Dryad_Abigail+Nelson

Dryads
= What is a Dryad? = = =

//dry·ad///ˈdrīˌad/ [n.]:
(in folklore and Greek mythology) A nymph inhabiting a forest or a tree, esp. an oak tree. According to Greek mythology, the dryads were female spirits of nature who oversee the forests. She either livesin or nearby a particular tree. In the case the dryad lives in the tree, she is then called a Hamadryad. The moment a Hamadryad is born a tree grows. Their life is connected to the tree; if it dies, they die with it. If the death of a tree is due to the treachery of a mortal, the human that harmed it was punished by the Gods and in certain cases, the dyrads themselves.

= Origin: =
 * Not much is known about the origin of the dryad
 * They are Greek mythological creatures and appear in much of their literature
 * The greek ‘//drys//’ signifies oak from an Indo-European root //derew// (tree or wood)

= Appearance: =


 * There are multiple different interpretations as to what the appearance of the dryad could be.
 * Had the appearance of a woman
 * Often covered in flowers, ivy, and leaves
 * The Dryads tended to stay out of sight and near their trees. They were able to easily blend in to the tree simply by stepping into it.



= Mythological Stories: = One of the most famous dryad stories is the tragic story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Eurydice, the beautiful wife of Orpheus, was also a dryad. On the night after their wedding, Eurydice was bitten by a viper and killed.

Another famous story is that of Echo and Narcissus. Echo was a dryad who was condemned “never to use her tongue again except to repeat what was said to her” after angering the goddess. Narcissus was the son of the nymph Liriope. When he grew up he wouldn’t take any of the girls who longed for him, even Echo. Since Echo couldn’t speak to him she would follow him. When he called out she answered and came out from behind the bushes. He immediately rejected her. Echo was so upset she went to a lonely cave and was reduced into nothing more than a shadow, her echoing voice the only thing left. Narcissus eventually paid for his cruelty when a lover rejected by him prayed to Nemesis, who condemned Narcissus to the contemplation of his own beauty reflected in a pool on Mount Helicon. The more he looked the deeper he fell in love. He looked at himself for so long, he eventually wasted away and died. = = = Importance: =
 * They protect the forests and trees
 * Without the Dryads the forests would have been abused
 * They were known to be friendly with Artemis the goddess of the wild land and wildlife. They helped her protect the animals and inhabitants of the forests as well as keeping the trees alive and healthy.

= Modern References: = = = Books: Dryads are mentioned in C.S Lewis’ series The Chronicles of Narnia Movies: In the Movie Chronicles of Narnia there are scenes containing references to dyrads


 * Dryads appear in the classic play Sylvia
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">A dryad appears in a vision of Dulcinea’s in the ballet Don Quixote

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">The following is a deleted scene from the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It shows the presence of a Dryad in the forest click link below to view scence: []

= Works Cited: = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[] []

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