The story of Narcissus in Greek mythology begins with the story of Echo, a beautiful nymph who lived in the woods and often accompanied the goddess Artemis on her chase for deer and other wildlife. Echo’s shortfall was that she loved to talk a lot.
One day when goddess Hera was looking for her husband,Zeus,in the woods.Zeus was at that time amusing himself with the other beautiful nymphs in the woods.Echo came that way and met Hera,the queen of gods.Echo tried to stall her by continually speaking with her.As a result Zeus was able to enjoy with other nymphs.Angry Hera placed a curse on Echo. This curse did not allow Echo to say anything except to repeat what she had heard.
Narcissus was a handsome young man and had been since he was just a child.Narcissus was quite famous for rejecting the many nymphs that wanted to show him love.
One day Echo was in the woods when she saw Narcissus and immediately fell in love with him. She was invisible but Narcissus heard some sounds and he asked, “Who’s there?”
She tried to answer,but the only sound she could produce was “there”,which she heard.So she came out in front of him so that Narcissus could see her and return her love.She was surely very beautiful but Narcissus rejected her. She fled into the mountains, scorned by him.
One day Narcissus was walking in the woods when he came by a pond that had water so clear it could have been crystal. The water was free of debris and no one ever came by to disturb the peaceful waters. Narcissus bent down to take a drink from the beautiful pond and saw his own reflection looking back at him.
He instantly became mesmerized by it and sat for some time staring into his own beautiful face. He continually tried to reach down and embrace the image that he saw in the water, and he also tried to bend down and kiss the image. As soon as he touched it however, it fled from him. Echo saw Narcissus admiring himself in a clear pond. Looking at his reflection, he vainly said to the face in the water, "I love you."
Echo repeated, "I love you," and meant it. But Narcissus thought it was his reflection that spoke and stood gazing at himself until he died.When the elders had prepared a funeral for him and went to gather the body however, it could not be found.
But in the exact same place that Narcissus had sat for all that time, grew a beautiful flower that we know today as Narcissus flower.Echo's voice that can still be heard in certain hollow places, senselessly repeating the words of others.
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