Water nymphs. Forest nymphs. The meaning of the word "nymph"

Nymphs Nymphs

(Nimphae, Νύμφαι). The lower female deities, who, according to the Greeks, lived in the seas, rivers, springs, grottoes, mountains, groves and meadows. They were divided into several classes according to the places they inhabited.

1) Sea nymphs, to which belonged the Oceanides, daughters of Oceanus, and the Nereids, nymphs of the Mediterranean, daughters of Nereus;

2) nymphs of the waters on the mainland, or Naiads, which included the nymphs of springs, rivers and lakes;

3) nymphs of mountains and grottoes, or Oreads; 4) nymphs of the valleys, or Nanen; 5) tree nymphs, or Dryads, who were born and died along with the trees in which they lived.

(Source: "A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities." M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition of A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)

Nymphs

(Νύμφαι, "virgins"), in Greek mythology, the deity of nature, its life-giving and fruitful forces. Distinguish N. of rivers, seas, sources (water N.: oceanides, nereids, naiads), lakes and swamps (limnades), mountains (orestiades), groves (alseids), trees (Dryads, Hamadryads.) and their individual species (meliad - N. ash).
Some of them are mortal, such as the Hamadryads, who are inseparable from the tree in which they live. The main N. were considered water, according to ancient lexicographers, the word "nymph" means "source" (Suida, v. nymphç). N. - very ancient deities. The most ancient N. are meliads, or Melian N., born from the drops of blood of castrated Uranus (Hes. Theog. 187). The Oceanids are the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, the Nereids are the daughters of Nereus and the Oceanids of Dorida. The names of water N. for the most part indicate one or another property or quality of the water element (catalog of oceanids in Hes. Theog. 346-360 and Nereids, ibid., 240-262). Some N. have a completely anthropomorphic appearance (for example, Calypso). Heroes are born from the marriages of N. with the gods (Zeus and Thetis, Zeus and Aegina). N. live far from Olympus, but by order of Zeus are called to the palace of the father of gods and people (Not. II. XX 4-12). They are the owners of ancient wisdom, the secrets of life and death (for example, Menta is the beloved Hades). They heal and heal (Paus. VI 22, 7), predict the future (IX 3, 9). In place of the Delphic oracle was the oracle of Gaia, and then Daphne - one of the mountain nymphs (X 5, 5). N. send madness, introducing a person to the secret forces of nature; are called Bacchantes (Soph. Antig. IZO). Sanctuaries of N. were located in caves and grottoes, groves and forests. The Homeric description of the cave of the nymphs in Ithaca (Hom. Od. XIII 102-112) received a symbolic interpretation as the focus of cosmic forces from the philosopher Porphyry in the treatise On the Cave of the Nymphs. They were portrayed as beautiful naked or semi-naked girls.
Lit.: Taxo-Godi A. A., The Artistic and Symbolic Meaning of Porfiry's Treatise "On the Cave of the Nymphs", in: Questions of Classical Philology, [vol. in], M., 1976. p. 3-27, Fischer F., Nereiden und Okeaniden im Hesiods Theogonie, Halle, 1934 (Diss.); Ninck M., Die Bedeutung des Wassers im Kult und Leben der Alten, Lpz., 1921.
A. A. Tahoe-Godi.

(Source: "Myths of the peoples of the world".)

nymphs

Female deities of nature living in mountains, forests, seas, springs. They were considered the daughters of Zeus, companions of Artemis or Dionysus. These include: Agannipa, Adrastea, Arethusa, Britomartis, Daphne, Caissa, Calypso (she is the daughter of Atlanta), Callirea, Callisto, Castalia, Cyrene, Lotida (according to Ovid), Maya, Marika ?, Melissa, Melia, Muta (Lara ), Orseida, Periboea, Salmakida, Filira, Foos, Chariklo, Egeria, Aegina, Echo, Yuturna, etc.

In general, there are several types of nymphs:

hyades (Nisean nymphs) - daughters of Atlanta and Pleione

dryads - tree nymphs

lemoniades - goddesses of the meadows

Meliades (Melian nymphs) - generated by Gaia from drops of blood of castrated Uranus

naiads - river nymphs

Nereids - sea nymphs, daughters of the sea elder Nereus

oceanides - sea nymphs, daughters of the titan Ocean

oreads - nymphs of the mountains (they had the right to be called by the name of the mountain: Kiferonides, Peliades, etc.)

At a later time, a new kind of nymphs arose: the Pleiades, the daughters of the titan Atlanta and the oceanides Pleione, began to be considered among the celestial nymphs.

// Edward Burne-Jones: Perseus and the Sea Nymphs // Adolphe-William BUGREAU: Nymphs and Satyr // Arnold Böcklin: Nymph on Pan's Shoulders // Arnold Böcklin: Bathing Nymphs // TITIAN: Shepherd and Nymph // José Maria de HEREDIA: Bathing of the Nymphs

(Source: "Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary Reference." EdwART, 2009.)

Nymphs

in Greek mythology, deities who personify the forces of nature.

(Source: Dictionary of Spirits and Gods of Norse, Egyptian, Greek, Irish, Japanese, Maya and Aztec Mythologies.)

Relief of the Fountain of the Innocents by J. Goujon.
1547-48.
Paris.
Louvre.

