thinking about how orpheus turning to look back at eurydice isn’t a sign of mortal frailness but a sign of love
“Eurydice, dying now a second time, uttered no complaint against her husband. What was there to complain of, but that she had been loved?” ― Ovid, Metamorphoses
This is true no matter the version you’re reading.
1. Eurydice trips and Orpheus turns to help her because he loves her.
2. Orpheus cannot hear Eurydice behind him, and fearing that he’s been tricked, turns to make sure she’s there.
3. Orpheus makes it out of the Underworld, and so full of love and excitement to be with Eurydice, turns to embrace her, forgetting that they both need to be out of the Underworld.
No matter what happens in the story, Orpheus loses Eurydice because his love for her compels him to look.
Orpheus, I can forgive you, then, There’s not a soul alive who wouldn’t have looked back
Don’t forget Gluck’s opera, where Eurydice doesn’t know Orpheus is forbidden to look back, Orpheus is also forbidden to tell her, she assumes he must not love her anymore, and Orpheus finally looks back to reassure her of his love because he can’t bear her anguish.
In that version in particular, but possibly in all retellings, a part of us wants Orpheus to look back, because his failure proves his love.
What gets me is that Orpheus’s love for Eurydice is the reason why he descended after her in the first place… but its also the reason he failed. Had he loved her a little less they would have made it out. Had he loved her a little less and he never would have gone down after her at all.
[ID: a google doc with the italicized text: “orpheus loves eurydice.” “loves” has a blue underline under it, which is signalling that it should be autocorrected to “and.” End ID.]
literally emo over this autocorrect . like it’s right… there’s no need for “orpheus loves eurydice” as a statement. the evidence is already there: orpheus andeurydice
Book Three in the Hades and Persephone series. Seventy years have passed since Elysion was created, and Persephone’s efforts to conceive a child with Hades have been in vain. But a secret rite on Samothrace might bend the Fates and give her all that they have dreamed of, or pave a path of untold suffering.
Chapter 8
Wind battered the west wall of the temple and guttered the torches. The winter had been a stormy one, a hard start to the season. The Thracians had worried that there hadn’t been enough sacrifices to Zeus at the Spring of Midas, The Arcadians swore that Poseidon had whipped up the seas in anger, and the Athenians worried that they hadn’t sent enough propitiations to Eleusis for Demeter.
But the summer had been kind to all. There were bountiful stores of grain— not just on Samothrace, but in every small village and great city in Hellas, Thrace, the islands and cities beyond. Orpheus stared out at the pool that dominated the center of the atrium. The oculus above and the slender clerestory windows had been sealed shut for winter, covered by tar-thatched reeds and battened down with hempen rope. It would keep the place warm for anyone seeking sanctuary. He reached the twelfth brazier and stoked it with an iron poker, the heat grown heavy beneath his woolen himation.
“Where did you hear the name Zagreus, hymnist?”
Every hair on his neck stood up. Orpheus stopped in his tracks and held his breath.
Orpheus — Kaysha Siemens graphite on pergamenata paper, 5x7 inches.
The song of Orpheus, stilled for a moment in sorrow. Shades drift around him, drawn by the music of his voice and harp, but not the one weeps and sings for, his beloved Eurydice.
“What Pandora brings to mortals is complexity. And that is true of all the women in this book […] Their stories should be read, seen, heard in all their difficult, messy, murderous detail. They aren’t simple because nothing interesting is simple.“
I havent posted these here yet. Here is a unofficial collection of chibis stickers and soon to be charms based on the awesome Hades game. I love all these characters and their stories ;u; I’m doing a limited pre-order of these before I take them off line. If you want some of them you can find them on my etsy here:
There are some very Orpheus and Eurydice themes in the narrative of Ed and Stede that do indeed make me feel many things. For the record, I’m using one specific take on the myth here (specifically notthe one in Symposium), but as is standard for myths, there are many different opinions on the nuances- this is merely one of them.
