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| Grouping | Mythological |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Water spirit Elemental |
| Similar entities | Mermaid Huldra Selkie Siren |
| Habitat | Any body of fresh water |
InGreek mythology, the naiads (/ˈnaɪædz, ˈneɪædz, -ədz/; Greek: ναϊάδες, translit. naïádes) are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water.
They are distinct from river gods, who embodied rivers, and the very ancient spirits that inhabited the still waters of marshes, ponds and lagoon-lakes such as pre-Mycenaean Lerna in the Argolis.
The Greek word is ναϊάς (naïás [naːiás]), plural ναϊάδες (naïádes [naːiádes]). It derives from νάειν (náein), "to flow", or νᾶμα (nâma), "running water".
Naiads were often the object of archaic local cults, worshipped as essential to humans. Boys and girls at coming-of-age ceremonies dedicated their childish locks to the local naiad of the spring. In places like Lerna their waters' ritual cleansings were credited with magical medical properties. Animals were ritually drowned there. Oracles might be situated by ancient springs.
Naiads could be dangerous: Hylas of the Argo’s crew was lost when he was taken by naiads fascinated by his beauty. The naiads were also known to exhibit jealous tendencies. Theocritus's story of naiad jealousy was that of a shepherd, Daphnis, who was the lover of Nomia or Echenais; Daphnis had on several occasions been unfaithful to Nomia and as revenge she permanently blinded him. The nymph Salmacis raped Hermaphroditus and fused with him when he tried to escape.
The water nymph associated with particular springs was known all through Europe in places with no direct connection with Greece, surviving in the Celtic wells of northwest Europe that have been rededicated to Saints, and in the medieval Melusine.
Walter Burkert points out, "When in the Iliad [xx.4–9] Zeus calls the gods into assembly on Mount Olympus, it is not only the well-known Olympians who come along, but also all the nymphs and all the rivers; Okeanos alone remains at his station",[1] Greek hearers recognized this impossibility as the poet's hyperbole, which proclaimed the universal power of Zeus over the ancient natural world: "the worship of these deities," Burkert confirms, "is limited only by the fact that they are inseparably identified with a specific locality."[1]
Robert Graves offered a sociopolitical reading of the common myth-type in which a mythic king is credited with marrying a naiad and founding a city: it was the newly arrived Hellenes justifying their presence. The loves and rapes of Zeus, according to Graves' readings, record the supplanting of ancient local cults by Olympian ones (Graves 1955, passim).
So, in the back-story of the myth of Aristaeus, Hypseus, a king of the Lapiths, married Chlidanope, a naiad, who bore him Cyrene. Aristaeus had more than ordinary mortal experience with the naiads: when his bees died in Thessaly, he went to consult them. His aunt Arethusa invited him below the water's surface, where he was washed with water from a perpetual spring and given advice.
| Name | Location | Notes/ Relation |
|---|---|---|
| I. Eleionomae | marshes | - |
| II. Crinaeae | fountains | - |
| The Sithnides | Megara, Attica | one of them became the mother of Megaros by Zeus |
| Aganippe | Mt. Helicon, Boeotia | daughter of the river-god Termessus[2] |
| Appias | Rome | lived in the Appian Well outside the temple to Venus Genitrix in the Roman Forum |
| Myrtoessa | Megalopolis, Arcadia | one of the nurses of infant Zeus[3] |
| III. Limnades | lakes | - |
| The Astakides | Lake Astacus, Bithynia | appeared in the myth of Nicaea |
| Bolbe | Lake Bolbe, Thessaly | anOceanid due to her parentage (daughter of Oceanus and Tethys)[4] |
| Limnaee | lake in India | daughter of the Indian river god Ganges; one of the reputed mothers of Athis |
| Pallas | Lake Tritonis, Libya | daughter of Triton or of Poseidon and Tritonis; accidentally killed by her playmate, the goddess Athena[5] |