Detail of the painting of the lekythos Midia.
End of the 5th century BC e.
Berlin.
State museums.

Sculpture K.-M. Clodion.
Terracotta.
1770-80s.
Moscow.

Painting by N. Poussin.
Around 1630.
Moscow.
Museum of Fine Arts named after A. S. Pushkin.

See what "Nymphs" are in other dictionaries:

In the myths of the ancient Greeks, the deities of nature, its life-giving and fruitful forces. There are nymphs of rivers, seas, springs (these are water nymphs oceanids, nereids, naiads), lakes and swamps (limnad nymphs), mountains (agrostine nymphs, orestiads), groves (alseid nymphs), ... ... Historical dictionary

- (Greek nymphe). Greek young demigods who personified objects of nature, from which they received names, for example, Nymphs of forests, mountains, rivers, etc. 2) one of the outer parts of the female genital organs. Dictionary of foreign words included in ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

- (inosk.) women of easy virtue (a hint at the nymphs of mythological cheerful beauties, demigods, long-lived, but not immortal). Wed Sitting with her... one of the youngest... glib-tongued nymphs of the half world. Markevich. Out… … Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

Nymphs, in Greek mythology, female deities of nature living in the mountains, forests, seas, springs (nereids, naiads, dryads). They were considered the daughters of Zeus, companions of Artemis or Dionysus ... Modern Encyclopedia

In Greek mythology, female deities of nature, living in the mountains, forests, seas, springs. They were considered the daughters of Zeus, companions of Artemis or Dionysus ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

In Greek mythology, female deities of nature, living in mountains, forests, seas, springs. They were considered the daughters of Zeus, companions of Artemis and Dionysus. Big explanatory dictionary of cultural studies .. Kononenko B.I .. 2003 ... Encyclopedia of cultural studies

nymphs- Nymphs, in Greek mythology, female deities of nature living in mountains, forests, seas, springs (Nereids, naiads, dryads). They were considered the daughters of Zeus, companions of Artemis or Dionysus. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

This term has other meanings, see Nymph ... Wikipedia

Since ancient times, the nymphs of ancient Greece were considered the goddesses of fertility and love. The great ancient writers imprinted their names and images on parchments. The creatures were presented as beautiful young girls with long luxurious hair. A nymph is a magical mythical creature in ancient Greek stories and descriptions that personifies a certain natural phenomenon or living objects - the wealth of the Earth. You can find out what a beautiful female looks like, on which Olympus had many hopes, on the pages of reconstructed books. Types of nymphs are different. They embodied all the best that can be on earth, in air and water, so the ancient Greek writers divided them according to the elements.

Water element

This area includes wonderful representatives of the water elements: the nymph of lakes, seas, oceans, rivers. They control all the waters of the planet and protect all water creatures. Their main goal was considered to be the leadership of all water flows on the ground and under it.

The sea nymph is the mistress of water and everything connected with it. These include more than 3 thousand daughters of Oceanus and Tethys.

The most famous sea goddesses were 3 beautiful maidens. They were beautiful and strong.

1. Oceanida, who gave birth to her elderly husband 50 daughters.
2. Amphitrite was the wife of the main lord of the oceans and seas - God Poseidon.
3. Metis is the wisest of all goddesses, who became the first wife of the conqueror of all living Zeus.

The river nymph is the mistress of all water terrestrial sources: streams, lakes and rivers. Representatives of this class were called "naiads". The non-poison nymph is considered the successor of the genus Zeus. In her environment one could meet the previously mentioned oceanids and nereids.

The ancient Greek water queen had power over all living things living in the water. The duration of the existence of river nymphs in the world was determined by the period of the living state of their controlled object. The artists imagined them as semi-naked, luxurious girls with magnificent forms and loose curls, which were intertwined with water elements in waves.

The water nymph, like all other sea naiads, extends its possessions and powers to streams and similar water elements.

earth element

Their habitat is trees. They are able to skillfully hide in them. Even if you stand close to the tree, you can not find the goddess. Tree nymphs guarded their possessions. There were legends that people who planted trees and cared for them were protected by ancient Greek nymphs. This area includes wood nymphs and tree nymphs. Often the names were given to them according to the tree on which they were located: ash, meliads and hamadryads, which had the upper part of the body in the form of a girl, and the lower part - from a tree. However, their life expectancy was short.

Dryad is a forest nymph in Greek mythology. The literal meaning of the word "dryad" is translated as oak.

The appearance of nymphs in ancient Greek mythology changed depending on the seasons:

• in winter their skin became dark and their hair blond as snow;
• in autumn - a bunch of multi-colored curls appeared on the head;
• in the summer, the braids fluttered with green foliage.

The most famous nymphs

What are the nymphs in ancient mythology: you can name a whole list of types of nymphs and satyrs that could be found in the ancient world.

Echo

It was also called Oreada, it was the successor of mountain rocks. There were several legends according to which the nymph Oread was in love with the forest prince Pan, reminiscent of Faun, the national deity of Italy. The fruit of their love was the daughter of Yamba, who, perhaps, gave the name to the poetic size. According to another version, the nymph Echo was cursed by the first wife of the Thunderer Zeus because Echo distracted Hera during her husband's betrayal with pretty nymphs.

