Who cursed Narcissus?
Narcissus was cursed by the goddess Nemesis. She had been summoned to avenge one of the many suitors that Narcissus had rejected. Her curse made Narcissus fall in love with his reflection in a small pool. He was unable to look away from his own image and gradually wasted away.
What did Narcissus want?
Narcissus wanted . . . Narcissus. Narcissus was so in love with his own reflection that he wanted to leave his body so he could love himself. He wished that his reflection could live on after he died, but was comforted by the fact that they would die together.
Where did the myth of Narcissus take place?
The myth of Narcissus took place at a spring on Mount Helicon near the ancient city of Thespiae, in central Greece.
When did Ovid write about Narcissus?
Ovid wrote about Narcissus in “Book III” of The Metamorphoses, which he finished around 8 CE.
Why did Narcissus fall in love with himself?
Narcissus was renowned for his arrogance and extremely good looks, but it was a curse cast by the goddess Nemesis that caused him to fall head over heels in love with himself.
How is Narcissus a narcissist?
Narcissus is a narcissist because a narcissist is someone who loves themself above all else. Narcissus took this to the extreme by falling in love with his reflection. His love for himself was so deep that he died because he couldn’t leave his reflection behind, even to eat or drink.
Table of Contents
The Myth of Narcissus
The Greek myth of Narcissus was recorded by several ancient writers, but is most thoroughly retold by Ovid in Metamorphoses, “Book III.” Although there are some discrepancies, the heart of the story remains the same in all versions.
The Origins of Narcissus
Who Narcissus’s parents were seems to be one of the most contentious parts of his story. According to Ovid, Narcissus was born after the river god Cephissus pulled Liriope, “the loveliest of nymphs,” under the currents and raped her.
In the epic Dionysiaca written by Nonnus, Narcissus was the son of Selene, the goddess of the moon, and a handsome mortal hunter named Endymion. It should be noted, however, that as credible as Nonnus is, he wrote Dionysiaca nearly 500 years after Metamorphoses, so Ovid’s version may be closer to the original myth.
In all versions, Narcissus was an absolutely gorgeous child.
The Prophecy of the Seer Tiresias
Tiresias was a well-known prophet or prophetess, depending on when you consulted them. Tiresias appears in many Greek legends and interacts with a who’s who of gods and goddesses.
At one time or another, Tiresias crossed paths with many of the most powerful Greek gods and goddesses, including Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Athena, who blinded them for drinking out of the wrong spring at the wrong time. Different traditions tell different stories, but all agree that Tiresias was changed from a man to a woman and then back again. What is clear is that Tiresias was highly respected for their ability to see the future.[1]
In Ovid’s retelling, Liriope took young Narcissus to Tiresias to foretell if the boy would live a long life. Tiresias responded that yes he would, “if he does not discover himself.”
Echo’s Unspoken Love for Narcissus
One fateful day, when Narcissus was sixteen and already the apple of many an eye, a mountain nymph named Echo happened across him in the woods. For Echo, it was love at first sight. “She was inflamed,” according to Ovid.
Unfortunately, Echo had been cursed in that she could not speak except to repeat what she had just heard. Unable to initiate the conversation with Narcissus, she followed him, falling more and more in love the more she observed him.
Narcissus finally spoke, when he, after being separated from his hunting companions, shouted out, “Is anyone here?” Echo replied, “Here!” and the two engaged in a confusing conversation since Echo could only repeat Narcissus.
Narcissus, fed up with the roundabout conversation, called out, “Let us meet together.” Echo, ecstatic at finally getting the chance to meet, called out, “Together!” and rushed out of her hiding spot to throw her arms around her beloved.
Narcissus was not amused. He’d already spurned many romantic advances and took no liking to Echo either. “Away with these encircling hands! May I die before what’s mine is yours.”
Heartbroken, Echo hid the rest of her life in caves. Her bones turned to stone, but her voice remained.
Narcissus Finally Meets His One True Love
At this point, no one was too thrilled with Narcissus, despite his off-the-charts attractiveness. He was an arrogant . . . well, narcissist who had broken many hearts without an ounce of remorse.
One of his spurned would-be suitors, a young man who had been cruelly cast off, yelled to the heavens that Narcissus should be cursed. His plea was heard by Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, and a curse was cast.
Narcissus, out and about in the woods, came across a pristine, crystal-clear pool, which had been previously untouched by man or animal. As he bent down to take a drink, he was awestruck by what he saw: a man of incredible beauty.
From Ovid, Metamorphoses “Book III”:
Flat on the ground, he contemplates two stars, his eyes, and his hair, fit for Bacchus, fit for Apollo, his youthful cheeks and ivory neck, the beauty of his face, the rose-flush mingled in the whiteness of snow . . .
