Daphne
heroA nymph who prayed to be transformed rather than submit to Apollo's pursuit. She became the laurel tree, forever sacred to the god who could not have her.
The Myth
Daphne was a naiad nymph devoted to Artemis who had sworn to remain a virgin. Eros, angered by Apollo's mockery, shot Apollo with a golden arrow of desire and Daphne with a lead arrow of aversion.
Apollo pursued Daphne through the forests. As his fingers brushed her hair, she cried out to her father the river god Peneus. Bark covered her skin, her hair became leaves, her arms became branches, and her feet took root. Daphne became a laurel tree.
Apollo declared the laurel sacred to himself forever — which is why laurel wreaths crowned victors at the Pythian Games and why poets wore laurel garlands.
Parents
Peneus (river god)
Symbols
Fun Fact
The word "laureate" comes from the laurel wreath of Apollo — the crown of achievement traces back to the tree Daphne became.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth: