Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphosis Part B
Bibliography: Ovid's Metamorphosis, Part A, translated by Tony Kline
Many times when Jupiter was raping other nymphs, Echo would distract Juno/Hera with long talks so the nymphs could get away undetected and unharmed by Hera. However, eventually Hera figured it out and cursed Echo to less words, only being able to repeat parts of what others had already said and not being able to speak first. When Narcissus came into her forest one day, she fell in love with him and finally the day came when he asked if anyone was there. When he said to meet him she embraced him, but he denied her, and she left in sadness, living out the rest of her days in nearby caves, her body and bones turning into stone and the echoing of her voice all that remains.
Narcissus
Narcissus denied the affections of many others, and one day one of the denied basically threw their hands in the air and said "well I hope you love yourself and I hope it destroys you." But the goddess Nemesis heard their 'request.' So, on a day Narcisse is thirsty, he comes across a fountain (that no one had ever messed with) and takes a drink, but at the same time, he sees his own reflection. Narcisse falls in love with himself the way anyone burns in passion for another. What he sees he wants to touch, but it being just a reflection he can't. He believes his reflection is another person that he can never be with, an unrequited love. He despairs, and finally realizes that what he sees is himself, but it's too late: he's dying. This realization doesn't seem to bother him, though, because even as he was dying, he said goodbye to his lover, himself. And then his body turned into a flower.
Pyramus and Thisbe
Two childhood friends, neighbors, and now lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe were prevented from embrace by their parents and were separated by a wall, only able to whisper through a small crack. They planned to run off together, and decided to meet at a mulberry tree and fountain outside of town. Thisbe was the first to arrive, but a lion was nearby, so she hid in a nearby cave, dropping her veil as she fled. The lion came to the fountain for a drink after its hunt and found Thisbe's veil, tearing it to pieces and bloodying it. When Pyramus came, he found the remnants of the veil and thought the lion had killed Thisbe, so he drove his sword into himself and bled out. His dark blood soaked into the mulberry tree and turned the white berries into a dark red. Thisbe returned soon after and found Pyramus' dying body. Not wanting to part from him, she let the weight of herself fall onto his sword, piercing her own heart. As she died, she voiced her wish to never part from Pyramus, even in their death, even in their grave or in their ashes. The gods were moved, and their parents kept their ashes in a single urn.
Mars and Venus
One day, Sol and his light saw Venus (Aphrodite) with Mars intimately together, so Sol told Vulcan (Hephaestus) that his wife was cheating on him with Mars. Vulcan was shocked at first, but then began crafting an intricate net for when his wife did it again. Unsurprisingly, Venus and Mars were in each other's arms again, but this time, they were surprised to find themselves captured inside a bronze net. Then, Vulcan opened the doors and the rest of the gods followed him inside, and all were laughing at this embarrassing sight.
Perseus and Andromeda & Perseus and Medusa
Perseus came across Atlas and his beautiful ranch after cutting off Medusa's head and asked for rest, but Atlas denied his request based on a prediction he'd heard that a son of Zeus (which Perseus was) would steal the gold from his trees. Perseus turned him to stone for his rudeness and later came across a woman (Andromeda) strapped to a rock crying, her parents in the distance in distress because she was captured by a sea monster. Perseus insisted that he'd be a better son-in-law and the parents readily agreed. Perseus then stabbed the sea monster several times until it finally died, and Andromeda was saved. The newly wed couple then celebrated with a large feast. The guests excitedly asked Perseus to tell them the story behind Medusa's head. He explained that first he stole the eyeball from the daughters of Phorcys who lived at the entrance to Medusa's cave, and inside the cave there were many men and other beings that had been turned to stone. He used his bronze shield to watch for when Medusa and her snakes were asleep before slicing her head off. I guess from her blood birthed Pegasus and Chrysaor? And apparently Medusa used to be beautiful and have gorgeous hair, but it was turned to snakes by Athena after Neptune had violated her.
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