Daphnis

Daphnis dăfˈnĭs [key], in Greek mythology, shepherd, the son of Hermes and a nymph. He was unfaithful to a nymph who loved him, and in revenge she blinded him. He tried to comfort himself by playing melancholy songs upon the shepherd's pipes, and his friends lamented for him in song. Daphnis was revered as the inventor of pastoral music.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Folklore and Mythology