greek mythology - greek mythology picture - greek mythology god - greek roman mythology - greek mythology story - greek mythology family tree
hercules - apollo - prometheus - medusa - zeus - aphrodite - poseidon - titans - athena - atlas - pandora - hermes - hades - siren - fate - muse

· Nymphs
In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of female nature spirits, sometimes bound to a particular location or landform. Nymphs often accompanied various gods and goddesses, and were the frequent target of lusty satyrs. They are personifications of the creative and fostering activities of nature. The Greek word íýìöç has "bride" and "veiled" among its meanings: hence, a married woman, and, in general, one of marriageable age. Others 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 íýìöç 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 trees Dionysus, and with rustic gods such as Pan and Hermes (as the god of shepherds). The different species of nymph were distinguished according to the different spheres of nature with which they were connected.