Another Mirror Story

Echo & Narcissus

Echo was a water nymph who loved to talk.

One Day Zeus convinced Echo to lie to Hera about his whereabouts. When Hera discovered the betrayal she cursed Echo that she would never speak openly again and would only repeat the last few words of another.

When Echo met Narcissus she fell in love with his charm and beauty, she followed him and spied on him, driven by a desire to speak lovingly and tenderly with him. Narcissus who was a handsome youth had many admirers and was known for leading hearts astray.

Echo's passion for Narcissus grew with fervour and flame but when she came close enough to speak to him, she could only ever repeat his last few words. She desired to hold him in a close embrace, but Narcissus pushed Echo away. No one nymph could ever match his desire for flattery.

Echo retreated to a cave. Where she grieved the pain of his rejection in solitude and loneliness, until her body withered away.

All the nymphs Naricissus mocked and teased were spurned and a curse was placed upon him, that when he came upon his own reflection he would desire no other than himself.

It was by a calm flat spring that Narcissus discovered his own reflection, he became mesmerised by the image gazing back at him. He was unable to move, and there he remained staring into his own eyes, driven with the torment of longing. He too demised into sorrow. Until there was nothing left of his body.

By the spring where he lay a flower blossomed, the white petalled Narcissus and out in the valley, if ever a traveller was to call, from her isolated and hidden cave, echo would respond.





This blog is dedicated to the Narcissus I once met.