WHAT’S THE REALITY BEHIND NARSCISSUS????

WHAT’S THE REALITY BEHIND NARSCISSUS????

Narcissus was a youth that knelt daily beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He was so fascinated by himself that ,one morning , he felt into the lake and drowned .At the spot where he fell, flower was born , which was called the Narcissus. It is considered as a Greek myth.

The reality suggests that there is not such kind of  myth but it’s a kind of personality disorder known as narcissistic personality disorder (NPD);Said by Kendra cherry.

 Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a pervasive disorder characterized by symptoms that include grandiosity, an exaggerated sense of self-importance and a lack of empathy for others. Like other types of personality disorders, narcissistic personality disorder involve a longer term pattern of behaviors and thoughts that cause problems in multiple life areas including work, family and friendships.

It is estimated that one percent of US adults are suffering from this disease named as     narcissistic personality disorder (NDP) .Moreover, many romantic partners, parents, children, family members, co-workers and friends are thought to be directly affected by this disorder as well.

While the concept of narcissism dates back thousands of years, narcissistic personality disorder only became a recognized illness within the last 50 years. In order to better understand how psychologists and researchers view NPD, it is essential to take a closer look at how this personality disorder came to be.

According to the Greek myth, Narcissus was a handsome and arrogant  young man. While seeing his  ownreflection on the water for the first time, he became so attracted  that he could not stop gazing at his own image. He remained at the water's edge  and fallen in love with his own image until he eventually wasted to death. This is basically a myth that is quite famous in Greece.

During the early 1900s, the topic of narcissism started to attract interest in the growing school of thought known as psychoanalysis. Austrian psychoanalyst Otto Rank gave his views regarding narcissism, in 1911 , in which he connected it to self-admiration and vanity.

In 1914  Freud gave  theory of personality referring to narcissism, people are born without a basic sense of self or ego, they learn it only through the experiences that occur during infancy and early childhood . As children interact with the outside world, they begin to learn social norms and cultural expectations leading to the development of an ego idea, or a perfect image of oneself that the ego strives to attain.

Reality behind the Narcissus was exposed in 1968,  when HeinzKohut first introduced the term "narcissistic personality disorder" and gave theory of self-psychology, which suggested that narcissism allows people to suppress feelings of low self-esteem and develop a sense of self.

A GREEK MYTH NARCISSUS

NARCISSUS AS A GREEK MYTH 

NARKISSOS (or Narcissus) was a young man from the town of Thespiai in Boiotia, a son of the river-god Kephisos and the fountain-nymph Liriope.

Different authors and poets have different beliefs and myths regarding the Narcissus. Three of the tales are discussed here referring  Narcissus as myth

 One of the story says that…..

        Deep in a green glade in olden Greece, there babbled sparkled a small screamwhich at some places widened out into a sleepy poor .One day , a young man named Narcissus was hunting in the forest and came to one of the pool shinning in the sunlight. Being hot and thirsty,he stopped to drink, and over the smooth water , he saw in it his own form or image , as in a looking glass.Full of the wonder, he fell in love with his own image which he had not seen before , and he longed to embrace it , thinking it was a water fairy. For a few moments he gazed with delight at the picture and then plunged his arms into water water to catch the lovely creaturehe saw there . But the face vanished in the spray as he tried to take the fairy in his arm . Poor Narcissushad fallen in love with his own beautiful face.Day after day he visited the glade and at last he pinned away and died by the edge of the pool . At the spot where he fell or died , a flower was born which he called the Narcissus.

Another story says that….

Narcissus was celebrated for his beauty, and attracted many admirers but, in his arrogance, spurned themall.Many nymphs and girls fell in love with him but he rejected them. One of these nymphs, Echo, was so distraught over this rejection that she withdrew into a lonely spot and faded until all that was left was a plaintive whisper. The goddess Nemesis heard the rejected girls prayers for vengeance and arranged for Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection. He stayed watching his reflection and let himself die. It is quite possible, however, that the connection between Echo and Narcissus was entirely Ovid's own invention, for there is no earlier witness to it.

                                                         

An important and earlier variation of this tale originates in the region in Greek known as Boeotia (to the north and west of Athens). It tells that Narcissus lived in the city of Thespiae. A young man, Ameinias, was in love with Narcissus, but he rejected Ameinias' love. He grew tired of Ameinias' affections and sent him a present of a sword. Ameinias killed himself with the sword in front of Narcissus' door and as he died, he called curses upon Narcissus. One day Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in a spring and, in desperation, killed himself.

ALL of above mentioned stories give an origin to the narcissus flower, which grew where Narcissus die and myth became famous named as Narcissus.

Myths and Realities About Snakes

Snake Myths and Realities

Myth: Rat Snakes are poisonous.

Reality: Rat snakes are Non-poisonous, rodent-eating Reptiles.

Myth: Rat Snakes mate with cobras.

