The Origin Of ‘Soulmates’ According To Greek Mythology
In Greek Mythology, the concept of soulmates is rooted in the idea that these individuals are two halves of the same whole, originally united but separated by the Greek god Zeus due to his jealousy and fear. This separation led to the perpetual search for our “other half.” This notion is profoundly explained in Plato’s philosophical work ‘The Symposium’, where the comic playwright Aristophanes narrates the myth of the primal humans and the emergence of soulmates.
Do you know the greek mythology soulmates? According to ‘The Symposium’, Athenian philosopher Plato elaborates on the creation of soulmates as described by Aristophanes. In Greek mythology, humans were initially crafted with four arms, four legs, and a head featuring two faces. Fearing their formidable power, Zeus split these beings into distinct entities, dooming them to spend their lives seeking their complementary halves. Aristophanes’ account illustrates the spiritual underpinnings of our constant search for “The One,” experiencing a sense of emotional and mental “incompleteness” in the absence of our romantic partners, with whom we share an intimate, loving, and committed bond.
The narrative of the original ‘primal’ humans, as depicted by Greek Gods, portrays a stark contrast from our current state. Initially, humans possessed a unique form: two joined bodies encompassing two genders — male and female — four arms, four legs, and two faces, effectively existing as a single, unified identity. This arrangement suggests that these dual individuals shared a soulmate-like connection while residing within a single physical form.
These primal humans exhibited exceptional strength, sharpness, courage, and proficiency. Furthermore, there existed three distinct genders: male, female, and androgynous, the latter embodying both male and female attributes. Descending from three divine progenitors — the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth — these genders possessed a dual-body structure featuring two faces pointing in opposite directions, four limbs, and two sets of genitalia. Males emanated from the Sun, females from the Earth, and androgynous beings from the combined influences of the Sun and the Earth. The male and female genders exhibited two sets of identical reproductive organs, while androgynous individuals boasted a male and a female genitalia.
This vibrant era of unity and strength came to a halt when the powerful primal humans, driven by hubris and pride, attempted to challenge the Greek Gods by ascending Mount Olympus, aiming to supplant the deities and establish their dominion. In response, the almighty Gods determined to curb their audacity, opting to weaken the humans’ power and influence. Zeus contemplated using his divine thunderbolts to obliterate them entirely but opted against it, as this would result in a dearth of humans to worship him.
Consequently, Zeus devised an alternative solution: splitting the primal humans in half, thereby diminishing their strength and scattering their unity. This act, intended as both punishment and strategic manipulation, amplified the human population and consequently, the offerings made to the Gods. This division was not only a form of retribution but also a method of preserving human devotion while exploiting their disarray.
However, the suffering of the divided humans was profound. Their yearning for their lost soulmates rendered them desolate and hopeless. In this state of misery, the Olympian deity Apollo, associated with truth and healing, took pity on their plight. Apollo embarked on the mission of healing these fragmented beings, stitching and reconfiguring their bodies to possess one face, four limbs, and a single set of genitalia. Although they were now structurally different, only their navel served as a reminder of their original form. Apollo, in a bid to restore their emotional and spiritual well-being, repositioned their genitals to the front, facilitating their joyful union with their soulmates once they were reunited.
The tale of soulmates, as depicted by Greek Mythology, traces back to these events. The separation enacted by Zeus culminated in the creation of individual entities, each with a single face, two hands, two legs, and one gender — either male or female. This division heralded an eternal quest to reunite with one’s other half, the complementary soul that completes the individual. Despite the separation, the yearning for this profound connection endures, driving us to seek our soulmates and find a sense of wholeness that is inherently missing.
