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The Dryad by Evelyn De Morgan

Dryads are tree nymphs in Greek mythology. In Greek drys signifies 'oak,' from an Indo-European root *derew(o)- 'tree' or 'wood.' Thus dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, though the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general. "Such deities are very much overshadowed by the divine figures defined through poetry and cult," Walter Burkert remarked of Greek nature deities (Burkert 1986, p174). Normally considered to be very shy creatures, except around the goddess Artemis who was known to be a friend to most nymphs. ^[1]

The nymphs of ash trees were called the Meliai. The ash-tree sisters tended the infant Zeus in Rhea's Cretan cave. Rhea gave birth to the Meliai after being made fertile by the blood of castrated Ouranos. They were also sometimes associated with fruit trees. ^[2]

Dryads, like all nymphs, were supernaturally long-lived and tied to their homes, but some were a step beyond most nymphs. These were the hamadryads who were an integral part of their trees, such that if the tree died, the hamadryad associated with it died as well. For these reasons, dryads and the Greek gods punished any mortals who harmed trees without first propitiating the tree-nymphs.^[3]

The nymphs of the laurel trees who spent most of their time sleeping, only coming out when no one was around. (See also the myth of Daphne, who was pursued by Apollo and became a dryad associated with the laurel). ^[4]

Literature

• Dryads are amongst the creatures who appear in C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia.
• Ce'Nedra, a central character in David Eddings' Belgariad and Malloreon, is of dryad heritage.
• Dryads (including male dryads, "where did you think acorns came from?") briefly appear in the Discworld novel The Colour of Magic.
• Sylvia Plath uses Dryads symbolically in her poetry, for example: "On the Difficulty of Conjuring up a Dryad"

Video Games

• Dryads are units of Wolf clan of the game Battle Realms WotW. They attack by using wooden staves.
• Dryads are featured in various campaign settings.
• Dryads are featured in the World of Warcraft game, seen mostly on the continent of Kalimdor as allies of the Alliance and Night Elves. They appear to be half deer, half elf. [1]
• Dryads are featured in Warcraft III as part of the Night Elf race.
• Dryads are also featured in Dungeon Siege II as a selectable character race. They are a part of the story and live in tree-towns. They look like humans except their greenish skin colour.
• Dryads appear as servants of the Trickster in the Thief series.
• A dryad appears in Runescape as a woman with what seem to be twigs growing out of her.
• Dryads are common enemies in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow located in the caves beneath the castle.
• Dryads are special units in Age of Mythology (the Titans) as strong walking trees.
• Dryad is the name of the Mana Tree elemental in the SNES game, Secret of Mana.
• Dryads are also a unit in the game series of Warlords BattleCry (II and III), under the race of the Wood Elves.
• Dryad is the name given to one of three breeds of monster resembling a tree in the original Final Fantasy Tactics for the Playstation.
• Dryads are a playable race in Horizons: Empire of Istaria
• Dryads are featured throughout the Quest for Glory computer game series.

Other

• Dryad is Monster in My Pocket #70, resembling a hamadryad, or the Dryad outfit that Penguin wore in an episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies. There is also a large inflatable version of the character that was available as a Spaghetti-Os premium.
• In Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Dryads are the vengeful spirits of trees and are able to shape shift into different forms, but generally appear as unearthly, lithe and beautiful maidens. In battle, the Dryads take on their war-aspect, with distorted limbs, features and vicious wooden talons capable of rending and impaling their foes.
• In the trading card game, Magic: The Gathering, there are some creatures with the type Dryad, mostly in the color Green, many known for their ability to "walk through" a particular type of land. (Most commonly a forest, but sometimes other types of lands as well)
• Cornelia Hale of W.I.T.C.H. becomes a Dryad when tapping into the zenith of her earth power.
• Dryad is a tree nymph featured in the original versions of the role-playing games Dungeons & Dragons, and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, as well as later editions and HackMaster. The one in the original Monster Manual resembles the hamadryad.
• A Dryad is featured in episode 3x01 of the Australian children's television series Round the Twist, impregnating one of the (male) main characters.
• Dryads are in an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess entitled "Girls just wanna have fun". Xena needed the Dryads bones in order to kill the Bacchae.

• Graves, Robert, 1960. The Greek Myths, 82.i; 86.2
• Burkert, Walter, 1985. Greek Religion (Cambridge:Harvard University Press)

A Dryad is portrayed as a vicious attacking creature in Xena that she and Gabrielle and Joxer have to fight off and/or kill on several occasions.

• Greek Mythology Link: Nymphs.
• Hans Christian Anderson, "The Dryad", 1868 (e-text)
• Tim Hoke, "The Dryad", 2002 (e-text)