Greek god narcissus. Narcissus
Narcissus is a perennial plant belonging to the amaryllis family. Most of the daffodil species originated in the Mediterranean, and some of them originated in China and central Asia.
The name of the flower can be translated from Greek as “stunning”, “poetic”. It is no coincidence that many laudatory poems have been composed in honor of this delightful plant at all times, and prominent cultural figures have depicted it in paintings and other creative masterpieces. From millennium to millennium, the narcissus continues to fascinate, enchant and fill the soul with delight. In Eastern countries, it is even popular to compare a flower blooming in spring with the bottomless eyes of a beloved woman. The daffodil flower surpasses even such a flower as the number of legends and stories about it.
The graceful flower is shrouded in a trail of various myths. Thus, since ancient times in Greece there was a legend about a narcissistic young man named Narcissus.
The legend of Narcissus says that Narcissus was a young man, the son of the powerful river god Cephissus and the beautiful nymph Lirioessa, who cruelly rejected the sublime feelings of the nymph Echo.
The upset girl experienced her lover’s indifference so hard that she gradually dissolved into oblivion, having managed to place a curse on Narcissus before disappearing: from now on, let not a single object of his sympathy show the same love to the proud young man. Since then, more than one woman has tried to win the heart of the wayward handsome man, but everything was in vain. And one day, seeing his own reflection on the surface of the water, the young man fell in love with it without memory. Tormented by irresponsibility and hopelessness, Narcissus soon died of inescapable melancholy. In memory of the selfish young man, an elegant flower has blossomed on earth, emitting a delicate aroma, and its corolla, inclined downwards, seems to embody the desire to once again admire oneself on the surface of the water. For this reason, the ancient Greeks ranked the beautiful but sad plant among the flowers of sorrow, designed to preserve the memory of all those who died and died.
By the way, the famous artist Karl Bryullov even dedicated one of his paintings to this legend - the canvas “Narcissus Looking at the Water.” In general, over time, the name of the unfortunate Narcissus became a household name: a tradition began to call any selfish person by it.
The ancient Romans considered the narcissus an emblem of victory: with wreaths made from yellow varieties of the flower, they honored brave warriors returning from battles.
In Italy, the beautiful flower has long been recognized as the embodiment of passion. Even in the modern world, a daffodil given by an ardent Italian still expresses a declaration of fiery love.
The daffodil was also an eloquent sign in Prussia. There was an interesting custom: before getting married and leaving her father’s house, a girl would dig up a daffodil bulb from the garden, taking it with her. Having planted a flower in her own home, the newly-made mistress cared for it and cherished it. Narcissus was considered a faithful guardian of the hearth and love between spouses, a symbol of eternal family happiness and prosperity.
In Switzerland, the daffodil festival lasted two days in a row. The streets were literally buried in fragrant flowers: the walls of buildings, windows, doors and shop windows were decorated. Colorful garlands were stretched between the pillars, and the city was thoroughly saturated with a fresh aroma. Men fastened daffodils in their buttonholes, while women made cute wreaths for themselves. And, of course, daring folk festivities were held.
With the onset of each spring, many countries organize exhibitions and noisy celebrations dedicated to sophisticated daffodils. And in China, celebrating the New Year is simply unthinkable without these fragrant flowers: they not only decorate homes in abundance, but also complement the solemn decoration of the altars of the gods.
Well, the love for daffodils on the part of the British simply has no boundaries! In the vastness of Great Britain, the delicate flower is valued even more than the traditional “queen” - the rose. A lot of research is devoted to the development of new varieties of daffodils.
For many centuries, the narcissus has given others not only aesthetic pleasure, but also incomparable benefits. It was specially grown (and continues to this day) to obtain valuable essential oil. This component is widely used in the perfume industry.
Some peoples use the miracle flower for medicinal purposes: it promotes rapid healing of wounds. Also, the narcissus bulb plays the role of a talisman against any illness - it is often put in children’s pockets.
Daffodils - a real garden extravaganza
yellow daffodil Daffodils are a real treat for the soul. Today there is a huge assortment of varieties of these lovely flowers. Daffodils look gorgeous both in a pot and in a flower bed, surrounded by other plants.