The punishment was to deprive the nymph of mountains of voice, she could only repeat the words after someone. Her second love was Narcissus, with whom she could not speak, and died of unrequited love. In these moments, she strongly resembled Shakespeare's character - Ophelia, who died from unhappy love. Rocky mountains formed from her remains, which to this day mean that the beautiful nymph suffers for love.

Calypso

Nymph weaver. This is the goddess of the island of Ogygia, where Odysseus was at one time, fleeing the battle with the Greeks. On the surface in the middle of the ocean, she always appeared in new silver dresses that she wove herself. Calypso kept Odysseus in her imprisonment for 7 long years, during which she tried to get his reciprocity in exchange for immortality and a long carefree life.

The warrior, on the other hand, longed to return to his homeland to his family as soon as possible. His salvation was Hermes, who helped Odysseus build a raft and get home. The Chinese people also believe in this creature.

Aganippa

She was the wife of the Argos lord Acrisius and belonged to the types of water goddesses. She was also considered a nymph of the rivers, because she was the mistress of the Aganippa spring, which, according to stories, arose as a result of a blow from the hoof of Pegasus, a flying snow-white horse.

The nymph of rivers and streams served as a muse for all poets who drank water from this tributary. The image of Aganippa was immortalized in a stone statue - this is a girl who holds a jug of water on her shoulder, pouring out to the foot of the sculpture.

Callisto

She occupied a place of honor in the army of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. According to the first story, she made a promise to her leader that she would remain innocent until the end of her days, and she herself took on her appearance and crept into the bed of Zeus. For this transgression, Artemis killed her with a shot from a gun.

According to another story, the nymph Callisto visited the temple of Zeus when the Arcadian army was chasing her. God turned her into a star bear, which can be seen in the sky today. At the head of the army was her son Arcada, whom Zeus decided to place in the sky next to his mother in the constellation Ursa Minor.

Egeria

A divinatory goddess who was of great importance to the ancient Greeks and Romans. She was the faithful wife of the Roman king Numa Pompilius and helped him in resolving issues related to religion and laws. Vladyka built two sanctuaries for her, where he would come to pray in difficult times.

She possessed prophetic abilities that helped her husband in developing a strategy. After the death of Numa, Egeria moved to the forest grove of Diana, where the goddess turned her into a life-giving source.

Syringa

She belonged to the ancient Hamadryads and was distinguished by her chastity. When trying to hide from the aforementioned Pan, she turned into a swamp reed, which Pan later used to make such a musical instrument as a flute.

Subsequently, the names of the nymph were given in honor of the muse - syringa, siren, etc.

Dionyra

Daughter of the god Dionysus and Alfea, wife of Hercules. She was nimble with weapons tackle and knew how to drive a chariot. The main enemy of the strongman was Aheloy - the river god. He was passionately infatuated with Dionira, who constantly refused him because of her ugly appearance. That is the only reason why the goddess of the ancient Greeks agreed to be the companion of Hercules.

Mayan

The famous nymph is the beloved of Zeus, who gave birth to his successor Hermes, famous for his beauty and strength. In the first days of his birth, the boy stole the flock from Apollo.

By nature, she was a teacher who taught the son of Zeus and Callisto.

As a result, Maya took pride of place in the sky in the constellation Pleiades. She is called a Russian nymph.

Sylph, or Sylph

Nymph of the air, living in spiritual balance with the air space. There are many stories about what a nymph looks like: it was believed that she lived in mountain peaks, where rocks smoothly sink into light cirrus clouds.

Many researchers wrote what the spirit of air looks like: she was depicted as a beautiful girl with wings shimmering in the sun. To many, she resembled fairy fairies, but her purpose was completely different. She did not need wings, because Sylph did not fly. Luxurious long curls of blue or greenish shades fluttered smoothly in the wind.

Often she suddenly appeared and just disappeared. Its life expectancy is great. Maybe this is due to the fact that she never descended to the ground and lived without men, and she was engaged in procreation herself, laying eggs for 6 months in her nests.

In ancient Greek mythology, there are the fire-goddesses Salamanders, similar to the fire-breathing dragon, the nymph of the sea Amphitrite, the river goddess Io and Greek satyrs, represented in the form of lazy and dissolute forest deities who followed the beautiful nymphs. They appeared at night, so as not to frighten away the goddesses.

All creatures cannot be counted. They have unique powers and live in all corners of the earth. Each of them is responsible for a certain element. Their mission is to protect and protect all living things. Because of their magical abilities, they often became the wives and helpers of the gods.

nymphs(Greek "virgins") - the deities of nature, its life-giving and fruitful forces, personifying everything moving and growing in nature, everything that gives life to plants.

There were several types of nymphs: nymphs of the seas, springs (oceanids, nereids, naiads), lakes and swamps (limnades), mountains (orestiads), groves (alseids), trees (dryads, hamadryads) and their individual species (meliads - ash nymphs) . Valleys and islands also had their nymphs.

The main nymphs were considered water, according to the ancient lexicographers, the word "nymph" means "source".

Nymphs, with rare exceptions, are very strong physically, difficult to be vulnerable, have excellent hearing and vision, extraordinary speed and excellent memory, surpassing not only people in this regard, but also many Guardians and Carriers.

