Nymph

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is about the creatures of Greek mythology. For other uses, see Nymph (disambiguation).
Nymph
Waterhouse Hylas and the Nymphs Manchester Art Gallery 1896.15.jpg
In this 1896 painting of Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse, Hylas is abducted by the Naiads, I.e. fresh water nymphs
GroupingMythological
Sub groupingNature spirit
Similar creaturesMermaid, huldra, selkie, Heloi, siren
MythologyGreek mythology
CountryGreece

A nymph (Greek: νύμφη, nýmphē; Ancient: [nýmpʰɛː], Modern: [nímfi]) in ancient Greek folklore is a supernatural being associated with many other minor female deities that are often associated with the air, seas, woods, water or particular locations or landforms. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate or maintain Nature (natural forces reified and considered as a sentient being) for the environments where they live, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young, and graceful maidens. They were not necessarily immortal, but lived many years before they died.[1]

They are often divided into various broad subgroups, such as the Meliae (nymphs of ash trees), the Naiads (nymphs of rivers and streams), the Nereids (nymphs of calm seas), and the Oreads (nymphs of mountains).[2]

Nymphs often feature in many classic works of art, literature, mythology and in fiction. Since medieval times, nymphs are sometimes popularly associated, or even confused, with the mythical or spiritual fairies.

Etymology[edit]

Greek deities
series
Nymphs

The Greek word νύμφη has the primary meaning of "young woman; bride, young wife" but is not usually associated with deities in particular. Yet the etymology of the noun νύμφη remains uncertain. The Doric and Aeolic (Homeric) form is νύμφα.

Modern usage more often applies to young women at the peak of their attractiveness, contrasting with parthenos (παρθένος) "a virgin (of any age)", and generically as kore (κόρη < κόρϝα) "maiden, girl". The term is sometimes used by (human) women to address each other and remains the regular Modern Greek term for "bride".

Ancient Greek mythology[edit]

Nymphs were sometimes beloved by many and dwell in most specific areas related to the natural environment. e.g. mountainous regions and forests by springs or rivers. Other nymphs, mostly appeared in the shape of young maidens, were part of the retinue of a god, such as Dionysus, Hermes, or Pan, or a goddess, generally the huntress Artemis.[3]

The Greek nymphs were also spirits invariably bound to places, not unlike the Latin genius loci, and sometimes this produced complicated myths like cult of Arethusa to Sicily. In some of the works of the Greek-educated Latin poets, the nymphs gradually absorbed into their ranks the indigenous Italian divinities of springs and streams (Juturna, Egeria, Carmentis, Fontus), while the Lymphae (originally Lumpae), Italian water-goddesses, owing to the accidental similarity of their names, could be identified with the Greek Nymphae. The classical mythologies of the Roman poets were unlikely to have affected the rites and cults of individual nymphs venerated by country people in the springs and clefts of Latium. Among the Roman literate class, their sphere of influence was restricted, and they appear almost exclusively as divinities of the watery element.[citation needed]

Greek folk religion[edit]

The ancient Greek belief in nymphs survived in many parts of the country into the early years of the twentieth century, when they were usually known as "nereids".[4] Often nymphs tended to frequent areas distant from humans but could be encountered by lone travelers outside the village, where their music might be heard, and the traveler could spy on their dancing or bathing in a stream or pool, either during the noon heat or in the middle of the night. They might appear in a whirlwind. Such encounters could be dangerous, bringing dumbness, besotted infatuation, madness or stroke to the unfortunate human. When parents believed their child to be nereid-struck, they would pray to Saint Artemidos.[5][6]

Nymphs and fairies[edit]

Nymphs often feature or are depicted in many classic works across art, literature, mythology and in fiction. They are often associated with the medieval romances or Renaissance literature of the elusive mythical or spiritual fairies or elves.[7] Fairies are believed to have mixed openly with the classical nymphs and satyrs,[8] or sometimes even replacing the roles of the classical nymphs.