They especially brightly emphasize the beauty of spring flowers with bluish tints - irises, primroses and hyacinths. Effective combinations with tulips, crocuses, blueberries, forget-me-nots, primroses, and delicate pansies.
It’s nice that daffodils bloom for a long time, and some of their varieties delight with their charm even in the fall.
Types and varieties of daffodils
In total, there are 12 groups of daffodil varieties. The most famous and popular are the following:
White daffodil — Tubular daffodils. They are a single flower crowning a medium or large peduncle. A distinctive feature is the tube, which is equal to or even longer than the perianth lobe. The color is plain white or yellow, although sometimes you can find two-color daffodils. The most famous varieties of this group: “Birsheba” (snow-white flower on an elongated tube), “Mount Hood” (pure white, without any inclusions, blooms quite early), “Gold Medal” (yellowish color) and “King Alfred” ( dark yellow, endowed with a tube with exquisite corrugation around the edge).
- Large-crowned. The flowers of daffodils belonging to this variety are quite impressive in size. They usually have a cream, yellow or orange tone. The shape of the crown resembles either a cup or a tube, slightly shorter compared to the perianth. Well-known varieties are “Helios” (deep yellow with an orange crown) and “La Argentina” (white with a yellowish crown).
— Finely crowned. They are distinguished by a crown that is greatly shortened in comparison with the perianth lobes. Varieties: “Arguros” (bright white perianth and greenish center), “Kansas” (white, crown with a creamy tint), “Verge” (white, crown dark red).
- Terry. The perianth of such daffodils is composed of several lobes. The most common are: "Golden Ducat" (juicy yellow tone, abundant terry), "Inglescombe" (light yellow) and "Snowball" (pure white narcissus).
Narcissus - Poetic. Presented in white shades. The flowers are seated on a neat flat crown of a bright, “screaming” tone. The most common varieties: “Actea” (white, with a bright orange crown), “Queen” (a fairly large boiling-white daffodil with a juicy red crown), “Milan” (aristocratic whiteness diluted with a rich green eye).
Features of growing daffodils
Flower growers consider narcissus to be quite unpretentious plants. Once you plant selected bulbs in the soil, you can be sure that flowers will appear regularly, every spring, for many years. Daffodils grow almost everywhere, but they prefer sunny areas with good drainage or light partial shade.
It is preferable to plant bulbs in the garden at the end of the summer - beginning of the autumn season, the optimal depth is 3 times greater than the height of the bulb. If you are planting in containers, then it is advisable to place the bulbs at different depth levels - this way more of them will fit in, which means the final composition will look more worthy.
Structure - Narcissus poeticus. Botanical illustration from Jan Kops' book "Flora Batava", 1800-1934 When the daffodils have finished blooming, the heads should be removed. As for the leaves, they need to be left for at least another 6 weeks. Flowers have to be divided and replanted, on average, once every three to five years (at the end of summer).
When you decide to combine fresh daffodils with a bouquet of other flowers, remember that first you need to keep them in separate water for a day. The fact is that for other plants, mucus from the stems of daffodils is destructive.
Care must be taken when handling daffodil bulbs: alkaloids (that is, plant poisons) from their composition can cause serious disorders of the digestive tract, as well as tremors, cardiac arrhythmia and dermatitis of various localizations. When working, do not neglect the use of gloves!
Irina Vyacheslavovna Mozzhelina
An ancient Greek legend about Narcissa
Narcissus in legends and myths
"The tulip and bitterweed lit up with love,
And a wonderfully handsome man in love Narcissus,
Blooms over the stream and looks at itself,
Until he dies, loving endlessly..."
(Shelley "Mimosa")
This flower has been sung so much by poets of all countries and centuries, like no other, except the rose. Mohammed himself said about him: "Whoever has two loaves of bread, let him sell one to buy a flower narcissus, for bread is food for the body, and narcissus - food for the soul". And the Persian king Cyrus called him "a creature of beauty - an immortal delight."
It was also admired by Shakespeare, who charmingly described it in his tragedy “The Tempest,” and by Edgar Allan Poe, who described it as one of the flowers of that “valley of multicolored grass,” where he was able to experience heavenly love. German poet Isidore Orientalis, looking at narcissus, exclaims: “This slender figure, this wonderful head bends towards itself and, shining with eternal beauty, as if looking for a source.”