It was his own reflection, of course, and Narcissus, despite many fruitless attempts to kiss or embrace this beautiful creature, could not leave its side. He laments how cruel it is that his one true love is only separated from him by a thin layer of water.
Even after he finally comes to the realization that he is indeed looking at his own reflection (“I am burning with love for myself!”), he cannot tear himself away.
Death of Narcissus
As Narcissus wastes away, the motherly goddess of agriculture, Ceres, tries to intervene, but Narcissus won’t even look away from his reflection long enough to eat the bread she’s brought him.
As he realizes he is close to the end, he laments that he cannot distance himself enough from himself to love himself. (Yes, he seems aware of the irony.) He is not sad to die, for it will end his sorrow. He wishes his reflection would live on but is happy to die with the one he loves.
Narcissus begins to cry in his final frustrations, with his tears distorting his reflection, which leaves him even more despondent. He begins to strike himself on the chest and sees his reflection do the same. Finally, he is so weakened that he dies, saying goodbye to his reflection with his last breath.
Echo puts aside her former anger and feels sorry for Narcissus, echoing the word “goodbye.” When Echo and the sisters of Narcissus come to collect his body, they find flowers instead, with a yellow center surrounded by white petals.
Symbolism, Themes, and Lessons in the Myth of Narcissus
Over the thousands of years since Ovid most famously recorded the story of Narcissus, the myth has been told countless times to teach valuable lessons.
The tragedy of someone so terribly in love with themselves that they can’t leave their reflection is a dire warning of the dangers of excessive vanity and self-love. Vanity and extreme arrogance hurt those who loved Narcissus, but they also hurt him more than anyone.
One who is completely blinded by their own self-regard is destined to miss the worth in others, and without others, runs the risk of dying alone and, in the case of Narcissus at least, melting away into a bed of flowers.
This lesson seems particularly relevant today. People who are obsessed with their own image, whether that image is reflected in a pool or an iPhone screen, may find that real life is passing them by.
The myth is also a lesson in falling for someone simply for their physical beauty. After all, it is Echo who melts away before Narcissus does. Her love for Narcissus was based on his looks alone, for their one actual interaction was confusing, awkward, and tragic. And yet she pined on. That choice robbed her of her physical self and she became but a voice living in caves.
The myth of Narcissus also tells us something about unrequited love and how obsession with it can lead us astray. We see both Echo and Narcissus completely and literally consumed by love for another who can’t or won’t love them back. Rather than moving on when their love is not returned, they become obsessed, which ultimately takes them to their graves.
The Narcissus Flower
The flowers that grew in place of the faded body of Narcissus, are of a genus aptly named Narcissus, also commonly known as daffodils.
READ MORE: Greek Flowers and Plants in Mythology: Symbolism and Stories
Ovid describes them as white flowers with petals surrounding a “yellow heart.” Others have said that the shape of the petals is designed to catch Narcissus’s tears, and still others say the flowers droop towards the ground just as Narcissus looked downwards towards his reflection. Narcissi are typically found near brooks and bodies of water, which is also obviously germane to the myth.
Considering all the connections between the actual flower and the myth, it is no wonder that daffodils are still known as the flower of unrequited love and have become enduring symbols of the myth.
The Narcissus Flower and Persephone
The Narcissus flower also plays a significant role in another Greek myth, that of Persephone, the beautiful goddess and daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture.
Persephone was out collecting narcissi in a meadow when Hades, god of the underworld, came up through the earth riding his chariot and kidnapped her. Persephone reluctantly became the goddess of the underworld, and the narcissus flower became sacred to Persephone and Hades.
Therefore, it is said that the River Styx, the underworld river across which souls are ferried, is lined with narcissi. To some superstitious Greeks, this meant that seeing narcissi was a sign of an impending death.
The Narcissus Flower as a Symbol in Art and Literature
Considering the prominent role the narcissus flower played in some extremely memorable Greek myths, it is no wonder it has become a frequent symbol in art and literature, even up to the modern day.
To cultures unfamiliar with the Greek myths, daffodils meant hope, as they are often some of the first flowers to bloom in the spring, around the Christian holiday of Easter. As such, daffodils have been painted by many famous artists, such as Van Gogh, Monet, and, more recently, by David Hockney.
But the flower is still associated with the themes from the myth of Narcissus—vanity, unrequited love, beauty, and tragedy—which have made them common symbols for writers. Shakespeare used daffodils in several of his plays, and they also make appearances in the poems of William Wordsworth, Robert Herrick, and many others.
Narcissus in Art and Literature
Since Ovid’s account, Narcissus has long captured the imagination of artists and writers. For many artists, the temptation to depict one of the most attractive humans in mythological history has proven impossible to resist.
