Cupid: God of Love
At Bombus we are true romantics! This time of year is all about love. And we love love. Because it is what we do best. Big declarations of love in our map artwork. Tokens of friendship with keepsake bottles and handmade cards...
And is there a more well known symbol of the season of love than Cupid?
Cupid is a figure from Roman mythology. Known as Eros in Greek, the story of Cupid is complex and rich. And his image and reputation change quite dramatically depending on who is telling the story.
The tale of this little imp with a bow and arrow is woven prolifically throughout art and literature across centuries. And at Bombus we love him!
Originally, Cupid was said to be the son of the Roman goddess of love Venus, and the god of war Mars. As a result, he was depicted as the god of passion. Specifically he had the power to inflict unrelenting desire on a person with a well placed shot from his bow and arrow.
But… there is more menace to his bow than modern day marketeers would have you believe! Because Cupid traditionally has TWO types of arrow. And they aren't just for love. One is dipped in gold, and the other in lead. The gold arrow fills the target with passionate longing…whilst the lead one makes the victim want to flee.
These consequences are described beautifully in the Latin poem Metamorphoses by Ovid. A very good read to curl up with on a wet windy winters day!
The Imagery of Cupid
In Greek mythology, Eros was first described as a tall, slender young man. A hunter, artist, and the epitome of youthful masculinity. In later versions he was attributed to the group of winged gods, and was only then more commonly pictured with his archer’s bow and angel-like wings.
It was the Romans who first pictured Cupid as a child. His character was seen as more mischievous and boyish. And once the Renaissance came about, the preference was to paint and sculpt him as a chubby imp, hell bent on firing arrows at anyone who looked the slightest bit lacking in love.
Cupid in Literature
Consequently, the history of Cupid is really worth delving into in more detail.
You really should read Stephen Fry’s Mythos series. Because this collection tells the tales of the Greek Gods in amusing and captivating anecdotes.
Also if you’re a fan of Shakespeare? Cupid is referenced over 70 times throughout his plays.
Venus and Adonis (1593), 580-82:
[Venus] Bids him farewell, and look well to her heart
The which, by Cupid’s bow she doth protest,
He carries thence encagèd in his breast.
William Shakespeare
You can find each time Cupid is mentioned here. www.shakmyth.org/myth/70/cupid/occurrences+in+shakespeare
Although his story throughout mythology is mostly as a bit-part character (such as alongside the more well-known gods such as Apollo and Aphrodite,) Cupid has now become a much more prominent figure in modern life than his counterparts.
A symbol of love
Valentine’s Day was originally celebrated as the Feast of St. Valentine. Particularly to honour the Christian martyr himself, Valentine. Subsequently as a religious festival, it was celebrated throughout the world and spread to a whole expanse of cultures.
Although it wasn’t until Geoffrey Chaucer mentioned the day in relation to love, that it gained its modern associations with romance.
"For this was on Saint Valentine's Day
When every bird comes there to choose his match
Of every kind that men may think of
And that so huge a noise they began to make
That earth and air and tree and every lake
Was so full, that not easily was there space
For me to stand—so full was all the place."Parliament of Fowls (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer
And as with many Christian celebrations, it was the Victorians that really took the occasion and ran with it. They were the first to mass produce Valentine’s Day cards, and with the invention of the postage stamp the holiday really took off. You can see one of the earliest Valentine’s Day cards depicting Cupid in The British Museum.
Modern day Cupid
Today when we think of Valentine’s Day, Cupid is definitely one of the images that comes to mind. When we were looking to extend our range of keepsakes and tokens, our studio artists were really keen to include him in our artwork. Our team chose the more modern, sweet, image of this god of love. Cherubic and cute, with his quiver of arrows and mission to spread love!
At Bombus we love love. And we think it’s really important at the moment to let people know they matter. With all the difficulties of life and traumas on the news, spreading a bit of joy can make all the difference. It doesn’t need to be extravagant or over the top. Which is why we’ve worked super hard to create personal, unique, and affordable token gifts you can send this Valentine’s Day. We’ve kept to our promise of only producing sustainable forever gifts, and think you’ll love our designs.
Check out our range and order early to avoid any postal disruptions!