- Daphnaie
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In Greek mythology the Daphnaie are the nymphs of the laurel trees.[1]
Like the other Dryads, they are the spirits of the trees and spend most of their time sleeping behind the bark. They only come out to dance when the coast is clear.
They seem to be named after Daphne ('Laurel'), one of the naiads who was plagued with unwanted sexual advances until she cried to Gaia for help. The Earth Mother took pity on her and turned Daphne into a laurel tree.
As laurel leaves (aka bay leaves) were chewed by Sibyls to get them in the right frame of mind for prophetic vision, it's possible the whole story is just a drug-induced dream.
References
Categories:- Nymphs
- Dance in Greek mythology
- Dryads
- Greek deity stubs
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