Tragic story of Byblis and Caunus:

Fountain of love
Ovids Metamorphoses is a great literary work which has inspired many poets and
authors since it was first published in 8 AD. It is comprised of more than two hundred myths.
Metamorphosis, or transformation, is what they all have in common. In this particular story,
the story of Byblis and Caunus the subject of transformation is Byblis, Caunus twin sister.
Their story vividly portraits forbidden love and how it can affect those who fall in love with
someone they should not.
Byblis and Caunus are the children of Miletus, the son of Phoebus and the nymph
Deione (Ovid, The Metamorphoses, translated by A.S. Kline, Bk IX) and Cyanee. They are
extremely and unbelievably beautiful. She falls in love with her brother, though for a period
of time, she mistakes these non-platonic feelings for sisterly love. Soon she understands that
she is in fact, in love with her own brother. She hates the fact that the only thing they have in
common, their parents, is the one thing that separates them.
Caunus is not aware of her feelings and Byblis decides to enjoy her dreams in which
she is allowed to be with him, as long as it does not affect reality. In stories of forbidden love
it is often that love is not returned and one participant is usually suffering very much while the
other isnt familiar with all that is going on. There is a lot of restraining and anguish. That is
the case in this story as well.


Byblis love for Caunus is greater than the love between normal brothers and sisters,
yet it is wrong in many ways. But love shouldnt be wrong. Byblis reminds herself that they
are young and that at this age they shouldnt take notice of others opinions. Also, the gods do
it too, they sleep with their sisters.
In the Bible, Adam and Eve are, in a way, like a brother and sister. They are both
created by the same maker and almost at the same time. Still, they have children and act as if
they dont have the same parent. But, people usually respect gods too much to grant
themselves even the slightest chance of similitude with them, unlike Byblis. She is not afraid
of the gods, nor her parents, although she is aware that she should be.
She sends a letter to Caunus, in which she reveals her love for him. He is shocked and
resents her. In a beautiful metaphorical way Ovid reveals how disappointed with herself
Byblis is: I should have observed how the winds blew; used other lesser sails, in case those
breezes were not to be followed; and crossed the sea in safety, not as now, under full canvas,
caught by uncertain gusts. So I am carried onto the rocks, swamped, overwhelmed by the
whole ocean, and my sails have no means of retreat (Ovid, The Metamorphoses). Caunus
eventually escapes his home and goes to Caria. Byblis follows him but is unable to find him.
She is desperate and lies on the ground, crying. Nymphs try to help her, but they cannot do
anything so they turn her into a fountain. This shows that all incest stories are bound to have a
poor and miserable ending, as do most forbidden-love stories.
One point of view that is possible is that young people are too immature and they
mistake their feelings for something they are not. The wisdom of knowing your feelings
comes with age and experience.
Incest is unacceptable in majority of cultures since the dawn of time. It is considered
appalling and shocking, whether it is between brothers and sisters, parent and child etc. The
nature itself shows its disapproval by providing participants of incest with physically and
psychologically deformed offspring. People are generally born with innate feelings of
aversion towards ideas of incest.
Ovids Metamorphoses shows the miseries of people, gods and generally can apply to
any being that can feel the most powerful of all emotions, love. It has a deep ethical message
that reaches out to the audience so they dont stay indifferent.