El Apollo and Daphne myth is known for being an impossible love story that became a metamorphosis. In fact, the best known version is the one made in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Know in this article everything related to this topic.
Myth of Apollo and Daphne
In Greek mythology it is very common to know about many love stories, but in some cases of impossible love or that went through various inconveniences. One of these is the myth of Apollo and Daphne.
In fact, the myth of Apollo and Daphne has been described through the narratives of Hellenistic and Roman authors. Although the best known version is that of the Roman poet Ovid in his work the metamorphoses.
Apollo and Eros
The beginning of the myth of Apollo and Daphne occurs when Eros punishes the attitude that Apollo had when he used the bow and arrows. This is because when Apollo killed the Python serpent and related to the Oracle of Delphi, he reproached Eros, because he made fun of him for the way he used the bow and arrows.
In fact, he told him that he was not a good shot, so Eros made the decision to show Apollo the range of his arrows. Therefore, Eros shot a golden arrow into Apollo's heart, causing him to fall in love with the nymph Daphne who was there.
In turn, Eros shot a lead arrow into Daphne's heart, so that she would repel Apollo. From there, he initiates the impossible love known as the myth of Apollo and Daphne.
The myth
Daphne was a daughter of Mother Earth and the river Ladon. She walked through the woods walking very calmly and she didn't want to be in love, least of all with Apollo, who said that she had a lot of anger.
Even she had rejected many lovers and was characterized by demonstrating her ability to hunt and explore the forests. In addition to her father, the river god who some describe as Ladon and others as Peneus, told her to marry so that he would give her grandchildren.
But she asked her father to let her be single, just as she was Apollo's twin sister, known as Artemis. But her father told her that she was too beautiful to be walking away from the number of suitors she had. So Apollo frequently sought her out and begged her to stay with him.
Although she listened to Apollo as he declared himself to her, trying to convince her because he was a very skilled god. Once when Apollo tried to get closer, she ran through the forest.
Even this part of the myth of Apollo and Daphne is the one that is most represented in works of art, especially in paintings. When Daphne was running through the forest trying to escape from Apollo, who was chasing her and was going to catch her, she asked Mother Earth to save her from him, which caused her to metamorphose. She also knows the myth of persephone.
Daphne's metamorphosis
One of the best known parts of the myth of Apollo and Daphne is the one referring to metamorphosis. This event occurred when Apollo was going to reach Daphne but she was paralyzed and her feet began to be covered with earth, they became roots, her body was covered with bark and branches grew in her arms.
So Daphne became a laurel. However, Apollo hugged her but she was already a tree. From there Apollo swore an oath that they would never part. He began to pluck some leaves from Daphne and placed them around her head, creating a laurel wreath.
Because of this, since he could no longer have Daphne as a wife, he made a promise that he would love her eternally, thus in the form of a tree. Therefore, with its branches it was going to crown the heads of the winners and champions of the Olympic Games. In addition, the green color of the tree's leaves always remained that way because Apollo used the powers of eternal youth and immortality from him.
In fact, Garcilaso de la Vega also describes this part of the metamorphosis of the myth of Apollo and Daphne, in a verse. There he describes that Daphne grew her arms, with branches of green leaves, which made her hair darker than hers.
While the bark was covering her tender body and her white feet they were sinking into the earth and twisting as they became roots. The one who caused such damage, he wept loudly and watered the growing tree with his tears. Also know about perseus.
The laurel in mythology
Greek mythology is also characterized by being the one that has named many of the aspects, things and other topics known today. In this case of the myth of Apollo and Daphne, the metamorphosis represents the origin of the laurel.
In the same way, this myth describes how sacred this tree is, which is destined for the victors, since the leaves that were always green were because they represented the eternal youth that Apollo gave him.
This tree also has a divinatory aspect provided by Apollo, since it was the symbol of the fortune teller in the Oracle of Delphi. The fortune-teller was characterized by frequently chewing bay leaves, while savoring in this way the prophetic arts of that tree.
In art
The myth of Apollo and Daphne has been one of the most represented stories when it comes to Greek mythology. One of these best-known works is the marble sculpture made by the Italian Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which he called Apollo and Daphne.
Where Apollo is seen chasing Daphne, he wearing a laurel crown, which is related to Daphne's metamorphosis. While she is represented through the moment in which she transforms, since her arms are shaped like branches and in turn she is asking to be rescued from Apollo.
If you were interested in the information in this article, you may also be interested in knowing about the god Aeolus.