Modern Myths
Four Retellings of the Orpheus and Eurydice Myth
He looked back, she died. Four artists’ interpretations.
The Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of the larger ones in the public imagination. It’s a tale of tragic lovers, of hope, of life, and of death. With these universal themes, it’s no wonder this story has been retold and built upon hundreds of times. Here are some of my favorites.
But first… the original myth!
Obviously, there is no one true original myth: stories, especially old ones, are constantly being changed by the centuries-long game of telephone that is oral tradition. But, to my knowledge, here’s a classic version that most people can agree upon.
Orpheus, the son of a muse, is an excellent musician. He meets Eurydice, a girl inspired by his music. They fall in love and get married, but soon after, Eurydice is bitten by a snake. She dies. Orpheus is heartbroken, and descends to the Underworld to ask the god of the underworld, Hades, for her life back. After some sneaking, singing, and pleading, Hades agrees, on the condition that Orpheus cannot look at Eurydice until they have completed their walk out of the underworld. They are walking out when Orpheus starts to get nervous. Has Hades tricked him? Is Eurydice even there? Right as they reach the entrance, Orpheus looks back. Eurydice was there, but since he’s seen her, he broke the deal with Hades. Eurydice goes back to the Underworld, and Orpheus is ripped apart by grief and sometimes monsters, depending on the variation.
Those are the bones of the story. Each aspect of the story has been altered and built upon in a myriad of ways to create new stories, inspired by the old ones, but with certain modern twists.
Hadestown
It’s easy to start with Hadestown, the brilliant Broadway musical that compares and contrasts Orpheus and Eurydice’s story with that of Hades and Persephone in a really sweet way.
The musical also uses the aesthetics of the early 20th century (such as new forms of electricity, trains, and exploitative labor contracts) to criticize capitalism and also comment on climate change. It’s an inventive and blues-y musical retelling that manages to not feel too sad, even if it does keep the tragic ending.
The Elysian Job by Margaret Ronald
This short story takes the myth and turns it into a heist story, where Orpheus and Eurydice become Charlie and Beth, a Bonnie-and-Clyde type duo scamming Haides. Other mythological characters pop up, too, but you don’t need to know their myths in order to enjoy this romantic and sweet story set in a weird but very cool world. You can read it for free on Strange Horizons.
L’Esprit de L’Escalier by Catherynne M. Valente
This short story sets the myth in LA, where Orpehus is a rock star and Eurydice dies. After he brings her back from the underworld, she’s incredibly depressed. This story uses their home as a base for some incredible imagery about rotting, fungus, and grief. It’s a love story, a hate story, and everything in between. It’s free to read on Tor.com!
Eurydice
This play, by Sarah Ruhl, centers Eurydice’s story rather than Orpheus’. It’s set in a sort of 1950s dreamworld, and brings in new characters like Eurydice’s father in order to fill out the play in a different way. I’ve never seen it performed, but even reading the script conjures up interesting imagery on the themes of gender and what it means to die.
What’s your favorite myth retelling? Let me know if I forgot it — I’d love to read it. Also: which myth would you like me to find retellings of next? Artemis? Medea? Heracles? Persephone? Or something else altogether?
Happy reading!
