When Bakkhos (Bacchus) came near, the pipes were sounded, the raw drumskin was beaten, on either side was the noise of beaten brass and the wail of the syrinx. the Hydriades (Water-Nymphs) of plant-loving Dionysos mingled with the dryades of the trees. Nonnus, in his Dionysiaca, describes these revels as follows: “They leapt about dancing on the Indian crags, along the rocky paths then they built shelters undisturbed in the dark forest, and spent the night among the trees. The Youth of Bacchus, by William Bourguereau, 1884, via Sotheby’s Their wild nature came out during the revelries of Dionysius, when the wine god would bring his wild wine-infused parties through the forests, and the Dryads would be all too eager to join. Fauns and nymphs would often play together. They enjoyed the company of Pan, the god of the Wild. Conversely, if the tree were to blossom, the life of the dryad would be healthy and spirited, too.ĭryads often hid from humans, but they could be playful. If the tree were to perish, so would the dryad’s spirit. If a tree nymph had a specific name - such as the Hamadryades - then that meant the spirit of the nymph was tied to the tree. There were many different types of dryads, but the rarest were the Daphnaie. These were, naturally, the spirits of trees, woodlands, oaks, pines, poplars, ash trees, and so on. The term “dryad” translates as “of the tree or oak”. We are re-evaluating our relationship and identification with nature.ĭryads The Dryad, by Evelyn de Morgan, 1884-1885, via the De Morgan Collection However, with the increase of environmental movements, this narrative is beginning to change. Often in the modern-day, humans divide themselves from nature as something separate. Anthropomorphizing nature - when one ascribes human-like attributes to nature - is a common technique to draw connections between humans and nature, and yet at the same time, it is a way to see humanity as nature itself. Many writers, artists, and creative thinkers used the imagery of nymphs to depict moods and senses, set in the diverse scenery of nature. Dryads took residence in trees, Naiads in the rivers, and Oreads in the mountains. Have you ever walked through a forest, and felt it was cold and unappealing? Or the opposite, a forest full of sunlight that comforts the soul? The ancient Greeks identified the different atmospheres in nature with the moods of the nymphs. Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.Īs spirits, the nymphs could reflect the moods of the nature. ![]() ![]() Nymphs: The Dryad, Naiad, and Oread Orpheus charming the Nymphs, Dryads and animals, by Charles Joseph Natoire, via the Met Museum “Nature is not always tricked in holiday attire, but the same scene which yesterday breathed perfume and glittered as for the frolic of the nymphs, is overspread with melancholy today.
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