| Tritonis | Lake Tritonis, Libya | mother of Nasamon and Caphaurus (or Cephalion) by Amphithemis,[6] and according to an archaic version of the myth, also of Athena by Poseidon; she could be also the mother of above Pallas and Athena again by Triton |
| IV. Potameides | rivers | - |
| The Acheloides | Achelous River, Aetolia | daughters of the river god Achelous; see also Castalia and Callirhoe below |
| • The Sirens (possibly) | Island of Anthemoessa | their mother could be one of the Muses (Terpsichore, MelpomeneorCalliope) or Sterope; they were close companions of the goddess Persephone before her abduction |
| The Aesepides | Aesepus River, Troad | daughters of the river god Aesepus |
| • Abarbarea | -do- | wife of Bucolion by whom she mothered twin sons, Aesepus and Pedasus[7] |
| The Amnisiades | Amnisus River, Crete | daughters of the river god Amnisos who served as handmaidens of the goddess Artemis |
| The Asopides | Asopus River, SicyonorBoeotia | daughters of the river god Asopus and Metope; all abducted by the gods |
| • Aegina | Island of Aegina | mother of MenoetiusbyActor, and Aeacus by Zeus[8] |
| • 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 |
| • GargaphiaorPlataiaorOeroe | Plataea, Boeotia | carried off by Zeus |
| • Harpina | Pisa, Elis | mother of OenomausbyAres |
| • Ismene[9] | 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 OebalusorAchelous by Poseidon she became the mother of Lecheas and Cenchrias |
| • Salamis | Island of Salamis | mother of Cychreus by Poseidon |
| • Sinope | Sinope, Anatolia | mother of SyrusbyApollo |
| • Tanagra | Tanagra, Boeotia | mother of Leucippus and Ephippus by Poemander |
| • Thebe | Thebes, Boeotia | wife of Zethus and also said to have consorted with Zeus |
| • Thespeia | Thespia, Boeotia | abducted by Apollo |
| The Asterionides | Asterion River, Argos | daughters of the river god Asterion; nurses of the infant goddess Hera |
| • Acraea | -do- | - |
| • Euboea | -do- | - |
| • Prosymna | -do- | - |
| The Cephisides | Cephissus River, Boeotia | daughters of the river god Cephissus; mothers of the 50 sons of Orion |
| The Cocythiae | Cocytus River, Underworld | naiads of Hades |
| The Erasinides | Erasinos River, Argos | daughters of the river god Erasinos; attendants of the goddess Britomartis. |
| • Anchiroe | -do- | - |
| • Byze | -do- | - |
| • Maera | -do- | - |
| • Melite | -do- | - |
| The Hydaspides | Hydaspers River, India | daughters of the river god Hydaspes and Astris, they were nurses of the god Zagreus, the first-born Dionysos |
| The Inachides | Inachos River, Argos | daughters of the river god Inachus |
| • Io | -do- | mother of Epaphus by Zeus |
| • Amymone | -do- | - |
| • Philodice[10] | -do- | wife of LeucippusofMessenia by whom she became the mother of Hilaeira, Phoebe and possibly Arsinoe |
| • Messeis | -do- | - |
| • Hyperia[11] | -do- | - |
| • Mycene | -do- | wife of Arestor and by him probably the mother of Argus Panoptes; eponym of Mycenae |
| The Lamides | Lamos River, Cilicia | daughters of the river god Lamos; nurses of the god Dionysus |
| The Pactolides | Pactolus River, Lydia | appeared in the myth concerning Arachne |
| The Spercheides | Spercheus River, Malis | daughters of the river god Spercheus and the naiad Deino |
| • Diopatre | -do- | others called her the daughter of Zeus; loved by Poseidon |
| The Thessalids | Peneus River, Thessaly | daughters of the river god Peneus |
| • Daphne | -do- | loved by the god Apollo; see below entry of Daphne |
| • Menippe | -do- | wife of Pelasgus, by whom she became the mother of Phrastor |
| • Stilbe | -do- | bore to Apollo twin sons, Centaurus and Lapithus. |
| • Cyrene | -do- | also called the daughter of Peneus' son Hypseus and mother of Aristaeus and Idmon by Apollo |
| Trojan Nymphs or Trojan Naiads | Scamander River and Simoeis River, Troad | daughters of the river gods, Scamander and Simoeis |
| • Callirrhoe | Scamander River, Troad | daughter of the river god Scamander; wife of Tros and mother of Ilus, Assaracus and Ganymede |
| • Glaucia | -do- | daughter of the Trojan river god Scamander; wife of Deimachus and the mother of Scamander who was named after his grandfather |
