Cherubic Cupid Is Everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Here’s Why That Famous Embodiment of Desire Is a Child (2024)

Every year on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day is marked by shades of pink, flowers, chocolates, romantic movies and wine — and images of a magical baby boy who flies around shooting arrows at people.

But despite his infant form, that baby, widely known these days as Cupid, began his mythological life as a man who had more power than any god.

“In the [Greek] literary sources we have, he’s depicted as just unconquerable,” Richard Martin, a classics professor at Stanford University, tells TIME. “So, whatever he wants to happen, happens — and he causes disaster.”

The original Cupid was more of a heartthrob than a cherub. Traced back to 700 BC, this character of legend was called Eros, Martin explains: the Greek word for desire. In the Archaic period, Eros — the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love — would play with the hearts of mortals and gods to cause mayhem. Depicted as a young man in his late teens, he was considered both handsome and threatening, as he would use his power to make people fall in love.

Cherubic Cupid Is Everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Here’s Why That Famous Embodiment of Desire Is a Child (1)

In a choral ode from Sophocles’ Antigone, circa 440 BCE, Eros’ power is described as almost sinister:

[Eros] invincible in battle, [Eros] who falls upon men’s property, you who spend the night upon the soft cheeks of a girl, and travel over the sea and through the huts of dwellers in the wild! None among the immortals can escape, you, nor any among mortal men, and he who has you is mad.

In Hippolytus, a 5th century BCE play by Euripides, the frightening notion that Eros could force the wrong people into love is highlighted. “I pray that love may never come to me / With murderous intent, in rhythms measureless and wild,” the ancient playwright wrote. (“Love” translates to Eros in Greek passages about the god.)

This is pretty far off from the modern depiction of this god as a playful little boy. “It’s more like he causes you to fall in love, and that can lead to tragedy,” Martin says of Eros — a “cosmic force for bringing things together.”

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But something strange happened around the 4th century BCE.

People were intimidated by this sexually powerful, controlling man, who could strike people into loving one other. But social status of women in Athens — the central city of Greek literature — was falling drastically. Increasingly, Eros’ stories were linked to stories about his mother, Aphrodite. If a woman controlled his every move, Martin speculates, then mortals had no reason to fear him. Eros was suddenly not so powerful anymore: He would act only on his mother’s wishes.

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“The way to sort of constrain, constrict and defuse Eros is to keep infantilizing him. He’s under control, only the son of Aphrodite,” Martin says. Based on his mother’s wishes rather than his own chaotic impulses, he would use his powers to create relationships between people.

When the Roman era began, because Greeks were seen as culturally sophisticated, much of this Greek mythology was adopted by the new ruling classes. And when the Romans conscripted the Eros mythology, they chose to bring over the more recent iteration of the god as a cute little kid. They named him Cupid, a synonym for Eros that also translates to “desire.” (His mother was likewise Venus, the Roman version of the Greek Aphrodite.)

For the Romans, the character of Cupid was always a cherubic little boy who followed his mother’s wishes to make people fall in love.

Cherubic Cupid Is Everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Here’s Why That Famous Embodiment of Desire Is a Child (2)

It wasn’t just the Romans who became obsessed with the Greek portrayal of Cupid. Centuries later, Renaissance painters took up this imagery and depicted the Cupid figure as a child. This is seen in 1602 with Caravaggio’s Cupid, which showed a young, nude boy with wings and a bow.

Valentine’s Day was already becoming popular in the 18th century, and by the turn of the 19th century, Cupid had become linked to the holiday for his love-creating abilities. It’s no surprise that when greeting-card manufacturers made products for the holiday, they included imagery of Cupid that was inspired by beloved Renaissance art, Samantha Bradbeer, the historian for Hallmark Cards, Inc., explains. “Those 19th century greeting card publishers were simply following suit with what was on trend,” Bradbeer tells TIME.

The industry really hit its stride in the 1850s after Congress voted to decrease postage rates in an effort to circumvent the privatization of the postal service. This postal reform made it possible for everyday Americans to send and receive mail—while the Industrial Revolution brought the advent of printing press technology.

So when Hallmark began manufacturing Valentine’s Day cards in 1916, this mass production meant sending postcards was much cheaper and easier. As Valentine’s Day became more convenient, Cupid imagery only continued to grow.

Cherubic Cupid Is Everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Here’s Why That Famous Embodiment of Desire Is a Child (3)

Valentine’s Day has remained one of Hallmark’s two biggest holidays, along with Christmas, since the company’s founding as a postcard company in 1910. In fact, industry-wide, around 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent annually—not including children’s classroom cards, Bradbeer says.

It may seem strange, still, that we would collectively associate a baby with a bow and arrow as a symbol of this extraordinarily popular holiday. But it’s actually quite simple. Though Roman and Greek traditions left us with this partly mischievous, partly powerful Cupid, he serves a different purpose in modern culture, Bradbeer believes. The Greek conception of Eros as a god who used his power for ill is not what Cupid stands for today.

“Sometimes, people need a little bit of a push to make that first move — to better express themselves,” she says. “I think sometimes having Cupid depicted on the card behind a couple, [he is] kind of pushing them together to do just that: to express their love, their friendship.”