The reason for such universal admiration for it is partly the beauty and elegance of the flower itself, and most importantly, as it seems to us, the myth that arose about it in ancient times, which made its name a household name; name someone" narcissist"As you know, it doesn't matter what say: This man is in love with himself. This is where the term came from narcissism. In the language of flowers" narcissus" means false hopes, desires, selfishness.
There is an ancient Greek story about the origin of the flower. The river god Kephissus and the nymph Lirioessa had a son, a beautiful young man who rejected the love of the nymph Echo. For this he was punished: when he saw his own reflection in the water, he fell in love with it. Tormented by an unquenchable passion, he died, and in his memory there remained a beautiful, fragrant flower, the corolla of which bends downward, as if wanting to admire itself in the water once again. The young man’s parents at one time turned to the oracle Tireseus. The soothsayer said that Narcissus will live to old age if he does not see his face. Narcissus He grew up to be a young man of extraordinary beauty, and many women sought his love, but he was indifferent to everyone. When the nymph Echo fell in love with him, the narcissistic young man rejected her passion. The nymph dried up from hopeless passion and turned into an echo, but before her death she said a curse: "Let him not answer The narcissist reciprocates who he loves."
According to this legend, K. P. Bryullov painted his famous painting " Narcissus looking into the water. " (1819). It depicts a young man admiring his own reflection in the water. This painting can be seen in the State Russian Museum.
According to another, no less sad and beautiful legend, Narcissus I unexpectedly lost my twin sister. Bending over the stream in inconsolable grief, he saw in his own reflection the features of his beloved sister. No matter how much he immersed his hands in the water to embrace his native image, it was all in vain... So he died of grief, bending over the water. And the flower appeared on the spot, symbolizing the bowed image of a beautiful young man.
As a result of all this narcissus among the ancient Greeks it was the flower of the dead, the flower of the dead, and it is often this emblem in ancient Greek mythology. From time immemorial daffodils they call narcissistic people and, of course, they are “to blame” for this the legend of the beautiful Narcissus. But in Ancient Rome the daffodil was a symbol of victory. The Romans had a wreath of yellow daffodils We met the victorious soldiers returning from the war.
He also enjoyed great success among Roman fashionistas. The Egyptians, ancient Greeks and Romans grew daffodils not only as ornamental plants, but also as valuable essential oil plants. The essential oils and alkaloids found in the plant are still widely used in perfumery today. Grown for perfume purposes poetic narcissus with a particularly strong aroma.
In Switzerland, in honor of this beautiful flower, an annual festival is held with a performance where they play the ancient Greek the legend of Narcissus.
In China, from ancient times until now, narcissus plays an important role in New Year's ceremonies. On New Year's Day it is a must-have attribute in every home. On this day, the beautiful flower takes part in all ceremonial processions and decorates the altars of the gods. In Ancient China narcissus grown in glass bowls with water, sand and pebbles.
Currently, they are especially interested in breeding English daffodils. They have the same interest in these flowers as two hundred years ago in Holland they had in tulips and hyacinths.
Do you know why narcissistic people are called narcissists? Why exactly this flower, and not a beautiful rose, lush peony or stately gladiolus?
According to ancient Greek legend, the river god Kephissos and the nymph Liriope had a son, a beautiful young man (read: a teenager, a psychologically immature person who had not decided on his sexuality). The nymph Echo fell in love with him. But he rejected her feelings, which angered the goddess of love Aphrodite and was forever deprived of the ability to love each other. From unrequited passion, the nymph began to dry up and only her voice remained - an echo that echoed her interlocutors (one who is alienated from her body, does not have her own opinion, confidence and self-love, repeats after others). And Narcissus himself died, unable to take his eyes off his reflection.
This flower is one of the first to bloom in the spring (the importance of being the first in everything, a leader). Its inflorescence is always tilted slightly to one side and, when it grows near bodies of water, it seems that it is admiring its reflection. Excessive emphasis on one’s own person, pride and superiority over people, conviction of a special position, expectation of unconditional acceptance by everyone and good treatment, inadequate assessment of one’s talents and achievements, preoccupation with fantasies about oneself and the idea of the inevitable envy of others - all this characterizes the personality of a narcissist. I stun, I stun, I stupefy - this is how narcissus is translated from Greek (narcao).
