The Wooing of Daphnis by Arthur_Lemon
Hamadryads are nymphs who inhabit trees, the word is a compound of ‘hama’, "together with," and ‘drus’, "tree" ,"oak". In the ‘Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite’ there is a reference these nymphs as being neither mortal nor immortal, for though they have god-like characteristics their lives are bound up with that of the tree, and “the soul of the tree and the soul of the nymph leave the light of the Sun together.” There are stories about these nymphs punishing mortals who damage trees, but also of showing gratitude to mortals who protect or rescue trees from damage.
When offered a reward this usually turns out to involve sex, but often with conditions attached with the mortals concerned suffering the consequences when not observing them. One of these conditions might be that the mortal keeps silent about his relationship with the nymph. Another is related in the story of Rhoikos who, seeing that an oak was about to fall, had it propped up. The nymph, thanked him and told him to ask for anything he wanted. When he asked to have sex with her, she told him not to have sex with any other woman. She said that a bee would act as a messenger between them. The bee flew by while he was playing draughts, and Rhoikos spoke so crudely that he angered the nymph, who stung him. The story is not specific but he may have been bragging about his forthcoming liaison with the nymph, or that he had been with another woman.
A well-known version of this punishment for disobeying a nymph’s conditions is that of Daphnis, the mortal son of Hermes and a nymph who was taught by Pan play the syrinx and very good looking. He lived in the open, herding his cattle winter and summer on Mount Aitne. A nymph, Echenais, fell in love with him and forbade him to go with any other woman or he would be blind. For some time, he obeyed her, though many women were mad for him. Finally, a Sicilian princess plied him with wine, arousing him to sleep with her. As a result, he was blinded.
