@amber.of.the.sea
In ancient myths such as Cupid and Psyche, to tales of animal grooms and brides, of swan maidens, fox women and ladies of the lake
In ancient myths such as Cupid and Psyche, to tales of animal grooms and brides, of swan maidens, fox women and ladies of the lake, there is often a taboo, or prohibition. This mystic prohibition is always broken, as Andrew Lang explained: βthe hidden face is beheld; light is brought into the darkness; the forbidden name is uttered; the bride is touched with the tabooed metal, iron, and the union is ended. Sometimes the pair are re-united, after long searchingsβ and wanderings; sometimes they are severed for ever.
Such are the central situations in tales like that of Cupid and Psyche.β Interestingly, among the peoples of Fiji, Australia and the Iroquoisβs among others, tribal customs βforbade the sight of a naked partner, or allowed married couples to see each other only at night.β
In Greek mythology there is the tale of Actaeon the hunter who came across the goddess Artemis bathing in a woodland pool. Actaeon tried to avert his eyes but as the water shimmered gold around her naked body, she raised her eyes to his, and in her wrath she turned him into a stag, only to be torn to pieces by his own hounds.
Turning to Tacitusβs account of the goddess Nerthus, he wrote of how she cleansed in a secluded lake, while slaves who performed this task were βimmediately drowned in the lake. Thus the mystery begets terror and a pious reluctance to ask what that sight can be which is seen only by men doomed to die.β
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Painting: In the Grotto by Rudolf RoΜssler (1864-1934)
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#nymph #mythology #goddess #spirituality #fineart
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2026-03-01 | 3,017 likes | 11 comments