| • Strymo | -do- | wife of King Laomedon and the mother of King Priam and Tithonus |
| • Astyoche | Simoeis River, Troad | daughter of the river god Simoeis, mother of TrosbyErichthonius |
| • Hieromneme | -do- | daughter of the river-god Simoïs and the wife of Assaracus, by whom she bore Capys or the daughter-in-law of Assaracus, wife of Capys and mother of Anchises |
| Individual Potameides: | ||
| Anchinoe | Nile River, Egypt | daughter of the river Nilus; wife of the Egyptian King Belus; mother of Aegyptus and Danaus, and perhaps, Cepheus and Phineus. |
| Anippe | Nile River, Egypt | loved by the god Poseidon by whom she became the mother of Busiris |
| Argiope | Nile River, Egypt | daughter of the river Nilus; wife of Agenor and mother of Europa, Phoenix, Cilix and Cadmus; commonly known as Telephassa |
| AsteropeorHesperia | Cebren River, Troad | daughter of the river god Cebren and lover of Aesacus, also called Hesperia |
| Caliadne | Nile River, Egypt | presumably one of the daughters of the river-god Nilus; one of the wives of Aegyptus, bearing him 12 sons: Eurylochus, Phantes, Peristhenes, Hermus, Dryas, Potamon, Cisseus, Lixus, Imbrus, Bromios, Polyctor, and Chthonios |
| Chione | Nile River, Egypt | daughter of the Oceanid Callirrhoe and the river god Nilus |
| Cleochareia | Eurotas River, Laconia | queen consort of King Lelex and mother of Myles and Polycaon |
| Deino | Spercheus River, Malis | wife of the river god Spercheios and by him the mother of Diopatre[12] |
| Eunoë | Sangarius River, Phrygia | daughter of the river-god Sangarius; she was the possible mother of HecubabyDymas[13] |
| Europa | Nile River, Egypt | one of the daughters of the river-god Nilus; wife of Danaus who bore him the Danaides |
| Eurryroe | Nile River, Egypt | one of the daughters of the river-god Nilus; wife of Aegyptus who bore him fifty sons |
| Hercyna | Herkyna River, Lebadeia | a childhood companion of the goddess Persephone |
| Ismenis | Ismenos River, Thebes | daughters of the river god Ismenus; mother, by Pan, of Crenaeus, a defender of Thebes against the Seven |
| Lethe | Lethe River, Hades | - |
| Memphis | Nile River, Egypt | daughter of Nilus; she was the wife to Epaphus and mother of Libya and Anippe or Lysianassa |
| Metis | Meles River, Smyrna | daughter of the river god Meles; mother of HomerbyMaeon |
| Moria | Hermos River, Lydia | brother of Tylus |
| Nana | Sangarius River, Phrygia | daughter of the river-god Sangarius; she was impregnated by an almond from the tree sprung from the severed genitals of Agdistis, giving birth to Attis. |
| Neda | Neda River, Arcadia | daughter of Oceanus; one of the nurses of infant Zeus |
| Ocyrhoe | Imbrasus River, Samos | daughter of the river god Imbrasus and Chesias; she was pursued by the god Apollo |
| Ocyrhoe | Sangarius River, Phrygia | daughter of the river-god Sangarius; she was the mother, by Hippasus, of Hippomedon |
| Ocyrhoe | Caicus River, Mysia | mother of CaicusbyHermes |
| Polyxo | Nile River, Egypt or in Libya | presumably one of the daughters of the river-god Nilus; she was one of the wives of Danaus and bore him 12 daughters: Autonoe, Theano, Electra, Cleopatra, Eurydice, Glaucippe, Anthelea, Cleodora, Euippe, Erato, Stygne and Bryce |
| Styx | Styx River, Underworld | anOceanid; she was the wife of Pallas and thus mother of Zelus, Nike, Kratos, and Bia |
| Symaethis | Symaithos River, Sicily | loved by Pan |
| Syrinx | Ladon River, Arcadia | daughter of the river god Ladon; pursued by Pan |
| Tereine | Strymon River, Thrace | daughter of the river god Strymon; mother of Thrassa by Ares |
| Zeuxippe | Eridanus River, Athens | mother of ButesbyTeleon |
| V. Pegaeae | springs | - |
| The Anigrides | Elis | daughters of the river god Anigros, were believed to cure skin diseases[14][15][16] |
| The Corycian Nymphs | 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 LycoreusbyApollo |
| • Melaina | -do- | mother of DelphosbyApollo |
| The Cyrtonian nymphs | Boeotia | local springs in the town of Cyrtones[17][18] |
