#cephissus

Cephissus is a river god of ancient Greece, the son of Pontus and Thalassa.

— Bonnie Burstow

I know this quote is usually discussed in the context of mother/daughter relationships, but I can’t stop thinking about how perfectly this dynamic fits into my interpretation of Narcissus and his parents.

My version of Narcissus is essentially like a 1980s preppy legacy student. He’s the golden boy who idolizes his father, desperate for approval, totally blind to his father's faults while simultaneously dismissing his mother, Liriope. He treats her like she’s dramatic or overbearing, completely unaware that he is currently living through the exact same ordeal she did, being aggressively pursued by someone who won't take no for an answer.

He doesn't know the "mom lore," so he aligns himself with the father who caused it.

My personal interpretation of Narcissus and Cephissus being close comes from my reading of this

Claudian, Rape of Proserpine 2. 130 ff (trans. Platnauer) (Roman poetry C4th A.D.) : "[Persephone and her nymphs gather flowers :] Thee also, Hyacinthus, they gather, thy flower inscribed with woe, and Narcissus too--once lovely boys, now the pride of flowering spring. Thou, Hyacinthus, wert born at Amyclae, Narcissus was Helicon's child; thee the errant discus slew; him love of his stream-reflected face beguiled; for thee weeps Delos' god with sorrow-weighted brow; for him Cephisus with his broken reeds."

NARCISSUS.

Narcissus was the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope in Greek mythology. As a result, his descent is closely related to nature. His name is a foreshadowing of his eventual transformation into the flower of the same name, the Narcissus flower or daffodil.

The seer Tiresias foresaw that Narcissus would live to a good old age, on condition that he never knew himself. This was conferred upon Liriope, Narcissus' mother, while he was still a child. Narcissus became a young man of unrivalled beauty, who drew all eyes-both men's and women's. His beauty is compared to that of the gods; thus, he became a figure that inspired desire.

The story of Narcissus links to one of the mountain nymphs, Echo. She was under the goddess Hera's curse, which was that she could only repeat the last few words said to her. Echo became romantically attached to Narcissus but could not tell him anything. This was because he refused her, and she eventually died of a broken heart.