Myrrha

Myrrha knew that her desire for Cinyras, her father, could not be made lawful. She tried to resist it and called on the gods and the ties between parent and child to stop her. Her nurse found her in despair and pressed her to explain what she wanted. When Myrrha finally confessed, the nurse tried to dissuade her. She then arranged a concealed meeting while Cinyras's wife was away. In the darkness, Myrrha entered her father's bed without being recognised. She returned on later nights. When Cinyras asked who was with him, Myrrha's answer betrayed her identity. He drew his sword, and she fled.

Myrrha travelled far from home. As she reached the Panchaean fields, she could bear the delay no longer. She prayed for a shape between life and death, and the earth rose around her legs. She sank into the approaching wood and disappeared inside its bark. Her human form was hidden, but she continued to weep. Warm drops ran from the tree, and its resin carried her name. The tree opened as it laboured. Lucina placed her hands on the wood and helped release the child inside. The infant was received by the Naiads and washed among them.