Personifications of the more pleasant aspects of
nature, nymphs were a kind of middle being between
gods and
men, communicating with both, loved and respected by both.
They were gifted with the power to make themselves visible or
invisible at will, they could perform many feats normally only possible to the gods, and they were always
young,
beautiful and
happy,
carefree and
loving, and other
good things. When they were entrusted with the care of a thing or person, as in the case of
Ida and
Althaea, who were charged with looking after the infant
Zeus, they took this responsibility very seriously, also showing the
practical,
able side of
female nature.
There were many different classes of nymphs -- different ones for
rivers,
mountains,
trees, and so on -- but
they were universally
female and
beautiful. They lived, like the
gods, on
ambrosia, but seldom visited
Olympus, preferring
instead to remain in their
secluded grottoes and
forests, mountains and rivers, trees and lakes, etc. They accompanied many of the
gods when the
deities walked the Earth, in particular
Apollo,
Hermes,
Artemis and
Dionysos, but they were always hostile to
the wanton
Satyrs.
The twelve main classes of nymphs were:
Dryads or
Hamadryads (nymphs of woods and trees)
Oreads (nymphs of mountains)
Limoniads (nymphs of meadows and flowers)
Napaeae or
Auloniads (nymphs of mountain vales)
Okeanids(nymphs of fountains and streams)
Nereides (nymphs of the sea)
Naiads (nymphs of the liquid element)
Potamids (nymphs of rivers)
Limnads (nymphs of lakes,marshes and swamps---these were the only evil nymphs)
Pleiads (seven daughters of
Atlas and
Pleione)
Atlantids (daughters of
Atlas)
Hyads (daughters of
Atlas and
Aethra).