First and foremost, we need death. Stede endures this in a more literal sense- legally, he is now dead. An act of devotion, perhaps, as he seeks to cultivate a fresh start with his love. Equally, however, Ed himself undergoes a death. Not only does he gift Stede a disordered burial at sea, but he invokes one for himself, too. In episode ten, he lets the red silk representing his heart sail steadfast across the ocean. Anyone who’s familiar with the ending of Orpheus’ life will know that upon his death, his head and dutiful lyre were sent floating down the Hebrus River, straight out to sea. While Ed is alive both literally and legally, he sacrificed his heart- washed to the ocean much like Orpheus himself.
Next up, we travel to the crux of the myth. The quintessential theme of mournful love. The deep and burning sort, the kind that drives you to the underworld in an attempt to rectify what was so tragically lost. In OFMD we need to backtrack to episode nine, to Edward and his act of grace declaration; a show of all he’d lose, all he would risk, to keep his love safe. He accepts the journey, perils and all! Stede mirrors this in episode ten by not simply closing the door on his past, but by going so far as killing himself off, playing with death, in order to truly live life alongside his love. Much like Orpheus, this poignantly speaks to the boundaries that need to be crossed- both that metaphorical death and journey, but also the literal treck he’ll be undertaking as he pursues his lost love.
Orpheus finds himself underground because of this simple, grief-driven hope that death cannot be final- it must be negotiable. He brings his lyre, performing a most dismal tune, and the gods presiding over the Underworld are so utterly moved by his performance that a glimmer of hope is provided. Go on then, find Eurydice, but here is your caveat: have trust, have faith, know that she is there and do not allow your eyes to wander. It’s the backbone of all relationships epitomized to the highest stakes. You need to trust in yourself that your partner will be there, to have that faith that when you make it to the Overworld, they’ll be right behind you.
For Ed and Stede, this is episode nine. Edward returns from the Underworld, preparing for a new life- for them to enter the Overworld together- but his love is not there. This doesn’t follow the myth’s narrative to a T- but it does bring us back to the idea of trust and faith- both in your partner and moreso, in yourself. It’s the nagging fear that this is too good to be true- that the excitement can snap back to grave reality in a heartbeat. Both Edward and Orpheus turn around with buoyant hope, and in doing so, they are instead faced with their worst fear.
(One possible reading of the myth could be that in season two, Stede will be making his journey to the Underworld, seeking out his lost love. All the while, Ed has already made his trip downstairs, lost his love, and had his heart utterly grief-stricken in the process. There are so many ways to slice up this myth, but the themes are wonderfully applicable!)
AND IN ADDITION,
If we are going to view the symbolism of Orpheus’ lyre as comparable to Edward’s red silk, then we find ourselves with a very interesting concept indeed. A myth regarding Orpheus’ death also comes to explain the constellation Lyra. Following his death, Orpheus’ head and harp eventually came to rest on a beach- the waves having carried them ashore. Here, his remains were found and through various passing-alongs, ended up in the hands of the gods. As many important objects often are, it was placed in the sky to create the constellation Lyra- symbolic of Orpheus and his ceaseless, joyous music.
If we take that, and we say that Ed’s silk is his lyre, then we come to the conclusion that this item will wash up ashore, be found with reverence, and placed with pride in the sky; much like a flag that one may fly from a ship.
So, in that context, are the Maenads represented by Izzy who, in wanting Ed to engage with life rather than (celibate) mourning, kills him, sending head and lyre (red silk) floating downstream? He very much wanted to stop the music of his collaboration with the crew/ channeling of Stede.
Absolutely, you put it perfectly by describing it as ‘stopping the music’!
If we’re really going to dig into this metaphor (because you’re right - this is intensely fun), may I also present for your consideration: Badminton as the snake. Both of the brothers are catalytic/ pivotal events, arguably, their behaviour governed by their essential nature, but cruel in the context of a bright, sunlit wedding. (Although I now really want to write something about characters who reject their early training and those who embrace it in the show.)
