Apollo, Daphne and the Laurel Tree

Daphne was a beautiful Nymph who loved to hunt. She was created by the Titaness Gaea (the Mother Earth in Ancient Greece) and the god of the Rivers, Peneus.

Daphne was the first love of the Greek god Apollo. When Apollo first saw Daphne, he was struck by the arrows of Eros and fell madly in love with her. But Daphne was rather indifferent to Apollo and tried to escape. But Apollo did not want to give up. So he took up the pursuit of Daphne until he finally caught her and embraced her.

Filled with despair, Daphne prayed to her mother Gaea for help to make her disappear. Gaea followed her wish and all of a sudden Daphne disappeared from the face of the earth.

On the spot where Daphne was last seen, a fragrant plant, the sacred laurel tree, grew in Daphne’s honor. From then on, the laurel tree became the symbol of Apollo and he was often depicted with laurel leaves on his golden hair.