Live Your Myths

Greek Myth | Orpheus & Eurydice

Written by happy_boo

There are several versions of the tragic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice. But the pain and heartbreak reside in every version. The heartbreak has inspired poets and painters alike. The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of the most famous tragedies which tore apart two lovers.

The son of the god Apollo and the Muse Calliope, Orpheus, was a legendary poet and musician of the ancient era. He acquired his musical talents from his father Apollo, and had an ethereal voice that moved even rocks. With his lyre, he was unmatchable in musical skills.

Orpheus used to wander around playing his lyre, and enchant humans and nymphs alike. On one such occasion, he saw a maiden, and for the first time, the enchanter was enchanted. That maiden was Eurydice. Orpheus and Eurydice fell in love, and they fell hard. It is said that she was the biggest admirer of his art. They were inseparable. Soon they decided to get married.

It was the day of the wedding of the admired lovers. On a bright and sunny day, Orpheus and Eurydice took their vows. But soon, the celebration turned into mourning with Eurydice's demise.

There are several versions of her death. In some versions, a shepherd named Aristaeus, who wanted Eurydice for himself, started chasing her in the forest. In her haste to get away from him, she got bitten by a snake and died. In another version, she was merely strolling through the forest when a serpent bit her. Whatever the cause, it tore those lovers apart, and Eurydice's soul descended into the underworld.

The loss of Eurydice was too much for Orpheus to bear. He decided to bring his beloved back from the world of the dead.

"With my song

I will charm Demeter's daughter,

I will charm the Lord of the Dead,

Moving their hearts with my melody.

I will bear her away from Hades."

Armed with his lyre, he descended to the underworld. It is said that his voice emanated a stillness in the underworld. It even calmed the three-headed Cerberus. When he stood in front of the king and the queen of the underworld, he started singing about his love. He sang how his love was taken away too soon. He only asked for a few more years with his beloved. He also sang of the love Hades and Persephone had, and it swayed Persephone to tears. Upon the urge of his queen, Hades granted him his wish. But with every wish comes a condition. Hades gave him a condition that he must not look back unless both of them were out of the realm of the dead. Orpheus agreed and strode out on the path to the mortal world. But soon, he got anxious about his beloved. He had no inkling if she was following him or not. He couldn't even hear her footsteps.

So Orpheus looked back.

Just as he looked back, he saw Eurydice falling back into the underworld. He tried to reach her with his hands outstretched, but all he heard was a faint 'farewell.' His heart broke into pieces. He was so close, but he lost her again. He wept as no one was permitted to enter the underworld twice alive. He could not do anything else but weep. He came back to the mortal world alone.

In grief, Orpheus swore that he would never love another woman. He would wander around aimlessly, singing and playing his lyre. Enchanted with his singing, the Maenads(women who lived in the wilderness) grew jealous of his declaration of never loving another woman. In a rage, they tore him apart. Limb by limb. His torn limbs were scattered around. It is said that his decapitated head still sang as it flowed down the river.