Pygmalion and Galatea
The story of Pygmalion
and Galatea is found in Greek Mythology, and in the famous work
"Metamorphoses", by the great Roman poet Ovid. Their love was so
unique that it is difficult to define it. But from this legendary love story, one
thing is clear, man can never love an inanimate object with as much passion as
he loves a living, breathing being. Love gives rise to desire and without this
passion any love remains unfulfilled.
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Pygmalion was a master
sculptor in the ancient city of Greece. All day he sculpted beautiful statues
from huge pieces of rock. In fact, his creations were so wonderful that whoever
saw them were mesmerised by their sheer artistic beauty and exact finish.
Pygmalion himself was a fine and handsome young man. He was liked by all men
and women. Many women loved him for his great skill and looks.
But Pygmalion never paid
attention to any of these women. He saw so much to blame
in women that he came at last to abhor the sex, and resolved to live
unmarried. He was a sculptor, and with his with wonderful skill he sculpted a
beautiful ivory statue which was so lifelike that it was difficult to believe
that it was lifeless at the first glance. The beauty was such that no living
woman could compete with it. It was indeed the perfect semblance of a
maiden that seemed to be alive, and only prevented from moving by modesty. His
art was so perfect that it concealed itself and its product looked like the
workmanship of nature. Pygmalion spent hours admiring his creation.
By and by Pygmalion's
admiration for his own sculpture turned to love. Oftentimes he laid his hand
upon it as if to assure himself whether it were living or not, and could not,
even then, believe that it was only ivory. He caressed it, and gave it such
presents as young girls love - bright shells and polished stones, little birds
and flowers of various hues, beads and amber. He adorned his ivory maiden with
jewels. He put rainment on its limbs, and jewels on its fingers, and a necklace
about its neck. To the ears he hung earrings and strings of pearls
upon the breast. Her dress became her, and she looked not less charming than
when unattired. He laid her on a couch spread with cloths of Tyrian dye, and
called her his wife, and put her head upon a pillow of the softest feathers, as
if she could enjoy their softness. He gave the statue a name:
"Galatea", meaning "sleeping love'.
But what will be the
consequence of falling in love with a lifeless ivory maiden?
The festival of Aphrodite
was at hand - a festival celebrated with great pomp at Cyprus. Victims were
offered, the altars smoked, and the odor of incense filled the air. When the
festivities of Aphrodite started, Pygmalion took part in the ceremonies. He
went to the temple of Aphrodite to ask forgiveness for all the years he had
shunned her.
When Pygmalion had
performed his part in the solemnities, he hesitantly prayed for a wife like his
ivory virgin statue. He stood before the altar of Aphrodite and timidly said,
"Ye gods, who can do all things, give me, I pray you, for my wife" -
he dared not utter "my ivory virgin," but said instead - "one
like my ivory virgin."
But Goddess Aphrodite
understood what the poor man was trying to say. She was curious. How can a man
love a lifeless thing so much? Was it so beautiful that Pygmalion fell in love
with his own creation? So she visited the studio of the sculptor while he was
away.
What she saw greatly amazed
her. For the sculpture had a perfect likeness to her. In fact, it would not
have been wrong to say that the sculpture was an image of Aphrodite herself.
Goddess Aphrodite was
charmed by Pygmalion's creation. She brought the statue to life.
When Pygmalion returned to
his home, he went before Galatea and knelt down before the woman of his
dreams. He looked at her lovingly, with a lover's ardour. It seemed to him that
Galatea was looking at her lovingly too.
For a moment, it seemed to
Pygmalion that it was just a figment of his imagination. He rubbed his eyes and
looked again. But no. There was no mistake this time. Galatea was smiling at
him.
He laid his hand upon the
limbs; the ivory felt soft to his touch and yielded to his fingers like the wax
of Hymettus. It seemed to be warm. He stood up; his mind oscillated between
doubt and joy. Fearing he may be mistaken, again and again with a lover's ardor
he touches the object of his hopes. It was indeed alive! The veins
when pressed yielded to the finger and again resumed their roundness. Slowly it
dawned on Pygmalion that the animation of his sculpture was the result of his
prayer to Goddess Aphrodite who knew his desire. At last, the votary of
Aphrodite found words to thank the goddess. Pygmalion humbled himself at the
Goddess' feet.
Soon Pygmalion and
Galatea were wed, and Pygmalion never forgot to thank Aphrodite for the
gift she had given him. Aphrodite blessed the nuptials she had formed, and this
union between ygmalion and Galatea produced a son named Paphos, from whom the
city Paphos, sacred to Aphrodite, received its name. He and Galatea brought
gifts to her temple throughout their life and Aphrodite blessed them with
happiness and love in return.
The unusual love that
blossomed between Pygmalion and Galatea enthralls all. Falling in
love with one's creation and then getting the desired object as wife- perhaps
this was destined for Pygmalion. Even to this day, countless people and young
lovers are mesmerized by this xceptional love that existed between two persons
at a time when civilization was in its infancy.
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Images
The Movie named ,
Pygamalion & Galatea (2007)
Director:
John R. HandWriter:
John R. HandStar:
Jason Marks
(Pygmalion and Galatea, an Original Mythological Comedy is a blank verse play by W. S. Gilbert in three acts based on the Pygmalion story. It opened at the Haymarket Theatre in London on 9 December 1871 and ran for a very successful 184 performances
A creator struggles to come to terms with the emotional reality of his creations.)
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