Sleeping nymph[edit]

A motif that entered European art during the Renaissance was the idea of a statue of a nymph sleeping in a grotto or spring.[9][10][11] This motif supposedly came from an Italian report of a Roman sculpture of a nymph at a fountain above the River Danube.[12] The report, and an accompanying poem supposedly on the fountain describing the sleeping nymph, are now generally concluded to be a fifteenth-century forgery, but the motif proved influential among artists and landscape gardeners for several centuries after, with copies seen at neoclassical gardens such as the grotto at Stourhead.[13][14][15]

List[edit]

All the names for various classes of nymphs have plural feminine adjectives, most agreeing with the substantive numbers and groups of nymphai. There is no single adopted classification that could be seen as canonical and exhaustive.[16] Some classes of nymphs tend to overlap, which complicates the task of precise classification. e.g. Dryads and hamadryads as nymphs of trees generally, meliai as nymphs of ash trees, and naiads as nymphs of water, but no others specifically.[16]

By type of dwelling[edit]

The following is not the authentic Greek classification, but is intended simply as a guide:

Classification by type of dwelling
Type / Group / Individuals Location Relations and Notes
Celestial nymphs
Aurae (breezes) also called Aetae or Pnoae[citation needed]
Asteriae (stars) mainly comprising the Atlantides (daughters of Atlas)
1. Hesperides Far West nymphs of the sunset, the West, and the evening; daughters of Atlas; also had attributes of the Hamadryads
• Aegle
• Arethusa
• Erytheia (or Eratheis)
• Hesperia (or Hispereia)
2. Hyades (star cluster; sent rain)
3. Pleiades daughters of Atlas and Pleione; constellation; also were classed as Oreads
• Maia partner of Zeus and mother of Hermes
• Electra
• Taygete
• Alcyone
• Celaeno
• Asterope
• Merope
Nephele (clouds)
Land nymphs
Alseides (groves)
Auloniades (valley pastures, glens)
Leimakides or Leimonides (meadows)
Napaeae (dells)
Oreads (mountains, grottoes), also Orodemniades
Wood and plant nymphs
Anthousai (flowers)
Dryades (trees)
Hamadryades or Hadryades
1. Daphnaeae (laurel tree)
2. Epimeliades or Epimelides (apple tree; also protected flocks) other name variants include Meliades, Maliades and Hamameliades; same as these are also the Boucolai (Pastoral Nymphs)
3. Kissiae (ivy)
4. Meliae (manna-ash tree)
Hyleoroi (watchers of woods)
Water nymphs (Hydriades or Ephydriades)
Haliae (sea and seashores)
1. Nereids (50 daughters of Nereus, the Mediterranean Sea)
Naiads or Naides (fresh water)
1. Crinaeae (fountains)
2. Eleionomae (wetlands)
3. Limnades or Limnatides (lakes)
4. Pegaeae (springs)
5. Potameides (rivers)
• Tágides (Tagus River)
Oceanids daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, any water, usually salty. see List of Oceanids
Underworld nymphs
Cocytiae daughters of the river god Cocytus
Lampades torch bearers in the retinue of Hecate
• Orphne is a representation of the darkness of the river Styx, the river of hatred, but is not to be confused with the goddess Styx-herself, but she is associated with both Styx and Nyx. She is the consort of Acheron, (the god of the river in Hades), and the mother of Ascalaphus, (the orchardist of Hades).
• Leuce (white poplar tree) lover of Hades
• Minthe (mint) lover of Hades, rival of Persephone
• Melinoe Orphic nymph, daughter of Persephone and "Zeus disguised as Pluto".[17] Her name is a possible epithet of Hecate.
Other nymphs
Hecaterides (rustic dance) sisters of the Dactyls, mothers of the Oreads and the Satyrs
Kabeirides sisters of the Kabeiroi
Maenads or Bacchai or Bacchantes frenzied nymphs in the retinue of Dionysus
1. Lenai (wine-press)
2. Mimallones (music)
3. Naides (Naiads)
4. Thyiai or Thyiades (thyrsus bearers)
Melissae (honey bees) likely a subgroup of Oreades or Epimelides
The Muses (memory, knowledge, art)
Themeides daughters of Zeus and Themis, prophets and keepers of certain divine artifacts

By location[edit]

The following is a list of groups of nymphs associated with this or that particular location. Nymphs in such groupings could belong to any of the classes mentioned above (Naiades, Oreades, and so on).

