Reading Diary B: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche

(Psyche in the Underworld, by Hillemacher)

Reading B of Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche:

My favorite part of this half (or possibly my favorite part of the entire story,) is the chapter, "The Jar of Beauty."

In this chapter, Psyche goes to the Underworld. It is very reminiscent of Dante's Inferno. I love Dante's Inferno, so that is most likely why I really enjoyed reading this! (Of course, it would make sense that it is similar to Dante's Inferno, since he heavily borrowed from Classical Mythology!)

More so in this rather than Dante's Inferno, did I like that instead of going to the Underworld (or Hell rather,) for fun (which seems to me why Dante goes there?) Psyche goes there with a goal set: fill the box with the beauty of Proserpine.

I thought that the "payments" that she makes in the Underworld are interesting. Psyche was told to carry a barley-cake covered in honey wine, and hold two coins in her mouth. The cake was to be fed to Cerberus to calm the beast, and the coins were the toll to pay to Charon (the ferryman.)

I also liked how she was also told not to sit at the table and enjoy a great meal with her host, Proserpine. Instead she is to sit on the floor and eat bread. This reminded me of faeries from books I've read. They always say not to eat the food that the faeries offer you, and that reminded me a bit of that. (My favorite faerie books are by the master of faerie books: Holly Black! Her best books, in my humble opinion are: The Darkest Part of the Forest and Tithe.)

The payments and the rules that Psyche had to follow in the Underworld, because it reminded me a lot of customs that are prevalent in Arthurian Legend and Lore.

Finally, I liked the idea that she was told not to open the box of beauty, it was very reminiscent of Pandora's Box. Except, instead of chaos, she would be obsessed with beauty.