The myth of Narcissus is cautionary tales in Western culture, the story of a beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection and was unable to leave it, eventually dying and being transformed into the narcissus flower. The myth has given us the word “narcissism,” and it has been used by psychoanalysts, philosophers, and literary critics to describe the dangers of excessive self-love. The myth of Narcissus has been retold in countless works of literature, art, and film, and the image of the beautiful boy gazing at his own reflection has become one of the most iconic in Western art.
The Origins of Narcissus
Narcissus was the son of the river-god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. He was born in the city of Thespiae in Boeotia, and he was famous from birth for his extraordinary beauty. The blind prophet Tiresias was asked about the child’s future, and he replied that Narcissus would live to a ripe old age, “if he never knows himself.”
The prophecy is the key to the myth: Narcissus would die if he ever came to know himself, in the sense of seeing his own reflection and falling in love with it. The phrase “know thyself” (gnothi seauton) was inscribed on the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and it had a similar meaning: true self-knowledge is the foundation of wisdom, but the wrong kind of self-knowledge can be fatal.
The Nymph Echo
The myth of Narcissus is closely associated with the nymph Echo. According to the most familiar version of the myth, told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, Echo was a nymph who loved to talk, and she was punished by Hera for distracting her with her chatter while Zeus was carrying on his affairs. Hera took away Echo’s ability to speak, except to repeat the words of others.
Echo fell in love with Narcissus when he was hunting in the forest. She followed him, but she could not speak to him, only repeat his words. Narcissus, unable to hear her love, rejected her, and Echo, in her grief, wasted away until only her voice remained.
The myth of Echo is the origin of the word “echo,” meaning a reflection of sound, and the word “echolalia,” used in psychology to describe the meaningless repetition of words. The myth has also been used in feminist criticism to describe the silencing of women’s voices.
The Reflection in the Pool
After rejecting Echo, Narcissus came to a clear pool of water, and he saw his own reflection for the first time. He fell in love with the beautiful youth in the water, not realizing that it was his own image. He stretched out his arms to the youth, and he begged the youth to come out of the water. The youth, of course, could not.
Narcissus stayed by the pool, unable to leave his reflection. He refused to eat or drink, and he wasted away, pining for the unattainable youth. Eventually, he died, and the gods, taking pity on him, transformed his body into the narcissus flower, which grows by the water and which bends its head down toward its own reflection.
The myth of Narcissus is the source of the word “narcissism,” first used in modern psychology by Sigmund Freud and later developed by Heinz Kohut and Otto Kernberg. Narcissism is used to describe a personality trait or personality disorder characterized by excessive self-love, vanity, and a need for admiration. The phrase “narcissistic personality disorder” is a standard clinical diagnosis.
The Variations of the Myth
The myth of Narcissus has many variations. In some versions, the cause of his death is starvation or thirst, as he is unable to leave the pool. In others, he is so distraught at the unattainable image that he kills himself. In still others, the gods, taking pity on him, transform him into a flower.
The relationship between Narcissus and Echo is also variable. In some versions, Echo’s love is unrequited, and she wastes away from grief. In others, Narcissus is the one who dies of unrequited love, unable to reach the image in the water. In still others, both die of unrequited love, and they are reunited in death.
The Narcissus in Botany and Art
The narcissus flower, which blooms in the spring and is found in many parts of Europe, is the source of the name of the genus Narcissus, which includes the daffodil, the jonquil, and other flowers. The flower has been a popular subject in Western art since antiquity, and it has been used to symbolize self-love, vanity, and the transience of beauty.
The image of Narcissus gazing at his own reflection has been a popular subject in Western art, particularly in painting, sculpture, and poetry. The most famous ancient depiction is the Roman fresco from Pompeii, now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, which shows Narcissus gazing at his reflection. The myth has also been the subject of paintings by Caravaggio, Poussin, and many other artists.
The Cultural Legacy of Narcissus
The myth of Narcissus has had a profound influence on Western culture. The word “narcissism” is a standard term in psychology, and the “narcissistic personality disorder” is a clinical diagnosis. The phrase “narcissism of small differences” has been used by Freud to describe the hostility between groups with similar beliefs.
The myth has also been the subject of countless works of modern literature, art, and film. The 2020 film Narcissus Off Duty is a modern retelling of the myth, and the 2018 novel Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney features a character described as a “narcissist.” The phrase “narcissistic supply” has been used in popular psychology to describe the attention and admiration that narcissists seek.
The myth of Narcissus has been used in philosophy, particularly in the work of Jean-Paul Sartre and Jacques Lacan, who used the image of the reflection in the pool to explore the nature of the self. Lacan argued that the “mirror stage” of child development, in which the child first recognizes itself in a mirror, is the foundation of the ego, but it is also the source of the “méconnaissance,” the fundamental misrecognition of the self, that is the root of all psychological disorders.
For more on the mythological context, see our guide to Greek mythology in psychology, and our profiles of Echo and Tiresias. For more on the cultural legacy, see our guide to Greek mythology in modern culture.