The Greeks believed that some nymphs are immortal, like gods, while others die, just like people. So, for example, it was believed that the dryad lives as long as the tree itself, which she patronizes.

The inhabitants of Ancient Greece, or Hellas, imagined these mythical creatures in the form of beautiful tender girls. They believed that there are tree nymphs - dryads; the nymphs of the valleys are drunk; meadow nymphs - limnades; nymphs of mountains and grottoes - oreads; nymphs of springs, rivers and lakes - naiads (they are also called mermaids); and even oceanids - as you might guess, the nymphs of the oceans.

They also believed that the nymphs knew the future and they could predict it. There was such a common method of divination: tablets with various texts were thrown into a stormy stream (where, of course, nymphs live!) the tablet that does not sink or be washed ashore speaks the truth.

The ancient Greeks had such a peculiar, as we would now say, investigative experiment. If a person was suspected that he had committed a crime, and it was not possible to prove it, he was thrown into the river. If the suspect came up, no one had any doubts about his innocence - of course, it was the naiads, knowing that he was innocent, who helped him!

The nymphs were even sacrificed - wine and milk, goats and calves.

It was believed that the springs near which the nymphs live have healing properties. Therefore, the ancient Greek god of healing Asclepius appeared surrounded by these beautiful creatures.

Together with them, the god Bacchus appeared, who was responsible for feasts, wine and other carnal pleasures; these nymphs were called Bacchae.

Although the nymphs lived lower than the Olympus inhabited by the gods, by order of the most important god Zeus, they appeared in his divine palace.

This image and concept - the nymph - has firmly entered the European and Russian culture. A charming girl can be called a nymph, a portrait of a beautiful woman can be painted in the form of a nymph ...

Peter Paul Rubens - Diana and the Nymphs Caught by the Fauns

A separate group of mythical creatures are the mistresses of the life-giving power of the Earth and fertility - the nymphs of Ancient Greece. This is the most numerous type of divine beings. According to their place of residence, they could be divided into water, mountain, forest, sky and meadow. They are the spirits of wildlife or certain phenomena. They have a gentle nature and do not harm people for no reason. Most of the nymphs are in the service of a certain supreme god of Olympus.

Nymphs - creatures of ancient Greek mythology

basic information

When translating the word "nymph" from the ancient Greek language, you can get different meanings.

Nymph is:

• young maiden;
• bride;
• divine creation;
• patroness.

Each of these definitions clearly describes the very essence of these creatures.

Appearance

To determine what a nymph looks like, it is enough to understand that they were mythical creatures of divine incarnation.

Their appearance was like that of goddesses, with a slight difference due to their place of residence.

1. Forever young maidens in long togas or completely naked.
2. Long flowing hair with wreaths of flowers and leaves. Water creatures wove shells and algae into their hairstyles.
3. Graceful bodies with snow-white skin.
4. Big eyes of unnatural shades.
5. Loud and charming voices.

In many works of a later period, one can find descriptions of beautiful girls who were compared with nymphs.

In W. Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist often compared his beloved Ophelia with these creatures.

Capabilities

Like flesh and blood from the Olympian gods, nymphs in ancient Greek mythology also had supernatural powers:

• the ability to turn into animals and plants;
• heal wounds;
• endow favorite mortals with the gift of poetry and music;
• send madness, panic and disease.

They prefer a solitary lifestyle and severely punish people who invaded their possessions. They can also get angry at disrespect and lack of gratitude for help.

Varieties of nymphs

To determine what nymphs are, it is enough to consider their habitats. These creatures were classified directly according to them.

By place of residence, the following nymphs can be distinguished:

1. Lady of the oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and swamps.
2. Spirits of mountains, gorges, caves and rocks.
3. Nymphs of heavenly bodies.
4. Lady of the weather.
5. Keepers of man-made nature.

Each of these groups can also be broken down into smaller subgroups. Water deities are divided according to their habitat into oceanic, sea, river, lake and swamp.

The most common and numerous species are water nymphs. Various researchers and scientists number from 3 to 5 thousand representatives of this group.

Ladies of the water

For the convenience of perceiving information, as the largest group, they are divided into several subgroups.

These include:

1. Nereids.

Oceanides - daughters of Oceanus and Tethys

The generalized name of the mythical maidens who lived in fresh water sources. From ancient Greek, their name is translated as jets, streams.

Naiads are the daughters of Zeus and patronize certain bodies of water. They are believed to have a very long lifespan, but they are not immortal. As soon as the source of their power dries up, they die.

They can be found in the retinue of many gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Aphrodite, etc.

To this group belong:

1. Potamia - nymphs of rivers and streams. They were considered the daughters of the river gods and were called by the name of the rivers. They were especially supportive of unmarried girls, protecting them and preventing them from drowning.
2. Krenai are the spirits of wells and fountains. Most revered by ordinary people. It was considered unacceptable to pollute and desecrate them.
3. Limnads - nymphs of lakes. They had a ferocious disposition and could drag people they didn’t like to the bottom.
4. Pegai - maidens of springs and sources. Revered along with Krenai.
5. Eleinoms are the souls of swamps. The most dangerous of the naiads. They often appeared before people in the form of loved ones and lured them into the swamp.

