daffodil was called “nargis”, translated as “beautiful eye”.
Its scientific name is Narcissus poeticus. Its first half comes from the Greek "narkao" (to intoxicate), for its intoxicating smell, and the second - “ poetic", because he was much sung by poets of all countries and centuries.Myself Mahomet said about him: “Whoever has two loaves of bread, let him sell one to buy a daffodil flower, for bread is food for the body, and daffodil is food for the soul.” And Persian King Cyrus nicknamed him creation of beauty immortal delight.
I admired him Shakespeare, who described him in his tragedy “The Tempest”, Edgar Poe, who described him among the flowers of the “valley of multi-colored grasses”, where he experienced heavenly love. The German poet Isidore Orientalis, looking at the daffodil, exclaims: This slender figure, this wonderful head bends towards itself and, shining with eternal beauty, as if looking for a source.
Legends of the beautiful Narcissus
There is an ancient Greek legend about the origin of the flower. Narcissa. The river god Cephisus and the nymph Lirioessa had a son, a beautiful Narcissus.
The young man’s parents at one time turned to the oracle Tireseus. The soothsayer said that Narcissus would live to old age if he did not see his face. Narcissus grew up to be a young man of extraordinary beauty, and when she fell in love with him nymphEcho, Narcissus rejected her. The nymph withered out from hopeless passion and turned into an echo, but before her death she said: “Let the one he loves not reciprocate Narcissus.”For this he was punished: when he saw his own reflection in the water, he fell in love with it. Tormented by passion, Narcissus died, and a beautiful, fragrant flower remained in his memory.
"Narcissist", as you know, is a person in love with himself. This is where the term narcissism comes from. In the language of flowers, “narcissus” means false hopes, desires, and selfishness.
But according to another legend, Narcissus lost his twin sister. Bending over the stream in inconsolable grief, he saw in his own reflection the features of his beloved sister. No matter how much he immersed his hands in the water to embrace his native image, it was all in vain... So he died of grief, bending over the water. And the flower appeared on the spot, symbolizing the bowed image of a beautiful young man.
And in Ancient Rome was a narcissist symbol of victory. The Romans greeted victors returning from war with a wreath of yellow daffodils. An image of this flower is found on the walls of ancient Pompeii. He was sacrificed to the Furies and Pluto.
The Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans grew daffodils as valuable essential oil plants, using them in perfumes.In China, From ancient times to the present day, the daffodil has played an important role in New Year's ceremonies. On New Year's Day it is a must-have attribute in every home. On this day, the beautiful flower takes part in all ceremonial processions and decorates the altars of the gods.
To Europe the narcissist got into 1570 from Constantinople as a gift to the Lord of the Treasury of England and was grown first in his famous garden on the banks of the Thames. And now the daffodil is one of the favorite flowers of the British.
Known from above 30,000 varieties of narcissus and 200 new ones are added annually.In Prussia daffodil symbol spring and happy marriage. When a girl gets married, she takes the daffodil from her parents’ house to her new home and carefully looks after it because, according to legend, the happiness of the marriage depends on its beauty.
Narcissus was my favorite flower Turgenev. He made humorous notes in the album, and in one of them, for 1867, to the question “which of the flowers does he like best?” he replied "Narcissus". This album was kept by Viardo Garcia.
Narcissus has become one of the favorite flowers in Western Europe. In some cities of France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy it is held annually holidays and daffodil festivals.
In Switzerland, in Montreux In honor of this beautiful flower, an annual daffodil festival is held. During the Narcissus Festival, excursions for tourists are held through the flower meadows of Montreux. The entire city is decorated with flowers and garlands, and a performance is held where the legend of Narcissus is played out.
Daffodil Festival in Ausseerland, in Austria is held on the last weekend of May. There is a carnival cortege of cars with figures of daffodils and festive boating on Lake Grundlsee. As a rule, about 30-40 daffodil sculptures.
Festival of Daffodils in France held in the city Gérardmer near Strasbourg.
Legends say that long ago Gerardmer's fairies sowed golden sparks of daffodils in the meadows to thank people for shelter from a severe thunderstorm.
