King's Quest Omnipedia
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Cupid

Cupid was the god of love, to the Greeks and Romans and even the people of Daventry.

Background[]

Cupid took various names and forms but his mist recognied for is often that of a chubby, winged cherub. Cupid liked to bathe in the Roman Pool of Tamir. Cupid's love-arrows bring great joy or great sorrow to whomever they touch.[1]

Nonetheless, he was more than that. His mother was the goddess Venus. She once demanded her soon shoot a mortal girl named Psyche with his arrow of love, out of jealousy, hoping that the girl would marry an ugly, stupid oaf, and be miserable the rest of her life. Cupid accidentally scratched himself with an arrow when he saw Psyche and fell in love with her himself, but left her alone. Later, Cupid secretly married Psyche, but he would not allow her to see him. They would meet only at night, and he said it was for the best that she did not know what they looked like. One night Psyche snuck into his bedroom, and discovered her husband was really Cupid, a drop of oil dripped on his shoulder. He awoke startled and angry and flew away, abandoning her. Later Cupid, finally interceded on the behalf of Psyche with Zeus, deciding to help become immortal so that Venus would no longer harass her.[2]

While in Tamir, Princess Rosella spotted Cupid bathing in the Roman Pool. Her appearance scared him off, causing Cupid to leave behind his bow which Rosella took and used against a unicorn and Lolotte.[3]

Legacy[]

The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare also speaks of Cupid;

Love looks not with eyes, but with mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind[4]

A statue of Cupid was located inside of the Powder Room of Falderal's Town Hall[5], as well as a china statue in the China Shop.

A cherub statue of Cupid was one of the figurines decorating the powder room in Falderal's Town Hall.[6] At its base was a tarnished plaque, which Rosella wiped clean with a woolen stocking. Rosella fed it a grape of gold to open the secret passageway to the Vulcanix Underground which it accomplished by tossing the grape into a nearby basin that hid the secret entrance.

Behind the scenes[]

Cupidus ('desire') was the Roman god of love and son of goddess Venus. He is portrayed like a winged child (putto) with a bow and love arrows, aiming at peoples' hearts, which caused them to fall in love.

Angeloid figures resembling Cupid in Renaissance art, are known as cupidons or putti.

In KQ7, if the player has Valanice click on the Cupid statue, she will simply comment on it distastefully instead of examining it as her daughter later did.

References[]

  1. KQC, 2nd Edition, pg 454, 455
  2. KQC, 2nd Edition 454, 455
  3. KQ4
  4. KQ4, from A Midsummer's Night's Dream.
  5. KQC4E, 590
  6. KQC4E, pg590
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