The most famous naiad is the river nymph Aganippa, who lived in a spring near Thespius, not far from the grove of the Muses. Thanks to this neighborhood, people believed that after drinking water from a source, one could receive inspiration and blessings from the muses.

Naiads - river nymphs

Nereids

Sea deities, daughters of the Oceanid Dorida and Nereus. Their characteristic feature was their appearance - half girls, half fish. From them came such mythical creatures as mermaids and serenas.

Their approximate number is fifty. They live in grottoes and coastal rocks.

They do not harm a person, but act as assistants and patrons of sailors and fishermen. They love to dance and play catch-up with dolphins. Sometimes they go to visit their sisters - naiads.

Calypso

The most famous sea nymph is Calypso. She lived on the island of Ogygia, where Odysseus got to escape from a shipwreck.

There are legends that she was an excellent weaver. With the help of a silver comb and magical wool, she wove Odysseus a special veil that could hide him even from the gods.

The water nymph fell in love with a beautiful hero, and only a direct order from the gods made her part with him.

They are considered one of the oldest creatures. They are the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. According to researchers, their total number is about 3 thousand. The ancient Greeks believed that they look after all the streams and water resources on earth, and are also the mothers of most of the nymphs of the sea and rivers.

Most frequently mentioned:

1. Keto is the nymph of the sea, the wife of the sun god Helios. Fleeing from the fire of her husband, she was forced to hide all day in sea waters. For this, it received the name of the night nereid.
2. Dione is the lover of Zeus and the mother of Aphrodite.
3. Doriad is the progenitor of all Nereids.
4. Pleione is the mother of the Pleiades.
5. Melobosis, Ifnira, Rodia, etc. Act as companions of Persephone, who followed her to the kingdom of Hades.
6. Afmitritha is the wife of Poseidon. From him she gave birth to Triton, Rod and Bentesikim.
7. Eurynome - wife, fought hand-to-hand with Rhea, but lost and was thrown into Tartarus.

Keepers of the forest and trees

Dryads - in the mythology of ancient Greece, the patroness of forests. In addition to trees, they can subjugate other plants. A very numerous species of nymphs.

Forest nymphs, unlike others, are not immortal. The myths of the ancient Greeks tell of many cases of death among these virgins, after the sacred groves were cut down or burned.

By their nature, they belong to kind creatures who love to help people. It was believed that if you plant a tree and take good care of it, then the dryads, in gratitude for this, will never let you get lost in the forest.

Napei

Allocate the spirits of forest glades and hollows - Napey. Cheerful creatures who loved to turn the heads of random travelers and carry them into the thickets of the forest. Having played enough with them, they helped to find the shortest path to the edge.

Since they live at a distance from all other nymphs, they are often attacked by goat-legged fauns. Because of this, they learned to turn into bushes, flowers and grass.

The most famous of them is the nymph-soothsayer - Egeria. She was the faithful wife of the Roman king Numa Pompilius. As a good mother, she often became the object of worship for women in childbirth and girls entering into marriage.

Curse of Callisto

According to the myths of Hesiod, one of the most beautiful mermaids was the nymph Callisto. She was in the retinue of the goddess of hunting Artemis. The great Thunderer Zeus could not remain indifferent to her beauty. He assumed the form of Apollo and shared a bed with her.

Hera, angry at her husband's betrayal, turned the maiden into a bear, which Artemis shot with her bow.

There is also a separate subspecies of creatures that are responsible for a particular tree - these are the hamadryads. According to the legends, if their shelter is cut down, they die with it.

Hamadryads die if their tree is cut down.

Curse of Erysichthon

There is a legend according to which the dreams of the king of Thessaly, Triop Erysichthon, did not obey his mentor and ordered an ancient oak tree to be cut down in the sacred grove of Demeter to build a ship. After the first blow, blood flowed from the tree, and it dried up.

Enraged by such disrespect, Demeter sent a curse of eternal hunger on him. He was forced to spend all his savings on food, and when there was nothing left, Erysichthon began to eat himself.

Syringa and Pan

In the legends, another legend about a nymph of trees and a satyr has been preserved.

The nymph Syringa was distinguished among others by her chastity. She faithfully waited for the one who would win her heart, and to whom she would give all of herself. But he saw the maiden satyr Pan and decided to make her his own. Fleeing from his persecution, Syringa turned into a swamp reed and no longer wished to become a girl. The saddened Pan made a musical instrument from this plant - a flute. Every day he came to that place and with his game he asked for forgiveness from the nymph.

Spirits of mountains, gorges and caves

Oreads or Orestiades are nymphs that live in caves, mountain gorges or rocks. According to legend, they raised the god Dionysus, feeding him with grapes and wine. They are considered a product of Gaia herself, and from that they use her special disposition.

The most famous representative of mountain creatures is the nymph Echo. Possessing a charming appearance and a beautiful voice, she became the object of sympathy for many gods and other mythical creatures. However, her characteristic feature is that she is deprived of freedom of speech, and can only repeat the last phrase.

Since ancient times, people have tried to find an explanation for all incomprehensible phenomena. Thanks to this phenomenon, there is more than one legend dedicated to her.