As early as the first century BCE, frescoes and mosaics with images of the famous story were found throughout Greece and Rome, and since then an incredibly diverse group of artists have portrayed the story of Narcissus.
Perhaps the most famous depiction is Narcissus by the Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio completed in 1599, but Narcissus was also painted by English romantic J. M. W. Turner, Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali, and, fittingly enough, the artist Lucian Freud, grandson of Sigmund.
Sculptures of Narcissus can be found in the Prado, the Royal Academy of Arts, and many other museums, as well as public spaces.
A diverse group of scribes have also long been inspired by Narcissus. French Nobel Prize winner Andre Gide wrote one of his first books about the myth, and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey was clearly inspired by the same.
The myth also makes cameos in some other very famous novels, including Moby Dick by Herman Melville and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
There could also probably be a section here entitled “Narcissists in Art and Literature,” as many famous artists and authors have been labeled narcissists. What is a self-portrait or a memoir if not a narcissistic act? So, perhaps the pool-gazing has inspired even more art and literature than we commonly acknowledge.
Narcissus and Narcissism: From Myth to Psychology
One of the reasons the myth of Narcissus has remained culturally relevant for so long is that his name lives on in the psychological terms narcissism and narcissist.
Origins of the Psychological Term
Using terms like narcissist in psychology began with Havelock Ellis in 1898. He used Narcissus-like to describe the sexual condition of autoeroticism. A few other psychologists used the myth of Narcissus in a similar fashion, but the term began to evolve.
It wasn’t until Freud began using it that narcissism really became an integral part of the psychological lexicon. In 1911, Freud published his highly influential essay On Narcissism: An Introduction. In it, Freud did not necessarily see narcissism as a bad thing, rather a natural part of a child’s development.
The healthy child goes through a narcissistic phase during which they must learn to love themselves before they learn to love others. However, some may become stuck in this phase and become “secondary narcissists.”[2]
Those who Freud described as secondary narcissists represent the narcissists of today—someone who is completely self-absorbed at the expense of others.
Modern Definitions of Narcissist
These days, particularly with the advent of social media and selfies, we throw around the term narcissist quite a bit. Anyone with an oversized ego is labeled as such.
If you google “famous narcissists” you’ll come up with a lot of writers, artists, and politicians—from Josef Stalin to Marilyn Monroe. However, psychologists would argue against many of these amateur diagnoses. Seeking power or fame is not necessarily narcissism.
Stalin, Marilyn, or the person you follow on Instagram who only posts highly flattering, highly filtered selfies, may have traits of narcissism without having actual narcissistic personality disorder.
In fact, psychiatrists estimate that only 1%–2% of the population actually has the clinical definition of narcissistic personality disorder as used by psychologists.
The clinical definition of narcissistic personality disorder, as stated in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is marked by “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy.” Those suffering from the disorder may express envy or wish to be envied, take advantage of others, and expect to be treated like royalty.[3]
Narcissus in Modern Times
Few question the relevance of the Narcissus myth in the modern day. In fact, some studies have shown a 30% rise in narcissism in the last thirty years. The assumed culprit is social media, where self-promotion and aggrandizement are often celebrated and rewarded.
That’s why it’s not difficult to find examples of modern-day Narcissus. There are a number of instances of people who have died while trying to take selfies for their social media pages. Certainly, they could have taken a lesson from this myth—your own image is not worth dying over.
Modern artists, movie makers, writers, and songwriters, have not missed the significance of Narcissus in modern times.
Movies such as The Devil Wears Prada and Gone Girl feature classic narcissists. And songs by Natalie Merchant, Bastille, and Alanis Morissette among others all talk about our favorite pool-gazer. (Alanis Morissette’s probably has the best line, of course: “Go back to the center of the universe.”)
But the quickest way to see the ongoing relevance of Narcissus is via the psychological disorder named after him. Just take a quick peek at any online bookstore. Search “narcissism,” and you’ll find an enormous array of nonfiction titles.
You can find books that will help you “unmask,” “disarm,” “outsmart,” “spot,” “divorce,” and “manage” narcissists, along with countless other advice books by narcissists, for narcissists, and for those dealing with narcissists.
Wrapping Up Narcissus’s Story
Narcissus was a handsome man so vain and so cruel to would-be suitors that he was cursed to fall in love with his own reflection. With social media, the myth of Narcissus seems more relevant than ever. Is a well-curated, obsessed-over social media feed that much different than a reflecting pool?
References
1. Loraux, Nicole. 1995. The Experiences of Tiresias: The Feminine and the Greek Male. Princeton University Press.
2. Freud, Sigmund. 1914. On Narcissism: An Introduction. Yale University Press (Reprint 1991).
3. American Psychiatric Association. 2002. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. APA Publishing.