Butterflies As Souls: An Ancient Legend of Metamorphosis

A creature as lovely as the butterfly is bound to be linked with beautiful stories.  One of the most celebrated comes to us from the ancient Mediterranean, where the word psyche means soul. The soul was often shown as a butterfly flying away from the body; likewise, the goddess Psyche has sometimes been shown in art, both ancient and more recently, with butterfly wings.

The story of the goddess Psyche was told about two thousand years ago by the Roman Apuleius in his book Metamorphoses.  Althought most of the book has a satirical edge, this story has a deep and serious meaning to it.

Many elements of the story are interchangeable with our well-known fairy tales.  Psyche starts out as the youngest daughter of a king, and she is so beautiful that the love goddess Venus is full of envy.  Venus's son, Cupid, is supposed to punish Psyche for this, but falls in love with her instead.  What happens next includes plotting sisters and Venus's acting like a wicked stepmother.

Psyche can't join Cupid as his true wife unless she becomes a goddess.  To do this, she takes on difficult tasks, including a journey to the Land of the Dead.  After these nearly impossible tasks, Psyche's persistence and love for Cupid pay off.  She is granted her goddesshood.

Her story symbolizes both the butterfly and the soul in how she must better herself.  Like a butterfly, she sheds her former skin.  As butterflies were once mere caterpillars, Psyche was once a mere human.  She rises above in the skies like a butterfly who has just gotten its wings.  The soul was associated with both Psyche and butterflies, not only because it would pass on someday, but because people aimed to better their souls and make them more beautiful.

In the end, Psyche's life turns out lovely.  Jupiter, king of the gods, allows her to join her beloved Cupid, and Venus overcomes her envy and welcomes her new daughter-in-law.  Although a butterfly's life is short, Psyche's life now lasts forever.  The story of her life will continue forever as well, with people reading it just as they did in Roman times.  The gorgeousness of the butterfly and its fascinating way of living makes way for art, stories, and, of course, legends.  Naturally a legend of Psyche -- and the butterfly -- would belong in a book called Metamorphoses, as we see the metamorphosis in our natural world.

written by Danica Davidson
Previously published in the print nature journal Whisper in the Woods