Pygmalion is a misogynist, but he has an idealized view of women and perhaps of family life too...? He kisses the statue, and brings presents: shells, pebbles, birds, flowers, beads, amber (that amber detail is very interesting!). He dresses up the statue: clothing, jewelry... puts it on the bed with luxurious bedspreads.
Venus festival with offering of a heifer (killed!)... If you can grant all things, you gods, I wish as a bride to have...” so maybe there could be a sacrifice to get a child. Sign of the goddess: she made the flame flare up and shake.
When he kisses her, she loses her hardness: "as the beeswax of Hymettus softens in the sun and is moulded" ... PERFECT! I had forgotten there was a reference to wax in the story itself. Now I totally want to do this child-of-wax story.
Ends with bearing a son Paphos.
Hey, maybe she could be wax and not flesh!!! The story says it was flesh, but maybe not: " It was flesh! The pulse throbbed under his thumb." ... I'll look at the Latin for some clues later maybe.
I totally want to do the wax story now!
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