#myths are wonderful because they change with time and society- one original myth can offshoot into 500 variations and none is less or more

[forestofsprites]

Orpheus and Eurydice

There are some very Orpheus and Eurydice themes in the narrative of Ed and Stede that do indeed make me feel many things. For the record, I'm using one specific take on the myth here (specifically not the one in Symposium), but as is standard for myths, there are many different opinions on the nuances- this is merely one of them.

First and foremost, we need death. Stede endures this in a more literal sense- legally, he is now dead. An act of devotion, perhaps, as he seeks to cultivate a fresh start with his love. Equally, however, Ed himself undergoes a death. Not only does he gift Stede a disordered burial at sea, but he invokes one for himself, too. In episode ten, he lets the red silk representing his heart sail steadfast across the ocean. Anyone who's familiar with the ending of Orpheus' life will know that upon his death, his head and dutiful lyre were sent floating down the Hebrus River, straight out to sea. While Ed is alive both literally and legally, he sacrificed his heart- washed to the ocean much like Orpheus himself.

Next up, we travel to the crux of the myth. The quintessential theme of mournful love. The deep and burning sort, the kind that drives you to the underworld in an attempt to rectify what was so tragically lost. In OFMD we need to backtrack to episode nine, to Edward and his act of grace declaration; a show of all he'd lose, all he would risk, to keep his love safe. He accepts the journey, perils and all! Stede mirrors this in episode ten by not simply closing the door on his past, but by going so far as killing himself off, playing with death, in order to truly live life alongside his love. Much like Orpheus, this poignantly speaks to the boundaries that need to be crossed- both that metaphorical death and journey, but also the literal treck he'll be undertaking as he pursues his lost love.

Orpheus finds himself underground because of this simple, grief-driven hope that death cannot be final- it must be negotiable. He brings his lyre, performing a most dismal tune, and the gods presiding over the Underworld are so utterly moved by his performance that a glimmer of hope is provided. Go on then, find Eurydice, but here is your caveat: have trust, have faith, know that she is there and do not allow your eyes to wander. It's the backbone of all relationships epitomized to the highest stakes. You need to trust in yourself that your partner will be there, to have that faith that when you make it to the Overworld, they'll be right behind you.

For Ed and Stede, this is episode nine. Edward returns from the Underworld, preparing for a new life- for them to enter the Overworld together- but his love is not there. This doesn't follow the myth's narrative to a T- but it does bring us back to the idea of trust and faith- both in your partner and moreso, in yourself. It's the nagging fear that this is too good to be true- that the excitement can snap back to grave reality in a heartbeat. Both Edward and Orpheus turn around with buoyant hope, and in doing so, they are instead faced with their worst fear.

(One possible reading of the myth could be that in season two, Stede will be making his journey to the Underworld, seeking out his lost love. All the while, Ed has already made his trip downstairs, lost his love, and had his heart utterly grief-stricken in the process. There are so many ways to slice up this myth, but the themes are wonderfully applicable!)

#check the tags for more rambling about this myth #OKAY THIS IS A LOT #AND WE CAN MAKE ARGUMENTS FOR BOTH ED AND STEDE BEING BOTH ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE #BUT THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT!! I'M GOING FOR THEMES AND NARRATIVE HERE- NOT KIN-ASSIGNING CHARACTERS TO GREEK MYTH #I'LL BE RIGHT BACK BECAUSE I HAVE MUCH MORE TO SAY HANG TIGHT FOLKS #our flag means death #ofmd meta #orpheus and eurydice #ofmd #rambling #our flag means death meta #I mentioned this in paragraph one but I'll say it again: there is no such thing as a right myth #myths are wonderful because they change with time and society- one original myth can offshoot into 500 variations and none is less or more #valid than the other. One may be more original- might date earlier- but at the end of the day they are myths and they are unique to #their time period and culture! I go with perhaps the classic telling of Orpheus and Eurydice- but Plato's edition spins it in another light #and so on and so forth! #You can very basically break it into two camps: Orpheus did it out of love versus Orpheus did all this and it proved he didn't truly #love her. The gods were playing a trick and we all laughed except Eurydice who was very dead. Their #argument there is a very classical Greek perspective of: if you loved them and they died- the solution is to kill yourself to join them #by trying to bring them back to life you are making a mockery of both death and the gods. etc etc etc #and that theme could be applied to Ed and Stede too!!