Cupid was the son of the Roman Goddess Venus.

Along with red paper hearts and bouquets of roses, Cupid is one of the enduring symbols of love, romance, and of course, Valentine’s Day. Just as images of Santa Claus abound in December, February is the time when shop windows and store aisles fill with pictures of a chubby little fellow with curly hair, flapping wings and a golden bow. So who exactly is this flying cherub, and why does he go around slinging those arrows at everyone?

An avid traveler and card-maker since her youth, Wanda Wen has long been fascinated by the act of discovering cultures through stamps, ephemera and indigenous papers. Today Wanda is the creative director of Soolip, a collection of three charming paper and gift boutiques along Melrose Avenue in the heart of Los Angeles’ design district. She started the business 7 years ago with founding partner Grant Forsberg, turning a life-long passion for letter writing and the paper arts into a retail business that celebrates beauty and simple design in paper and home decorations. Here she fills us in on the mythological origins of Cupid:

• Venus.
  According to Roman mythology, Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, and he was known to cause mortals to fall in love by shooting them with his magical arrows.

• Psyche.
  But Cupid was more than just an agent of love. As legend has it, Cupid fell deeply in love with a mortal maiden named Psyche, and married her.

• Jealousy. Venus, terribly jealous of Psyche’s beauty, forbade her daughter-in-law to look at Cupid. Despite Venus’s demand, Psyche couldn’t resist temptation, and sneaked a peek at her handsome husband.

• Love and Immortality.
  As punishment, Venus demanded that psyche perform three hard tasks, the last of which caused her death. Cupid then brought his bride back to life, and the gods, moved by the love of this couple, granted Psyche immortality.

• Heart and soul.
  Today, Cupid represents the heart, just as Psyche represents the struggles of the human soul. So the next time you find yourself taking the image of Cupid for granted, remember his undying passion for his mortal lover and how it represents the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

Soolip
www.soolip.com

The History of Valentine’s Day
www.historychannel.com/exhibits/valentine/

History of Cupid The God of Love
www.theholidayspot.com/valentine/cupid.htm

Mythography: Cupid
www.loggia.com/myth/cupid.html

History of Cupid and Valentine’s Day
www.theromantic.com/valentinesday/cupid.htm