Nymphs are a fabulous folk described in ancient Greek myths. Nereids, naiads, oceanids - all of them were associated with one of the natural elements. The nymph dryad, which will be discussed later, was considered the guardian of the forest.
What are dryads?
Dryads are elusive and charming tree spirits, covered in mystery and glorified in legends. Young charmers, fearful and peace-loving creatures, they were someone in between man and god. Dryads never grew old, however, they were not immortal, they lived incredibly long, but ultimately died.
They spent their lives under the green arches of forests, hiding from human eyes. Only the hunting society of Artemis was pleased with the modest and bashful virgins, and even with the always drunk goat-footed satyrs with whom they danced and sang all night.
Like other fabulous creatures, dryads were endowed with magic. They were skilled healers and sorcerers, but they could also send corruption and madness to people. They patronized people who were careful about trees, as well as bees who served them as messengers.
Who could understand the language of flowers if not a dryad? The plant happily shared with the nymph his thoughts, thoughts, and news. Lovely shy beauties knew everything about their forest and its inhabitants, because they were its integral part, its soul, its brainchild.
Hamadriads
Among the mythical inhabitants of the protected forests were nymphs inextricably linked with their tree - these are hamadriads. They were his continuation, his protectors and his hostages. If a centuries-old oak tree was cut down, or lightning fell into it, an eternally young maiden died along with it.
According to ancient legends, when the ax of a lumberjack was thrust into the wood, blood began to ooze from the trunk, and painful and drawn out moans were heard in the foliage. Woe to the one who does not hear this plea for mercy and destroys the keeper of the tree: his whole family will suffer the curse of the dryad, and the fair gods will punish the culprit.
The Greeks have a myth about the wicked king of Thessaly - Erisichton. He insulted Demeter by cutting down the centuries-old grove planted in her honor. He did not spare the centennial oak tree, in which the beautiful dryad lived, it was the favorite of the goddess. For such insolence, the angry Demeter cruelly punished Erisichton, she sent an insatiable hunger to him: the more he ate, the stronger the torment. He sold everything he had, hoping to get enough, even his own daughter, but that did not help either. The king’s death was terrible - he ate his own flesh and died in unbearable torment.
Orpheus and Eurydice
The most famous dryad is undoubtedly Eurydice. Like many other forest nymphs, she connected her fate with an ordinary mortal - a musician named Orpheus. But their happiness was short-lived: fleeing from the intrusive boyfriend in the forest, Eurydice stepped on a poisonous snake. The bite was fatal, because the dryad is the only nymph who does not have the gift of immortality. So the girl ended up in the kingdom of Hades.
Orpheus, distraught with grief, decided to return his beloved by all means and went down the dark river to the abode of night and eternal sleep. The lord of the dead took pity on the unfortunate and gave his lovely wife, but strictly ordered not to look at her until they reached the kingdom of the living.
They walked for a long time among the gloomy and cold dungeons of Hades, until they saw the light. Orpheus doubted whether his dear dryad was keeping up with him, it became fatal for him. He turned around, saw Eurydice, but after a moment she melted like a shadow.
No matter how much he calls, how much Orpheus prayed, the gods remained impregnable. The hearts of lovers united only after many years, when he himself was gone.
Dryad flower
The plant of the pink family is also called the dryad. Thickets of this evergreen shrub can be found in the northern arctic and subarctic latitudes and among the high alpine meadows.
Its simple large flowers of white or pale yellow stand out against the background of lush vegetation or rocky slopes. Small leathery leaves covering the creeping stems give the plant a decorative effect. Dryad is often used in the design of rocky slides in landscape design.