Once upon a time, in Greek Mythology, there was a woman gifted with extreme beauty and grace called Psyche. Living her ordinary life, Psyche became famous because of her beauty that the Whole world rushed to see, stop worshiping the Aphrodite and more admire Psyche's beauty.
Being jealous due to that, Aphrodite (The Goddess of Love, Beauty, Pleasure and Procreation) asked her son, Eros (The God of Sexual Desire and Attraction), to poison men's souls in order to kill off their desire for Psyche. But, Eros also fell in love with Psyche and was completely mesmerized by her beauty.
Aphrodite that felt there's something wrong about her son, directly intervene condemned Psyche; none ever fall in love with Psyche.
Despite all the men coming her way, Psyche stayed unmarried, but she wanted to marry the man she would love. Her parents became so desperate because of their daughter's destiny and had no choice but to ask for an oracle, hoping that they would manage to solve the mystery and give a husband to their daughter.
Eros guided Apollo (The God of Music, Poetry, Art, Oracles, Archery, Plague, Medicine, Sun, Light and Knowledge) to give the oracle that Psyche will never going to marry but would marry an ugly beast whose face she would never be able to see that lived at the top of the mountain.
It was not what Psyche's parents were hoping for. They were completely devastated, as their daughter was not supposed to have such as fate, but they decided to go on and arranged the wedding of their beloved daughter with the beast.
After the wedding, Psyche was able to be with her husband only at night.
One day, Psyche determined to go to the top of the mountain where the beast lived. She keep walking, brace herself, but she can't hold her fear and shed a tear. Suddenly, Zephyros (The Anemoi (God-Wind); God of The West Wind, one of the four seasonal Anemoi) came and help her to the mountain.
When she come in to the cave of the mountain, she saw nothing because the cave was so dark and suddenly she heard a sound of a guy. It's very soft and gentle.
"Is this the beast that oracle said?" she thought
Every night Psyche spent the rest of her day with that beast, that she never knew before, by sex. His tenderness and the enormous love he showed to her made Psyche happy and fulfilled beyond her expectations and dreams.
Day by day, Psyche missed her family and she asked to the beast to invite her family to come to their home. And then, Psyche's family came to her home. In her home, Psyche talked about her happiness with her sisters and confined in them how sad she was she couldn't see his face.
"You should see the face of that beast, sister. He can even kill you while doing sex or maybe while you're falling in sleep.." said one of her sisters
Hence, the jealous sisters persuaded Psyche that her lover is not only an ugly beast but also a monster who would eventually kill her. So, she should kill him first to save herself.
With the oil lamp and knife in her hands, Psyche one night was ready for murder, but when she enlightened the face of her beast-husband she saw the beautiful God, Eros. Caught by surprise, she spilled the oil on his face. Eros woke up and flew away telling Psyche that she betrayed him and ruined their relationship so that they could never be united again.
When heard that Psyche's Husband is a God and he left Psyche, Psyche's sister went to the stoned hill and praying to the Zephyros that they will be brought to the Gods Castle. Zephyros came but he didn't bring them to the castle, he brought them to a ravine and drop them there.
Psyche has been waiting for a long time for her husband back to their home but he never came back. So, she started searching for her lost love. In her quest to find her husband, she came into Demeter's Temple.
In the temple, she saw grains splattered and the temple looked so mess. She gathered those grains until the temple looked clean. Demeter (The Goddess of Agriculture, Fertility and The Harvest) that knew about Psyche's love story, talked to Psyche.
"You deserved to get happiness, beautiful maiden. If you're looking for Eros, you should meet her mother, Aphrodite, The Goddess of Beauty and beg her for some forgiveness.." said Demeter
Psyche was so happy to get Demeter's concern, so she went to Aphrodite Temple and when she arrived there, she beg to Aphrodite for her forgiveness. Aphrodite that stil upset with Psyche, presented some tasks to do and if she accomplish them, Psyche will get Aphrodite's forgiveness. Psyche afford it.
The first task is Aphrodite has prepared for Psyche a heap of three kind of grains. Psyche had to dissociate those grains in each kind grains to the different heap before the night ends. Desperately, Psyche did that impossible task. But, suddenly there were ants came to help her doing her task. That impossible task finally is able to accomplished.
The second task is Psyche had to take some wool from golden lambs that browsing at the edge of the river. When she wanted to closer to the lambs, there was a Naiad (River Nymph) stopped her.
"Oh you're the most beautiful maiden, don't you ever get any closer to those lambs! They're so wild! All you need is just waiting until daylight period when the sun shine so hard. They will in the shade under a tree.." said the Naiad.
Psyche understood what she had to do. She thanks the Naida and go observed the lambs. When the lambs went out from the tree, Psyche take its wool that draweed on the stick of that tree and she accomplished her second task.
More successed Psyche, more difficult her task that given by Aphrodite to accomplish.
Now, she had to take deathly water from Styx, river. She thought that she will die in doing her task, but suddenly came Zeus (God of The Sky, Lightning, Thunder, Law, Order and Justice) golden eagle named Aetos Dios that helped her take the water for her and she can accomplished her third task.
Psyche's successful has made Aphrodite more upsite and she gave Psyche last task.
"Because of you, my son, Eros became a mischievous son. He no longer obey my order. I got stress because of this and it drained my beauty. Now, you had to go to the Underworld. Meet Persephone and ask her for a little bit of her beauty from her box with the elixir of beauty.." said Aphrodite, giving the last task.
Driven by her desire to reunite with Eros, she was fearless. After accomplishing the tasks, Psyche had to go to the underworld in order to accomplish her last task.
But, she confused about how she can entered the underworld without died first. She confused until she felt desperate and decide to jump from a tower. But, suddenly the tower gave her clues how to entered the underworld and then she entered the underworld.
She followed the path that tower told her before,then she paid Kharon (Ferryman of Hades that carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers; Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of dead) to deliver her until the gate and she threw a bread to Cerberus (Hound of Hades; the multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld to prevent the dead from leaving) so the Cerberus had a scramble to eat the bread. She also refused the spirit's requests.
When Psyche arrived in Hades (The God of The Underworld, The Dead and Riches) castle, she directly did her last task; ask Persephone (The Goddess of The Underworld, Springtime, Flowers and Vegetations. Consort of Hades) her beauty box. Appropriate with the clue she got, she refuse to sit on the chair and only ate bread from all of the foods on the table.
Persephone gave the box and Psyche bring the box with the elixir of beauty to Aphrodite, who ordered her not to open the box. She went out carefully from the Underworld, paid more to Kharon and gave more bread to Cerberus. Finally, Psyche made it.
But, because of her curious, he opened the box. Instead of the elixir, there was Morpheus (The God of Sleep and Dreams) hiding in the box and since the curious Psyche opened it and then she fell into everlasting sleep.
When Eros got his wound has been healed by time, he forgive Psyche and he missed his wife so much. So, Eros flew away to find Psyche and he found her fell asleep. Eros gathered the curse and put it into the box, then Eros kissed Psyche gently. Because of Eros kiss, Psyche can woke up from her sleep and she was very happy to see her husband anymore.
Then Eros flew away to face Zeus and he beg to Zeus to make Psyche immortal. Amazed by their love, Zeus accepted and asked Hermes (God of Trade,Thieves, Travelers, Sports, Atheletes, Border Crossings, Guide to the Underworld and Messenger of Gods) to bring Psyche to the Olympus (Home of The Twelve Olympians Gods).
When Psyche arrive in the Olympus, she was given a drink of the Gods, Ambrosia and became immortal. Now, Psyche and Eros lived together in happiness and then they had a child named Hedone.
