Throughout the centuries, love has been present as a powerful force. It has marked history and people's lives. Different arts such as literature, theater, sculpture, painting and much more have been inspired by this sweet emotion. Love has changed our perspective and has connected us with different people with similar experiences. This emotion has existed for millennia and is the driving force behind stories that perfectly represent the feeling. During these Valentines, there is no better way than celebrating them with some legends that express the amazing roller coaster that is love.

 

First of all, we are going to talk about one of the most popular legends, which is the Japanese legend of the red string. This legend states that some people are connected by an invisible red string, this means that they are destined to meet. It doesn't matter how much time passes by, if the string is tensed or stretched it won't be broken. The connection between the people with the red string goes beyond physics, their love will last forever. This legend is especially popular because it treats the topic of destiny, the idea that someone is your soulmate and that you are destined to be with them changes the whole significance of love.

 

Next is the vanilla legend, my personal favorite. This legend talks about Tzacopontziza, a gorgeous woman who wasn't allowed to marry any men because of her beauty. Nevertheless, Zkatan-ocga, a young man, made her fall in love. The lovers decided to flee, but a monster stood in their way. They could not escape and once they were captured by a clergyman, he tore out their hearts and threw them off a cliff. The days passed by, and some habitants started noticing that a bush and an orchid were starting to grow right where the hearts had landed. The orchid climbed the roots of the bush and began to embrace it in the shape of a woman's arms. At the same time, the bush protected the orchid from the sun, which allowed it to fill with flowers.Now the lovers were together forever.

 

The last story I'm going to talk about is the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. This is a tragic love story about lovers named Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus was a musician, son of Apollo, while Eurydice was a beautiful nymph, because of her beauty she was bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus was completely affected by her death, so he decided to ask his father for help. With his advice he went into the underworld, played his lyre and narrated his love story through music. Even  Hades was touched by his story, so they made a deal. Hades would allow Orpheus to take his lover out of the underworld under one condition: He couldn't look back at Eurydice until they reached the light of the upper world. If he looked back at her in the dark, she would be condemned to the underworld forever. With that said, Orpheus began leading Eurydice out of the underworld. When he finally entered the light in the upper world and turned around to embrace his wife, he realized that she had not emerged from the underworld. She was still in the dark when Orpheus turned around to hug her. At that moment, Eurydice was condemned to the underworld forever.

 

With these legends, we can appreciate the different stages of love and how it has marked history. Love can be sweet, tragic, difficult, passionate and more things. It can be seen in different ways toward different people, but we can't deny that we will always need love. Love completes us, as it has done with people that lived before us. During this valentines and with these legends,  it is important to remember that there is always love and we should celebrate it and embrace it. Happy Valentines!