Among the ancient Greeks, this flower was considered a symbol of death. Pathological narcissism is deadly. The goal is perfection and achieving the ideal in everything, which essentially does not carry with it life, where there is duality, middle and even mediocrity. Libido is directed towards oneself, and not towards interaction with others, where there are boundaries and differences between oneself and a significant Other. Love is a deep and intimate feeling aimed at another person. From the interaction of two different energies, new life is born. With narcissism, attraction is felt towards oneself or one’s own kind (consider asexual and homosexual), towards the same “great and special” narcissists. This means there is no continuation of life. Biologically, of course, a child can be born in such a couple, but he will not have himself, his own psychological space. Children with narcissistic parents also become narcissists.
Excessive investment in your body, the desire to be forever young, beautiful, with ideal proportions in excellent clothes - all this is an investment in yourself for the sake of the appreciation of others. When the young man saw his reflection in the river, he bent down to kiss it, but fell and drowned. In this place grew a beautiful flower, striving for the warm sun, tender and fragile, like the Ego of a narcissistic personality type, of cold beauty - the narcissus. In an effort to attract attention and receive a positive assessment, the Narcissist spends all his energy on this, unable to bear rejection.
“Only I am worthy of my love, but I will not reciprocate my love either” - this is the curse of the goddess of love Aphrodite, from which the narcissist suffers. Filled with hatred, and not self-love, measuring extremes, he is forced to surround himself with a retinue of admirers (imitating the nymphs Echo in love). It is the retinue that makes the king. Unable to see, feel and be aware of himself, he constantly needs a reflection. They praised and admired me today - I am the most beautiful and at the pinnacle of bliss, but tomorrow they underestimated me - I am a complete insignificance and at the bottom of black sadness.
In fact, the nymph Echo also suffers from narcissism, falling in love with the romantic image that she herself projected onto the young man Narcissa. But both men and women can suffer from narcissism. The narcissist himself always creates a flair of charm and charisma around himself, striving to win the recognition and love of others. Imitation, copying and imitation - this is Echo's narcissism. Idealized in fantasy, he is a salvation for her devalued self. She is driven by the desire to merge with her partner in order to appropriate his qualities of superiority and greatness, thereby raising her self-esteem. A strong dependence on the opinions of others is expressed in the need to play roles, wear masks and the desire to meet their expectations. “How will they look at me”, “what will they think of me”, “what if they reject me” - such thoughts are constantly in the zone of attention. Feelings of shame and guilt, pride and arrogance, anxiety and melancholy are constant companions of narcissists.
The nymph Echo was under the curse of the goddess Hera for excessive talkativeness and deception. As punishment, she was expelled and deprived of her tongue, leaving the opportunity only to repeat the last syllables of words after someone. Without support for their ego, narcissists hone the skill of imitation. Copying and appropriating someone else’s, passing off something heard somewhere or borrowed as your own opinion - all this comes from the scarcity of the inner world of the Self. In the absence of your own opinion, in shame and fear of rejection, along with a proud feeling of your copying skill, (after all, this is the only thing that you have she is), Echo carries her unhappy existence. “And the king is naked” (c).
Frozen in eternal youth, the narcissus is a symbol of spring, death in youth, sleep and rebirth. The flower quickly fades and this is its attraction to death. The ancient Greeks depicted it on tombstones, symbolizing the metaphor that death is a dream. And indeed, if you think about it, a narcissist who is fixated exclusively on himself, on his superiority and insignificance, alienated from his Self, does not live, he is immersed in sleep in his quest for perfection. The name of the flower echoes the word “narcosis”, having the same root in Greek, which means “insensitivity”. Without feeling themselves, without feeling the emotions of other people, but completely dependent on them, power, control and management are so important to the narcissist to survive. By making others dependent on you, by manipulating, there is a chance to control them and cope with anxiety. While ruling, demanding complete submission to himself, the narcissist does not allow criticism, wanting to receive exclusive approval for his actions.