Echo and Narcissus

One of the most famous stories is the non-reciprocal love of the nymph of the mountains with the young boy Narcissus. A beautiful nymph was rejected by a selfish and narcissistic mortal. In order not to suffer anymore, she asked her patroness Aphrodite to take her to her. The goddess complied with the request, dispelling her body and leaving only her voice on the ground.

However, Aphrodite, angry at such neglect on the part of the young man, decided to take revenge on him. She made him fall in love with his own reflection, so that he would also melt from hopeless love, like Echo.

heavenly creatures

According to Greek mythology, there were seven sister nymphs. They were the daughters of the titan Atlanta and the oceanid Pleione, and by her name they had a common name - the Pleiades. These nymphs were in the escort of Artemis. They were her faithful companions and helpers.

Nymph names:

1. Alcyone. Her name means "Kingfisher" in translation. She was the lover of Poseidon. From him she gave birth to a daughter, Etusus, the mother of Apollo, and the sons of Hyrieus and Hyperenor.
2. Keleno. Translated from Greek as darkness, darkness. Another beloved of Poseidon, who bore him two sons: Lika and Niktey.
3. Maya - mother, nurse. She is the eldest of seven sisters. From Zeus she gave birth to the god of dexterity and trade - Hermes.
4. Merope. The only one of all the sisters who decided to link her fate with a mortal. According to legend, she married the Corinthian king Sisyphus and renounced her immortality. From this union Glaucus was born, to whom Zeus predicted a tragic fate.
5. Asteropa - lightning, flash. She was one of the wives of the god of war Ares. She bore him a son, Enomai.
6. Taygeta. She was one of the most faithful servants of Artemis. According to legend, trying to escape from the persecution of Zeus, she asked the goddess to turn herself into a doe. In gratitude for her help, she presented Artemis with a golden-horned doe, which was supposed to faithfully serve her instead of the nymph herself.
7. Elektra. Like her sister Taygeta, she was persecuted by Zeus. From him she gave birth to three children: the sons of Dardanus and Iasion, and the daughter of Harmony. She was the patroness of Troy.

Legends of the Pleiades

The constellation Taurus, which includes these stars, is clearly visible in the sky from mid-May to early October in the Mediterranean region. Since ancient times, sailors have used it as a guide when traveling. This increased interest has given rise to many legends and myths regarding the origin of this cluster of stars.

Pleiades and Orion

According to one of the myths, the beautiful daughters of Atlanta and Pleione, fleeing the persecution of the hunter Orion, asked the gods for help. Hearing their prayers, Zeus turned them into doves, which entered his service.

But this did not save the beautiful nymphs. Then Zeus decided to turn them into stars. Orion, in punishment for his insolence, he also turned into a constellation, dooming him to the eternal pursuit of what he wanted.

Pleiades and Atlas

According to another legend, the girls became stars from grief. Their father Atlas angered Zeus and he doomed him to forever keep the entire heavenly waters as a punishment. Separated from their family, the nymphs decided to die. After being reborn, they became stars in order to be as close to their father as possible.

The nymphs of the Pleiades have turned into a beautiful constellation

Goddesses of weather

Hyades

Lady of rain and harvest. They are the sisters of the Pleiades and, respectively, the daughters of Atlanta and Pleione. It was not possible to establish their exact number. In various sources, their number varies from 7 to 12.

List of the most famous of them:

1. Dionira is the wife of Tantalus, doomed to eternal torment for betrayal. She bore him two daughters, Niobe and Penelope.
2. Ambrosia - became a star after Hera freed her captive king Lycurgus.
3. Erithia is a Dodonian nymph. Helped the Oreads feed Dionysus.
4. Evdora - also ascended to heaven and became a star.
5. Nysa - along with Ambrosia and Erithia, attacked Lycurgus. There is a myth according to which she fell at the hands of Dionysus.

In the legends of the ancient Greeks, descriptions of rituals have been preserved, with the help of which you can call rain. They were based on appealing to the Hyades and presenting gifts to them.

auras

Spirits of winds and air. They are in the retinue of all the gods of the wind - Boreas, Zephyra, Evra and Nota. They have a gentle nature and do not harm people for no reason. They are also very playful. Auras love to bathe in air currents and, without knowing it, can become the causes of storms and storms that break out.

In ancient Greek folklore, one can find references when people had to pray to the gods of the wind to calm down their wards. Before sailing, the sailors brought them rich gifts and asked for a fair wind.

In the mythology of the ancient Greeks, the divine incarnations of clouds and clouds. According to legend, they took water in the Great Ocean and carried it in jugs to their brothers and sisters: the lords of fresh waters and their nymph helpers.

They are always depicted as beautiful maidens pouring water from large jugs.

Nepheli - nymphs of clouds and clouds

Lady of man-made nature

These include the following types of nymphs:

1. Antousai - ancient Greek nymphs of flowers. Unmarried girls offered prayers to them when they wove wreaths for themselves. It was obligatory to ask the spirit to leave the plant you liked before picking it.
2. Meliades are the guardians of fruit trees. They lived in gardens and parks. If people treated them badly, they could invite crop failure and famine. They also act as patrons of livestock and shepherds. It was customary for them to bring apples and other fruits as gifts.
3. Lemonades are the spirits of meadows and pastures. Flocks were protected from wild animals and diseases.
4. Alseids - nymphs of groves, alleys and artificial plantations.

