希腊神话中爱神与中国古典文学中的爱神形象对比及爱情观体现
Abstract: Love is an instinct, it is the purest and holiest spirit, which comes from our inner heart. As a result, it becomes the eternal topic of human beings. Ancient Greeks paid a lot of attention to this emotion, especially emphasized desire, which reveals the exploration they made to seek the meaning of the origin of life. On the other hand, the gods of love in ancient Chinese mythology can also reflect the inner spiritual value of love of Chinese. Therefore, by comparing the gods in two different culture, this article attempts to interpret the difference of the inner spiritual value of love of two nations.
Key words: god of love, value of love, ancient Chinese literature, Greek mythology
I. Introduction:
In ancient Greek mythology and ancient Chinese mythology, love of gods varied in different ways. Ancient Greeks thought that gods share no difference with mortals in spiritual aspect. Because they have the same emotion, appearance, body, and so on. They are gods only for their power and immortality. Gods in Greek mythology are natural and emotional just like human beings, who have merits and demerits. This imagination towards god reflect the value of ancient Greeks, they thought there is no need to define good or bad of natural desire. The lust is part of natural desire, which has a close connection to love. In this point, we can tell that the god of love embodied the understanding of love of ancient Greeks.
II. The god of love in Greek mythology
2.1 Eros(Cupid) and its reflection in love.
Greek mythology, Eros was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid. Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite. One explanation of his birth is that he is the son of Ares and Aphrodite. In most of depictions, he is a little chubby naughty child, who likes to prank on mortals and immortals.
2.1.1 Eros’ arrow and bow
Eros carries two kinds of arrows, one with a sharp golden point, and the other with a blunt tip of lead. A person wounded by the golden arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire, but the one struck by the lead feels aversion and desires only to flee. The bow and arrow that represent his source of power: a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid's arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. “he shoots at anyone he met, even his mother.” (Robert Flaceliere 34)It is his arrow that makes people fall in love and dying inside. In this way, some thought” it explained love is changing constantly”.(Zheng Yaozhen 16)
2.1.2 Eros’ love story with Psyche
Eros has a pure and concentered love story with Psyche. The fame of Psyche's beauty threatens to eclipse that of Aphrodite herself, and the love goddess sends Eros to work her revenge. Eros, however, becomes enamored of Psyche, and arranges for her to be taken to his palace. He visits her by night, warning her not to try to look upon him. Psyche's envious sisters convince her that her lover must be a hideous monster, and she finally introduces a lamp into their chamber to see him. Startled by his beauty, she drips hot oil from the lamp and wakes him. He abandons her. She wanders the earth looking for him, and finally submits to the service of Aphrodite, who tortures her. The goddess then sends Psyche on a series of quests. Each time she despairs, and each time she is given divine aid. At last Eros grants her immortality so the couple can be wed as equals. From this story we can tell that the love between Eros and Psyche is not simply desire of sex or lust, but a spiritual love that beyond carnality.
2.2 Aphrodite
2.2.1Aphrodite’s birth
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. Her Roman equivalent is the goddess Venus. As with many ancient Greek deities, there is more than one story about her origins. one saying is that she was born when Cronus cut off Uranus's genitals and threw them into the sea, and she arose from the sea foam. Since she is born from genital of male, she has a close connection with the lust and sex. She is also the god of beauty, who has a beautiful charming body. Another saying of her birth is that she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Some philosophers claimed that these two different sayings of her birth provides explanation for that love can be consist of the noble one and the vulgar one.
2.2.2 Aphrodite’s marriage and love affairs
Even as god of love, Aphrodite can’t control her marriage herself. Because of her beauty, other gods feared that their rivalry over her would interrupt the peace among them and lead to war, so Zeus married her to Hephaestus, who, because of his ugliness and deformity, was not seen as a threat. (Wikipedia) Beyond her marriage, Aphrodite had many lovers—both gods, such as Ares, and men, such as Anchises. From this perspective, we can see that marriage and love are two different level in ancient Greek, who are yearning for love.
Some say Aphrodite’s true love was Ares, the god of war, only for his graceful and strong body. One day while Aphrodite and Ares were together they were caught in an invisible but strong net forged by Hephaestus, and exposed to the ridicule and laughter of the other gods at Mt. Olympus. Hephaestus, her husband, are weak graceless and lam, comparing to Ares. From this depiction, we can tell that ancient Greeks craved for love and beauty, even beyond the marriage.
