A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=
Modern Greek
Modern Greek (, , or , ''Kiní Neoellinikí Glóssa''), generally referred to by speakers simply as Greek (, ), refers collectively to the dialects of the Greek language spoken in the modern era, including the official standardized form of the ...
; , ), sometimes spelled nymphe, in
ancient Greek folklore
Ancient Greek folklore consists of the folklore of the ancient Greeks. The topic includes genres such as mythology (Greek mythology), legend, and folktales. According to classicist William Hansen, "the Greeks and Romans had all the genres of oral ...
is a minor female
nature deity
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...
. Different from
Greek goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...
es, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are typically tied to a specific place or landform, and are usually depicted as maidens. They were not necessarily immortal, but lived much longer than human beings.
They are often divided into various broad subgroups, such as the
Meliae (ash tree nymphs), the
Dryads (oak tree nymphs), the
Naiad
In Greek mythology, the naiads (; grc-gre, ναϊάδες, 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 ...
s (freshwater nymphs), the
Nereids (sea nymphs), and the
Oreads (mountain nymphs).
Nymphs are often featured in classic works of art, literature, mythology, and fiction. Since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, nymphs have been sometimes popularly associated or even confused with
fairies
A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...
.
Etymology
The
Greek word 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 remains uncertain. The
Doric Doric may refer to:
* Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece
** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians
* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture
* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode
* Doric dialect (Scotland)
* Doric ...
and
Aeolic (
Homeric
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
) form is ().
Modern usage more often applies to young women, contrasting with ''parthenos'' () "a virgin (of any age)", and generically as ''
kore'' ( < ) "maiden, girl". The term is sometimes used by women to address each other and remains the regular
Modern Greek
Modern Greek (, , or , ''Kiní Neoellinikí Glóssa''), generally referred to by speakers simply as Greek (, ), refers collectively to the dialects of the Greek language spoken in the modern era, including the official standardized form of the ...
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
A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble, royal personage, or dignitary; a ''suite'' (French "what follows") of retainers.
Etymology
The word, recorded in English since circa 1375, stems from Old French ''retenue'', it ...
of a god (such as
Dionysus
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
,
Hermes
Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...
, or
Pan) or of a goddess (generally the huntress
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
).
The Greek nymphs were also spirits invariably bound to places, not unlike the Latin ''
genius loci
In classical Roman religion, a ''genius loci'' (plural ''genii locorum'') was the protective spirit of a place. It was often depicted in religious iconography as a figure holding attributes such as a cornucopia, patera (libation bowl) or snake. ...
'', and sometimes this produced complicated myths like the cult of
Arethusa to Sicily. In some of the works of the Greek-educated
Latin poets
Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings written in the Latin language. The beginning of formal Latin literature dates to 240 BC, when the first stage play in Latin was performed in Rome. Latin literature ...
, the nymphs gradually absorbed into their ranks the indigenous Italian divinities of springs and streams (
Juturna,
Egeria,
Carmentis
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Carmenta was a goddess of childbirth and prophecy, associated with technological innovation as well as the protection of mothers and children and a patron of midwives. She was also said to have invented the ...
,
Fontus) while the
Lympha
The Lympha (plural ''Lymphae'') is an ancient Roman deity of fresh water. She is one of twelve agricultural deities listed by Varro as "leaders" (''duces'') of Roman farmers, because "without water all agriculture is dry and poor." The Lymphae ...
e (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
Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire.
Definition
Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whi ...
. Among the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
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". Nymphs often 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 man. When parents believed their child to be nereid-struck, they would pray to Saint Artemidos.
Nymphs and fairies
Nymphs are often depicted in classic works across art, literature, mythology, and fiction. They are often associated with the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
romances or
Renaissance literature
Renaissance literature refers to European literature which was influenced by the intellectual and cultural tendencies associated with the Renaissance. The literature of the Renaissance was written within the general movement of the Renaissance, ...
of the elusive
fairies
A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...
or
elves
An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
.
