A Temple Wild Podcast
Daphne and Apollo
In this episode we discuss the myth of Daphne and Apollo. Daphne, whose name actually means Bay Laurel in Greek (Δάφνη), was a nymph of ancient Greece who, while running from Apollo’s advances, was transformed into a sacred tree of prophecy and ritual cleansing. In one story, she is the beautiful daughter of the River Peneos in Thessaly, and in another version she belongs to the River Ladon in the Peloponnese. But it is her connection to Mount Parnassos and the oracular Bee nymphs which is to me the most interesting, as it links her quite intimately, as we will see, with the Pythia — that ancient Oracle of Delphi.
Narcissus and Echo
Most people know the myth of Narcissus, the beautiful youth who falls in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and wastes away, pining for the love he cannot touch. His tale is often shared as a warning against egoism, pride, and self-obsession, but few people have heard of his counterpart, the nature spirit Echo, whose obsession with Narcissus leads to her own dissolution. I adore this myth because I believe there is a deeper message in this story - a message about numbness, obsession, and human desire - a message I think that most people miss...