Orpheus and Eurydice

This is the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. As Eurydice was walking to Orpheus, she was bit by a snake and fell. By the time Orpheus reached her side, she was dead with the snake that bit her slithering away. At Eurydice’s funeral, Orpheus was not able to accept that his beloved was gone. Orpheus decided to journey to the land of the dead, to return his beloved. When Orpheus reached the gates, he started to strum his lyre. The music was so beautiful that Cerberus let him in. Charon, so amazed at the music let Orpheus in his boat and brought him across. When Orpheus entered Hades and Persephone’s palace, he sang of his love for Eurydice. When Orpheus finished, everything in the land of the dead stood still. Sisyphus, no longer rolled his rock up the hill. Tantalus didn’t reach for the water he was not allowed to drink. And the Furies, the goddesses of vengeance, cried. Hades and Persephone granted his wish, on one condition. While he climbed out of the land of the dead, he was not allowed to look back to see if Eurydice was following. If he did, she would stay in the underworld forever. When Orpheus was about to step out of the underworld he could not resist, and he looked. Orpheus swore never to love another woman again. A group of women called the Maenads, could not take that he would not love them. In rage they tore him to pieces.