Tragic Love Stories In Mythology

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1. A king accepted his orphaned nephew, Tristan, into his court but soon discovered his wife and nephew, Tristan, sleeping together. He refused to wake them for a confrontation, instead he placed his sword on the end of the bed and left them sleeping. Who is the king and who is his treacherous wife? King Thessalian of Lycus and Dirce King Cepheus of Ethiopia and Cassiopeia King Phineus of Salmydessos and Cleopatra King Mark of Cornwall and Iseult.

2. This moon god was married to a sun goddess and together they were the parents of all of the stars in the sky, but she had an affair with Perkuno and had the most brilliant star of all, the Morning Star. Heartbroken the god separated from her and came out only when he could not see her, accounting for night and day. Who was the god and goddess? God - Ophion, Goddess - Eos God - Consus, Goddess - Astraea God - Portunus, Goddess - Copia God - Menu, Goddess - Saule.

3. A king who embarked on a great expedition to war but got lost on the way home leaving his wife to fend off suitors and raise their son. Eventually they found each other again and ruled over their land together. Who were they? Answer: (Three Words (Male and Female))

4. One of the great tragedic love stories is of a beautiful young woman who lived on an island as a priestess but fell in love. Her religious duty meant that they could not marry so she would stand by her window with a lamp and her beloved would swim across to her every night and swim back every morning. One windy night he attempted to do this when her light blew out, he lost his sense of direction and drowned. His body was washed up on the shore and, when she saw it, she commited suicide. Who are these star-crossed lovers? Woman - Hero, Man - Leander Woman - Krokos, Man - Helle Woman - Leander, Man - Hero Woman -Helle, Man - Krokos

5. The most famous love triangle in mythology would have to be the story of a great king with an amazing vision for an ideal society. He fell in love and married a woman of great beauty but she fell in love with one of his best knights. Who is the king and who is the queen? Answer: (Three Words (first names only, man and woman))

6. A dreamy, optimistic sun god fell in love at first sight with a frost giantess. He sent her gifts in the hopes of convincing her to marry him but nothing worked so his servant, seeing how miserable his master was, threatened her with magic until she relented but as soon as she met the sun god her icy heart melted and she fell in love too. Who are they? God - Helios, Giantess - Minthe God - Freyr, Giantess - Gerda God - Apollo, Giantess - Fulgora God - Sterculus, Giantess - Calypso

7. She was the face that launched a thousand ships who was originally married to the King of Sparta but then the goddess of strife, Eris, was not invited to a wedding so she threw amongst the guest a golden apple for the fairest. Paris was forced to judge which goddess was indeed the fairest - Aphrodite, who offered him the fairest woman in the world, Athena, who offered him wisdom or Hera, who offered him power. He picked Aphrodite, splitting up the above union and starting the Trojan War. Who was the scorned king and who was the woman? Answer: (Three Words (First names only, man and woman))

8. Venus was jealous of a king's daughter whose name means 'the soul' so she sent her son, a god of love, to make her love the ugliest man in the world but the son fell in love with her and visited her every night in invisible form. But the woman eventually saw who it was and he was forced to leave her but she searched the land for him. Eventually Jupiter took pity on them both and reunited them. Who are they? God - Amor, Woman - Ocresia God - Amor, Goddess - Melantho God - Amor, Goddess - Erato God - Amor, Woman - Psyche

9. This god and goddess were both brother and sister and consort. The god who was ruler was murdered by his evil brother Seth who destroyed his body, scattering it to the wind but his wife, goddess of magic and motherhood searched the world for them eventually restoring his body and breathing life into it for just a moment and became pregnant with Horus who eventually avenged his father and won the crown. Who was the devoted couple? Osiris and Isis Geb and Nut Thoth and Maat Shu and Tefnut

10. One of the great heroes of Iranian mythology learnt on one of his adventures that his host had a beautiful daughter and as he listened to the father speak about the beauty and wit of his daughter he fell in love without ever seeing her and she did the same for him. Using messengers they arranged to meet in secret at an abandoned palace where she stood waiting on a balcony for her beloved. When she saw him she released her hair for him to climb up but he refused, insisting that it would hurt her and he climbed up using rope. Who are they? Man - Indra, Woman - Cundra Man - Shiva, Woman - Uma Man - Arjuno, Woman - Devi Man - Zal, Woman - Rudabeh