When in my early childhood I was fond of the myths of Ancient Greece. And who doesn't?.. And now I decided to update some of their aspects in my (and maybe your) memory. Namely, to find information about the nymphs, who were so loved by artists of all ages and trends.

nymphs(Greek νύμφαι, “brides”, lat. nymphae) - in ancient Greek mythology, the personification, in the form of girls, of living elemental forces, noticed in the murmur of a stream, in the growth of trees, in the wild charms of mountains and forests.

The world of nymphs (Greek "virgins") - deities of nature, its life-giving and fruitful forces, personifying everything moving and growing in nature, everything that gives life to plants, was especially extensive in the view of the ancient Greeks. There were several types of nymphs: nymphs of the seas, springs (oceanids, nereids, naiads), lakes and swamps (limnades), mountains (orestiads), groves (alseids), trees (dryads, hamadryads) and their individual species (meliads - ash nymphs) . Valleys and islands also had their nymphs. The main nymphs were considered water, according to the ancient lexicographers, the word "nymph" means "source".

Nymphs are very ancient deities. The most ancient nymphs are meliades, or Melian nymphs, born from drops of blood of castrated Uranus. The Oceanids are the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, the Nereids are the daughters of Nereus and the Oceanids of Dorida. The names of water nymphs for the most part indicate one or another property or quality of the water element (the catalog of oceanides in the "Theogony" of Hesiod and Nereids in the same place).

Nymphs lived far from Olympus, in deep, echoing caves, into whose mysterious darkness not everyone dares to enter, but by order of Zeus they were called to the palace of the father of gods and people. Where the streams begin their run, beautiful maidens leaned over the newborn waters, together with them they emerged from the depths, breaking through the earth's thickness, and no one could stop their movement. Rejoicing in the sunlight, they sparkled, as if dancing. The places of their exit for people were sacred; in caves and grottoes, groves and forests, sanctuaries were erected - nymphaeums, where sacrifices were made to the nymphs. The Homeric description of the cave of the nymphs in Ithaca was symbolically interpreted as the focus of cosmic forces by the philosopher Porphyry in the treatise "On the Cave of the Nymphs"

The healing properties of springs emerging from the earth, noticed by people, turned the nymphs into companions of the healer god Asclepius, into healers who heal and bestow health. They are the owners of ancient wisdom, the secrets of life and death. In place of the Delphic oracle was the oracle of Gaia, and then Daphne, one of the mountain nymphs.

As a particle of nature that gives people joy, they became charites, that is, merciful, supportive and, at the same time, the embodiment of grace, charm, and beauty. With the transformation of Zeus into the supreme deity of all nature, three were distinguished from the "multiple" harits. They were declared to be his daughters, either from one of the oceanids, or from Hera herself, and the epithets with which people endowed a flourishing nature turned into their names.

Since ancient times, streams and rivers have served as places of divination. There they threw fellow tribesmen or fellow tribesmen suspected of violating the laws, the nymphs had to justify or condemn a person - unlike any judges, they are incorruptible and fair. There were other ways to ask the nymphs, attached to the secrets of nature, for advice on what awaits people, because they knew how to predict the future. It was possible to throw a tablet with some inscriptions into the whirlpool and see if it would sink, float on the surface, or be thrown out of the source. As soothsayers, often trained in the art of divination by Apollo himself, the nymphs became the parents of fortunetellers, for example, the mother of the soothsayer Tiresias was called the nymph Chariklo.

The virgins could also punish those who committed a crime or did not show them due respect. They sent madness, and this punishment was worse than many others. But at the same time, in the incoherent cries and words of the insane fellow, the tribesmen began to look for particles of the wisdom that the nymphs brought from the bowels of the earth, the wisdom of the secret forces of nature. The insane began to be seen as the bearers of knowledge hidden from the rest of the people. Thus arose soothsayers and soothsayers, who enjoyed the greatest respect, whose madness could be temporary, like the Pythia, inhaling the vapors escaping from the depths of the earth.

The ability to find for the expression of feelings and thoughts those inspired movements, words and sounds that are inaccessible to a person who is in a calm state was also perceived as a kind of madness - an obsession. A man seized by this madness could dance as frantically as the nymphs, or acquire their knowledge of life - and it seemed that he sees through the earth, acquires their sight and hearing, understands the language of plants and birds. When these abilities received a higher development, they began to be attributed to the patronage of the sisters of the nymphs - the Muses.

As the spirits of streams and rivers, nymphs were responsible for the fertility of fields, meadows, for the abundance of bees, for the growth of herds, so that the ancient Greek, leaving the city gates, heard the voices of nymphs in the sound of streams, and in the noise of trees, and in the buzzing of bees, and even in the lowing of cows. In the works of Greek poets there are no enthusiastic descriptions of nature, characteristic of modern literature, because nature itself was not something abstract - it had the appearance of nymphs and their voices. The cult of the nymphs, which permeated all consciousness, was the cult of nature.

Nymphs are long-lived, but, unlike the gods, are mortal. The source may dry up, the tree may dry up. Nymphs are fragile, like nature itself, and require careful treatment.

With the development of human society, his ideas about nature and its forces changed. Nymphs began to acquire individual names, in the minds of people they began to look more like beautiful naked or half-naked maidens, from whose marriages with celestials heroes began to be born.