Local residents construct sculptural compositions from fresh flowers. These narcissus figures then become participants in colorful processions - land and water, which attract thousands of spectators.The motifs of the composition are made of a frame and covered with a mesh-braid. Small bouquets of daffodils are inserted into this wickerwork, thus creating a fluffy effect - 3-4 daffodils per square centimeter. For large compositions, use 30,000 or more daffodils.
In Italy, the Festival of Daffodils takes place in Roca Di Mezzo., northeast of Rome. Here, white daffodils are used to decorate the figures. All figures are accompanied by musical and dance performances.
And in Ukraine, in Transcarpathia There is Valley of Narcissus!! It is located 4 km from the Transcarpathian city of Khust, in the Kireshi tract and covers an area of 257 hectares!
Opened here Narcissus Museum, - all the information about the origin, meaning and development of this unique flower is collected here.During the flowering season, the Valley is an unforgettable sight. And what an intoxicating aroma reigns over the plain...
Narcissus has the strongest positive energy, in the flower world it means “the sun always shines when I am with you.” Flowers convey their good mood to us!………………
I wonder if anyone has been to the valley of daffodils?
In my section “Legends about Flowers” there are many more stories about flowers. I invite anyone who is interested.)))Series of messages “Until he dies, endlessly loving...”
(Shelley "Mimosa")Narcissus. This is not only a symbol of a narcissistic person. This is the flower of poets and spring, festivals and sun!!!
Its graceful white flowers, swaying on a light stem, are very graceful.
In Ancient Persia, the daffodil was called “nargis”, translated as “beautiful eye”.
Its scientific name is Narcissus poeticus. Its first half comes from the Greek "narkao" (to intoxicate), for its intoxicating smell, and the second - “ poetic", because he was much sung by poets of all countries and centuries.Myself Mahomet said about him: “Whoever has two loaves of bread, let him sell one to buy a daffodil flower, for bread is food for the body, and daffodil is food for the soul.” And Persian King Cyrus nicknamed him creation of beauty immortal delight.
I admired him Shakespeare, who described him in his tragedy “The Tempest”, Edgar Poe, who described him among the flowers of the “valley of multi-colored grasses”, where he experienced heavenly love. The German poet Isidore Orientalis, looking at the daffodil, exclaims: This slender figure, this wonderful head bends towards itself and, shining with eternal beauty, as if looking for a source.
Legends of the beautiful Narcissus
There is an ancient Greek legend about the origin of the flower. Narcissa. The river god Cephisus and the nymph Lirioessa had a son, a beautiful Narcissus.
The young man’s parents at one time turned to the oracle Tireseus. The soothsayer said that Narcissus would live to old age if he did not see his face. Narcissus grew up to be a young man of extraordinary beauty, and when she fell in love with him nymphEcho, Narcissus rejected her. The nymph withered out from hopeless passion and turned into an echo, but before her death she said: “Let the one he loves not reciprocate Narcissus.”For this he was punished: when he saw his own reflection in the water, he fell in love with it. Tormented by passion, Narcissus died, and a beautiful, fragrant flower remained in his memory.
"Narcissist", as you know, is a person in love with himself. This is where the term narcissism comes from. In the language of flowers, “narcissus” means false hopes, desires, and selfishness.
But according to another legend, Narcissus lost his twin sister. Bending over the stream in inconsolable grief, he saw in his own reflection the features of his beloved sister. No matter how much he immersed his hands in the water to embrace his native image, it was all in vain... So he died of grief, bending over the water. And the flower appeared on the spot, symbolizing the bowed image of a beautiful young man.
And in Ancient Rome was a narcissist symbol of victory. The Romans greeted victors returning from war with a wreath of yellow daffodils. An image of this flower is found on the walls of ancient Pompeii. He was sacrificed to the Furies and Pluto.
The Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans grew daffodils as valuable essential oil plants, using them in perfumes.In China, From ancient times to the present day, the daffodil has played an important role in New Year's ceremonies. On New Year's Day it is a must-have attribute in every home. On this day, the beautiful flower takes part in all ceremonial processions and decorates the altars of the gods.