A narcissist is difficult and painful to love, be it in a friendship, love relationship, or family relationship. He is incapable of reciprocity, is despotic, indifferent and has no pity, coldly and cruelly ignoring the feelings of the other. Taking advantage of and juggling human destinies as they please, because there is no significant Other for the narcissist, people are a function, fulfilling their role to satisfy the needs of the narcissist. In the myth, the young man Aminius fell in love with Narcissus. Narcissus heartlessly handed him a sword so that he could kill himself. Doomed to wither from love, forgetting about their interests, those in love with a narcissist are also lost in life, rejecting their soul and flesh, like Narcissus, who died of hunger and suffering, endlessly peering at his reflection in the river.
As punishment for his heartlessness, the wrath of the gods is expressed in revenge. Vindictiveness and resentment with a lack of critical thinking are a metaphor for despair in the punishment of the goddess Nemesis for the suffering of rejected young people in love with a narcissist. Nemesis, the goddess of retribution, heard the curses of Aminius and the pleas of the rejected nymphs and defeated Narcissus. An arrogant narcissist seems to take revenge on everyone who loves or rejects him, thereby saying, “I don’t need your love, you are unworthy of me.” Devaluing everyone, fleeing from love like a criminal, striking a preemptive blow.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter, and spring again - a cycle of times that the narcissist does not experience. Not accepting your age, postponing things for later, violating boundaries, promises and deadlines, constantly dreaming of better times when the ideal will be achieved, not noticing anyone and anything around - this is the endless spring and youth of the narcissist and the insensibility of the passage of time.
In the myth, the parents of the young man Narcissus turned to the soothsayer Teresia with a question about the future of the child. The sage replied that Narcissus would live to old age if he never saw his face. The metaphor of “seeing your face” means seeing yourself, your deepest self and the ability to transform through the exploration of your soul. Constantly looking back at the public, carefully hiding the shame of his imperfection even from himself, the narcissist does not mature psycho-emotionally, always remaining immature and childishly fragile at heart. A narcissist who is in love not with himself, but with his reflection, does not know his inner world at all, having once received an inoculation of love. The need to be significant and good, with a constant feeling of being nobody and bad - a constant swing, where there is no sense of self-I AM. There is a body, there is work, real estate, money - all this is a function for life, but inside there is only depression, emptiness and an emotional hole. The narcissist is like an actor who never played his main role - to be himself, real, alive, natural and loving someone other than himself.
There is no narcissist without the eyes of other people. But what can you see from the position of youthful maximalism, and even in the flow of the river? The image is not clear, scattered, fragmented. This is the self-perception of a narcissist with a superficial, distorted knowledge of himself and the omnipotence of a child. With all his desire to reject and devalue people who will love him, feelings of loneliness, isolation and alienation live side by side with the need to cling closer to people in order to better reflect and have the right to exist. “I needed your closeness so much, but it only brings pain and disappointment, requiring me to constantly deserve it” - the devaluing song of a cold flower. “As a child, I needed love and acceptance so much, but received only cold rejection from the closest important people and scant praise for my achievements. But I managed, I survived thanks only to myself, I am the chosen one, my feelings belong only to me and how much pleasure there is in this!
In addition to pathological narcissism, there is also healthy narcissism. It's all about the norm and being full of it.
Being part of the amaryllaceae family, the narcissus flower has poisonous properties. The intoxicating aroma and poisonous properties of the bulbs can cause poisoning in animals of varying degrees. Hippocrates tried to treat malignant tumors with this plant. Currently, the alkaloids contained in daffodils are used to treat radiculitis and chronic pneumonia. In folk medicine, the range of applications of the beneficial properties of daffodils is even wider.
So it is with narcissism. Pathological narcissism, like a malignant tumor, affects the personality and, like poison, poisons everyone who loves Narcissus. While healthy narcissism is medicine for the soul, with enough self-love we know our inner essence and heal our spiritual wounds without the constant need to reflect others. Allowing yourself to simply be yourself, without superficiality and without excessive reliance on the opinions of others. And life continues in healthy love for yourself, your loved ones and life.
At all times, poets from different countries have sung the praises of a flower with a beautiful name - narcissus. In terms of magnificence, this plant is not inferior even to a rose. The elegance and beauty of the flower is amazing. It is possible that the myth of Narcissus, who was born to the ancient Greeks, also contributed.
