By So the writing prompt for this story was to rewrite a myth. One of my least favorite myths is Pygmalion from Ovid’s Metamorphosis. I don’t like it because it gives me a serious ick vibes. This myth influenced other media, most notably, My Fair Lady. I love reading reimagined mythology and so I thought that I’d take something that I don’t like and make it into something that I’d actually read.
If you are not familiar with the Pygmalion story here is a brief synopsis thanks to Wikipedia:
“Pygmalion was a Cypriot sculptor who carved a woman out of ivory. Post-classical sources name her Galatea. According to Ovid, when Pygmalion saw the Propoetides of Cyprus practicing prostitution, he began “detesting the faults beyond measure which nature has given to women”. He determined to remain celibate and to occupy himself with sculpting. He made a sculpture of a woman that he found so perfect he fell in love with it. Pygmalion kisses and fondles the sculpture, brings it various gifts, and creates a sumptuous bed for it.
In time, Aphrodite’s festival day came and Pygmalion made offerings at the altar of Aphrodite. There, too afraid to admit his desire, he quietly wished for a bride who would be “the living likeness of my ivory girl”. When he returned home, he kissed his ivory statue, and found that its lips felt warm. He kissed it again, and found that the ivory had lost its hardness. Aphrodite had granted Pygmalion’s wish. Pygmalion married the ivory sculpture, which changed to a woman under Aphrodite’s blessing.”
I didn’t have time to provide a ton of background information in the short time I had to write my story but the basis of it is a modern witch whose chosen goddess is Aphrodite. This story is told in the form of prayers to Aphrodite.
Trigger warning for use of foul language.
My goddess Aphrodite,
I ask this in the most respectful way possible but what the fuck!? I know that I have been praying to you recently to help me find the right man now that I’m over my last break-up but ummm what part of those prayers indicated that I wanted the sculpture that I’ve been working on for six months to come alive!? I about had a heart attack when he stepped off the plynth.
You do know in this day and age consent is a thing and creating people comes with morals? Also, I was really hoping for a guy with a job, an apartment, and maybe a dog. I wasn’t expecting to have to feed and clothe him myself. I’m way too aware of what is under those clothes I managed to find to fit him, I sculpted that and now he is breathing! Also, I am the very definition of a starving artist. I can’t exactly afford a full grown man that knows not a whole lot about being human. Please help.
Sincerely,
Your nervous and devoted follower
My goddess Aphrodite,
Okay, I’ve slept and had something to eat since my last prayer. My apologies for my less than grateful last invocation. I was flustered, I’m still a little shook up to be honest, this statue-turned-man isn’t exactly on my lease but at least he is learning fast and doesn’t mind sleeping on the couch.
Thank you for helping some of my more expensive pieces sell. I’m a not starving artist for a couple of months at least now. My friends keep asking about the new guy living with me, I’ve been explaining him as an old friend. It’s kinda true, I’ve been working on this Michelangelo/Greek inspired piece for a while from sketches to miniatures before starting on the life sized one – I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t make him larger than life. Thank you for shaking up my life.
Sincerely,
Your slightly-less nervous and devoted follower
My goddess Aphrodite,
Hello! So me and the statue-turned-man are now friends. Did you give him this teddy-bear personality or did I inspire that? Either way, he is a good guy. He’s working as a barista at the coffee shop down the street.
I will admit to you and to no one else that I ummm, I don’t like when anyone flirts with him, damn it. And everyone flirts with him, everyone. I did my work way too well. It is a testament to my skills as an artist that he looks a bit like a demi-god. You would probably tell me to have snapped him up as a lover early on but I couldn’t. That’s weird, he was so innocent then. There were also some awkward questions about things that I as a functional adult had taken for granted as common knowledge until a few months ago. Thank you for life not being dull.
Sincerely,
Your slightly annoyed and devoted follower
My goddess Aphrodite,
It has been a wild year. If someone had told me a year ago that you, my patron goddess, would bring my largest sculpture to date to life I would have laughed. If they had told me that he was going to kiss me last night and it would be the best kiss of my life ever, I would have said they were crazy. We moved into a two bedroom apartment a few weeks ago, so he is no longer sleeping on the couch with his feet hanging off the end.
We found a dog last weekend, this poor scruffy black pup with amber eyes. The vet says he is underweight but healthy. The statue-turned-man decided to name him Cerberus. A little on the nose but why not. So yeah, things are looking up. I’m excited to see where this goes. Thank you for all of your blessings.
Sincerely,
Your eternally grateful and devoted follower
I hope that you enjoyed this bit of short fiction. Let me know if you think it is something that I should expand on. Also, if rewritten myths interest you, Madeline Miller, the author of The Song of Achilles, has a short story called Galatea about the ivory statue-turned-woman. It is written for an adult audience but it worth the read. Happy reading.
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