Back to
Greek and Roman Mythology
Daphne was one of those
love-and-marriage-hating nymphs. And if this is like most myths, she will abandon this opinionand run off after some guy. But I'm running ahead of myself again.
Daphne is said to be the first love of Apollo. Her grandfather, the river god Peneus, would bug her all the time that he wanted grandkids, but Daphne would coax him into leaving her be so she could run off and frolic around the forests like Artemis.
Well one day Apollo saw her hunting in the woods, the girl was rather scantly clad (picture that!), Apollo fell wildly in love with her and took off to find her and tell her that he loved her. Daphne, frightend that this guy was chasing her (Who wouldn't be?), started off running to get away. And boy did she run! She blazed through the trees with a speed that dazzeled the God of Light himself. Nonetheless he caught up with her and stopped her. He told her that no, he wasn't some crazy sheppard wanting a piece of her, he was the Lord of Delphi! Daphne was scared anyway and called to her father for help. Suddenly she felt numb, and to everyone's surprise she turned into a laurel tree.
Apollo was heartbroken by the loss of his love. But he made a promise to her: Forever onward, this would be his tree. All victors would be crowned in laurel, and the two would be together in every mortal triumph. And it was made so.