Thanks to legend, the name of the plant has become a household name. Now the narcissist is compared to selfishness. In the world of botany, this flower is associated with selfishness, empty hopes and dreams.
So, the myth of Narcissus. Let's briefly summarize what it's about. The story is about a young man who fell in love with his own reflection and died. He couldn’t take his eyes off the reflection in the water for a second, admiring himself. At the site of the death of the handsome young man, a flower of unusual beauty grew, called a narcissus. The plant began to be considered a symbol of sleep or oblivion, from which you can get out in a different guise. This is a kind of symbol of resurrection. But everything is not so simple, because the myth of Narcissus is very complicated. A brief summary of it will not reveal the whole essence of the story.
A young man named Narcissus was handsome and narcissistic. He was born by the nymph Liriope from the river god Cephissus. After the birth of the boy, the parents heard Tiresias' prediction about the fate of Narcissus. The soothsayer promised the boy a happy fate and a long life, if only he would never see his own reflection. There were no mirrors at that time, and the parents were not frightened by the prediction. The years passed, the boy grew up. He was stately and handsome, all the girls tried to win his love. Even grown men were amazed by the beauty of Narcissus. But the guy didn't pay attention to anyone.
Numerous fans were offended; they asked the gods of Olympus to punish the proud young man. The myth of Narcissus says that a goddess named Nemesis heard his cries for help, and soon Narcissus saw his own reflection in the water. The prophecy came true: the guy fell in love with his reflection and died, unable to move away from the water.
The fate of the nymph Echo
But this is not the end of the Ancient Greek myth about Narcissus. It is worth telling the sad story of Echo, a nymph madly in love with Narcissus. Her fate is very tragic. Echo was close friends with the goddess Hera, who was quite stern.
Zeus was the husband of Hera, and Echo learned about his secret adventures, but carefully hid it from her mistress. Hera was angry for this, she deprived Echo of her voice and drove her away. The girl repeated only the last phrases spoken by people, and her salvation should have been love.
Unhappy love
The myth of Narcissus is a tragic story of unrequited love. The handsome guy didn’t love anyone and refused everyone. Echo fell in love with him and followed him everywhere. The young man did not pay any attention to the nymph. All that was left of the girl was her voice. Echo cursed Narcissus, she wanted him to experience the same unrequited love.
Love in this case did not unite two hearts. She did not make either Narcissus or Echo happy. All that was left of the girl was her voice - an echo. And the young man died from unrequited love, because the reflection is soulless.
Let's go deeper into philosophy
We told a complicated love story. There is a hidden meaning, or condemnation, in this myth. The handsome young man is essentially unhappy, and fate played a cruel joke on him. He fell in love with external beauty, although it was only his own reflection, which Narcissus had no idea about. The reflection overshadowed the guy’s mind, and he forgot about everything. He didn’t want to get to the bottom of the inner beauty, the soul. If Narcissus knew what the soul is, then perhaps he would find “himself.” Indeed, the guy experienced the pangs of unrequited love, like hundreds of girls. But this did not stop him: the young man was weak-willed, he chose melancholy and sadness instead of a happy life.
A nymph named Echo is unhappy and exhausted. She tried to preserve someone else's happiness and doomed herself to suffering. A devoted friend punished the girl; she took Echo’s voice away. The nymph lost the meaning of life and still tried to find her other half in order to become happy. Only mutual love could create a miracle, but the young nymph was unlucky. Echo fell in love only with her appearance; she liked the body, but not the soul, which doomed her to death.
Hidden mythical meaning
A beautiful flower grew in the place where Narcissus died. Everyone who saw it instantly fell in love with its beauty and amazing aroma. The plant looked slightly sad, and this gave it charm. Narcissus became a symbol of death, the dark kingdom of Hades. It is closely associated with longing, sadness and oblivion.
In this myth, Narcissus was the personification of coldness and insensibility. In ancient Greece, a flower called narcissus was a symbol of death.
