What is a dryad?
A dryad is a tree spirit of Greek mythology, called “dryas” in Greek. A kind of nymph, a nature spirit, her name comes from the Greek word for “oak tree.” She is a being in the form of a beautiful young woman who dwells in the trees of the forest.
Spirits who share their lives with trees
Among the dryads, spirits who live as one with a particular tree are called “hamadryads.” Because a hamadryad lives and dies with her tree, she is said to die herself if the tree is cut down or withers. So there was also a custom of praying to the gods before cutting down a tree. Myths tell of people who cut down trees and killed dryads being punished by the gods.
Dryads in fantasy
Eurydice, wife of the great lyre player Orpheus, is sometimes said to have been a dryad. In modern games and fantasy, dryads often appear as plant spirits who protect the forest or as monsters merged with trees.