Reality: Rat Snakes or any other snakes will not mate with any snake out of its own species. Cobras eat other snakes so a mating between a Cobra and a Rat snake is not possible.

Myth: Snakes drink Milk.

Reality: Snakes drink water and do not drink milk, neither can they digest it properly. They are reptiles and have no association with milk, only mammals who have mammary glands can produce milk and thus a liking for milk in non-mammals is unlikely. But in a crises when severely dehydrated, a snake might drink any liquid available.

Myth: Some Snakes grow a beard as they get older.

Reality: Snakes are reptiles and do not have any hair on their bodies let alone a beard. It is impossible for them to have beards for their bodies do not have any ability of growing hair.

Myth: Snakes carry a diamond in their forehead.

Reality: it is impossible for a Snake to carry anything in its head. The mythological status attached with a Snake in India is probably responsible for this myth.

Myth: Snakes remember you if you hurt them.

Reality: Snakes are not vengeful animals and do not have the necessary intelligence to remember people or places for getting revenge. Hindi Movies (Bollywood) have a lot to do with the creation of this myth.

Myth: If one Snake is killed its partner will trace you (no matter wherever you are).

Reality: Snakes are not vengeful animals and are not interested in chasing or tracing people who hurt them. They do not have the necessary memory and intellect to remember people to trace them back. Neither do snakes have a feeling of camaraderie nor do snakes pair for life. Once again Bollywood is responsible for this myth.

Myth: Flying Snakes can pierce somebody’s forehead or put out their eyes.

Reality: Flying Snake does not actually fly but only glides through the air by extending its ribs and pulling in the underside. It can glide a distance of 330 feet or 100 metre. It has an elongated head, which gives the scary feeling that it can pierce a person’s head or eyes.

Myth: Snakes found in India can spit venom.

Reality: No Snake found in India can spit venom. Only Spitting-Cobras can spit venom and they are not found in India.

Myth: There are “Two- headed” snakes.

Reality: The Snake-charmers spread the myth about the Two-headed Snakes only to maintain the mythological status of the snakes in India so they can continue attracting large crowds to their Snake shows. In reality nothing like a Two-headed Snake exists.

Reality Of Saleem And Anarkali

 Reality Of Saleem And Anarkali

The story of Anarkali and prince Saleem is one of the memorable, attratctive and suspense oriented love story. it creates a strong feeling of curiosity, mystery and awe surrounds the legend of Anarkali.

The basic story begins with Prince Saleem (later Emperor Jahangir), the son of Akbar when he returned back home after military training. Since this day was one of great celebration, Akbar decided to hold a great Mujra (dance performance) by a beautiful girl named Nadeera, daughter of Noor Khan Argun. Akbar likened her beauty to a blossoming flower and called her Anarkali (blossoming pomegranate). During her first and famous Mujra in Lahore Prince Saleem fell in love with her and it later became apparent that she was also in love with him. They both gradually began to see each other although the matter was kept quiet. When Saleem conveys his intention of marrying Anrkali to his father, there is a huge fight and Akbar orders the arrest of Anarkali and places her in one of the jail in Lahore.

After many attempts, Saleem and one of his friends help Anarkali to escape and hide her near the outskirts of Lahore. Then, the Prince Saleem organises an army (from those loyal to him during his fourteen years there) and attacks the city; Akbar, being the emperor, had a much larger army and quickly defeats Prince Saleem's force. Akbar gives his son two choices: either to surrender Anarkali to them or to face the death penalty. Prince Saleem, out of his true love for Anarkali, chooses death penalty. Anarkali, however, unable to allow Prince Saleem to die, comes out of hiding and approaches the Mughal emperor. She asks him if she could be the one to give up her life in order to save Prince Saleem, and after Akbar gives his consent, she asks for just one wish, which is to spend just one night with Prince Saleem.

After her night with Saleem, Anarkali drugs Saleem with a pomegranate blossom. After a teary goodbye to the unconscious Saleem, she leaves the royal palace with guards. She was taken to the area near present-day Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore, where a large ditch was made for her. She was strapped to a board of wood and lowered in it by soldiers belonging to Akbar. They closed the top of the large ditch with a brick wall and buried her alive. A second version of the story says that the Emperor Akbar helped Anarkali escape from the ditch through a series of underground tunnels with her mother, only with the promise of Anarkali to leave the Mughal empire and never return. Thus it is not known whether Anarkali survived or not. Another quite popular version states that she was immured alive in a wall.

It is baffling that neither Jahangir mentioned her in his book Tuzk-i-Jahangiri, nor any contemporary historian has left any clue of her saga. The Akbarnama, the official court history of Akbar, records an incident where Akbar became angry with Salim for some reason and sent a noble to admonish him. It is unknown whether this is a reference to the legend or not.

