From TinWiki.org
Dancing Nymphs
|
|
|
|
A nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form, typically associated with a particular location or landform. They live in mountains and groves, by springs and rivers, and in valleys and cool grottoes.
They are frequently associated with superior deities like the huntress Artemis, Apollo, the god of wine, Dionysus, Pan, and Hermes.
Nymphs were the frequent target of satyrs, and are classified as land, wood, water (sea), and other nymphs.
Land Nymphs
- Alseids: the nymphs of glens and groves; liked to scare travelers
- Auloniad: the nymphs of mountain pastures and vales; often in the company of Pan (god of nature)
- Hesperides: nymphs who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world located near the Atlas mountains in Libya or on a distant island at the edge of the encircling Oceanus (world ocean); daughters of Atlas (titan who supported the heavens on his shoulders)
- Aegle: Hesperide nymph; name means dazzling light
- Arethusa
- Erytheia
- Hespera
- Hesperia
- Saraesa: Hesperide nymph; name means beautiful wind
- Leimakids: nymphs of the meadow
- Napaeae: nymphs of the wooded valleys, glens, or grottoes
- Oread: nymphs of the mountains, valleys, and ravines; associated with Artemis (goddess of the hunt)
- Britomartis: mountain nymph; minor goddess of the hunt
- Cynosura: nymph on Mount Ida, Crete; nursed Zeus when he was being hidden from his father, Cronus; in gratitude, Zeus placed her in the heavens as the constellation Ursa Minor
- Cyllene: nymph associated with Mount Kyllini in Greece, birthplace of Hermes (messenger god)
- Echo: mountain nymph who played the decoy for Zeus when he had affairs with other nymphs; loved the sound of her own voice; punished by Hera by having her voice taken away, only able to repeat the voice of another
- Oenone: mountain nymph associated with Mount Ida in Phrygia; linked to the gift of wine; fathered by Cebren (river god)
- Pitys: nymph pursued by Pan (horned goat-god of shepherds); changed into a pine tree by the gods in order to escape him
Wood Nymphs
- Dryads: tree nymphs of oak trees; very shy except around the goddess Artemis
- Daphne: nymph who became a dryad associated with the laurel to escape the attentions of Apollo (god of light and sun)
- Hemadryad: integral parts of their trees, dying when their tree dies
- Meliai: dryads of ash trees; tended the infant Zeus in his mother’s cave; children of Rhea (mother of the gods) and Uranus (the sky); Rhea gave birth to them after being made fertile by the blood of the castrated Uranus; sometimes associated with fruit trees
- Epimeliad: dryads who are protectors of apple trees, sheep, and goats; their hair was white, like the apple blossoms or undyed wool
- Leuce: dryad who was carried off by Hades (god of the underworld); turned into a white poplar tree after her death
Water Nymphs (Ephydriads)
- Helead: nymphs of fens (wetlands)
- Maia: ephydriad who was the partner of Zeus, mother of Hermes
- Naiads: nymphs who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks (fresh water nymphs)
- Crinaeae: nymphs associated with fountains
- Aganippe: naiad nymph associated with aganippe fountain created by Pegasus at the base of Mount Helicon; daughter of river god Permessus
- Appias: naiad nymph who lived in the two fountains outside the temple to Venus in the Roman Forum
- Eleionomae: nymphs associated with marshes; misled travelers with their illusions; lured young virgin boys and seduced them with their beauty
- Hyades: sisterhood of nymphs who bring rain
- Limnades: nymphs associated with freshwater lakes; parents were river or lake gods
- Pegaeae: nymphs associated with springs
- Albunea: prophetic nymph who lived in the sulfuric spring near Tivoli; a Sibyl (oracle)
- Cassotis: naiad nymph who lived in the spring at the Oracle at Delphi, dedicated to Apollo
- Potameides: nymphs associated with rivers
- Corycian Nymphs: three naiad nymphs of the sacred springs of the Corycian Cave
- Nereids: sea nymphs; accompany Poseidon (god of the sea); friendly and helpful of sailors fighting perilous storms; there were between 50 and 100 nereids
- Oceanids: the three thousand daughters of Oceanus (world ocean) and Tethys (aquatic sea goddess); each was the patroness of a particular spring, river, ocean, lake, pond, pasture, flower, or cloud
Other Nymphs
- Lampades: nymphs of the underworld; companions of Hecate (goddess of witchcraft and crossroads); bear torches and accompany Hecate on her night-time travels and hauntings; the light from their torches can drive people to madness
- Muses: nymphs of creativity
- Nephelae: nymphs of the clouds
- Pleiades: nymphs of the stars
Also on TinWiki
External Links
