Which myth inspired C.S. Lewis’s novel Till We Have Faces?

C.S. Lewis’s novel Till We Have Faces was inspired by the myth of Cupid and Psyche.

Published in 1956, the novel retells the ancient story from the viewpoint of Orual, a princess who becomes queen of the fictional kingdom of Glome. The familiar myth centers on Psyche’s relationship with a mysterious divine husband, but Lewis substantially changes the narrative perspective, setting, and psychological emphasis.

Lewis described the book as a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche story, drawn especially from the version found in Apuleius’s The Golden Ass. The novel explores love, jealousy, accusation, self-knowledge, and the difficulty of honestly confronting one’s motives.

Readers sometimes classify the book simply as a Narnia-like fantasy, but it is a darker adult novel with a classical source. Its title comes from the novel’s concern with identity and truthful self-understanding.