Cherubic Cupid Is Everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Here’s Why That Famous Embodiment of Desire Is a Child (2024)

FAQs

Cherubic Cupid Is Everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Here’s Why That Famous Embodiment of Desire Is a Child? ›

For the Romans, the character of Cupid was always a cherubic little boy who followed his mother's wishes to make people fall in love. It wasn't just the Romans who became obsessed with the Greek portrayal of Cupid. Centuries later, Renaissance painters took up this imagery and depicted the Cupid figure as a child.

Why is Cupid portrayed as a baby? ›

Cupid: The God of Love

Over time, especially as the Greeks entered the Hellenistic period, which was known for its decadence, Cupid became increasingly portrayed as a playful, mischievous child, which has now been morphed into the small baby that we know so well.

Why is Cupid such a big part of Valentine's Day? ›

What began as a Christian feast day honoring two or three early Christian martyrs – the original “Valentines” – is now associated with flocks of winged cherubic Cupids, whose innocuous-looking bows and arrows symbolize gentle romance instead of death-dealing war.

How did Cupid become a cherub? ›

During the time of the Renaissance, the depiction of Cupid became that of a male baby or toddler. He became chubbier and younger. He is depicted with wings and a bow with arrows. The change in Cupid's appearance can be attributed to the way artists like Raphael depicted him in their artwork.

Why is Cupid Eros linked to Valentine's Day What does he do with his arrows? ›

According to Roman mythology, Cupid was a god born of Mercury, the messenger of the gods, and Venus, the goddess of love. Armed with a bow and arrows (they're on your Valentine's Day bingo card for a reason), he dealt in love and passion, forcing it upon his victims with the prick of an arrow.

Why is Cupid a little boy? ›

When the Roman era began, because Greeks were seen as culturally sophisticated, much of this Greek mythology was adopted by the new ruling classes. And when the Romans conscripted the Eros mythology, they chose to bring over the more recent iteration of the god as a cute little kid.

What does Cupid mean for kids? ›

Cupid, meaning “passionate desire,” is the god of erotic love, desire, attraction, and affection. He was the son of the beautiful love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is the Greek counterpart of the god of love and sex, Eros.

Why is Cupid so important? ›

Cupid is the Roman god of love, known for having a bow from which he shoots arrows. Cupid's arrows have the power to make people fall in love — a task asked of him multiple times by the other gods. Two of the most famous stories about him concern Psyche and Apollo.

Does Cupid have a gender? ›

In classical Greek and Roman art, Cupid (Eros) is a slender, winged young boy, but later artistic depictions of the god show him starting to eat more Souvlaki and getting increasingly chubbier.

What does Cupid symbolize? ›

In classical mythology, Cupid /ˈkjuːpɪd/ (Latin: Cupīdō [kʊˈpiːdoː], meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection.

Does Cupid wear a diaper? ›

In mythology, Cupid could use these arrows on both humans and gods, striking them and causing them to fall in or out of love in an instant. In present day depictions of Cupid, frequently seen as a cartoon, he's wearing a diaper. However, in most artistic and historical representations of this character, he is naked.

Did Cupid have a daughter? ›

In Roman mythology, Voluptas or Volupta is the daughter born from the union of Cupid and Psyche, according to Apuleius. The Latin word voluptas means 'pleasure' or 'delight'; Voluptas is known as the goddess of "sensual pleasures". She is often found in the company of the Gratiae, or Three Graces.

Did Cupid ever grow up? ›

Venus has another baby, Anteros, the god of requited love, and as soon as Cupid, or Eros to give him his Greek name, saw his brother, he grew. Unfortunately, as soon as he was separated from Anteros, he reverted back to a toddler. What's the moral of the story? In order to grow, love needs to be reciprocated.

Why did Cupid make people fall in love? ›

According to Apuleius, the jealous Venus commanded her son Cupid (the god of love) to inspire Psyche with love for the most despicable of men.

What is the dark truth about Valentine's Day? ›

One Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome who defied Emperor Claudius II after the ruler outlawed marriage for young men. St. Valentine would perform marriages in secret for young lovers, ultimately leading to his death.

How was Cupid betrayed by the love of his life? ›

One night then, Psyche took a lamp, lit it and looked at Cupid's face. Troubled by the beauty of the sleeping young man, a drop of burning oil fell on him. Awakened and betrayed, Cupid flew away to his mother, confessing to her his betrayal, leaving Psyche alone in the palace.

Why is Cupid depicted as a blind child? ›

Cupid, the boy god who makes people fall in love by shooting them with his golden arrows, is often portrayed as being either blind or blindfolded because the targets of his arrows seem selected at random. This notion gave rise to our expression "love is blind."

What is Cupid portrayed as? ›

He often appeared as a winged infant carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows whose wounds inspired love or passion in his every victim. He was sometimes portrayed wearing armour like that of Mars, the god of war, perhaps to suggest ironic parallels between warfare and romance or to symbolize the invincibility of love.

Why is Cupid wearing a diaper? ›

So why do we see him in greeting cards and classroom decorations wearing a diaper? Because this is America and the only thing we like bald is our eagles. But seriously, the diaper is most likely just for modesty's sake and definitely makes Cupid easier to cosplay in public.

What is Cupid sometimes described as? ›

Cupid is the Roman god of love, desire, and attraction. He is the son of Venus, and his father is thought to be either Vulcan or Mars. In the Greek pantheon, he is known as Eros, the god of love and lust. Originally depicted as a winged youth, through the centuries he has evolved to be the chubby cherub known today.

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