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Nymph
In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of female nature entities, either bound to a particular location or landform or joining the retinue of a god or goddess. Nymphs were the frequent target of lusty satyrs."The idea that rivers are gods and springs divine nymphs," Walter Burkert remarks (Burkert III.3.3) "is deeply rooted not only in poetry but in belief and ritual; the worship of these deities is limited only by the fact that they are inseparably identified with a specific locality." Nymphs are personifications of the creative and fostering activities of nature, most often identified with the life-giving outflow of springs. The Greek word νύμφη has "bride" and "veiled" among its meanings: hence, a marriagable young woman. Other readers refer the word (and also Latin nubere and German Knospe) to a root expressing the idea of "swelling" (according to Hesychius, one of the meanings of νύμφη is "rose-bud"). The home of the nymphs is on mountains and in groves, by springs and rivers, in valleys and cool grottoes. They are frequently associated with the superior divinities: the huntress Artemis; the prophetic Apollo; the reveller and god of wine, Dionysus; and with rustic gods such as Pan and Hermes (as the god of shepherds).
The symbolic marriage with a nymph of a patriarchal leader, often the eponym of a people, is repeated endlessly in Greek origin myths; clearly such a union lent authority to the archaic king and to his line.
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
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| VampireSeree | a nymph | 1 | Oct 28 2008, 6:20 PM EDT by Anonymous | |
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Thread started: Oct 12 2008, 1:46 PM EDT
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nymphs can also be boys. nymphs are not nice infact if yur not careful in the ocean,lake,river or pool yu could die from them...they kill people for fun and for blood...yes they can apper in yur pool.. dont think they cant.but im not sure the can apper in yur bath tub i dont think so:)
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| Anonymous | Melissa | 9 | Sep 19 2008, 1:09 PM EDT by tomuchtosay95 | |
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Thread started: Aug 25 2008, 9:20 AM EDT
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My name is melissa, and I'm proud of it.
When Kronus's wife tricked him into swallowing a stone, she hid her son Zeus and several nymphs took care of her. One was named Melissa. When Kronus discovered she had been helping protects the son that was to defeat him, he was furious and turned her into a worm. After, when Zeus ruled along with his siblings, he pitied the kind nymph and turned her into a queen bee. |
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| Kat4676 | Naiads | 3 | Jul 21 2008, 5:05 PM EDT by Kat4676 | |
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Thread started: Jul 21 2008, 3:28 PM EDT
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The essence of a naiad was bound to her spring, so if a naiad's body of water dried, she died.
They 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; Daphnis had on several occasions been unfaithful to Nomia and as revenge she permanently blinded him. Salmacis forced the youth Hermaphroditus into a carnal embrace and, when he sought to get away, fused with him. Naiads and Triton by François Boucher, 1763(?)The Naiads were either daughters of Zeus or various Oceanids, but a genealogy for such ancient, ageless creatures is easily overstated. 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," (Burkert 1985), 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." |
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| Anonymous | nymph | 0 | Dec 16 2007, 5:00 AM EST by Anonymous | |
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