Sleeping nymph
![Stourhead, Grotto, statue of a sleeping nymph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Stourhead%2C_Grotto%2C_statue_of_a_sleeping_nymph.jpg)
A motif that entered European art during the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
was the idea of a statue of a nymph sleeping in a
grotto
A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...
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
Stourhead () is a 1,072-hectare (2,650-acre) estate at the source of the River Stour in the southwest of the English county of Wiltshire, extending into Somerset. The estate is about northwest of the town of Mere and includes a Grade I listed ...
.
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 tree
''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of subtropical species are evergree ...
s.
By dwelling or affinity
The following is not the authentic Greek classification, but is intended as a guide:
By location
The following is a list of individual nymphs or groups thereof associated with this or that particular location. Nymphs in such groups could belong to any of the classes mentioned above (Naiades, Oreades, and so on).
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.
In non-Greek tales influenced by Greek mythology
*Sabrina (the
river Severn
, name_etymology =
, image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG
, image_size = 288
, image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle
, map = RiverSevernMap.jpg
, map_size = 288
, map_c ...
)
*Tágides (
Tagus
The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...
River)
Modern use
In modern usage, "nymph" is used in two senses different from the original Greek meaning.
* "Nymph" can be used to describe an attractive, sexually mature young woman. For example, the title of the
Perry Mason novel "The Case of the Negligent Nymph"
refers to such a young woman who in the book's plot suddenly swims to Mason's canoe. The term can have pejorative connotations regarding the sexual behavior of such women, and derived from it is the term "
Nymphomania" referring to female
hypersexuality.
* In
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
, "nymph" describes an immature form of an insect that does not change greatly as it grows, e.g. a
dragonfly
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...
,
mayfly
Mayflies (also known as shadflies or fishflies in Canada and the upper Midwestern United States, as Canadian soldiers in the American Great Lakes region, and as up-winged flies in the United Kingdom) are aquatic insects belonging to the ord ...
, or
locust.
Gallery
File:Hylas Saint-Romain-en Gal 07 2011.jpg, Hylas and nymphs from a mosaic in Roman Gaul (3rd century)
File:Sátiro y ninfa..JPG, Fight between ''Nymph'' and ''Satyr
In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, :wikt:σάτυρος, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, :wikt:Σειληνός, σειληνός ), is a male List of nature deities, nature spirit with ears ...
'', Naples National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples ( it, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, italic=no, sometimes abbreviated to MANN) is an important Italian archaeological museum, particularly for ancient Roman remains. Its collection includes wo ...
File:Lucas Cranach d.Ä. - Ruhende Quellnymphe (Washington, D.C.).jpg, ''The Nymph of the Spring''
by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder (german: Lucas Cranach der Ältere ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is know ...
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...
(c. 1537)
File:Nymphe et satyr - Nicolas Poussin - Musée Pouchkine Moscou.jpg, Nymphe and Satyr by Nicolas Poussin
Nicolas Poussin (, , ; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. Most of his works were on religious and mythological subjects painted for a ...
- Pushkin Museum
The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (russian: Музей изобразительных искусств имени А. С. Пушкина, abbreviated as ) is the largest museum of European art in Moscow, located in Volkhonka street, just oppo ...
, Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
(between 1626 and 1628)
File:Sleepingnymph.jpg, ''A Sleeping Nymph Watched by a Shepherd'' by Angelica Kauffman
Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann ( ; 30 October 1741 – 5 November 1807), usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered primarily as a history painter, K ...
, about 1780, (V&A Museum no. 23-1886)
File:Nymphs and Satyr, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau.jpg, '' Nymphs and Satyr'', by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1873)
File:Pleiades by Elihu Vedder.jpg, ''The Pleiades
The Pleiades (), also known as The Seven Sisters, Messier 45 and other names by different cultures, is an asterism and an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. At a distance of ...
'' (1885) by Elihu Vedder
Elihu Vedder (February 26, 1836January 29, 1923) was an American symbolist painter, book illustrator, and poet, born in New York City. He is best known for his fifty-five illustrations for Edward FitzGerald's translation of ''The Rubaiyat of Om ...
