Narcissus - Narkissos (English spelling)

A beautiful young man from Greek mythology. His English name is Narcissus, and his French name is Narcisse. He was the son of the Boeotian river god Cephisus and the nymph Lairiope. His beauty was so great that he was loved by the nymphs from an early age, but he was so captivated by his own reflection in the water that he eventually became a daffodil (Narcissus). This is a folk tale explaining the origin of the flower, and among the various legends, the one that is best known is probably from Ovid's "Metamorphoses."

The beautiful boy Narcissus was loved and adored by everyone, but he coldly rejected them all. The nymph Echo also loved him, but was humiliated by him, and in despair, she hid deep in the forest. She was so worn out that she was nothing but skin and bones, and only her voice remained. There were many people who hated Narcissus, other than Echo, and one of them prayed to the gods that he himself would not be reciprocated in his longing. The goddess Nemesis heard this prayer. One day, Narcissus was tired from hunting and was drinking water at a spring, but he noticed a beautiful reflection in the water and was instantly captivated. He was so longing for her without realizing that it was himself that he was looking at, and he died of his longing. The nymphs were saddened and prepared for his funeral. However, he could not find Narcissus's corpse, but instead found a single daffodil flower. One theory is that when his sister died, he happened to see his own reflection in the water and mistook it for his sister, or that he was murdered and the daffodils grew from his blood. This myth later gave rise to the psychoanalytic term narcissism, which generally means self-love.

[Teruo Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ギリシア神話の美少年。英語はナルシッサスNarcissus、フランス語はナルシスNarcisse。ボイオティアの河神ケフィソスとニンフのレイリオペの子。早くからその美貌(びぼう)はニンフたちに愛されるほどであったが、水に映る自分の姿に見とれてとうとうスイセン（ナルキッソス）になったという。これは花の由来を説明する民間説話であるが、さまざまな伝承があったなかでもよく知られているのは、オウィディウスの『変身物語』によるものであろう。

　美少年のナルキッソスはだれからも愛され、慕われていたが、すべて冷淡に拒否していた。ニンフのエコーも恋慕の情を募らせていたが、かえって彼に辱められ、絶望のあまり森の奥に隠れてしまった。そして憔悴(しょうすい)しきった彼女はついに骨と皮だけになり、声だけが残ったという。エコーのほかにもつれないナルキッソスを恨む者は多く、そのうちの1人は神々に、彼自身もこのように恋い焦がれながらも報われることのないようにと祈った。この願いは女神ネメシスが聞き入れた。ある日、ナルキッソスは狩りに疲れて泉で水を飲んでいたが、水に映る美しい姿に気づいて、たちまち心を奪われてしまった。そして見ているものが自分ともわからぬまま恋い焦がれていき、憔悴した彼はやがて息絶える。ニンフたちは悲しんで葬儀の準備をした。しかしナルキッソスの死骸(しがい)はみえず、そのかわりに1本のスイセンの花をみつけたという。一説には、彼の姉妹が死んで、たまたま水面に映る自分の姿を姉妹と思い込んでしまったとか、彼は殺されてしまい、その血からスイセンが生じたともいわれる。この神話からのちにナルシシズムという精神分析用語が生まれ、一般的には自己愛を意味する。

［伊藤照夫］

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