Nymph
A nymph in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are typically tied to a specific place or landform, and are usually depicted as beautiful maidens. They were not necessarily immortal, but lived much longer than humans before they died.
They are often divided into various broad subgroups, such as the Meliae, the Naiads, the Nereids, and the Oreads.
Nymphs often feature in many classic works of art, literature, mythology, and fiction. Since medieval times, nymphs are sometimes popularly associated or even confused with fairies.
Etymology
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 form is νύμφα.Modern usage more often applies to young women at the peak of their attractiveness, contrasting with parthenos "a virgin ", and generically as kore "maiden, girl". The term is sometimes used by women to address each other and remains the regular Modern Greek term for "bride".
Ancient Greek mythology
Nymphs were sometimes beloved by many and dwelt in specific areas related to the natural environment, e.g. mountainous regions, forests, springs. Other nymphs were part of the retinue of a god, such as Dionysus, Hermes, or Pan, or a goddess, generally the huntress Artemis.The Greek nymphs were also spirits invariably bound to places, not unlike the Latin genius loci, and sometimes this produced complicated myths like the 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 while the Lymphae, 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.
Greek folk religion
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". 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.Nymphs and fairies
Nymphs often feature or are depicted in many classic works across art, literature, mythology, and fiction. They are often associated with the medieval romances or Renaissance literature of the elusive fairies or elves.Sleeping nymph
A motif that entered European art during the Renaissance was the idea of a statue of a nymph sleeping in a grotto or spring. This motif supposedly came from an Italian report of a Roman sculpture of a nymph at a fountain above the River Danube. 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.List
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. 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.By type of dwelling
The following is not the authentic Greek classification, but is intended simply as a guide:By location
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.| 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 |
| • 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. |
| • 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 | ||
| • Salmacis | ||
| Nymphs of Ceos | ||
| Corycian Nymphs | Corycian cave, Delphi, Phocis | daughters of the river god Pleistos |
| • Kleodora | ||
| • 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
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.| Names | Location | Relations and Notes |
| Alphesiboea | India | loved by Dionysus |
| Aora | eponym of the town Aoros in Crete | |
| Areia | Crete | daughter of Cleochus and mother of Miletus by Apollo |
| Astyoche | one of the Danaïdes, and the mother of Chrysippus by Pelops. | |
| Axioche or Danais | mother of Chrysippus by Pelops | |
| Brettia | eponym of Abrettene, Mysia | |
| Brisa | brought up the god Dionysus | |
| Calybe | Troy | mother of Bucolion, Laomedon' |
| Chalcea | mother of Olympus by Zeus | |
| Chania | a lover of Heracles | |
| Chariclo | mother of Tiresias by Everes | |
| Charidia | mother of Alchanus by Zeus | |
| Chryse | Lemnos | fell in love with Philoctetes |
| Cirrha | eponym of Cirrha in Phocis | |
| Clymene | mother of Tlesimenes by Parthenopaeus | |
| Cretheis | briefly mentioned in Suda | |
| Crimisa | eponym of a city in Italy | |
| 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 |
| Eunoe | possible mother of Hecuba by Dymas | |
| Eunoste | Boeotia | nurse of Eunostus |
| Euryte | Athens | mother of Halirrhothius by Poseidon |
| 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 |
| Idaea | Crete | mother of Cres and Asterion by Zeus |
| Idaea | Mt. Ida, Troad | mother of Teucer by Scamander |
| Ithome | Messenia | one of the nurses of Zeus |
| Laodice | Argolis | mother of Apis by Phoroneus |
| Leucophryne | Magnesia | priestess of Artemis Leucophryne |
| Ligeia | ||
| Linos | mother of Pelops by Atlas in some accounts | |
| 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 | married Itonus, son of Amphictyon. |
| Melissa | 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 |
| Nacole | eponym of Nacoleia in Phrygia | |
| Neaera | Thrinacia | mother of Lampetia and Phaethusa by Helios |
| Neaera | mother of Aegle by Zeus | |
| Neaera | Lydia | mother of Dresaeus by Theiodamas |
| 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 | mother of the Palici by Zeus |
| Thisbe | Boeotia | eponym of the town of Thisbe |
| Tithorea | Mt. Parnassus | eponym of the town of Tithorea |
In non-Greek tales influenced by Greek mythology
- Sabrina
Gallery