| The Deliades | Delos | daughters of Inopus, god of the river Inopus[19][20] |
| The Himerian Naiads[21][22] | ||
| The Ionides | Elis | daughters of the river god Cytherus[23] |
| • Calliphaea | -do- | - |
| • Iasis | -do- | - |
| • Pegaea | -do- | - |
| • Synallaxis | -do- | - |
| The Ithacian nymphs | Ithaca | dwelled in sacred caves on the island[24] |
| The Leibethrides | ||
| • Libethrias | ||
| • Petra[25][26] | ||
| The Mysian Naiads | Bithynia | dwelled in the spring of Pegae near the lake Askanios and were responsible for the kidnapping of Hylas[27][28] |
| • Euneica | ||
| • Malis | ||
| • Nycheia[29] | ||
| The Ortygian nymphs | Sicily | local springs of Syracuse[30][31] |
| The Pierides | ||
| The Rhyndacides | daughters of the river god Rhyndacus[32] | |
| Individual Pegaeae: | ||
| Albunea | ||
| Xanderirhoe | Mt. Ida, Troad | daughter of the river god Grenikos; mother of AesacusbyPriam[33] |
| Archidemia[34] | ||
| Arethusa | Island of Ortygia | daughter of Nereus[35][36][37] |
| Automate | Argos | - |
| Callirrhoe | Acarnania | mother of Amphoterus and AcarnanbyAlcmaeon |
| CastaliaorCassotis | Delphi, Phocis | others called her the daughter of the river god Cephissus[38] |
| Comaetho | daughter or wife of the river god Cydnus[39] | |
| Cyane | Sicily | playmate of Persephone who was changed into a well through grief at the loss of her |
| Dirce | transformed into a spring (presumably into a nymph personifying it) after her death | |
| Hagno | Arcadia | one of the nurses of infant Zeus |
| Langia[40] | ||
| Magea[34] | ||
| Milichie[34] | ||
| Metope | Arcadia | daughter of the river-god Ladon and wife of Asopus |
| Pegasis | daughter of the river god Grenikos[41] | |
| Peuce | Peuce Island | mother of Peucon |
| Pharmaceia | Attica | nymph of a poisonous spring and Orithyia's playmate[42][43] |
| Physadeia | Argolis | |
| Psanis | Arcadia | may have been the wife of the river god Ladon |
| Salmacis | ||
| Strophia | Thebes | spring on Mount Cithaeron; barely personified[44] |
| Telphousa | Arcadia | daughter of the river-god Ladon |
| Temenitis[34] | ||
| Theisoa | Arcadia | |
| Name | Location | Relations |
|---|---|---|
| Aba | Ciconia, Thrace | presumed daughter of the river Hebros; mother of ErgiscusbyPoseidon[45] |
| Abarbarea | Tyre | ancestors of the Tyrians along with Callirrhoe and Drosera |
| Aegle | - | daughter of Zeus and Neaera, by whom Helios begot the Charites |
| Aia | Colchis | loved by the river-god Phasis. |
| Alcinoe | Mt. Lycaeus, Arcadia | one of the nurses of the god Zeus |
| Anchiroe | Arcadia | one of the nurses of the god Zeus |
| Anchiroe | Libya | wife of the Psylli tribe's first king Psyllus |
| Annaed | - | - |
| Anthedon | Boeotia | - |
| Anthracia | Arcadia | one of the nurses of the god Zeus |
| Argiope | Mt. Parnassus, Phocis | possibly the daughter of the river-god Cephissus, mother of ThamyrisbyPhilammon |
| Argiope | Eleusis | possibly the daughter of the river-god Cephissus, mother of CercyonbyBranchus |
| Argyra | Achaea | loved by the hero Selemnus |
| Ascra | Boeotia | loved by Poseidon who bore him a son Oeoclus |
| Asterodia | Caucasus | daughter of Oceanus and Tethys; loved by the Colchian king Aeetes by whom she had a son Apsyrtus |
| Asterope | Sicily | an Oceanid; mother of Acragas by Zeus |
| Bateia | Sparta | married King OebalusofSparta and mother of their sons were Hippocoon, Tyndareus and Icarius |
| Bistonis | Thrace | mother of Tereus by Ares |
| Byzia | Byzantium | - |
| Callirrhoe | Tyre | ancestors of the Tyrians along with Abarbarea and Drosera |
| Ceto | - | an Oceanid; she bore Helios a daughter, Astris |
| Chesias | Samos | loved by the river god Imbrasis |
| Charybdis | - | daughter of Poseidon and Gaia |
| Chlidanope | possibly Thessaly | wife of Hypseus and mother Cyrene |
| Cleide | Naxos | one of the nurses of the god Dionysus |
| Cleomede | Paeonia | daughter of the river god Axius; she was the wife of Paeon |
| Clonia | Boeotia | consort of Hyrieus and by him became the mother of Nycteus and Lycus |
| Cnossia | Crete | mother of XenodamosbyMenelaus when he visited the island |
