What do you call the God of Love? Aphrodite or Venus, he's still stolen our hearts!
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Today is Muse Monday, which means it's time to talk about one of the main characters of WROR--our man, Venus.
"But wait," you might say. "Isn't Venus a woman?"
Historically, yes. Venus (also known as Aphrodite in Greek mythology) is a woman. WROR is a gender-bent story, though. Several of the characters have swapped from their traditional genders for the story. A.R. Walker Art and I wanted to create a mythological story that was also inclusive of every kind of person. We love seeing, reading, and creating romances that show that, too. So, for this story, Venus is a man, and BOY. The God of Love gets around about as much as you would expect him to 😂
For those who may not know, here's a brief crash course in the mythology of Venus/Aphrodite, or at least the parts that have remained intact for WROR. It wouldn't be Muse Monday without a little background info!
Although Venus is considered one of the original twelve gods of the Greek/Roman pantheon, he was actually born before any more popular figures (Zeus/Jupiter, Poseidon/Neptune, Hades/Pluto, etc.). In fact, Venus was born during the time of the Titans. He was formed in seafoam after Cronos castrated his father, Uranus, and threw his member into the ocean.
Quite an origins story, right? 😂😂😂
When the Olympians came into being and fought against the Titans, Venus took the former's side, forever cementing his position in the new pantheon as the God of love, sex, fertility, victory, prosperity, beauty, and desire.
Venus has an on-again, off-again relationship with Mars, the Goddess of War (who is, yes, also gender-swapped for the story). Together, they have a child--Cupid (gender-swapped? You'll have to read to find out!). Traditionally speaking, he should be married to Hephaestus/Vulcan. In WROR, he is simply best friends with Vulcan and a few other well-known mythological figures.
Venus lives on the island of Cyprus, the place where he first emerged from the ocean. In WROR, he has chosen to stay there, away from the Citadel and the other gods. More on that in the actual story (when those scenes come up! So far, we are still in the beginning ☺)
As for more of Venus's background and how it fits into the story, I'm going to have to keep my lips sealed at this point. All I can say is that this story is one about sacrifice, heartache, love, devotion, jealousy, religion, and the parts of mythology that make godlike figures human.
The White Rose of Rome updates weekly (with any required hiatus posted as a chapter update for your information). We share one page at a time. This means the story will move SLOW, but it is absolutely worth it! A.R. has done a phenomenal job with the artwork, and I've loved developing the story with her. I can't wait until you all have experienced it in full!
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