Location-specific groupings of nymphs
Groups and Individuals Location Relations and Notes
Aeaean Nymphs Aeaea Island handmaidens of Circe
Aegaeides Aegaeus River on the island of Scheria
Aesepides Aesepus River in Anatolia
• Abarbarea
Acheloides Achelous River
• Callirhoe, second wife of Alcmaeon
Acmenes Stadium in Olympia, Elis
Amnisiades Amnisos River on the island of Crete entered the retinue of Artemis
Anigrides Anigros River in Elis believed to cure skin diseases
Asopides Asopus River in Sicyonia and Boeotia
• Aegina Island of Aegina mother of Menoetius by Actor, and Aeacus by Zeus
• Asopis
• Chalcis Chalcis, Euboea regarded as the mother of the Curetes and Corybantes; perhaps the same as Combe and Euboea below
• Cleone Cleonae, Argos
• Combe Island of Euboea consort of Socus and mother by him of the seven Corybantes
• Corcyra Island of Corcyra mother of Phaiax by Poseidon
• Euboea Island of Euboea abducted by Poseidon
• Gargaphia or Plataia or Oeroe Plataea, Boeotia carried off by Zeus
• Harmonia a nymph of the Akmonian Wood, near Themiscyra mother of the Amazons by Ares[18][19]
• Harpina Pisa, Elis mother of Oenomaus by Ares
• Ismene Ismenian spring of Thebes, Boeotia wife of Argus, eponymous king of Argus and thus, mother of Argus Panoptes and Iasus.
• Nemea Nemea, Argolis others called her the daughter of Zeus and Selene
• Ornea Ornia, Sicyon
• Peirene Corinth others called her father to be Oebalus or Achelous by Poseidon she became the mother of Lecheas and Cenchrias
• Salamis Island of Salamis mother of Cychreus by Poseidon
• Sinope Sinope, Anatolia mother of Syrus by Apollo
• Tanagra Tanagra, Boeotia mother of Leucippus and Ephippus by Poemander
• Thebe Thebes, Boeotia wife of Zethus and also said to have consorted with Zeus
• Themis Arcadia She had a son with Hermes, called Evander. Her son was the founder of the Pallantium. Pallantium became one of the cities that was merged later into the ancient Rome. Romans called her, Carmenta.[20]
• Thespeia Thespia, Boeotia abducted by Apollo
Astakides Lake Astacus, Bithynia appeared in the myth of Nicaea
• Nicaea
Asterionides Asterion River, Argos daughters of the river god Asterion; nurses of the infant goddess Hera
• Acraea ditto
• Euboea ditto
• Prosymna ditto
Carian Naiades (Caria)
• Salmacis
Nymphs of Ceos
Corycian Nymphs (Corycian Cave) Corycian cave, Delphi, Phocis daughters of the river god Pleistos
• Kleodora (or Cleodora) Mt. Parnassus, Phocis mother of Parnassus by Poseidon
• Corycia Corycian cave, Delphi, Phocis mother of Lycoreus by Apollo
• Daphnis
• Melaina ditto mother of Delphos by Apollo
Cydnides River Cydnus in Cilicia
Cyrenaean Nymphs City of Cyrene, Libya
Cypriae Nymphs Island of Cyprus
Cyrtonian Nymphs Town of Cyrtone, Boeotia Κυρτωνιαι
Deliades Island of Delos daughters of Inopus, god of the river Inopus
Dodonides Oracle at Dodona
Erasinides Erasinos River, Argos daughters of the river god Erasinos; attendants of the goddess Britomartis.
• Anchiroe ditto
• Byze ditto
• Maera ditto
• Melite ditto
Nymphs of the river Granicus
• Alexirhoe
• Pegasis
Heliades River Eridanos daughters of Helios who were changed into trees
Himeriai Naiades Local springs at the town of Himera, Sicily
Hydaspides Hydaspers River, India nurses of infant Zagreus
Idaean Nymphs Mount Ida nurses of infant Zeus
• Ida
• Adrasteia
Inachides Inachos River, Argos daughters of the river god Inachus
• Io ditto mother of Epaphus by Zeus
• Amymone ditto
• Philodice ditto wife of Leucippus of Messenia by whom she became the mother of Hilaeira, Phoebe and possibly Arsinoe
• Messeis ditto
• Hyperia ditto
• Mycene ditto wife of Arestor and by him probably the mother of Argus Panoptes; eponym of Mycenae
Ionides Kytheros River in Elis daughters of the river god Cytherus
• Calliphaea ditto
• Iasis ditto
• Pegaea ditto
• Synallaxis ditto
Ithacian Nymphs Local springs and caves on the island of Ithaca
Ladonides Ladon River
Lamides or Lamusides Lamos River in Cilicia possible nurses of infant Dionysus
Leibethrides Mounts Helicon and Leibethrios in Boeotia; or Mount Leibethros in Thrace)
• Libethrias
• Petra
Lelegeides Lycia, Anatolia
Lycaean Nymphs Mount Lycaeus nurses of infant Zeus, perhaps a subgroup of the Oceanides
Melian Nymphs Island of Melos transformed into frogs by Zeus; not to be confused with the Meliae (ash tree nymphs
Mycalessides Mount Mycale in Caria, Anatolia
Mysian Nymphs Spring of Pegai near Lake Askanios in Bithynia who abducted Hylas
• Euneica
• Malis
• Nycheia
Naxian Nymphs Mount Drios on the island of Naxos nurses of infant Dionysus; were syncretized with the Hyades
• Cleide
• Coronis
• Philia
Neaerides Thrinacia Island daughters of Helios and Neaera, watched over Helios' cattle
Nymphaeides Nymphaeus River in Paphlagonia
Nysiads Mount Nysa nurses of infant Dionysos, identified with Hyades
Ogygian Nymphs Island of Ogygia four handmaidens of Calypso
Ortygian Nymphs Local springs of Syracuse, Sicily named for the island of Ortygia
Othreides Mount Othrys a local group of Hamadryads
Pactolides Pactolus River
• Euryanassa, wife of Tantalus
Pelionides Mount Pelion nurses of the Centaurs
Phaethonides a synonym for the Heliades
Phaseides Phasis River
Rhyndacides Rhyndacus River in Mysia
Sithnides Fountain at the town of Megara
Spercheides River Spercheios one of them, Diopatra, was loved by Poseidon and the others were changed by him into trees
Sphragitides, or Cithaeronides Mount Cithaeron
Tagids, Tajids, Thaejids or Thaegids River Tagus in Portugal and Spain
Thessalides Peneus River in Thessaly
Thriae Mount Parnassos prophets and nurses of Apollo
Trojan Nymphs Local springs of Troy

