Narcissus myth story. Narcissus in Greek Mythology 2022-10-17

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The myth of Narcissus is a story about a young man named Narcissus who was known for his beauty and attractiveness. According to the myth, Narcissus was so in love with himself that he couldn't resist his own reflection in the water. He would spend hours gazing at his own image, completely enamored with himself.

One day, the nymph Echo saw Narcissus and fell in love with him. She tried to approach him and confess her love, but Narcissus was so absorbed in his own beauty that he didn't even notice Echo's presence. Heartbroken and rejected, Echo retreated into the forest, where she eventually wasted away and died.

The gods were unhappy with Narcissus' selfish behavior and decided to punish him. They caused him to fall in love with his own reflection in the water, just as Echo had fallen in love with him. Narcissus was unable to look away from his own reflection and eventually died, still gazing at his own image.

The myth of Narcissus serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of vanity and self-absorption. It reminds us that it is important to recognize and value the feelings and needs of others, rather than becoming fixated on our own desires and appearances. The story also highlights the destructive nature of unrequited love, and the importance of being open and receptive to the love of others. So, this is the story of Narcissus.

Victorian Short Fiction Project

narcissus myth story

All the flowers of this family, when they grow by the side of a pond or a stream, still bend their beautiful heads and look at the reflection of their own faces in the water. Though its influence waned after the Renaissance, it returned to inspire numerous 20th-century works of art and music, its warning of solipsism and self-obsession especially pertinent in an age of individualism. Reading a myth story such as Narcissus is the easy way to learn about the stories of the classics. He had gained many female admirers, entranced by his beauty, but he rejected them all. Echo loved Narcissus, but she obviously found it hard to tell Narcissus how she felt about him, because she had already been cursed so that she could only repeat what others said, rather than speak for herself. HubPages® is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc.

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The Story of Narcissus

narcissus myth story

Echo pined away until eventually only her voice remained of her. The beautiful boy did discover himself — in the form of his own reflection — and that discovery prevented him from living beyond his youth. A man named Ameinias falls deeply in love with Narcissus. Narcissus' mother was once warned by a seer, Teiresias, that the young man would live a long life, as long as he never got to know himself. Narcissus missed her so very much that he wished he might die too.

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Narcissus

narcissus myth story

When Echo was out in the woods, she saw Narcissus and was immediately captivated by his beauty. One species of narcissus plants Obviously, this is not a cheery story. It has since been returned to the public arena. Narcissus grew ever more thirsty, but would not leave or disturb the pool of water for fear of losing sight of his reflection. Retrieved 15 November 2019.

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Narcissus: An Ancient Tragic Story with Many Modern Parallels

narcissus myth story

Cephissus, a river god, was married to Liriope, daughter of the ocean. Trouble begins when they begin pleading with the gods to punish you, as transpired with Narcissus. Tiresias, the blind seer or prophet who often turns up in Greek myths to warn characters not to do certain things, prophesied that Narcissus would live to be an old man as long as he never looked at himself. The meaning What does this myth mean? That message is certainly reinforced here. Echo can only repeat words that are said to her possibly as a result of a curse Hera placed on her when Echo helped other nymphs seduce Zeus.

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10 of the Most Important and Interesting Facts about the Narcissus Myth

narcissus myth story

Obsessed with his love for his own image, but never able to touch it, he wasted away and eventually died of hunger and thirst. The full myth of Echo and Narcissus is really a bunch of separate myths which were conflated to make one story. Ovid was born east of the city of Rome around 43 BCE and lived until 16 or 17 CE during the reign of Augustus. His beauty became known, and men and women alike were said to be throwing themselves at him. Also Read: Moral of The Story Image Credit: thecollector. Along with Adonis, Ganymede, and Hermaphrodite, he is ranked among the most handsome young males.

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Narcissus (mythology)

narcissus myth story

It begins with the birth of Narcissus. In the play he is portrayed as a self obsessed, and drug addicted young man who was raised on the streets. The very name of Narcissus has become a kind of shorthand for self-love and self-regard. She came forward and embraced Narcissus, the point at which most love stories would have them kiss and embrace and blah blah blah. In Greece at that time, there was a soothsayer called Teiresias who had the gift of foretelling the future. In book 3, Ovid gives us the longest version of Narcissus, as follows.

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The Myth Of Narcissus and its Meaning » Neel Burton personal website and blog

narcissus myth story

Narcissus stood for such a long time on the riverbank, staring at his reflection, that the gods turned him into a flower. It is possible that this was derived from the ancient Greek superstition that it was unlucky and sometimes even fatal to see your own reflection. An incident involving the ship, and the difficult decisions made by the crew, explore themes involving self-interest vs. Many women pined away with unrequited love for Narcissus, but the most famous of these was Echo. Perhaps he just meant that Narcissus would live for a long time so long as he did not fall in love with himself.

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Narcissus and the Lake as Reflected by Oscar Wilde

narcissus myth story

He does not fall in love with himself; instead, his reflection allows him to remember his sister. Narcissus is very beautiful and for that reason, many people fell in love with him. At first, Narcissus paid them no heed, and went about his business, which appears to have been hunting: he was a hunter by trade. On another level, the myth is a warning against vanity and self-love. In 1937, the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí depicted the fate of Narcissus in a vast oil-on-canvas landscape. Narcissus continues to break the hearts of numerous lovers. The scorned nymph is so forlorn that she veils herself among the leaves and lives out her days in the mountain caves alone.


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