Cupids History
2 min read
By: Shawn Ward
In Roman mythology Cupid means “passionate desire.” He is the God of desire, love, attraction and affection. Cupid is often renowned as the son of Venus Goddess of love and Mars God of war. Legend has it that Cupid shoots magical gold-tipped arrows at gods and humans alike. By piercing their heart with an arrow, he causes individuals to fall deeply in love. Cupid’s symbol being two hearts with an arrow piercing through them signifying two people falling in love. Cupid is usually seen as a baby because babies represent the combination of two people in love. Cupid did have siblings, their names were Anteros, Porthos, Himeros, and Anteros. Anteros (the god of family love), Porthos (the god of wishing to find love), and Himeros (the god of lust). The story varies based on the source. Cupid, ancient Roman god of love in all its varieties, the counterpart of the Greek god Eros and the equivalent of Amor in Latin poetry. According to myth, Cupid was the son of Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods. For the Romans, the character of Cupid was always a cherubic little boy who followed his mother’s wishes to make people fall in love. Valentine’s Day was already becoming popular in the 18th century, and by the turn of the 19th century, Cupid had become linked to the holiday for his love-creating abilities. The Lenape tech students that were interviewed see cupid as a baby with angel wings and a bow and arrow that makes people fall in love.