Others[edit]

The following is a selection of names of the nymphs whose class was not specified in the source texts. For lists of Naiads, Oceanids, Dryades etc. see respective articles.

Individual names of some of the nymphs
Names Location Relations and Notes
Alphesiboea India loved by Dionysus
Aora eponym of the town Aoros in Crete[21]
Areia Crete daughter of Cleochus and mother of Miletus by Apollo[22]
Astyoche one of the Danaïdes, and the mother of Chrysippus by Pelops.[23]
Axioche or Danais mother of Chrysippus by Pelops
Brettia eponym of Abrettene, Mysia[24]
Brisa brought up the god Dionysus[25]
Calybe Troy mother of Bucolion, Laomedon'
Chalcea mother of Olympus by Zeus[26]
Chania a lover of Heracles
Chariclo mother of Tiresias by Everes
Charidia mother of Alchanus by Zeus[26]
Chryse Lemnos fell in love with Philoctetes[27]
Cirrha eponym of Cirrha in Phocis[28]
Clymene mother of Tlesimenes by Parthenopaeus
Cretheis briefly mentioned in Suda[29]
Crimisa eponym of a city in Italy[30]
Deiopea one of Hera's nymphs who was promised to Aeolus
Dodone Dodona eponym of Dodona
Echemeia spelled "Ethemea" by Hyginus, consort of Merops
Eidothea Mt. Othrys mother by Eusiros of Cerambus[31]
Eunoe possible mother of Hecuba by Dymas
Eunoste Boeotia (possibly) nurse of Eunostus
Euryte Athens mother of Halirrhothius by Poseidon[32]
Hegetoria Rhodes consort of Ochimus
Himalia mother of Cronius, Spartaios, and Cytos by Zeus
Hyale belongs to the train of Artemis
Hyllis Argos possible eponym of the tribe Hylleis and the city Hylle[33]
Idaea Crete mother of Cres[34] and Asterion[26] by Zeus
Idaea Mt. Ida, Troad mother of Teucer by Scamander
Ithome Messenia one of the nurses of Zeus
Laodice Argolis (possibly) mother of Apis by Phoroneus
Leucophryne Magnesia (possibly) priestess of Artemis Leucophryne
Ligeia
Linos mother of Pelops by Atlas in some accounts[35]
Lotis pursued by Priapus and was changed into a tree that bears her name
Ma nymph in the suite of Rhea who nursed Zeus
Melanippe Attica (possibly) married Itonus, son of Amphictyon.[36]
Melissa discovered and taught the use of honey; nurse of Zeus
Mendeis consort of Sithon
Menodice daughter of Orion and mother of Hylas by Theiodamas
Myrmex Attica beloved companion of Athena whom she turned into an ant[37]
Nacole eponym of Nacoleia in Phrygia[38]
Neaera Thrinacia mother of Lampetia and Phaethusa by Helios
Neaera mother of Aegle by Zeus[39]
Neaera Lydia mother of Dresaeus by Theiodamas[40]
Nymphe Samothrace mother of Saon by Zeus
Oeneis mother of Pan by Hermes
Oinoie mother of Sicinus by Thoas
Olbia Bithynia mother of Astacus by Poseidon
Paphia possibly the mother of Cinyras by Eurymedon
Pareia mother of four sons by Minos
Polydora one of the Danaïdes
Pyronia mother of Iasion by Minos
Psalacantha changed into a plant by Dionysus
Rhene Mount Cyllene consorted with both Hermes and Oileus
Semestra nurse of Keroessa
Sinoe Arcadia nurse of Pan
Teledice a consort of Phoroneus
Thalia Sicily (probably) mother of the Palici by Zeus
Thisbe Boeotia eponym of the town of Thisbe
Tithorea Mt. Parnassus eponym of the town of Tithorea (previously called Neon)

