This myth is nearest and dearest to my heart. It is about love and how far one would go for their loved one.
Orpheus was the son of either the Muse of epic poetry Calliope with either Apollo or the Thracian King Oeargus. Regardless of his father's identity Orpheus led a truly blessed life. He was gifted with a voice and musical talent that could subdue anything including the Gods. When he played a love song the trees and mountains would quake in joy. Likewise when sad tunes departed his holy voice and lyre all the world would weep. Nothing could escape the trance inducing melodies creeping from his golden voice. Orpheus was often seen in the company of the shy nymphs playing wondrous songs for their pleasure. In their company the young minstrel met all sorts of beings including the Gods. Orpheus eventually reached adulthood and met a maiden name Eurydice. They two fell madly in love with each other. Often times they would venture into the woods and mountains to play music and dance. They rejoiced in life and each other's company. Alas on their wedding night tragedy came. Eurydice was picking flowers in the woods when a satyr spied her. He began to chase the young maiden until she finally tripped and was bitten by a poisonous snake. Orpheus fell apart at the news. His once joyous tunes of love and hope turned sour with the sting of death. No longer did the trees and winds dance in his presence. No longer did the nymphs and Graces dance to his beats. All that was left of the once happy man was a hollow husk full of the tortured thoughts of one left behind. Orpheus decided that he would venture into the Underworld and ask the cold king Hades and his dark queen Persephone to release his wife or at least allow him to lie in the earth with her. He began his descent thorough a cave. To give himself solace and voice his plea he began to play. His music was so sad and so moving that the shades of the long dead ancestors began to weep and wale. They were reminded of their own feelings of death and sadness when Thantos jerked them away from their own loved ones. Charon the ferryman of the Styx even felt the music. He allowed Orpheus to be the one and only living mortal to cross the river on his boat. Next Orpheus came to the cave of Cerberus the terrible three headed hell hound with a poisonous viper for a tale. Even this ferocious beast could not resist the mournful songs of a tortured soul. The great hound laid down and whimpered like a new born pup. Orpheus came to the Orchards of Persephone and there the Furies nested. The three enforcers of the Gods' retribution would go out and punish the most wretched of crimes. They are no strangers to terror and pain yet the lyre stirred something in their empty chests. Pity overtook them and they allowed Orpheus to pass unharmed. Finally he was at the gates of the Palace of Hades. He entered without a single fear. He was determined to either bring back his beloved Eurydice or remain in Hades with her. The unseen one and his bride were sitting on their black thrones when he entered. He then sang his most mournful and well written song. It told the story of two loved ones separated too soon. One left to toil on the earth in misery while the other was left in the dark damp abode of the dead. It told of a world that wept for her return and a god who could decide her fate. This story must have touched Persephone who was in a way a Eurydice held captive by her husband Hades. She wept profusely for the broken hearted lovers. Her husband the most unemotional cold strict god of them all shed a tear. He allowed Orpheus to take his wife from her dark home back to the light of the world of the living on one condition. Orpheus could not turn back to look at her until they had both reached the light of day. So the two ventured forth past the Furies past Cerberus and past Charon. All the while Orpheus felt suspicion. He was unsure if she was behind him and he was unsure it the unseen god had tricked him. His doubts began to subside when he saw the mouth of the cave so he hurried forward. He broke through the darkness and into the light of the day. When he did not hear his beloved wife he turned around ready to curse the Gods for playing a cruel joke. But as he turned he saw the shade of his wife ready to take that last step out of the Underworld and into the world of the living. She looked at him with a face no of sadness. No for she knew now of the true depths of her lover and she knew that they would one day be reunited. She waved goodbye and smiled before she was sucked back into Hades. Orpheus was enraged and tried to run back into the cave but found that he could not enter. Hades would not allow Orpheus to reenter his dominion until it was his proper time. The second loss of his wife hurled Orpheus into a deeper state of depression. He would throw himself into reckless situations in an attempt to get himself killed. One of these situation was joining a young Argonite named Jason in a wild goose chase for the Golden Fleece. However Fate would not take Orpheus yet. In an attempt to spare others the torment he had endured Orpheus began the Dionysian cults of Greece. He taught mortals about the immortality of spirit and how to free ourselves from pain and death. Dionysus could still feel the pain in his high priest. He frenzied his Maenads and had them turn on Orpheus. As the wild women cut and tore at the minstrel Fate released him and he journeyed back to his beloved Eurydice.
