Orphades

Orphades
GENERAL
Hadestown
Character	Hades
Character	Orpheus
Canonical?	Fanon
Status of Relationship	Former Enemies
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Friend

1

Orphades is the Friend ship between Orpheus and Hades from the Hadestown fandom.

Canon

In the original story, Orpheus only interacts with Hades once he ventures into the Underworld to save his wife, Eurydice, after she died on the day of their wedding. With a lyre, Orpheus managed to move Hades' heart and allow him to make an exception to take Eurydice with him and bring her back to life. However, he set the condition that Orpheus must lead the way without looking or touching Eurydice on his way home. Orpheus complies at first, but when he can't hear Eurydice's footsteps after almost reaching the exit, Orpheus suspects that Hades had tricked him and turns around, only to wind up dooming Eurydice in the process. Some versions of the story end with Orpheus ending up killed by an outside source shortly after lamenting how Eurydice's story ended, thus implying that Orpheus meets Hades again.

Hadestown

The show adds a bit more context to Orpheus' interactions with Hades, he was already aware of his story with Persephone during Act I thanks to Hermes filling him in, with the wording implying that Orpheus had first heard it when he was a child. The Song "Epic I" centers around Orpheus remembering the details about how Hades fell for Persephone, convinced her to come to the Underworld to rule it alongside him. As Hermes urges Orpheus to go on with the story, Orpheus remembers that Hades had to let Persephone go for six months since no flower could grow without her above ground, so Orpheus recounts that this is why the seasons cycle each year. But a bit later, duing "A Gathering Storm", Orpheus notes that this year's summer was way too short, putting the blame on Hades collecting Persephone too early. Orpheus channels his critique in Hades by making the second part of the Epic more of a scathing critique about Hades forcing the souls of the dead to work for him by building a wall that separates them from the living. Hades in turn antagonizes Orpheus a bit more directly, as Eurydice's death is caused by Hades convincing her to run into a blizzard under promises that Hadestown could provide food and warmth for her better than Orpheus shaky songwriting career could. Orpheus was far too distracted by writing his song that he barely noticed the storm or Eurydice falling victim to it, but as soon as Hermes informed him, Orpheus prepares to follow her to Hadestown as Hermes gives away the secret path that allows him to go without getting himself killed.

But as Orpheus finds her not long after the start of the second act, she is just lucid enough after having signed her memories away to Hades to warn him of what's to come. Soon enough, Hades finds out about the intruder interfering with his affairs and claims that they haven't met before. Nonetheless, he tells him that he knows he doesn't belong here, ordering him to stop "bothering" the workers and go back from where he came from. But just as Persephone tried to speak up in Orpheus' defense, Orpheus himself objected to Hades' order and tells him that he won't leave without Eurydice. Hades just laughs in the younger man's face, informing him that Eurydice willingly signed her life away to him and is now legally his property. When Hades threatened to make an example out of Orpheus, but the latter would've gone willingly, if it weren't for the workers picking up on what Orpheus said. Encouraged by the workers, Orpheus leads an uprising against Hades' rule. Finally listening to what Persephone said and pressured by his workers questioning his authority, Hades relents and admits that Orpheus does know how to get people on his side. However, Hades considers himself to be wiser than the younger man and dares him to sing a song that could make Hades feel young again. But instead of singing about how much he loves Eurydice as Hades expected, Orpheus sings a reprise of the first part of his epic, with Hades realizing that Orpheus is saying that they are far more alike than Hades could realize. Hades, realizing how pointless his chasing after wealth was is moved to the point where he actually echoes Orpheus' singing and then dances with Persephone to the tune of Orpheus playing his lyre. But when Orpheus asked him if he and Eurydice can leave now, Hades genuinely admits that even he doesn't know. The Fates point out that if Hades still refuses, he's going to lose trust in his subjects, but fully complying with Orpheus is not recommended either since they would think of Hades as spineless. Hades, after briefly cursing Orpheus for causing so much trouble for him, agrees that Orpheus shall be allowed to go home with Eurydice, but he should only lead her out, not look at her else she would be doomed to stay anyway. Orpheus is initially happy to comply, but then actively questions why Hades would let him win despite Eurydice continuously trying to reassure him. As a result, Orpheus story ends still bittersweetly as Eurydice stays dead, but the ending implies that Hades had learned his lesson and that life in Hadestown is going to improve thanks to Orpheus.

Fanon

This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.

Because of the large age gap and because it would upset the universally popular ships of Persades and Orphydice, shipping Orpheus with Hades is not very popular in the fandom.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Hades & Orpheus tag on AO3

Hades/Orpheus tag on AO3

Hades & Orpheus (Hadestown) tag on AO3

Hades/Orpheus (Hadestown) tag on AO3