Anonymi Belae Regis Notarii de Gestis Hungarorum Liber (1827)

Before there was a fairy tale about Beauty and the Beast, there was a myth about Cupid and Psyche. Their story first appeared in written form around AD 160 in The Golden Ass by Lucius Apuleius, although it existed centuries before in oral tradition. Before the Beast moves Psyche to Thrace, around the region of present-day Bulgaria and about the time of Celtic and Greek wars within Thrace (500 BC). This move allows for lushly beautiful settings and diverse landscapes. More importantly, it also explains why, even though the Greeks influenced Psycheas life, she did not understand the importance of the worship of Aphrodite. Her lack of understanding was the root of her problems and is not explained in the original written tale.