The first historical mention of Anarkali is found in the travelogue of the British tourist and trader, William Finch, who came to Lahore during 1608 to 1611. According to Finch’s account, Anarkali was one of the wives of Emperor Akbar and the mother of his son Danial Shah. Akbar developed suspicions that Anarkali had incestuous relations with Prince Saleem (Jahangir) and, on this ground had her buried alive in the wall of Lahore Fort. Jahangir, after ascending the throne, had a splendid tomb constructed, at the present site, in memory of his beloved. Edward Terry who visited a few years after William Finch writes that Akbar had threatened to disinherit Jahangir, for his liaison with Anarkali, the emperor’s most beloved wife. But on his death-bed, Akbar repealed it.

Basing his analysis on the above two Britishers’ accounts, Abraham Eraly, the author of The Last Spring: The Lives and Times of the Great Mughals, suspects that there "seems to have been an oedipal conflict between Akbar and Salim. He also considers it probable that the legendary Anarkali was nobody other than the mother of Prince Daniyal. Eraly supports his hypothesis by quoting an incident recorded by Abul Fazl, the court-historian of Akbar. According to the historian, Salim was beaten up one evening by guards of the royal harem of Akbar. The story is that a mad man had wandered into Akbar’s harem because of the carelessness of the guards. Abul Fazl writes that Salim caught the man but was himself mistaken to be the intruder. The emperor arrived upon the scene and was about to strike with his sword when he recognised Salim. Most probably, the intruder was no other than Prince Salim and the story of the mad man who was concocted to put a veil on the indecency of the Prince.

But the accounts of the British travellers and consequently the presumption of Eraly is falsified when one comes to know that the mother of prince Daniyal had died in 1596 which does not match the dates inscribed on the sarcophagus.

Noor Ahmed Chishti, in his book Tehqiqaat-i-Chishtia (1860), has provided some details about the grandeur of the building and the episode of Anarkali, based on his personal observations as well as traditional tales. He writes, “Anarkali was a beautiful and a favourite concubine of Akbar the Great and her real name was Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nissa. Akbar’s inordinate love for her made his other two ladies jealous and hostile towards Anarkali. Now, some say that Akbar was on a visit to Deccan when Anarkali fell ill and died and the other two concubines committed suicide to avoid the emperor’s wrath. When the emperor came back he ordered to create this grand tomb.” Chishti also relates: “I saw the marble grave that has 99 names of Allah inscribed on it, and the name Sultan Saleem Akbar was written on the head side”.

Syed Abdul Lateef, in his book Tareekh-i-Lahore (1892), mentions that Anarkali’s actual name was Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nisa and she was one of Akbar’s concubines. He suspected illegitimate relations between Prince Saleem and Anarkali and, therefore, ordered that Anarkali be burried alive in a wall, and the tomb was later built there by Jahangir (Saleem) when he succeeded to the throne. A couplet by Jahangir written on the grave in Persian reads, “If I could behold my beloved only once, I would remain thankful to Allah till doomsday”.  This clearly infers a passionate affair between Saleem and Anarkali. Two dates have been mentioned on the grave: 1008 Hijri (1599AD) and 1025 Hijri (1615AD) — perhaps the date she died and the date of the completion of the tomb.

Abdullah Chagatai, a 18th century historian and architect, has given a very different version. He opines that the tomb, basically built in the centre of a pomegranate garden, contains the grave of Jahangir’s wife Saheb Jamal who was very dear to him. With the passage of time the lady’s name disappeared into oblivion and the tomb was christened by the people as the tomb of Anarkali on the basis of the surrounding pomegranate gardens.

Another scholar, Muhammad Baqir, the author of Lahore Past and Present is of the opinion that Anarkali was originally the name of the garden in which the tomb was situated, but with the passage of time, the tomb itself came to be named as that of Anarkali’s. This garden is mentioned by Dara Shikoh, the grandson of Jahangir, in his work Sakinat al-Auliya, as one of the places where the Saint Hazrat Mian Mir used to sit. Dara also mentions the existence of a tomb in the garden but he does not give it any name. Muhammad Baqir believes that the so-called tomb of Anarkali actually belongs to the lady named or entitled Sahib-i Jamal, another wife of Salim.

Noted art-historian R. Nath argues that there is no wife of Jahangir on record bearing the name or title of Anarkali to whom the emperor could have built a tomb and dedicated a couplet with a suffix Majnun. He considers it absolutely improbable that the grand Mughal emperor would address his married wife as ‘yar’ designate himself as ‘majnun’ and aspires to see her face once again. He reasons that she was not his married wife but only his beloved, to whom he would take the liberty to be romantic and a little poetic too, and it appears to be a case of an unsuccessful romance of a disappointed lover.

The saga of Anarkali and the crown prince Salim has been dubbed as one of the greatest love stories of all time. Despite the fact that it is unknown whether it is just a myth or has historical truth under it, it has been immortalized in numerous books and movies, some of which are epics in their own right.