To Europe the narcissist got into 1570 from Constantinople as a gift to the Lord of the Treasury of England and was grown first in his famous garden on the banks of the Thames. And now the daffodil is one of the favorite flowers of the British.
Known from above 30,000 varieties of narcissus and 200 new ones are added annually.In Prussia daffodil symbol spring and happy marriage. When a girl gets married, she takes the daffodil from her parents’ house to her new home and carefully looks after it because, according to legend, the happiness of the marriage depends on its beauty.
Narcissus was my favorite flower Turgenev. He made humorous notes in the album, and in one of them, for 1867, to the question “which of the flowers does he like best?” he replied "Narcissus". This album was kept by Viardo Garcia.
Narcissus has become one of the favorite flowers in Western Europe. In some cities of France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy it is held annually holidays and daffodil festivals.
In Switzerland, in Montreux In honor of this beautiful flower, an annual daffodil festival is held. During the Narcissus Festival, excursions for tourists are held through the flower meadows of Montreux. The entire city is decorated with flowers and garlands, and a performance is held where the legend of Narcissus is played out.
Daffodil Festival in Ausseerland, in Austria is held on the last weekend of May. There is a carnival cortege of cars with figures of daffodils and festive boating on Lake Grundlsee. As a rule, about 30-40 daffodil sculptures.
Festival of Daffodils in France held in the city Gérardmer near Strasbourg.
Legends say that long ago Gerardmer's fairies sowed golden sparks of daffodils in the meadows to thank people for shelter from a severe thunderstorm.
Local residents build sculptural compositions from fresh flowers
IN Greek mythology There is a legend about the young man Narcissus (Narcissus). He was the son of the Boeotian river god Cephissus and his wife the nymph Liriope. Narcissus's parents went to the fortune teller Tiresias to find out what awaited their child. To this the soothsayer replied that Narcissus was destined to live to old age only on one condition: that he would never see his reflection.
Years passed, and Narcissus turned into a young man of extraordinary beauty. Many women wanted his love, but he didn't need any of them. Among other things, the nymph Echo was in love with him. Echo’s grief from unrequited love knew no bounds, and she dried up to such a state that only her voice remained. The women rejected by him demanded justice, and the goddess Nemesis agreed to help them.
And one day, upon returning from hunting, Narcissus saw his reflection in the water. He was captivated by his own beauty and fell in love with himself. He could not tear himself away from the sight of his beauty. I was unable to eat or drink. And in the end he died. When his parents came to bury his body, there was no body, and in its place a daffodil flower grew. Since then, in Greece this flower has been considered beautiful, but cold.
One version of the myth is that the goddess of love Aphrodite was angry with Narcissus for refusing this feeling. As punishment, he fell in love with his reflection in a mountain spring. The young man died of hunger. The Greeks associated this flower with death.
The Greek etymology of the name Narcissus is close to the words “to stand still”, “to become numb”. This may be how the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus came to be. From this we can conclude that this myth is of pre-Greek origin. Not every version of the myth contains the nymph Echo.
One of the variants of the myth of Narcissus there is a slightly different legend. It talks about Narcissus having a twin sister who died unexpectedly. And Narcissus mistook his own reflection in the water for the reflection of his sister. He looked at it for a long time, refusing water and sleep, and eventually died of grief.
Another version of this legend is that Narcissus rejected the young man Aminius and his love. He killed himself, and Narcissus, seeing his beautiful image in the water, fell in love with him, and from the hopelessness of this situation he stabbed himself. Drops of his blood that watered the ground gave birth to daffodil flowers.
Most likely, the myth of Narcissus was invented in ancient times as a warning not to see one's reflection. This was associated with magic because a person’s reflection was perceived as a double and a second evil self. According to the ideas of that time, the second self most often lives in a dream. Most likely, the narcissus flower was perceived as a kind of plant deity, which is capable of dying and resurrecting itself.
Narcissus looked around, not knowing where to go, and shouted loudly:
- Hey, who's here?
- Here! - Echo answered loudly.
- Come here! - Narcissus shouted.
- Here! - Echo answered.
The beautiful Narcissus looks around in amazement. Nobody here. Surprised by this, he exclaimed loudly:
- Here, come to me quickly!
