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hamadryad

hamadryad

9.9
A spirit in old stories that lives in one tree, often an oak
  • noun
  • /ˌhæməˈdraɪæd/
  • Literature
translation icon : hamadriada
  • This time I focus on the lyrics, which tell of a Hamadryad who, out of foolish curiosity, approaches a man, and he catches her.

Examples

  • In Greek mythology, a hamadryad is a spirit that lives within an oak tree and is bound to it for life.

  • The same Guillet reported that his partner (Fig. 12) is "a hamadryad who dances."

    Academic text (2001)

  • A healer Hamadryad from a neighboring grove blows stories into her lungs to restore her spirit, but that effort fails as well.

    Blog text (24)

  • The tale of the hamadryad speaks of a nymph who protects her tree from harm.

  • According to legend, a hamadryad will wither and die if her tree is cut down.

Synonyms

dryad
vshamadryad
  • Literature
2 9.9

A spirit that lives in and protects a tree, often an oak

is bound to one particular tree and lives only in that tree

Surface Forms

hamadryad singular
hamadryads plural

Etymology

Hamadryad comes from Greek parts hama 'together' and dryas 'tree', and you can see the same root in the simpler word dryad. So a hamadryad is a tree spirit 'joined to' one tree and in myth would die if her tree was cut down.