Why is Cupid Everywhere on Valentine's Day?
Why do we see images of Cupid with his bow and arrow on Valentine’s Day?
Other than hearts, Cupid is a common symbol of Valentine’s Day and it seems the cherubic baby is everywhere on February 14. Well, he is the ancient Roman god of love, desire, and attraction, for better or worse.
What does it mean if you are hit with Cupid’s arrow?
To say that Cupid has shot his arrow through your heart means that you’re smitten, or head over heels, with someone.
Does Cupid have one arrow or two?
Cupid is believed to carry two kinds of arrows. One has a sharp golden point that is supposedly filled with uncontrollable desire for a person if it strikes you. The other arrow has a blunt tip of lead, which apparently makes you feel aversion for a person and the desire to get away if you’re hit with it.
So, you could feel either love or revulsion for a person should you be hit with Cupid’s arrow.
Why is Cupid seen wearing a diaper?
Traditionally, Cupid was portrayed nude, but more modern depictions show him wearing a diaper, sash, and/or wings.
Cupid is usually seen as a baby boy. Babies typically represent two people in love.
Sometimes, Cupid is shown wearing a blindfold, meaning that love is blind.
Who are Cupid’s parents?
His mother was Venus, the goddess of love.
Cupid’s paternity isn’t as clear. According to myth, Cupid was the son of Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods. Mars, the god of war, was also said to be Cupid’s father and in other tales, Vulcan, the god of the forge, is said to be his father.
What’s Cupid’s money shot?
In the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne, Apollo bragged to Cupid that his bow was bigger than Cupid’s. Cupid was angered by the insult and shot Appollo with a golden love arrow causing Apollo to fall in love with the first person he saw. Apollo caught sight of Daphne and fell in love with her, but then Cupid then Daphne with a lead-tipped arrow causing her to be unaffected by Apollo’s love. As a result, Daphne was impervious to Apollo’s love and fled from him.
So, Cupid’s arrows can go wrong.
Why is Cupid sometimes seen riding a dolphin?
In both ancient and later art, Cupid is often shown riding a dolphin. It may mean that Cupid riding a dolphin shows how fast love can move, or the wild ride of love.
Famous song about Cupid
“Cupid” by soul singer Sam Cooke was released in 1961 and it’s one of his best-known compositions.
The song is about a man who is in love with a woman he can’t have. Cooke sings, “Cupid draw back your bow and let your arrow go straight to my lover's heart for me.”
Famous artwork about Cupid
He’s on greeting cards and in popular culture, but Cupid has inspired artists for centuries.
Some famous Cupid paintings:
- Cupid and Psyche is a painting by French painter François Gérard, from 1798. It’s in the Louvre in Paris.
- The Sleeping Cupid by Italian master Caravaggio in 1608.
- Venus and Cupid is a painting by Artemisia Gentileschi, circa 1626
Is there a Greek equivalent of Cupid?
The Greek god of love is Eros.
Did Cupid have a girlfriend?
Cupid's mother, Venus (Aphrodite) was jealous of the beautiful mortal Psyche and she told her son, Cupid, to cause Psyche to fall in love with a monster. Cupid shoots Psyche with an arrow, but he scratches himself with his own arrow and falls in love with Psyche, the first person he sees. Cupid falls in love with Psyche and ends up disobeying his mother's order.
Enough about Cupid. Wasn’t there a guy named Valentine?
The most common story involves a Roman priest named Valentine. In 3rd Century A.D., Roman Emperor Claudius II decreed that young men were not to marry so they could be better soldiers.
Valentine performed marriage ceremonies in secret and was jailed for it. Some believe that he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter while waiting to be executed and left her a note ending with “from your Valentine.”
It’s also believed that Valentine was caught trying to help imprisoned Christians escape the Romans. He was executed on February 14, 269 A.D. and became a martyr and a saint in the Christian church. Roman Pope Gelasius I made February 14 Valentine’s Day in 496 A.D.
