Nymphs

Victoria White
6th period
Nymphs
 In Greek mythology
nymphs are depicted as
women who watch over
specific areas of nature.
 They are usually found as
the love objects of the
gods or heroes.
 They were sometimes
worshipped or prayed to
just as much as some of
the gods.
 Nymphs
 Nymphs almost never  Nymphs were usually
had both mortal parents shown as beautiful,
unless they were changed gentle and kind but a few
into a nymph during their were more destructive.
mortal lifetime.  Because of their
 The line between nymphs kindness, they often
and goddesses wasn’t ended up helping those
always very clear and the in need. They even
two sometimes sometimes would raise
intermingle. human children.
 Nymphs
 There are many types  Oreads-mountains
of nymphs who are  Nereids-Meditteranean
specified to particular  Naiads-rivers and
part of nature such streams
trees, meadows, and  Oceanids-ocean
mountains.  Dryads/Hamadryads-
 The Nereids are the forest and trees
daughters of  Alseids-groves
Nereus(sea god) and  Hydriads-water
the Oceanids are the  Leimoniads-meadows
daughters of Oceanus.
 Nymphs
Nymphs are not immortal but they do live for a very
long time.
Nymphs will sometimes live as long as what ever
the natural object they look over does. For
example, a dryad will live as long as the tree they
watch over does or a river nymph may do the same.
Some more major gods/goddesses that nymphs
were associated with are Artemis, Apollo, Dionysus,
and Hermes.
 Nymphs
The number of nymphs is not specific but it is
thought to be nearly infinite.

Nymphs can be compared to things such as

fairies from European tales and even “genius
loci” in Roman mythology which means
guardian spirit of a place.
 Well-known Nymphs
Calypso-Sea Nymph

Echo-Mountain Nymph

Thoosa (Polyphemus’ mother)-Sea Nymph

 Stories of Nymphs
Many stories of nymphs are ones that
describe how things came to be. These are
stories of the metamorphosis of some
nymphs turning into things like a certain type
of tree or a flower for instance.
A nymph named Lotis turned herself into a
lotus flower in order to get away from
Priapos, a god who was pursuing her.
 Story of Echo
 Echo was a nymph of the mountains who was
punished by Zeus’ wife Hera for distracting her while
her husband cheated on her with other nymphs.
Echo’s punishment was to never speak her own words
again but only repeat (or echo) what others said. One
day she met a man named Narcissus and fell in love
with him but could not tell him of her love. She ran to
his arms but he refused her and left her heartbroken.
She hid in the mountains and her depression
eventually killed her. Some stories say that because of
this she became part of the mountain and her echo
was the only thing left. (Bulfinch 131)
 Thetis Family Tree
• Thetis is one of the 50
Nereus Doris Nereid nymphs and is the
daughter of Nereus and
Doris and mother of
Achilles.
• Thetis was pursued by Zeus
and Poseidon until a
Thetis Peleus prophecy was told of her
future son that he would
become better than his
Achilles father. Not wanting this,
neither god wanted her and
she was forced to marry the
mortal Peleus.(Apollodorus,
The Library, 257)
 Works Cited
Apollodorus. "3.13.5." The Library, Volume 1. London: Harvard University, 1921. 257-267. Print.

Bulfinch, Thomas. "XIII. b. Echo and Narcissus." The Age of Fable. New York: Review Of Reviews, 1913. 131.

Print.

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Mythology & the Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2010.

<http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/Nymphai4Myths.html>.

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