File:Nymphe, by Luis Ricardo Falero.jpg, A naiad
In Greek mythology, the naiads (; grc-gre, ναϊάδες, 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 ...
painted by Luis Ricardo Falero
Luis Ricardo Falero (May 23, 1851 – December 7, 1896) was a Spanish painter. He specialized in female nudes and mythological, orientalist and fantasy settings.
In 1896, the year of his death, Maud Harvey sued Falero for paternity. The ...
(1892)
File:Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl, Die Seelen des Acheron.jpg, Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl, ''The Souls of Acheron'' (1898)
File:Bildplatte Oreade.jpg, Young oread, on German porcelain plate (late 19th century)
File:Sir Edward John Poynter — Cave of the Storm Nymphs.jpg, ''The Cave of the Storm Nymphs
''The Cave of the Storm Nymphs'' is a painting by British artist Edward Poynter, depicting three nude sirens or nymphs from Greek mythology that lure sailors to their deaths. Poynter painted two versions, one in 1902 and the other in 1903, with mi ...
'' by Sir Edward John Poynter (1903)
File:Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse.jpg, Echo, an Oread (mountain nymph) watches Narcissus
Narcissus may refer to:
Biology
* ''Narcissus'' (plant), a genus containing daffodils and others
People
* Narcissus (mythology), Greek mythological character
* Narcissus (wrestler) (2nd century), assassin of the Roman emperor Commodus
* Tiberiu ...
in this 1903 painting of ''Echo and Narcissus
Echo and Narcissus is a myth from Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'', a Roman mythological epic from the Augustan Age. The introduction of the myth of the mountain nymph Echo into the story of Narcissus, the beautiful youth who rejected Echo and fel ...
'' by John William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse (6 April 184910 February 1917) was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His artworks were known for their dep ...
File:Nymph with morning glory flowers.jpg, ''Nymph with morning glory flowers'', by Jules Joseph Lefebvre
Jules Joseph Lefebvre (; 14 March 183624 February 1911) was a French figure painter, educator and theorist.
Early life
Lefebvre was born in Tournan-en-Brie, Seine-et-Marne, on 14 March 1836. He entered the École nationale supérieure des Bea ...
File:La Nymphe de la Foret.jpg, ''La Nymphe de la Foret'', by Guillaume Seignac
Guillaum Seignac (25 September 1870 – 2 October 1924) was a French academic painter.
Childhood
Guillaume was born in Rennes in 1870, and died in Paris in 1924. He started training at the Académie Julian in Paris, where he spent 1889 throug ...
.
File:Gaston Bussière Nymphe.jpg, ''Nymphe'' by Gaston Bussière
Gaston Bussière (April 24, 1862 in Cuisery – October 29, 1928 or 1929 in Saulieu) was a French Symbolist painter and illustrator.
Biography
Bussière studied at l'Académie des Beaux-Arts in Lyon before entering the école des beaux-arts d ...
(1929)
See also
*
Animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
*
Apsaras
*
Houri
*
Kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
*
Nymphaeum
A ''nymphaeum'' or ''nymphaion'' ( grc, νυμφαῖον), in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs.
These monuments were originally natural grottoes, which tradition assigned as habit ...
*
Pitsa panels
The Pitsa panels or Pitsa tablets are a group of painted wooden tablets found near Pitsa, Corinthia (Greece). They are the earliest surviving examples of Greek panel painting.
Location
The four panels, two of them highly fragmentary, were discov ...
*
Rå
In Scandinavian folklore, a rå (pl ''rår''), is a spirit who is the keeper or warden of a particular location or landform. The rå is known both in Nordic culture and in the Sami culture, where it is called ''radie''.
It was important for human ...
*
Xian
Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by other names, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong Plain, the city is the third most populous city in Western China, after Chongqin ...
*
Yakshini
*
List of Greek mythological figures
Notes
References
*
* Grimal, Pierre, ''The Dictionary of Classical Mythology'', Wiley-Blackwell, 1996. .
*
* Lawson, John Cuthbert, ''Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1910, p. 131
Nereids*
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Nymphs
Elementals