The Myth of Echo and Narcissus

"Echo and Narcissus" is a tale of the many forms of love, Love for oneself and for others. The story of "Echo and Narcissus" is a marvelous one, belongs to both Greek and Roman mythology and this story is taken from Ovid's Metamorphosis, a Roman mythological epic poetry book from Augustan age which contains 15 books in total and this story belongs to Book -III.

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Echo, was a beautiful mountain nymph ( young and beautiful minor dieties in Greek mythology ) from mountain Citharon in Boetia. She was educated in music by the younger Muses and she had possessed unimaginable and indescribable beauty for this good reason she was chased by both Gods Apollo and Pan but she rejected them both.

Many of us know about Zeus(Jupiter) the great god of both Greeks and Romans who contributed his 100 in creation mortal lives. Zeus took a witty step by using Echo in a good way not for any romantic reason but as a wall to keep Hera (Juno), her wife in dark about his illicit relationships with others nymphs Where Zeus was making love with other nymphs, Echo would talk to Hera and keep her busy for hours, distracting the goddess from Zeus's indiscretion. After knowing, Echo's true intention Hera cursed Echo by making her unable to speak her mind, but she will only be able to repeat the last words spoken by others.

On the other hand, Narcissus was a handsome young man from the city of Thespia in Boetia, he was the son of water nymph Liriope and Cephissus. When Narcissus was a mere child, the blind seer Tiresias made a prophecy to Liriope that ' Narcissus would love a very long life until He discover himself'(the meaning of which could be interpreted in many ways).

Narcissus was so handsome that people used to compare him with Adonis,the god of beauty and desire. He was admired and courted by both male and female, mortal and immortal but he refused all of them.

But God had different plan for both Narcissus and Echo, they were predestined to meet but it would be not a good and positive meeting for either of them.

As always, whilst wandering through the deep wood Echo saw a young handsome man hunting a deer with his companions. Echo was astounded with the charms of his beauty and immediately fell in love with him and started to chase him quietly. The more she looked at him, the more she felt heartache and overflowing desire for him, she wanted to confess her immense love to Narcissus but the curse of Hera forced her not to do so.

As Narcissus was separated from his companions during hunt, so he called out "Is Anyone There?" He immediately heard the voice of Echo repeat the last word back to him from the deep woods. Amazed Narcissus answered to that voice by saying "Come Here" but by the bad influence of Hera's curse Echo was only able to only repeat "Here" but when he saw that nobody is coming towards him so he thought he is the owner of that repeated voice.

He shouted again by saying "This way, We must come together" , Echo considered this line as a direct proposal from her beloved and she happily repeated "We must come together" and throw her arms around him. Narcissus was amazed by this sudden occurrence so he exclaimed "Hands off! May I die before you enjoy my body" cursed Echo whispered in reply "Enjoy my body", by doing this she felt humiliated , ashamed and fled from that place.

There is a saying, "The more you hurt, the more your love grow", to prove this saying as an eternal truth despite being humiliated by Narcissus Echo's love for him only grew and grew, her love was too powerful, too heavenly and this strong love eventually decayed her withered her. She decided to spend rest of her life alone longing for Narcissus, she gradually withered away until that was only left her lonely voice of Echo remain today.

In this story Echo was just one of numbers who was rejected by Narcissus, apart from her, Ameinias who had fallen in love with Narcissus and was spurned by Narcissus, he took this rejection as badly as posible and commited suicide in the threshold of Narcissus's home, killing himself with his own sword that had ironically been given to him by Narcissus.

Some people say that, It was none other than Ameinias who called down the curse of gods upon Narcissus on the other hand some people say it was one of the multitudes of rejected nymphs who prayed the love of Narcissus or some people say the creatures of the forest who loved Echo were devastated by her death so it could be one of the reason which fallen upon Narcissus.

Nemesis, the goddess of retribution heard the calls for revenge against Narcissus for brutally rejected many mortals and immortals. She decided to intervene by punishing Narcissus so she attracted Narcissus to a flowing spring full of crystal clear and calm waters, as he was tired of hunting, he took merely one second to take a break and quench her thirsty throat.

When he was going to drink, he started noticing the handsome reflection of him in the natural mirror for the very first time. His own Beauty astounded him, his surprise turned into fascination, his fascination turned into love and love turned into unimaginable obsession. He became unable to breath, to move, as he was captured by his own beauty and lead him to burn with desire for the person he saw in the water.

He tried his best to embrace, to love the tremulous figure unbeknownst to him that the figure is none other than his own reflection. By the fear of losing his beloved, he began to panick to touch the reflection,after waiting for hours , he started to freeze , trapped by his very own insolence and lead consigned to a fate that he had consigned many others with his merciless rejection.

Narcissus died of sorrow by the clear stream, admiring his own reflection, totally unable to move despite the pleadings of the Naiads( Water Nymphs) and Drayads( Tree or Wood nymphs) who had observed Narcissus waiting sway, as they too once were in love with him so they built a funeral pyre for him but unfortunately or fortunately when they came to place the body of the handsome Narcissus upon it, they could not find it as all that was left was a flower only with white petals and a yellow core , the Narcissus flower.

Narcissus flower

An another version of the death of Narcissus tells that he died because he felt the pain of the unrequited love that he had for his own reflection and he realised the sufferings, the longings that he had caused to so many mortals and immortals. Some people believe that,even now in the underworld Narcissus still looks at his beautiful reflection in the waters of Hades.

In this tragic story both Echo and Narcissus chose death or rather nothingness after being heart broken. Echo lost her will to live after being rejected by someone whom she dearly and purely loved while Narcissus chose to abandon his life after realising that he was unable to love anyone else except himself.

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The myth of Narcissus and Echo is about a selfish boy who loved his own image than anyone else on the other side this myth is about a lonely boy who had the inability to love anyone else.

The transformation stories of both Echo and Narcissus could be interpreted as a warning that the invisible line between Love and Obsession is often smaller than we think and Both unrequited & too much self-obsession is dangerous.

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In my point of view, Narcissus was not that brutal which we think as he just wanted to enjoy his life by hunting and wandering in woods insted of pushing himself in any relationship. You can tell your own opinion about it.

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Mythologies doesn't only record or glorify a culture's history just like Iliad or Oddyssey did, but there are lots of mythologies that gives us lots of life lessons too. The myth of Echo and Narcissus is not only gives us pleasure but also also serve as teaching tools too, just like__

• The first thing I learned from this story is, to be admonish the trap of self-adoration. Don't Think that you're perfect and there is no one like you. Self-love is important but too much self-obsession is very hazardous and destructive.

• If someone reject you then you don't need to hurt yourself as well as that person who rejected you. Because you can get the love of your life for the second time but once you ruin your life as well as that person's life who rejected you, you can't get the same life for twice.

• If you don't like someone then instead of spurning them brutally, take your time and tell your good intentions, the reasons why you don't love back that person peacefully.

• We all have the innate right to choose our life partner so If someone is telling you NO or rejecting you then you need to respect that person's decision whom you love and take her/his NO as No, you should not curse that person for rejecting you. If someone rejecting your love then it does not mean he/she is humiliating you, insulting you, she/he is telling their choice. If someone is rejecting you then it does not mean there is no one who is meant for you. Don't give up on your life just like Echo, because there are lots of people who truely loves you, cares for you, find them and love them back.

• Prepare yourself as a strong person who would easily bare any kind of rejection. Our life is not a fairy tale, so we will get endless rejection from the world so it is better to make ourselves as a strong person instead of a weak person who curse everyone. Don't be like Ameinias who could not take rejection in a good way and gave up his life.

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