I
The story My fair lady is based on.
n ancient Greece lived a handsome and talented
sculptor named Pygmalion. He loved his work and would spend hours carving beautiful ivory statues,
always at his happiest when immersed in his art.
One day he chose a large, beautiful piece of ivory, and worked
for many long hours at it, chiseling and hammering until he finished. It was a statue of a beautiful lady.
Pygmalion at once fell in love with his creation - he thought it was so beautiful,
and he clothed the figure, gave it jewels, and named it Galatea, which
means "sleeping love". Treating Galatea as if she were his
girlfriend, he brought his ivory statue shells and pebbles, little birds and flowers of all colors.
He was obsessed!
Now, you must understand that Pygmalion was so into his
art that he had vowed never to marry. He had no time for girls, just his
sculptures. Still, the more he gazed upon Galatea, the more he wished
that he had a wife just like her, but alive.
During a big festival in honor of Aphrodite, the goddess
of love and beauty, Pygmalion went to the temple of Aphrodite to pray for a wife just like the statue in
his home. His prayers were so fervent and heart-felt, and his passion so
great, that the great goddess took notice.
Wanting to see for herself what all the fuss was about,
Aphrodite visited the home of the sculptor and was delighted to see the
ivory Galatea. She couldn't help but think that the statue looked much
like herself, it was so perfect. Pleased and flattered she brought the
statue to life.
When the sculptor returned home and kissed Galatea as
was his custom, he was startled at her warmth. As he showered her with
kisses he was beside himself with joy at discovering that slowly the
ivory was turning into flesh. Galatea smiled down at him and spoke
adoring words to her loving creator.
They soon got married and Aphrodite was the guest of
honor at their wedding. Pygmalion didn’t forget to thank
Aphrodite for his good
fortune. He and Galatea brought gifts to her altar as long as
they lived. Aphrodite blessed them with happiness and love in
return, and permitted both of them to live long and blissful
lives. They
had two daughters named Paphos and Metharme.
http://www.thanasis.com/pygmal.htm