There are some very Orpheus and Eurydice themes in the narrative of Ed and Stede that do indeed make me feel many things. For the record, I’m using one specific take on the myth here (specifically notthe one in Symposium), but as is standard for myths, there are many different opinions on the nuances- this is merely one of them.
First and foremost, we need death. Stede endures this in a more literal sense- legally, he is now dead. An act of devotion, perhaps, as he seeks to cultivate a fresh start with his love. Equally, however, Ed himself undergoes a death. Not only does he gift Stede a disordered burial at sea, but he invokes one for himself, too. In episode ten, he lets the red silk representing his heart sail steadfast across the ocean. Anyone who’s familiar with the ending of Orpheus’ life will know that upon his death, his head and dutiful lyre were sent floating down the Hebrus River, straight out to sea. While Ed is alive both literally and legally, he sacrificed his heart- washed to the ocean much like Orpheus himself.
Next up, we travel to the crux of the myth. The quintessential theme of mournful love. The deep and burning sort, the kind that drives you to the underworld in an attempt to rectify what was so tragically lost. In OFMD we need to backtrack to episode nine, to Edward and his act of grace declaration; a show of all he’d lose, all he would risk, to keep his love safe. He accepts the journey, perils and all! Stede mirrors this in episode ten by not simply closing the door on his past, but by going so far as killing himself off, playing with death, in order to truly live life alongside his love. Much like Orpheus, this poignantly speaks to the boundaries that need to be crossed- both that metaphorical death and journey, but also the literal treck he’ll be undertaking as he pursues his lost love.
Orpheus finds himself underground because of this simple, grief-driven hope that death cannot be final- it must be negotiable. He brings his lyre, performing a most dismal tune, and the gods presiding over the Underworld are so utterly moved by his performance that a glimmer of hope is provided. Go on then, find Eurydice, but here is your caveat: have trust, have faith, know that she is there and do not allow your eyes to wander. It’s the backbone of all relationships epitomized to the highest stakes. You need to trust in yourself that your partner will be there, to have that faith that when you make it to the Overworld, they’ll be right behind you.
For Ed and Stede, this is episode nine. Edward returns from the Underworld, preparing for a new life- for them to enter the Overworld together- but his love is not there. This doesn’t follow the myth’s narrative to a T- but it does bring us back to the idea of trust and faith- both in your partner and moreso, in yourself. It’s the nagging fear that this is too good to be true- that the excitement can snap back to grave reality in a heartbeat. Both Edward and Orpheus turn around with buoyant hope, and in doing so, they are instead faced with their worst fear.
(One possible reading of the myth could be that in season two, Stede will be making his journey to the Underworld, seeking out his lost love. All the while, Ed has already made his trip downstairs, lost his love, and had his heart utterly grief-stricken in the process. There are so many ways to slice up this myth, but the themes are wonderfully applicable!)
AND IN ADDITION,
If we are going to view the symbolism of Orpheus’ lyre as comparable to Edward’s red silk, then we find ourselves with a very interesting concept indeed. A myth regarding Orpheus’ death also comes to explain the constellation Lyra. Following his death, Orpheus’ head and harp eventually came to rest on a beach- the waves having carried them ashore. Here, his remains were found and through various passing-alongs, ended up in the hands of the gods. As many important objects often are, it was placed in the sky to create the constellation Lyra- symbolic of Orpheus and his ceaseless, joyous music.
If we take that, and we say that Ed’s silk is his lyre, then we come to the conclusion that this item will wash up ashore, be found with reverence, and placed with pride in the sky; much like a flag that one may fly from a ship.
So, in that context, are the Maenads represented by Izzy who, in wanting Ed to engage with life rather than (celibate) mourning, kills him, sending head and lyre (red silk) floating downstream? He very much wanted to stop the music of his collaboration with the crew/ channeling of Stede.
Introducing my fic for the @grishaversebigbang’s reverse mini bang! It’s an Orpheus and Eurydice AU in which Kaz loses Inej and must travel to the underworld to get her back. Read on AO3.