Some say that the most prominent lover of Aphrodite is Adonis, who was foster by Persephone. When Adonis grown up, Aphrodite finds him strikingly handsome, but Persephone wants to keep him. Zeus decrees that Adonis will spend a third of the year with Aphrodite, a third with Persephone, and a third with whomever he wishes. Adonis chooses Aphrodite, and they are constantly together. Adonis, who loves hunting, is slain by a wild boar. The shade of Adonis is received in the underworld by Persephone. Aphrodite wants to return him to life. Again, she and Persephone bicker. Zeus intervenes again, decreeing that Adonis will spend six months with Aphrodite and six months with Persephone. As an immortal, falling for a mortal is a shame in the eye of other immortals. Aphrodite, however, was forced by her instinct to fall in love with this mortal.
2.3 conclusion of love in ancient Greeks.
Like what Robert wrote, “Aphrodite is the god of sexual lust and love. Eros is the god of mental love.”(Robert Flaceliere 34) We can conclude the love in ancient Greek into is “wild love” type. This love is not about companionship, or steady relationship. It’s about the lust, the sexual impulse, which plays a fundamental role in love, like Aphrodite’s passion for beautiful appearance and carnality. From her birth, we can see that there is a worship towards genital. Since there are so many lovers of Aphrodite, we can tell that stability of love is poor.
III.The gods of love in ancient Chinese literature and its reflection.
There is no doubt to identify the god of love in ancient Greek mythology. While, in ancient Chinese literature, is there a god of love? This topic has always been a question over time. If there are some figures could be called god of love, the the old man under the moon (Yuelao ) must be the No.1 priority.
Yue Lao, literally: "old man under the moon", is a god of marriage and love in Chinese mythology. He appears as an old man under the moon. He appears at night, and "unites with a silken cord all predestined couples, after which nothing can prevent their union. He is immortal and is said to live either in the moon or in the "obscure regions" (Yue ming), the Chinese equivalent of Hades. Related documentary records of this figure first appeared in Tang dynasty. The way he ties couples with red silken cord, reflect the conception of marriage of Chinese people in Tang dynasty. They thought the fate is destined in the last life. As a result, they hold a sense that they can’t control the marriage or affection towards other.
The other figure of god of love in ancient Chinese literature is Gao tang(高唐)，the goddess of love.It was Song Yu(宋玉),a famous writer in Chu Kingdom in the Warring States who established the figure of the goddess in Gao Tang(高唐) by using religious, myth and folks. “It spent researchers much time to find the archetype of the goddess in Gao Tang. According to some statistics, the scholars home and abroad have published more than 90 research papers and three monographs since 1930s.”(Peng An Xiang 2007)
There are nine kinds of viewpoints in the area of research about the archetype of the goddess in Gao Tang :1. deceased female ancestors and love God; 2. female priest in ancient China; 3. magic fungus; 4. the daughter of God or King Rao; 5. rain and cloud ; 6.the Goddess of beauty and the Goddess of love; 7. a female ghost in the mountain; 8. the Goddess of the Salt River ; 9. the comprehensive Gods. These archetypes showed some symbols in common, which is sexual love and reproduction. Thus, we may see the this depiction in the perspective of primitive society. The function of Gao Tang, the goddess of love, coincided with the god of earth and earliest famine god. It’s a reflection of the primitive value of love, an attention to reproduction and life.
IV. Conclusion: differences in Greeks and Chinese love and reasons.
From the comparisons of gods, we can tell that ancient Chinese valued material more than spirits. From the worship of the Yue Lao, we can see that they tended to listen to the matchmaker. It’s not like ancient Greeks, who valued spiritual love more. In Greek mythology, we can see that even mighty immortal could fall in love with mortal just for appreciation of beauty.
Works Cited
Robert Flaceliere. Love in ancient Greece/ Translated from the French by James Cleugh.
郑耀珍： 《古希腊人神话与现实社会中的爱情观》，[D]内蒙古大学硕士， 2011年
谢燕： 《中国上古神话英雄的婚姻爱情问题》[D] 广西大学， 2008年
潘秋子：“中国和希腊神话中爱神的起源及其地位变化差异的探讨” ，《世界文学评论》 2（2007） 127-128
Wikipedia contributors. "Aphrodite." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Nov. 2016. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.
