The Myth Orpheus: A Death-Defying Love

The Myth Orpheus: A Death-Defying Love

Greek mythology dates back to more than 2,000 years. The majority of Greek mythology tales are still used in modern speech and vocabulary. For example, we talk about the risks associated with opening Pandora's box (Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books, 1970). We describe a person's weakness as their Achilles heel. We also describe a difficult activity as Herculean task. Similarly, one is said to possess the Midas touch when they can make things work out well. Among the most remarkable tragic love stories in Greek mythology is the one about the musician Orpheus and his wife Eurydice. The narrative tells of poetry, death, the afterlife, and love that perished from fear and uncertainty. For most of us, life is managed by practicality and quantification. A great story is a kind of vast, invisible temple where this process takes place; it's a temple free of creeds and dogmas, but it's a place where we can face our biggest questions. Such stories have the power to shape our lives, our interactions with one another, and even our perceptions of the outside world. Among them all, the tale of Orpheus has the most power. 

Orpheus was a poet, lyricist, and musician. He was a Thracian by origin and the Greek mythological model for the poet and singer (Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books, 1970). Orpheus was frequently heard singing close to Mount Olympus. He would entice the wild beasts to follow him with his exquisite performances. One piece of information about Orpheus that is hardly known is that he traveled with the crew that Jason took to the Golden Fleece. Orpheus started singing so loudly during this voyage to try and save Jason and the other crew members from becoming siren food when the ship passed the island and the siren began to sing its deadly melody. 

The popularity of Orpheus narrative is astonishing. This ancient Greek myth was mentioned by Plato and early mystery cults. Medieval Christians and Jews reinterpreted it, and Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Romantic artists gave it unique twists. Christopher Gluck's opera was the most frequently performed in the second half of the 18th century. In our own time, the story has also been dissected (Wordtrade.com). More recently, goths have championed the tale and it has been retold in comic books, rock songs, movies, and theatrical production such as Reza Abdoh's 1990 play The Hip-Hop Waltz of Eurydice, Orpheus rides a motorcycle into Hell (Mufson, 1999). The story kept evolving as it moved through millions of lives over thousands of years, its complexities being reexamined. 

At one time, Orpheus was once thought of as a shaman. He went with Jason and the Argonauts to retrieve the Golden Fleece during the Classical era. He was also revered as an oracle, followed as a spiritual teacher, and seen as a mysterious saint to whom songs and theologies were dedicated (Osmundson et al., 2015). In the Middle Ages, he took on the role of Sir Orfeo, the Christian knight, and has been taken both literally and merely as a symbol or allegory. Examining how Orpheus has frequently served as a focal point for discussions regarding gender, sexuality, and love is one method to think about his legacy. Ovid tells us that Orpheus turned to pederasty and abjured women after losing Eurydice a second time. This has never seemed like a good way to solve the dilemma that death puts Orpheus in: a younger man could be taken away in the same way that Eurydice was. However, Ovid's story started a widespread custom that links Orpheus to the "introduction" of homosexuality to the Greeks. This custom is frequently brought up in a derogatory manner, but it also informs a number of current initiatives that aim to provide a more comprehensive history of homosexuality and lesbians.   

Orpheus and Eurydice 

The singer Orpheus fell in love with Eurydice, her wife, but their marriage was short-lived as Eurydice passed away soon after Orpheus did (Osmundson et al., 2015). Orpheus made the long journey to Hades in an attempt to reunite with his beloved. His wishes were granted when he arrived in Hades, but only under the conditional that he doesn’t turn around and face her wife while they were leaving the city. Orpheus was to take the lead, and her spouse was to trail behind. But poor Orpheus, he was compelled to at least cast a quick glance at her lovely wife. This is how Eurydice was lost to him forever. 

