ORPHEUS AND THE WORLD OF LIFE AND LIGHT

 

             

ORPHEUS AND THE WORLD OF LIFE AND LIGHT

Orpheus is the greatest musician in the Greek mythology.   He had a Lyre which produced heavenly music.   When he played his Lyre all things in the nature like savage beasts, stone and flora danced in accordance with his music.  

Orpheus is the son of Apollo and muse Calliope (the Muses are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts). 

 

The Gods inhabited on  top of the mount Olympus.  Zeus is the supreme God in whose command was sky, thunder, lightening, winds and rains.  He is known as the father to other gods and men.  He is the ruler and protector.  He is married to Leto and was the father of Apollo.

Apollo is the god of light, music, poetry, rational thinking, archery, healing, medicine,  prophecy, purification, and civilization.

 

Apollo gifted a Lyre to his son Orpheus and taught him how to play endowing a magical talent.  Orpheus'  melodious music was enjoyed by both the Gods and the mortals.  Orpheus used to perform his music in the foothills below the mount Olympus.

Orpheus' musical skills was famous in near and afar.  During one of his musical performance for the beasts and men,  he saw Eurydice a wood nymph with beauty and grace.  It was love at first sight.  Both the young couple with Eurydice's Beauty and Orpheus's musical skills got attracted to each other and became inseparable.  Eurydice left her brother for Orpheus and both decided to marry. However, the Hymen who blessed the wedding said their unison is not going to last long.

 

Hymen is a winged God who blesses and conduct  marriage ceremonies.  He is an astrologer too.

 

Orpheus married Eurydice and lived happily.

 

 

However, the marital bliss didn't last long.  As predicted by the Hymen while dancing with nymphs in the woods Eurydice was bitten by a snake and she dies. 

 

A heartbroken Orpheus played his  best music with his Lyre to please the Gods in the Olympus.  The grief stricken Orpheus himself a demigod wandered in the lands with his Lyre and he joined Jason,  the leader of Argonauts whose wife was sorceress Medea. Orpheus was in the Jason's Argonauts crew.

 

Orpheus decided to descend to the land of the dead (Underworld) to win back Eurydice.  He charmed Charon whose duty was to ferry over the Rivers Styx to reach the Underworld.  He also won the heart of the three-headed dog Cerberus who was the gate keeper of the Underworld to ensure that no souls are leaving from the land of the dead before reaching to Persephone the queen of Underworld ruler Hades.  Hades is the brother of Zeus.  Persephone was so overwhelmed with the music of Orpheus had persuaded her husband Hades to release Eurydice.  Hades agreed to do so with a condition that both Eurydice and Orpheus must not look back before reaching the land of the mortals.  Eurydice started walking with Orpheus in the lead.   When they reached the end of their journey, Orpheus sighted the Sun and with that excitement to share this with Eurydice who was still in the shade looked back only to witness Eurydice disappeared again in the land of the dead.

 

 

A horrified Orpheus cursed his fate and again looked up to the Gods to have mercy on him.   But the Gods turned him away reasoning that Orpheus is a coward and did not fall on a blade or had his cup of poison to join Eurydice in death which was the custom.  Orpheus wandered in the forest with profound grief.  He stumbled upon the women of God Dionysus who dances after getting drunk and frenzied  with excitement.  In the madness they tear apart Orpheus' limbs and severe his head which is tossed in the river.

The head still had the music and hence not allowed to enter the Underworld to unite with Eurydice.  

 

After some years Apollo traces the head which was flown from the river to sea and gives a proper burial and thus Orpheus got united with Eurydice in the land of the dead.

Though the story has a tragic and cruel end, the life of Orpheus teach the importance of faith, obedience and discipline. 

Orpheus' ordeal with the world of  life and light makes it a best choice from Greek mythology which was retold for centuries.  The legend of Orpheus and Eurydice was unanimously rated by the readers as the best story from mythology and the first choice with audiences.

 

Orpheus is portrayed or alluded to in countless forms of art and popular culture including poetry, film, opera, music, and painting.