< https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite>
Wikipedia contributors. "Eros." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Nov. 2016. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.
< https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros >
Key words: god of love, value of love, ancient Chinese literature, Greek mythology
I. Introduction:
In ancient Greek mythology and ancient Chinese mythology, love of gods varied in different ways. Ancient Greeks thought that gods share no difference with mortals in spiritual aspect. Because they have the same emotion, appearance, body, and so on. They are gods only for their power and immortality. Gods in Greek mythology are natural and emotional just like human beings, who have merits and demerits. This imagination towards god reflect the value of ancient Greeks, they thought there is no need to define good or bad of natural desire. The lust is part of natural desire, which has a close connection to love. In this point, we can tell that the god of love embodied the understanding of love of ancient Greeks.
II. The god of love in Greek mythology
2.1 Eros(Cupid) and its reflection in love.
Greek mythology, Eros was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid. Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite. One explanation of his birth is that he is the son of Ares and Aphrodite. In most of depictions, he is a little chubby naughty child, who likes to prank on mortals and immortals.
2.1.1 Eros’ arrow and bow
Eros carries two kinds of arrows, one with a sharp golden point, and the other with a blunt tip of lead. A person wounded by the golden arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire, but the one struck by the lead feels aversion and desires only to flee. The bow and arrow that represent his source of power: a person, or even a deity, who is shot by Cupid's arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire. “he shoots at anyone he met, even his mother.” (Robert Flaceliere 34)It is his arrow that makes people fall in love and dying inside. In this way, some thought” it explained love is changing constantly”.(Zheng Yaozhen 16)
2.1.2 Eros’ love story with Psyche
Eros has a pure and concentered love story with Psyche. The fame of Psyche's beauty threatens to eclipse that of Aphrodite herself, and the love goddess sends Eros to work her revenge. Eros, however, becomes enamored of Psyche, and arranges for her to be taken to his palace. He visits her by night, warning her not to try to look upon him. Psyche's envious sisters convince her that her lover must be a hideous monster, and she finally introduces a lamp into their chamber to see him. Startled by his beauty, she drips hot oil from the lamp and wakes him. He abandons her. She wanders the earth looking for him, and finally submits to the service of Aphrodite, who tortures her. The goddess then sends Psyche on a series of quests. Each time she despairs, and each time she is given divine aid. At last Eros grants her immortality so the couple can be wed as equals. From this story we can tell that the love between Eros and Psyche is not simply desire of sex or lust, but a spiritual love that beyond carnality.
2.2 Aphrodite
2.2.1Aphrodite’s birth
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. Her Roman equivalent is the goddess Venus. As with many ancient Greek deities, there is more than one story about her origins. one saying is that she was born when Cronus cut off Uranus's genitals and threw them into the sea, and she arose from the sea foam. Since she is born from genital of male, she has a close connection with the lust and sex. She is also the god of beauty, who has a beautiful charming body. Another saying of her birth is that she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Some philosophers claimed that these two different sayings of her birth provides explanation for that love can be consist of the noble one and the vulgar one.
2.2.2 Aphrodite’s marriage and love affairs
Even as god of love, Aphrodite can’t control her marriage herself. Because of her beauty, other gods feared that their rivalry over her would interrupt the peace among them and lead to war, so Zeus married her to Hephaestus, who, because of his ugliness and deformity, was not seen as a threat. (Wikipedia) Beyond her marriage, Aphrodite had many lovers—both gods, such as Ares, and men, such as Anchises. From this perspective, we can see that marriage and love are two different level in ancient Greek, who are yearning for love.
Some say Aphrodite’s true love was Ares, the god of war, only for his graceful and strong body. One day while Aphrodite and Ares were together they were caught in an invisible but strong net forged by Hephaestus, and exposed to the ridicule and laughter of the other gods at Mt. Olympus. Hephaestus, her husband, are weak graceless and lam, comparing to Ares. From this depiction, we can tell that ancient Greeks craved for love and beauty, even beyond the marriage.