Eurydice was a dryad who was connected to forests and trees. She was Orpheus's wife as well. She was relaxing in the Thracian countryside one day when Aristaeus, a shepherd, came up to her and declared her desire (B; Orpheus and Eurydice: A creative agony, n.d). But as Eurydice ran away from him, she stepped on a snake, which retaliated, bit her, and killed her with its venom. This was Eurydice's first-ever manner of death. Orpheus was unable to prevent losing his beloved. All that remained for him was his melody. In an attempt to plead with his wife to come back to the world of the living, he set out on her journey into the underworld. 

Orpheus seduced the demons of the underworld with his lyre and amazing singing abilities. Hades, the god of the underworld, and Persephone, his wife, the goddess of the underworld, were pacified by his singing (Osmundson et al., 2015). Hades and Persephone were husband and wife, so they had firsthand experience with what it meant to be in love. The underworld god and goddess were moved by Orpheus's plea and his magnificent singing performance, and they granted his request. They permitted Orpheus and his wife Eurydice to return to the world of the living (B; Orpheus and Eurydice: A creative agony, n.d). Orpheus's love and devotion to his lover Eurydice were demonstrated by his singing and his perilous journey to Hades. However, before leaving the underworld, Hades placed an obligation on them: Eurydice would lead and Orpheus would follow him from the back. It was forbidden for Orpheus to look back at Eurydice until they were out of the underworld. Without hesitation, Orpheus accepted the terms, and they set out to return to the world of the living. While traveling, Orpheus began to doubt himself a lot, believing that Hades might have been playing tricks on him and that he might be abandoning his wife. He pondered whether his spouse was abandoned in the underworld or if she was still pursuing him (B; Orpheus and Eurydice: A creative agony). He could not resist the urge to turn around and check to see if his wife was following him as he was about to emerge from the underworld. He was surprised to see his wife Eurydice trailing him dutifully. It was too late when he realized he shouldn't have had doubts. Already, he had broken the most important requirement. 

Analysis 

When recounted, this myth is often oversimplified, which lessens its impact and significance. Love and devotion were the cause of Orpheus's downfall (Lupton et al. 58). He can't resist the urge to quickly glance at his wife Eurydice because he is so desperate and impatient. He consequently sentences his wife to death. The feeling that causes Orpheus to falter is doubt. He questions whether his spouse is trailing him at a distance (Cambridge, MA : Barefoot Books, 1970). He eventually gives in to the temptation of looking back as a result of this growing doubt. Orpheus's doubts were well-founded and, in some ways, justified in many dimensions. There was no way he could risk leaving his wife behind given his resolve to return to the living. In addition, he was from an underworld from which one cannot simply return if one forgets something important, like going grocery shopping. Lastly, even though his love for Eurydice had a part in it, his primary motivation for looking back was his concern that his wife would not be there (Osmundson et al., 2015). He did not want to return to life without her, if that was indeed the case. In addition to being inquisitive, gullible, indolent, and infatuated, doubt and fear were Orpheus' main motivating emotions. 

References

B;, Z. (n.d.). Orpheus and Eurydice: A creative agony. The Journal of analytical psychology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10953512/ Cambridge, 

MA : Barefoot Books. (1970, January 1). Orpheus and Eurydice : Lupton, hugh : Free download, borrow, and streaming. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/orpheuseurydice0000lupt 

Mufson, D. (Ed.). (1999). Reza Abdoh (Vol. 3). Performing Arts Journal Books. 

Osmundson, J., 23, M., Law, T. M., 10, J., Sheppard, E., 17, N., Rashed, S. A., Tuffaha, L. K., Abughattas, J., Shehabi, D. K., Metzger, E., 4, D., Wachspress, M., 29, N., Cooper, J. E., 6, D., Yancy, G., & 26, N. (2015, January 20). A death-defying love: Versions of the orpheus myth. Los Angeles Review of Books. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/death-defying-love-versions-orpheus-myth/ Wordtrade.com.

 Orpheus & Eurydice. (n.d.). https://www.wordtrade.com/arts/music/OrpheusR.html