I like to check the story behind every word in a sentence if I find the time. So when I encounter a word a few times, I convince myself that the time to check its historical background has come.

The Story of Narcissus and Echo (From Ovid’s Metamorphoses)

In the mountains of ancient Greece, there lived a nymph named Echo. She was beautiful and kind, but cursed by the goddess Juno (Hera) to only repeat the last words spoken to her. She had lost her own voice because she had distracted Juno with endless chatter while other nymphs escaped from Jupiter’s embrace.

One day, as Echo wandered through the forest, she saw a young man—Narcissus, the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. He was breathtakingly beautiful, and many had fallen in love with him, but he rejected all who adored him, showing no interest in love.

Seeing him, Echo’s heart was struck with passion. She longed to call out to him, but her curse prevented her from speaking first. She followed him silently, waiting for a moment to repeat his words.

As Narcissus called out, “Is anyone here?” Echo eagerly replied, “Here!”

He was startled and called again, “Come to me!”

Echo repeated, “To me!”

She rushed forward, arms outstretched, to embrace him. But Narcissus, disgusted, pushed her away. “Stay away!” he cried.

“Stay away!” she echoed in sorrow and shame, retreating into the woods. There, heartbroken and humiliated, she wasted away until only her voice remained, repeating the words of others forever.

Meanwhile, Nemesis, the goddess of divine justice, saw Narcissus’s cruelty. She cursed him, saying: “May he who loves no one suffer the pain of unfulfilled love.”

One day, as Narcissus wandered, he came upon a clear spring, untouched by men or animals. As he bent to drink, he saw a beautiful face staring back at him. Unaware that it was his own reflection, he fell deeply in love, unable to look away.

He reached out to touch the face in the water, but it vanished in ripples. He called, “Why do you flee from me?” but received no answer. His love burned within him, yet he could never possess the object of his desire.

Consumed by longing, he refused to eat or drink, staying by the water’s edge, whispering to his reflection. Eventually, he withered away, and in his place, a golden-flowered narcissus bloomed beside the water.

Thus, Narcissus was both the lover and the beloved, trapped in his own unfulfilled desire, just as Echo remained only a voice, longing for a love she could never have.

Moral and Psychological Themes

• Narcissism: The myth represents self-obsession and emotional emptiness, inspiring the term Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).
• Unfulfilled Love: Both Echo and Narcissus suffer from one-sided love, Echo cannot express herself, and Narcissus can never truly possess his reflection.
• Divine Justice: The gods punish selfishness and cruelty in love, showing that those who reject love may be cursed with their own suffering.