Discover Cupid's Secrets: Top 12 Fun Facts About the Iconic Love Symbol You Never Knew!

1. Cupid's Dolphin Rides

Step aside Super Bowl and Flipper, there's a new duo taking the seas by storm - Cupid and dolphins: Cupid, the ancient god of love, is often shown in art masterfully riding a dolphin, symbolizing the soul's journey to its ultimate destiny, as dolphins were thought to be friendly to humans and representative of affection.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. From Buff to Chubby Cherub

Hold onto your diapers, folks: Cupid wasn't always the chubby diapered darling we know and love today! In classical mythology, he was often depicted as a buff, dashing young man resembling his Greek cousin, Eros. It wasn't until the Renaissance that our adorable, arrow-slinging cherub really took flight in popular culture.
Source => greeka.com

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=> Fun Facts about Love

3. Potion-tipped Arrows

Forget the matches, this little cherub's got some love potion-tipped darts up his sleeve: Contrary to popular belief, Cupid's signature arrows were never originally aflame, but instead were imbued with a special type of love-inducing potion or had the intrinsic power to spark desire and passion in anyone who found themselves on the receiving end.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Golden God with Frosted Wings

You might be tempted to swipe right on this heavenly hunk as he wields his love-inflicting arsenal, but before you get lost in dreamy thoughts of his divine dating profile, buckle up for a glorious revelation: Cupid, the unmatched matchmaker, is more than just a cute cherub with a bow and arrow, but a bedazzling golden god with frosted wings that would leave even snowflakes feeling inferior.
Source => sites.pitt.edu

5. Cupid's Greek Art Evolution

Before he lost his gym membership and his youthful good looks, Cupid was apparently quite the svelte stalker of Greek art, slinging arrows like there was no tomorrow: In classical Greek art, Cupid was originally portrayed as a slender, winged youth, but artists later began to depict him as a chubby cherub to possibly emphasize innocence and purity.
Source => richmond.com

6. Rome's Celestial Matchmaker

Who knew baby-faced Cupid had his hands on more than just heartstrings? That's right, this chubby-cheeked cherub moonlights as Rome's very own matchmaker, "The Bachelor" style: In Roman mythology, Cupid was tasked with the serious responsibility of promoting love, fertility, and procreation, ensuring the continuation of the Roman race and safeguarding marriage and family life.
Source => siouxcityjournal.com

7. Love and War: Cupid's Dual Role

Move over, teenage heartthrob: Cupid's got a new look, and it's a cherubic baby with a penchant for stirring up love and strife! From the school of ancient gymnasium to the playgrounds of Rome, Cupid's been busy upgrading his divine portfolio: In fact, the Roman poet Ovid describes two of Cupid's arrows – one for sparking uncontrollable desire, and another for inducing revulsion – showcasing the god's dual roles in romance and conflict. Born from Venus and Mars, Cupid continues to symbolize both the fiery passion of love and the tumultuous nature of war.
Source => brandeis.edu

8. Cupid: The Original Tinder

Before Tinder, there was the original love guru armed with magical arrows: Cupid, also known as Eros in Greek mythology, was the son of Aphrodite and had two types of arrows - one set sparked instant love, while the other brewed bitter hatred.
Source => formfluent.com

9. "Cupid's Last Shot" Screenplay

When Cupid gets grounded for causing chaos with his love arrows, things spirals out of control faster than one can say "foolish heart": In the screenplay "Cupid's Last Shot," the gods turn Cupid into a mortal as punishment for his misguided matchmaking and task him with winning the love of a woman he once tormented - without using any magic - in order to regain his godhood.
Source => jacksekowski.com

10. Cupid's Own Love Story

Cupid, the OG dating app glitch: In the tale of Cupid and Psyche, the heavenly matchmaker himself goofed up and accidentally shot himself with an arrow, sparking his own heart's pursuit of Psyche, and kicking off their legendary love story.
Source => alwaystheholidays.com

11. Cupid's Obedience to Aphrodite

Think Cupid has a heart of stone, firing arrows willy-nilly in a cosmic game of love roulette? Think again, cherub-chasers: In reality, Cupid is a devoted son who dutifully obeys his mother's commands, even when they clash with his own emotions and desires.
Source => sites.pitt.edu

12. Jealous Aphrodite vs. Cupid and Psyche

When Aphrodite tried to sabotage Psyche's love life like a petty high school mean girl, she didn't expect Cupid to be the one falling head over heart: In Greek mythology, jealous Aphrodite sent her son Eros (Cupid) to make the beautiful mortal Psyche fall for a hideous man, but Cupid ended up falling for Psyche himself, leading to a rollercoaster love story filled with impossible tasks and an Underworld adventure before their eventual divine union.
Source => theoi.com