And Echo responded joyfully.
- To me!
Guy Head "Echo"
Stretching out her hands, a nymph from the forest hurries towards Narcissus, but the beautiful young man angrily pushes her away. He hastily left the nymph and disappeared into the dark forest. The rejected nymph also hid in the impenetrable thicket of the forest. She suffers from love for Narcissus, does not show herself to anyone and only sadly responds to every cry from the unfortunate Echo. But Narcissus remained proud and narcissistic. He rejected love
everyone. His pride made many nymphs unhappy. And once one of the nymphs rejected by him exclaimed:
- Love you too, Narcissus! And let the person not reciprocate your feelings,
which you will love!
The nymph's wish came true. The goddess of love Aphrodite was angry that Narcissus was rejecting her gifts and punished him.
John William Waterhouse "Narcissus and Echo"
One spring, while hunting, Narcissus came to a stream and wanted to drink the cold water. Neither a shepherd nor mountain goats had ever touched the waters of this stream, not once had a broken branch fallen into the stream, not even the wind had carried lush flower petals into the stream. Its water was clean and transparent. As in a mirror, everything around was reflected in it: the bushes,
growing along the shore, and slender cypress trees, and the blue sky. Narcissus bent down to the stream, resting his hands on a stone protruding from the water, and was reflected in the stream in all its glory. It was then that Aphrodite’s punishment befell him. He looks in amazement at his reflection in the water, and strong love takes possession of him. Full of love with his eyes he looks at his image in the water, it beckons him, calls him, reaches out to him
hands. Narcissus leans towards the mirror of the waters to kiss his reflection, but kisses only the cold, clear water of the stream. Narcissus has forgotten everything: he does not leave the stream; without stopping to admire himself. He doesn't eat, doesn't drink, doesn't sleep. Finally, full of despair, Narcissus exclaims, stretching out his hands to his reflection:
- 0, who suffered so cruelly! We are separated not by mountains, not by seas, but only by a strip of water, and yet we cannot be with you. Get out of the stream!
Narcissus thought, looking at his reflection in the water. Suddenly a terrible thought came to mind, and he quietly whispered to his reflection, leaning towards the water itself:
- Oh, grief! I'm afraid I've fallen in love with myself! After all, you are me! I love myself. I feel like I don't have much time left to live. Having barely blossomed, I will wither and descend into the dark kingdom of shadows. Death does not frighten me; death will bring an end to the torments of love.
Nicolas Poussin "Echo and Narcissus"
Narcissus' strength leaves, he turns pale and already feels the approach of death, but still cannot tear himself away from his reflection. Narcissus is crying. His tears fall into the clear waters of the stream. Circles appeared on the mirror surface of the water and the beautiful image disappeared. Narcissus exclaimed with fear:
- Oh, where are you! Come back! Stay! Do not leave me. After all, this is cruel. Oh, let me at least look at you!
A.J.Grass "Narcissus"
But now the water is calm again, a reflection has appeared again, and Narcissus is again looking at it without stopping. It melts like dew on flowers in the rays of the hot sun.
Karl Bryullov "Narcissus looking into the water"
The unfortunate nymph Echo also sees how Narcissus suffers. She still loves him; Narcissus's suffering squeezes her heart with pain.
- Oh, grief! - exclaims Narcissus.
- Oh, grief! - Echo answers.
Finally, exhausted, Narcissus exclaimed in a weakening voice, looking at his reflection:
- Goodbye!
And even more quietly, barely audible, the response of the nymph Echo sounded:
- Goodbye!
Narcissus's head bowed on the green coastal grass, and the darkness of death covered his eyes. Narcissus died. The young nymphs cried in the forest, and Echo cried. The nymphs prepared a grave for young Narcissus, but when they came for his body, they did not find it. In the place where Narcissus's head bowed on the grass, a white fragrant flower grew - the flower of death; His name is Narcissus.
D.W. Waterhouse "Narcissus"
The basis of the text is N.A. Kun. "Legends and Myths Ancient Greece"
The ancient Greeks are today considered the teachers of the entire Old World. It was they who laid the foundations of science, sports, democratic government, art and literature. Much of their knowledge came to us through ancient myths, which explained the universe and the order of things, coincidences and other inexplicable facts. The myth of Narcissus is very interesting, which we will consider in our article.