In non-Greek tales influenced by Greek mythology[edit]

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Parad, Carlos; Förlag, Maicar (1997). "Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology: Nymphs". Astrom Editions. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  2. ^ Grimal, p. 313, s.v. Nymphs.
  3. ^ Larson, Jennifer (1997). "Handmaidens of Artemis?". The Classical Journal. 92 (3): 249–257. JSTOR 3298110.
  4. ^ Lawson, John Cuthbert (1910). Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion (1st ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 131.
  5. ^ "Heathen Artemis yielded her functions to her own genitive case transformed into Saint Artemidos", as Terrot Reaveley Glover phrased it in discussing the "practical polytheism in the worship of the saints", in Progress in Religion to the Christian Era 1922:107.
  6. ^ Tomkinson, John L. (2004). Haunted Greece: Nymphs, Vampires and Other Exotika (1st ed.). Athens: Anagnosis. chapter 3. ISBN 978-960-88087-0-6.
  7. ^ Kready, Laura (1916). A Study of Fairy Tales. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
  8. ^ Briggs, Katharine Mary (1976). "Euphemistic names for fairies". An Encyclopedia of Fairies. New York: Pantheon Books. p. 127. ISBN 0-394-73467-X.
  9. ^ Stephen John Campbell (2004). The Cabinet of Eros: Renaissance Mythological Painting and the Studiolo of Isabella D'Este. Yale University Press. pp. 95–6. ISBN 978-0-300-11753-0.
  10. ^ Maryan Wynn Ainsworth; Joshua P. Waterman; Dorothy Mahon (2013). German Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1350-1600. Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 95–6. ISBN 978-1-58839-487-3.
  11. ^ Jay A. Levenson; National Gallery of Art (U.S.) (1991). Circa 1492: Art in the Age of Exploration. Yale University Press. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-300-05167-4.
  12. ^ Leonard Barkan (1999). Unearthing the Past: Archaeology and Aesthetics in the Making of Renaissance Culture. Yale University Press. pp. 237–8. ISBN 978-0-300-08911-0.
  13. ^ Elisabeth B. MacDougall (January 1994). Fountains, Statues, and Flowers: Studies in Italian Gardens of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Dumbarton Oaks. pp. 37–56. ISBN 978-0-88402-216-9.
  14. ^ Kenneth Gross (1992). The Dream of the Moving Statue. Cornell University Press. pp. 170–175. ISBN 978-0-8014-2702-2.
  15. ^ a b Rose, Herbert Jennings (1959). A Handbook of Greek Mythology (1st ed.). New York: E. P. Dutton. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-525-47041-0.
  16. ^ Orphic Hymn 71.
  17. ^ Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, Book 2
  18. ^ ARGONAUTICA BOOK 2
  19. ^ Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, 2.1
  20. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium s. v. Aōros
  21. ^ Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 1. 2
  22. ^ Robert Graves. The Greek Myths, section 110 s.v. The Children of Pelops
  23. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium s.v. Abrettēnē
  24. ^ Schol. ad Pers. Sat. i. 76.
  25. ^ a b c Pseudo-Clement, Recognitions 10.21–23
  26. ^ Hyginus, Fabulae, 102
  27. ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 10. 37. 5
  28. ^ Suda s. v. Kretheus
  29. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium s. v. Krimisa
  30. ^ Antoninus Liberalis. Metamorphoses, 22 vs Cerambus
  31. ^ Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.14.2
  32. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium s. v. Hylleis
  33. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium s. v. Krētē
  34. ^ Robert Graves. The Greek Myths, section 108 s.v. Tantalus
  35. ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 9. 1. 1
  36. ^ William Smith. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology s.v. Myrmex
  37. ^ Suda s. v. Nakoleia
  38. ^ Pausanias, 9. 35. § 1
  39. ^ Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy, 1. 290 – 291

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nymph&oldid=953994410"