Orpheus was the son of either the Muse of epic poetry Calliope with either Apollo or the Thracian King Oeargus. Regardless of his father's identity Orpheus led a truly blessed life. He was gifted with a voice and musical talent that could subdue anything including the Gods. When he played a love song the trees and mountains would quake in joy. Likewise when sad tunes departed his holy voice and lyre all the world would weep. Nothing could escape the trance inducing melodies creeping from his golden voice. Orpheus was often seen in the company of the shy nymphs playing wondrous songs for their pleasure. In their company the young minstrel met all sorts of beings including the Gods. Orpheus eventually reached adulthood and met a maiden name Eurydice. They two fell madly in love with each other. Often times they would venture into the woods and mountains to play music and dance. They rejoiced in life and each other's company. Alas on their wedding night tragedy came. Eurydice was picking flowers in the woods when a satyr spied her. He began to chase the young maiden until she finally tripped and was bitten by a poisonous snake. Orpheus fell apart at the news. His once joyous tunes of love and hope turned sour with the sting of death. No longer did the trees and winds dance in his presence. No longer did the nymphs and Graces dance to his beats. All that was left of the once happy man was a hollow husk full of the tortured thoughts of one left behind. Orpheus decided that he would venture into the Underworld and ask the cold king Hades and his dark queen Persephone to release his wife or at least allow him to lie in the earth with her. He began his descent thorough a cave. To give himself solace and voice his plea he began to play. His music was so sad and so moving that the shades of the long dead ancestors began to weep and wale. They were reminded of their own feelings of death and sadness when Thantos jerked them away from their own loved ones. Charon the ferryman of the Styx even felt the music. He allowed Orpheus to be the one and only living mortal to cross the river on his boat. Next Orpheus came to the cave of Cerberus the terrible three headed hell hound with a poisonous viper for a tale. Even this ferocious beast could not resist the mournful songs of a tortured soul. The great hound laid down and whimpered like a new born pup. Orpheus came to the Orchards of Persephone and there the Furies nested. The three enforcers of the Gods' retribution would go out and punish the most wretched of crimes. They are no strangers to terror and pain yet the lyre stirred something in their empty chests. Pity overtook them and they allowed Orpheus to pass unharmed. Finally he was at the gates of the Palace of Hades. He entered without a single fear. He was determined to either bring back his beloved Eurydice or remain in Hades with her. The unseen one and his bride were sitting on their black thrones when he entered. He then sang his most mournful and well written song. It told the story of two loved ones separated too soon. One left to toil on the earth in misery while the other was left in the dark damp abode of the dead. It told of a world that wept for her return and a god who could decide her fate. This story must have touched Persephone who was in a way a Eurydice held captive by her husband Hades. She wept profusely for the broken hearted lovers. Her husband the most unemotional cold strict god of them all shed a tear. He allowed Orpheus to take his wife from her dark home back to the light of the world of the living on one condition. Orpheus could not turn back to look at her until they had both reached the light of day. So the two ventured forth past the Furies past Cerberus and past Charon. All the while Orpheus felt suspicion. He was unsure if she was behind him and he was unsure it the unseen god had tricked him. His doubts began to subside when he saw the mouth of the cave so he hurried forward. He broke through the darkness and into the light of the day. When he did not hear his beloved wife he turned around ready to curse the Gods for playing a cruel joke. But as he turned he saw the shade of his wife ready to take that last step out of the Underworld and into the world of the living. She looked at him with a face no of sadness. No for she knew now of the true depths of her lover and she knew that they would one day be reunited. She waved goodbye and smiled before she was sucked back into Hades. Orpheus was enraged and tried to run back into the cave but found that he could not enter. Hades would not allow Orpheus to reenter his dominion until it was his proper time. The second loss of his wife hurled Orpheus into a deeper state of depression. He would throw himself into reckless situations in an attempt to get himself killed. One of these situation was joining a young Argonite named Jason in a wild goose chase for the Golden Fleece. However Fate would not take Orpheus yet. In an attempt to spare others the torment he had endured Orpheus began the Dionysian cults of Greece. He taught mortals about the immortality of spirit and how to free ourselves from pain and death. Dionysus could still feel the pain in his high priest. He frenzied his Maenads and had them turn on Orpheus. As the wild women cut and tore at the minstrel Fate released him and he journeyed back to his beloved Eurydice.
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