Some say that the most prominent lover of Aphrodite is Adonis, who was foster by Persephone. When Adonis grown up, Aphrodite finds him strikingly handsome, but Persephone wants to keep him. Zeus decrees that Adonis will spend a third of the year with Aphrodite, a third with Persephone, and a third with whomever he wishes. Adonis chooses Aphrodite, and they are constantly together. Adonis, who loves hunting, is slain by a wild boar. The shade of Adonis is received in the underworld by Persephone. Aphrodite wants to return him to life. Again, she and Persephone bicker. Zeus intervenes again, decreeing that Adonis will spend six months with Aphrodite and six months with Persephone. As an immortal, falling for a mortal is a shame in the eye of other immortals. Aphrodite, however, was forced by her instinct to fall in love with this mortal.
2.3 conclusion of love in ancient Greeks.
Like what Robert wrote, “Aphrodite is the god of sexual lust and love. Eros is the god of mental love.”(Robert Flaceliere 34) We can conclude the love in ancient Greek into is “wild love” type. This love is not about companionship, or steady relationship. It’s about the lust, the sexual impulse, which plays a fundamental role in love, like Aphrodite’s passion for beautiful appearance and carnality. From her birth, we can see that there is a worship towards genital. Since there are so many lovers of Aphrodite, we can tell that stability of love is poor.
III.The gods of love in ancient Chinese literature and its reflection.
There is no doubt to identify the god of love in ancient Greek mythology. While, in ancient Chinese literature, is there a god of love? This topic has always been a question over time. If there are some figures could be called god of love, the the old man under the moon (Yuelao ) must be the No.1 priority.
Yue Lao, literally: "old man under the moon", is a god of marriage and love in Chinese mythology. He appears as an old man under the moon. He appears at night, and "unites with a silken cord all predestined couples, after which nothing can prevent their union. He is immortal and is said to live either in the moon or in the "obscure regions" (Yue ming), the Chinese equivalent of Hades. Related documentary records of this figure first appeared in Tang dynasty. The way he ties couples with red silken cord, reflect the conception of marriage of Chinese people in Tang dynasty. They thought the fate is destined in the last life. As a result, they hold a sense that they can’t control the marriage or affection towards other.
The other figure of god of love in ancient Chinese literature is Gao tang(高唐)，the goddess of love.It was Song Yu(宋玉),a famous writer in Chu Kingdom in the Warring States who established the figure of the goddess in Gao Tang(高唐) by using religious, myth and folks. “It spent researchers much time to find the archetype of the goddess in Gao Tang. According to some statistics, the scholars home and abroad have published more than 90 research papers and three monographs since 1930s.”(Peng An Xiang 2007)
There are nine kinds of viewpoints in the area of research about the archetype of the goddess in Gao Tang :1. deceased female ancestors and love God; 2. female priest in ancient China; 3. magic fungus; 4. the daughter of God or King Rao; 5. rain and cloud ; 6.the Goddess of beauty and the Goddess of love; 7. a female ghost in the mountain; 8. the Goddess of the Salt River ; 9. the comprehensive Gods. These archetypes showed some symbols in common, which is sexual love and reproduction. Thus, we may see the this depiction in the perspective of primitive society. The function of Gao Tang, the goddess of love, coincided with the god of earth and earliest famine god. It’s a reflection of the primitive value of love, an attention to reproduction and life.
IV. Conclusion: differences in Greeks and Chinese love and reasons.
From the comparisons of gods, we can tell that ancient Chinese valued material more than spirits. From the worship of the Yue Lao, we can see that they tended to listen to the matchmaker. It’s not like ancient Greeks, who valued spiritual love more. In Greek mythology, we can see that even mighty immortal could fall in love with mortal just for appreciation of beauty.
Works Cited
Robert Flaceliere. Love in ancient Greece/ Translated from the French by James Cleugh.
郑耀珍： 《古希腊人神话与现实社会中的爱情观》，[D]内蒙古大学硕士， 2011年
谢燕： 《中国上古神话英雄的婚姻爱情问题》[D] 广西大学， 2008年
潘秋子：“中国和希腊神话中爱神的起源及其地位变化差异的探讨” ，《世界文学评论》 2（2007） 127-128
Wikipedia contributors. "Aphrodite." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Nov. 2016. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.
< https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite>
Wikipedia contributors. "Eros." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Nov. 2016. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.
< https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros >
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