The Scoop

     We’ve all heard stories about Cupid, the pudgy little baby with its little wings and adorable little bow and arrow that makes people fall in love. Whether it be while reading a romantic story or while watching T.V, he is usually depicted as what we would usually call a cherub, a baby angel with wings, adorable, right? Wrong! Get ready to learn the true origins and other interesting, funky fresh facts about angels.

     Okay, first of all, cherubs aren’t cute. Those baby angels you’re thinking about are called “Putto” (yes, I know, funny name). On the other hand, cherubs, according to The Bible, were created by God on the third day and don’t really have a definite shape to them, but are very close to him. Now, Dante’s interpretation of them in the Divine Comedy is much more fun than that. According to the Paradiso, Cherubim are four headed creatures with four wings covered in eyes and the second highest of the angels. Second only to the Seraphim.

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     Now that you know what a cherub is, let’s move on to Cupid’s mythological roots, which lie all the way back in Ancient Greece. When the Romans stole Greek mythology and just changed the names, Eros, Aphrodite’s son and god of love and desire turned into Cupid. In some versions, he is also the son of Ares, god of war, which might mean love is a combination of beauty and war (symbolism?). In the Greek myths, he is often described as an extremely handsome adult man and a profound artist. For the Romans, he was a blindfolded child, which was a precursor to the chubby renaissance cupid.

 

Now that you know all of Cupid’s backstory, go forth and teach everyone you want about fun four-headed cherubs and Eros!