Initially, ancient Greek history described the fear of people of that time to face themselves in reflection, that is, to experience reality. A little later, the concept of “narcissism”, or selfishness and excessive narcissism, was coined. But no myths or beliefs can scare gardeners who love to grow this beautiful fragrant flower. Mentions of daffodils are often found in works of art, poets glorify flowers, and people collect them and present bouquets to their loved ones.
Narcissus (more precisely, Narcissus, from the Greek Νάρκισσος) is in ancient Greek mythology the son of the Boeotian river god Cephisus and the nymph Liriope (Lavrion), according to another version, the son of Endymion and Selene.
The young man's parents, interested in his future, turned to the oracle Tireseus. The soothsayer said that Narcissus would live to old age if he did not see his face.
Giulio Caprioni Liriope Bringing Narcissus before Tiresias (Liriope placing Narcissus in front of Tiresias). 1660-70
Narcissus grew up to be a young man of extraordinary beauty; many women sought his love; when he was 16 years old, the nymph Echo fell in love with him.
Nicolas Poussin Echo and Narcissus 1628-30 Musée du Louvre, Paris
Nicolas Poussin Echo and Narcissus Dresdengalerie.
One day, when he got lost in a dense forest while hunting, the nymph Echo saw him. The nymph could not speak to Narcissus herself. The punishment of the goddess Hera weighed heavily on her: the nymph Echo had to remain silent, and could only answer questions by repeating their last words.
Echo looked with delight at the slender, handsome young man, hidden from him by the thicket of the forest.
Narcissus looked around, not knowing where to go, and shouted loudly:
Hey, who's there?
- Here! - Echo answered loudly.
- Come here! - Narcissus shouted.
- Here! - Echo answered.
The beautiful Narcissus looks around in amazement. Nobody here.
Surprised by this, he exclaimed loudly:
- Here, come to me quickly!
And Echo joyfully responded:
- To me!
Edmund Kanoldt Echo and Narcissus 1884
Stretching out her hands, a nymph from the forest hurries towards Narcissus, but the beautiful young man angrily pushes her away. He hastily left the nymph and disappeared into the forest. The rejected nymph also hid in the impenetrable thicket of the forest. She suffers from love for Narcissus, does not show herself to anyone and only sadly responds to every cry of the unfortunate Echo.
John William Waterhouse Echo and Narcissus 1903
But Narcissus remained proud and narcissistic, rejecting the love of other nymphs. One day one of the nymphs he rejected exclaimed:
- Love you too, Narcissus! And let the person you love not reciprocate your feelings!
The nymph's wish came true. The goddess of love Aphrodite was angry that Narcissus was rejecting her gifts and punished him. Ovid in “Metamorphoses” writes: “Whoever does not honor the golden Aphrodite, who rejects her gifts, who resists her power, is mercilessly punished by the goddess of love.”
One day in the spring, while hunting on a hot afternoon, Narcissus, exhausted by the heat, approached a stream and wanted to drink from the icy water. Neither the shepherd nor the mountain goats had ever touched the waters of this stream; Not once did a broken branch fall into the stream, not even the wind carried the petals of lush flowers into the stream. Its water was clean and transparent. As if in a mirror, everything around was reflected in it: the bushes growing along the shore, and slender cypress trees, and the blue sky.
Narcissus bent down to the stream, resting his hands on a stone protruding from the water, and was reflected in the stream in all its glory. It was then that Aphrodite’s punishment overtook him.
Nicolas Bernard Lépicié Narcissus 1771
Karl Bryullov Narcissus 1819
He looks in amazement at his reflection in the water, and strong love takes possession of him. With eyes full of love, he looks at his image in the water, it beckons him, calls him, stretches out its arms to him. Narcissus leans towards the mirror of the waters to kiss his reflection, but kisses only the cold, clear water of the stream.
Narcissus has forgotten everything: he does not leave the stream, without looking up, admiring himself.
Caravaggio Narcissus 1598-99 Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome
François Lemoyne Narcissus in love with his image 1728 Hamburger Kunsthalle.
Adolf Joseph Grass Narcissus 1867
Magnus Enckell Narcissus 1896-97
Narcissus stopped eating, drinking, and sleeping because he was unable to move away from the stream. Full of despair, he exclaims, stretching out his hands to his reflection:
- Oh, who suffered so cruelly! We are separated not by mountains, not by seas, but only by a strip of water, and yet we cannot be with you. Get out of the stream!