So, the myth of Narcissus. Briefly, its content can be recounted as follows: a young man fell in love with his own reflection and died, unable to tear himself away from contemplating himself in the water, even to eat. At the place of death, a flower grew from the young man’s body, which was just as beautiful and leaned down. He was named after the young man and was considered a symbol of death, sleep from which one can wake up in a different guise, oblivion, but also a symbol of resurrection. But in reality, the myth of Narcissus is much more complex.
Narcissus was a very handsome guy, the son of a nymph named Liriope and the river god Cephissus. When the boy was born, the soothsayer Tiresias told his parents about his future. He was destined to live a long and happy life, but only if he never saw his reflection. Since there were no mirrors then, the parents were calm.
But time passed. Narcissus grew up to be a guy of amazing appearance, with whom girls and women fell madly in love. Even representatives of the stronger sex paid attention to the handsome man. But he remained indifferent and pushed everyone away. The rejected fans called on the Olympian gods for help and tearfully asked to punish the proud man. As the ancient myths further tell, the goddess of justice Nemesis heeded their pleas, and Narcissus saw his face in the river mirror. The old prophecy immediately came true: the young man became inflamed with passion for his own reflection and died, unable to move away from the water.
Unhappy Echo
The myth of Narcissus tells not only about the sad fate of a beautiful young man, but also about the nymph Echo. Many boys and girls were dying of love for Narcissus and, pushed away by the proud handsome man, raised their hands to the sky, begging for revenge. Among them was the nymph Echo.
Her fate is especially tragic. She was once a friend of Hera (Juno), her trusted companion. The formidable goddess trusted her as herself. But Echo accidentally learned about the adventures of Zeus (Jupiter), the wife of Hera, and hid them from her mistress. The angry mistress of Olympus drove the nymph away and also took away her voice. The girl could only repeat the last words spoken by someone. Only love could save her, and she diligently searched for her other half.
Love line Narcissus - Echo
According to the myths of Ancient Greece, Narcissus is a handsome and proud guy who did not love any woman. When he met the nymph Echo, she did not make an impression on him. The girl, on the contrary, was inflamed with passion. She followed him until her body withered away and only her voice remained. But the young man still did not pay attention to her. Then the nymph clasped her hands to the sky and cursed the guy, wishing that the one whom Narcissus would finally love would also remain indifferent to him.
Love did not bring happiness to either Echo, who disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving only her voice - a review, an echo - or Narcissus. The image in the river couldn't reciprocate even if it wanted to.
Philosophical research
The myth of Narcissus is not just a story about unrequited love. It carries a hidden meaning, condemnation, but also regret. The young man is gifted by the gods with rare beauty, but he is a toy in the hands of fate. He saw external beauty, albeit his own (Narcissus did not know that he saw his own face in the river), and forgot about everything in the world. The guy is not trying to find inner beauty, to see the soul. Perhaps if he tried to do this, he would understand that a person is both a soul and a body, he would find himself, his Self. The narcissist really suffers as the girls in love with him suffered, but cannot or does not want to take pull yourself together. He remains weak-willed, preferring melancholy and suffering, death to the struggle for his own happiness.
Echo – exhausted, disappointed. She could not resist Zeus and hid his adultery from Hera. By doing this, she betrayed her friend, for which she received punishment. But her lot seems very difficult: she lost herself, but could not find solace in love. The nymph also saw only visible beauty, only external gloss, and therefore was doomed.
Delightful flower
An amazing flower grew from the body of the dead Narcissus. Its touching petals and incredible aroma captivated at first sight, but also made me sad. This is probably why the plant was considered a symbol of death, dead people, a sign of sadness. But the flower, which received the name of the hero of ancient myths, is also the personification of resurrection, the triumph of life over the kingdom of gloomy Hades. And this is probably why people grow daffodils in their front gardens and flower beds, and they are delighted with their rare beauty, blooming as soon as the snow melts and the sun warms the earth with its rays.
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