Cupid ( Roman mythology)
A cute little infant with wings, a bow and a quiver full of arrows ... he is the quintessential Valentine’s Day symbol. This is Cupid, the Roman god of love. According to legend, he is the son of Venus, herself the goddess of love. Mischievous and playful, he is known to shoot his arrows at people to make them fall in love. Did you know that some legends say that he also had a second arrow to make people fall out of love?
Hathor ( Egyptian mythology)
Illustration for Young word Illustrations: Satheesh Vellinezhi
An immensely influential goddess, Hathor is often depicted as a cow or a woman with cow’s horns. She is the patron goddess of love, joy, celebration, and is often associated with women’s physical and mental health. She is often depicted as the personification of kindness and love. As the goddess of motherhood, she was the protector of women, though many men wors hipped her as well.
Freya ( Norse mythology)
An important figure in Norse mythology is the enchantingly beautiful woman who travels in a chariot drawn by two cats. This is Freya, also spelled as Freyja, Freyia or Frea. The goddess of love, beauty and youth, Freya is believed to have unparalleled knowledge and power. She practises a type of magic called seiyr .
Illustration for Young word Illustrations: Satheesh Vellinezhi
Whenever warriors are slain in battle, she chooses half of them to dwell in Fólkvangr, over which she presides. Legend goes that, whenever her husband was away on travel, she would weep tears of gold due to her longing for him.
Yue Lao ( Chinese mythology)
Worshippers of this Chinese deity often wear a thin red string around the wrists. It is believed that the god of love and marriage uses this thread to bind potential couples together.
Illustration for Young word Illustrations: Satheesh Vellinezhi
Often depicted as an old man with a long white beard, his name translates to ‘the old man under the moon’. Legend goes that couples connected by Yue Lao’s thread are destined to be together even if separated by a thousand miles.
