NARCISSUS

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Echo and Narcissus

Echo was a very beautiful but also a very talkative nymph whose power to speak was taken away by the goddess Juno.

One day, Juno was spying on her philandering husband Zeus who came down to visit one of the beautiful nymphs in the mortal world. Echo who learned of the intentions, tried to block and divert Juno’s attention with her sweet talks. It was too late when Juno realized that her husband escaped and that Echo conspired with him.

As a punishment, Juno took away Echo’s power to speak. All she could do was repeat the last words of the person who would speak with her.

There was this very handsome guy whom Echo fell in love with. His name was Narcissus. He was tall, youthful, strong, brilliant, and in excellent physique. His eyes were blue and mesmerizing, his hair was long and wavy, his noise pointed, his lips inviting, and his face immaculate. He was the envy of his friends and the desire of all the women and nymphs.

But as he was extremely attractive, his character was the complete opposite. He was very proud, vain, and self-centered. He cared for no one but himself and dismissed all display of friendships by peers and affection by women. For this, he broke many hearts.

Nevertheless, Echo loved him so much. But her problem was how to win him over, especially with her inability to initiate a conversation. It was so hard for her just to watch the object of her love, unable to express to him how she felt deep inside. Her only consolation was to keep an eye on him wherever he went.

One day while Echo was discreetly following Narcissus in his hunting activity, he lost his way. Much as she desired to help him, her fear of being unable to initiate a talk kept her from coming out. She didn’t want to disappoint him if he would discover her handicap.

Until Narcissus sensed someone was stalking him, he shouted. “Is someone there?”

Seeing this as an opportunity to talk, she excitedly repeated Narcissus’ last word “There! There! There!”

Narcissus was surprised with what he heard. “Why don’t you come over here?” He shouted again.

“Here! Here! Here!” Echo repeated his last word again as she excitedly ran towards him and held his hand, thinking he needed company.

But to her dismay, Narcissus pushed her away and shouted angrily, “I don’t like you!”

Echo could not bear the pain of what she heard but still managed to repeat his last words, “Like you! Like you! Like you” as she ran away into the deep forest.

Since that incident, Echo had been pining for Narcissus’ love. All she did was to hide, cry in self-pity and frustrations until she lost her appetite and her beauty and died full of sadness.

But even after she died she still continues to repeat the last words of every one who shouts, as if Echo is still alive until today.

It is how the word “echo” came to exist.

When the other nymphs learned of the heart-rending fate of Echo, they were so moved that they prayed for Narcissus’ punishment and for him to experience the same pain as Echo had suffered. And they were never disappointed, for the gods heard their prayers.

One day after a grueling hunting activity, Narcissus stopped to take a drink. He crouched, and as he stretched his arm for a drink from the pool, he noticed his own shadow from the tranquil water. His eyes became transfixed to it and thought it was another person. And he fell in love with it. He was so in love that day and night, he never left the pool. He kept on talking to it, attempted to touch it. But every time he attempts to touch, the image distorts. This made him felt so disappointed. Until Narcissus lost his appetite, his youthful and attractive looks, and he died pining for love.

On the spot where he died, a flower grew. They called the flower “Narcissus”.

Today, if we find someone who is as egoistic as Narcissus, we call him a “narcissist”. And so, another word was born.

-End-