Daphne and Apollo

Story Origin:

Originally Greek. Ovid tells story.

Story Summary:

I remember in one version I read that Apollo got into a fight with Cupid and Cupid used his arrows to cause Apollo fall in love with Daphne, daughter of the River god Peneius, to prove that love is a very powerful emotion.

In Robert Graves' Mythology Vol I, the paragraph from 21st myth, Apollo had long been in love with her so it was no sudden impulse and even killed a rival of his, Leucippus. Later on, the book states that Mother Earth rescued Daphne and sent her to Crete under the name of Pasiphae and instead of her body, a laurel tree stood.

In Mythology by Edith Hamilton, Daphne is described as a woman who hates marriage and who desires to be like goddess Diana (a virgin goddess of hunting and forest.) Her father dislikes her decision and wants grandchildren.

One day, Apollo began to chase her, but she ran away from him. At first even he had a difficult time keeping up with her, but soon he overtook her and begged her to stop, for he was not an ordinary man. She didn't heed the words.

She came over to her father's river and begged him to help her escape the fate, and her father turned her into a laurel tree, thus escaping Apollo's love. Apollo told her how much he loved her and told her that all of the victors will wear the leaves from the leaves.

Opinion:

This is another one of my favorite myths; (I know, I like sad myths.) because often there are times when someone you love will not return your feelings, and in someways its good to remind people of that, that there are times when love is not reciprocated for one reason or another.


Romeo and Juliet qualities:

Probably the ending is like Romeo and Juliet; unhappy. Besides that, no idea.

Song: