Narcissus and Echo’s stories are one and the same. The stories of Narcissus and Echo go hand in hand and are very much so intertwined.
Overview
Narcissus was a self-absorbed hunter who was known to be very beautiful in stature, a beauty that many people over the years fell at his feet.
Echo was a mountain nymph cursed by Hera because her husband, the Greek god Zeus, was attracted to Echo. He was often found wandering about the woods.
Echo was a mountain nymph who lived in the woods where Narcissus was wandering.
When Echo saw Narcissus, she fell instantly in love like many others before she had, but because of a curse placed on her by the Greek goddess Hera, she couldn’t speak to him and only repeat the last things he had said, so she kept quiet and followed him throughout the woods observing.
After a while, Narcissus got sketched out and felt her presence, a feeling as if he was being watched and shouted into the vast wooded area, something along the lines of “who’s there.”
Echo, who was unable to speak words of her own, repeated it back. After a short amount of time, she decided to reveal herself in hopes he may develop feelings as well, but Narcissus did not have it and told her to go away.
After she was rejected, she fell into depression and was very heartbroken and lived out the rest of her days alone and in isolation until the only thing left of her was her own echo.
After seeing what Narcissus had done to Echo, the goddess of revenge, Nemesis decided Narcissus deserved to be punished in utmost severity. One day, while hunting, narcissus was led to a body of water.
He was so thirsty, so he stopped for a drink. When he bent down to get himself a drink, he got a glimpse of his own reflection.
When he saw his reflection in the water, he fell madly in love with his own looks as if it were a whole other individual.
Growing up, no one could ever catch his attention. He always left girls heartbroken and has even left boys feeling the same. But when he saw his own reflection in the pool of water, he was lovestruck.
He was so stuck on himself that he couldn’t leave. He stared at his reflection, unable to leave until he died of thirst and starvation.