| Coronis | Naxos | one of the nurses of the god Dionysus |
| Cretheis | Smyrna, Ionia | mother of Homer by the river god Meles |
| Creusa | Thessaly | daughter of Gaia; she bore Hypseus and Stilbe to the river god Peneus |
| Cyanea | Miletus, Caria | daughter of the river Meander; wife of king Miletos and mother by him of Caunus and Byblis |
| Danais | Elis | she was loved by the Pisan king Pelops by whom she became the mother of his bastard son, Chrysippus |
| Daphne | Arcadia or Laconia | daughter of the river-god Ladon or of king Amyclas; loved by the god Apollo |
| Daulis | Boeotia | daughter of the river-god Cephisus |
| Dercetis | Boeotia | mother of AlatreusbyLaphitaon |
| Diogeneia | Attica | daughter of the river-god Cephisus; the wife of the Athenian lord Phrasimos and mother by him of Praxithea |
| Drosera | Tyre | ancestors of the Tyrians along with Abarbarea and Callirhoe |
| Echenais | Sicily | blinded his unfaithful lover Daphnis |
| Eupheme | Boeotia | nurse of the Muses; mother of Crotus by Pan |
| Evadne | Argolis | daughter of Strymon and Neaera, wife of Argus (king of Argos), mother of Ecbasus, Peiras, Epidaurus and Criasus |
| Glauce | Arcadia | one of the nurses of Zeus |
| Hagno | Arcadia | one of the nurses of Zeus |
| Harmonia | Acmonia, Phrygia | mother of the Amazons by Ares |
| Hippe | Argolis | - |
| Lara | Rome | daughter of the river Almo; mother of the LaresbyMercury |
| Lilaea | Phocis | daughter of the local river-god Cephisus |
| Liriope | Phocis | bore a son Narcissus to the river-god Cephisus |
| Lotis | Dryopia/ Doris | escape from the embraces of Priapus was metamorphosed into a tree |
| Melanthea | - | daughter of the river-god Alpheus; she bore to Poseidon a daughter, Eirene |
| Melia | Argolis | an Oceanid; mother, by Inachus, of Phoroneus and Aegialeus |
| Melia | Boeotia | an Oceanid; mother, by Apollo, of Tenerus and Ismenus |
| Melia | Bithynia | mother, by Poseidon, of Mygdon and Amycus, kings of Bebryces |
| Melia | Bithynia | she was the mother by SilenusofDolion |
| Melia | Ceos | mother, by Apollo, of Ceos |
| Melite | Corcyra | daughter of the river-god Aegaeus and mother of HyllusbyHeracles |
| Methone | Pieria | mother of OeagrusbyPierus |
| Midea | Boeotia | mother of Aspledon by Poseidon |
| Minthe | Elis | daughter of Cocytus; loved by the god Hades but as punishment her boasts was transformed by Persephone or Demeter into a mint-plant |
| Nacole | Phrygia | eponym of Nacoleia |
| Nais | Laconia | wife of Silenus |
| Neaera | Thrace | wife of the river-god Strymon, and mother of Evadne |
| Neaera | Lydia | mother of Dresaeus by Theiodamas |
| Neis | - | mother of AetolusbyEndymion |
| Nicaea | Bithynia | daughter of the river-god Sangarius and Cybele. By the god of wine, Dionysus, she mothered Telete (consecration) |
| Nomia | Arcadia | companion of Callisto |
| Nonacris | Arcadia | wife of Lycaon and the mother of Callisto |
| Ocyrhoe | Colchis | mother of PhasisbyHelios |
| Orseis | Thessaly | mother of Dorus, Aeolus and XuthusbyHellen |
| Ortygia | Lycia | nurse of Apollo |
| Paria | Paros | mother of Eurymedon, Nephalion, Chryses and Philolaus by Minos |
| Periboea | Laconia | wife of Icarius, mother of Penelope, Perilaus, Aletes, Damasippus, Imeusimus and Thoas |
| Pero | Sicyon | mother of Asopus by Poseidon |
| Philia | Naxos | one of the nurses of the god Dionysus |
| Phrixa | Arcadia | one of the nurses of Zeus |
| Pitane | Laconia | daughter of the river god Eurotas, became by Poseidon the mother of Evadne |
| Praxithea | Athens | married Erichthonius of Athens and by him had a son named Pandion I |
| Pronoe | Lycia | mother of AegialusbyCaunus |
| Rhodope | Thrace | mother of HebrosbyHaemus and of Cicon by Apollo |
| Samia | Samos | wife of Ancaeus |
| Sparta | Sparta | daughter of the river god Eurotas; mother of Amyclas and Eurydice by Lacedaemon |
| Syllis | Sicyon | mother of Zeuxippus by Apollo |
| Thronia | Thrace | mother of Abderus by Poseidon |
| Tiasa | Sparta | daughter of the river god Eurotas |
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