Hylas and nymphs
waterhouse

Bouguereau
Nymphs and Satyr

The Cave of the Storm Nymphs
Sir Edward John Poynter

Nymphs listening to the Sings of Orpheus,
Charles-Francois Jalabert, 1853

Nymph
Anders Zorn, 1885

Nymphaeum
Adolphe-William Bouguereau, 1878

nymphs
Oreads (mountains)
Dryads (dervyes)
Naiads (rivers)
Nereids (seas)
Napei (valleys)
Lemonades (meadows)

naiads - the daughters of Zeus, were nymphs of the water element and related to the Nereids. As Zeus is the god of clouds and rain, so they are the goddesses of the same element. According to Hesiod, the Naiads of the hills and forests are the children of Gaia. In addition to Zeus, naiads also accompany Poseidon, Dionysus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Demeter, Persephone, give abundance, fertility and health, patronize marriages. Naiads were considered durable, but not immortal.

Herbert Draper
Naiad's Pool

Naiad
waterhouse

The Water NymphHon.
John Collier

river nymph
Frederick Lord Leighton

Nereids

Nereids - sea deities, daughters of Nereus and the oceanids of Dorida. There are 50 of them (Hesiod in Theogony claims that there are fifty of them, but he names fifty-one by name) or 100. They live in a grotto at the bottom of the sea. Judging by their names, they are the personified properties and qualities of the sea element, since it does not harm a person, but is located towards him and enchants him with its charm.

The most famous of them were:
Amphitrite - the wife of Poseidon;
Thetis is the leader of the choir of Nereids, to whom Zeus and Poseidon were wooing, but given out by Zeus to the mortal Peleus after receiving an unfavorable prediction from Prometheus;
Galatea is the beloved of Akis, who was killed by the Cyclops Polyphemus in a fit of jealousy;
Nemerteya (Greek νημέρτεια - truth);
Thalia - participated in the crying of the Nereids along with Achilles for the deceased Patroclus.
Nereids lead an idyllic and calm life in the bowels of the sea, having fun with the measured movements of round dances, in time with the movement of the waves; in the heat and moonlit nights they come ashore, or arrange musical competitions with tritons, or on the shore, together with land nymphs, dance and sing songs. They were revered by the coastal inhabitants and the islanders and kept the legends that were composed about them. Belief in them has survived even to our time, although the Nereids of present-day Greece are generally nymphs of the water element and mix with naiads.

Water Nymphs, 1927
Gaston Bussiere

Perseus and the Sea Nymph
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones

Arnold Böcklin, Triton and Nereid, 1874

sea ​​nymph
Carl Wilhelm Diefenbach

Dryads.

Dryads (Greek tree, in particular oak) are nymphs, patronesses of trees. Sometimes dryads were named after trees. The oldest known nymphs are the dryads, born from drops of the blood of Uranus and living in the ash tree, meliads.
It was believed that dryads are inseparable from the tree with which they are associated, and people who plant trees and care for them enjoy the special protection of tree nymphs.

"The Dryad" by Evelyn De Morgan

Hamadryads.
Hamadryads are tree nymphs who, unlike dryads, are born with a tree and die with it. The father of a certain Porabius committed a heinous crime by cutting down an oak tree that a Hamadryad begged him to spare. For the fact that the oak - the home of the Hamadryad was cut down, the nymph punished the criminal and his offspring. To atone for guilt, an altar should have been erected to the nymph and sacrifices had to be made to her.
When Erysichthon ordered the oak tree to be cut down in Demeter's grove, blood flowed from it, and the branches became pale. It was the blood of a nymph that lived in an oak, dying, she predicted retribution to the defiler of the sacred tree, endowing him with a feeling of insatiable hunger.
The story of the shy hamadryad Syringa, who became a reed to avoid the embrace of the goat-legged Pan, is known.

John William Waterhouse
The Hamadryad

Hesperides.
Hesperides - nymphs, guardians of golden apples in the far west, living in the "garden of the Hesperides". They are the daughters of Nikta; option - Hesperides and Atlanta.
The Hesperides live on the edge of the world along the banks of the Ocean River and guard the apples of eternal youth that Hera received as a wedding gift from Gaia. There are three (or four) sisters: Egla (Aigla, "shine") - the wife of Helios and the mother of Charites, according to one version, Erithia (Eritea, "red"), Hespera ("evening", option: Hestia) and Aretus.

Apollonius of Rhodes in "Argonautica" tells about the arrival of the Argonauts, led by Jason, in the garden of the Hesperides, which Hercules had just left, having killed the guardian of the dragon Ladon's apples and frightened the nymphs to death. Seeing the arrivals, the Hesperides crumbled to dust in horror, but, having heeded the requests of the Argonauts, they turned into beautiful trees and then appeared in their usual form and helped the Argonauts get drinking water from Tritonian Lake, where they carried their ship for twelve days, obeying the prophetic words of those who appeared before them Libyan heroines.
In this version of the myth, the ancient werewolf and fetishism are combined with the new function of the Hesperides, associated with helping the heroes.

Garden of the Hesperides
Frederick, Lord Leighton, 1892

Hesperides
Edward Burne-Jones

Sources:
wikipedia.org
www.greekroman.ru