Narcissus thought, looking at his reflection in the water.
Suddenly a terrible thought came into his head and he quietly whispered to his reflection, leaning towards the water:
- Oh grief! I'm afraid that I've fallen in love with myself! After all, you are me! I love myself. I feel like I don't have much time left to live. Having barely blossomed, I will wither and descend into the dark kingdom of shadows. Death does not frighten me, death will bring an end to the torment of love.
Henry Oliver Walker Narcissus.
Will H. Low Narcissus.
Narcissus’s strength is leaving him and he already feels the approach of death, but he cannot tear himself away from his reflection. His tears fall into the clear waters of the stream. Circles appeared on the mirror surface of the water, and the beautiful image disappeared.
Narcissus exclaimed with fear:
- Oh, where are you? Come back! Stay! Don't leave me: it's cruel. Oh, let me at least look at you!
But now the water is calm again, the reflection has appeared again, and again, without looking up, Narcissus is looking at it. It melts like dew on flowers in the rays of the hot sun.
The unfortunate nymph Echo also sees how Narcissus suffers. She still loves him, and Narcissus’s suffering squeezes her heart with pain.
- Oh grief! - exclaims Narcissus.
- Woe! - Echo answers.
. Finally, exhausted, Narcissus exclaimed in a weakening voice, looking at his reflection:
- Goodbye!
And even quieter, barely audible, came the response of the nymph Echo:
- Goodbye!
Narcissus's head bowed on the green coastal grass, and the darkness of death covered his eyes.
John Gibson Narcissus 1838
Paul Dubois Narcissus 1867 Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Harold Parker Narcissus
Narcissus died. The nymphs cried in the forest, and Echo cried. The nymphs prepared a grave for young Narcissus, but when they came for the young man’s body, they did not find it, and in the place where Narcissus’s head bent on the grass, a white fragrant flower grew - the flower of death. They called him Narcissus.
The source of Narcissus, as legend has it, is located in the area of Donakon (Bed of Reeds) in the land of the Thespians.
Honoré Daumier The Beautiful Narcissus 1842
Cartoon of project Gutenberg The Newest Narcissus
Cartoon from Gutenberg's Project "The New Narcissus"
The name Narcissus has become a household name; it symbolizes pride and narcissism. In the language of flowers, "narcissus" means false hopes, desires, selfishness.
Judging by the name of the hero, the myth of Narcissus is of pre-Greek origin; folk etymology has brought the name Narcissus closer to the Greek verb n a r k a w - to become numb, stiff.
By the way, in some versions of the myth the nymph Echo is not mentioned.
For example, the ancient Greek writer Pausanias (2nd century AD) conveys a version of the legend according to which Narcissus had a twin sister, and after her unexpected death he saw her features in his own reflection by a stream. “Bending over the stream in inconsolable grief, he saw in his own reflection the features of his beloved sister. No matter how much he immersed his hands in the water to embrace his native image, it was all in vain... So he died of grief, bending over the water.”
According to the same Ovid, not only nymphs, but also many real girls (and what is most interesting - boys too!) were in love with Narcissus, but he rejected their love too.
There is a well-known version of the myth about the death of Narcissus, sent to him as punishment for rejecting the love of the young man Aminius. The rejected lover committed suicide in front of Narcissus's house, asking the deity for revenge.
As a result of all this, among the ancient Greeks, the narcissus was the flower of the dead, the flower of the dead, and it is often this emblem in ancient Greek mythology. Narcissus was used in rites dedicated to the goddess Demeter; it was depicted on tombstones, symbolizing the idea that death is only a dream (the Greek name for this flower has a common root with the word “narcosis” - “insensitivity”).
Paphos Mosaics "Narcissus".
Fresco from Pompeii "Narcissus".
But in ancient Rome, the daffodil was a symbol of victory. The Romans greeted victorious warriors returning from war with a wreath of yellow daffodils.
In Persia, the smell of narcissus was called the scent of youth. Its straight and strong stem has made it an emblem of devotion and faith in Islam.
In the Middle Ages, the legend of Narcissus was perceived as a parable about punished selfishness.