Sunday, August 8, 2010

Daphne And Apollo: Surprise, Surprise!


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Knowing how popular he was among women - and some men, too... (see "Male Lovers", at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo ); it was better for heart breaker Apollo to spread the rumor that a leaden arrow hardened Daphne's. It would stand badly against his reputation as a seducer if people began to think that the beautiful nymph Daphne simply didn't care for his glorious handsomeness. And Apollo wasn't the kind to take feminine rejections smoothly, apparently. So, one good day he decided that Daphne would have to give in, even if by sheer physical force.

The god chased Daphne around the forest, first playfully, then, seriously, breaking in a heavy sweat. What a moment it must have been for Apollo, to find out how badly the girl despised him, that to stay away, she ran furiously for all she was worth! And, even worse for his overfed ego, Daphne was a very fast runner, and he couldn't catch her. Only a divine favor would allow him to close the distance between them, as he was no match for this lightning-fast opponent!

Just at that moment - his good luck working miracles, no doubt - Cupid decided to give him the aid he required. But as his footsteps ate the space separating him from his sweet goal, right when he could feel the heat of her body on his finger tips, and the brush of her hair against his face, he received an almost heart stopping surprise. Beautiful Daphne turned instantly into a laurel tree! His desperate hands sought the dreamed softness of her skin, but found instead hard bark. He buried his face in her lustrous mane, with the last of hopes, but found only the rustle of leaves, and tiny branches that scratched his cheeks and lips.

So determined was Daphne to avoid him (or not just him, but all her suitors, as the Greek story likes to generalize, to Apollo's relieve...), that she preferred to transform herself completely. She considered her gorgeous form to be responsible for her troubles. She asked her father Peneus for help, and received it in the shape of a huge laurel tree. Now she would be forever rooted to the ground, opposite to the freedom of movement she was so used to have around the woods, which allowed her to be the great runner and hunter she was well known for.

I wonder if she had any idea of what her father had in mind, when she asked him for help. Either her father couldn't think straight in such short notice, or his responses to favor requests used to be this radical. Or maybe he simply just had a terrible dislike for Apollo and his ill reputation with women, now planning mischief with his dear daughter's purity.

Apparently, Apollo's ability to continue his love life as if nothing ever happened followed unimpaired. To me, it wasn't so. I think Daphne marked him deeply, after all... Irreversibly. His declaration as sacred of the green leaves now replacing her hair, isn't one to be taken lightly. Instead of just remembering with reverence her braveness in each Olympic event with laurel leaves as a special symbol, I think he grieved her loss quietly, in every of those magnificent occasions. He was the brave one, suffering silently for the only love he was so obsessed about, and couldn't have, ever.


You can read more about this topic at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne

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