So, in the back-story of the myth of Aristaeus, Hypseus, a king of the Lapiths, married Chlidanope, a naiad, who bore him Cyrene. Like all nymphs, the Naiads were usually described as lithe and graceful maidens. These nymphs were typically the deities of the wells and fountains that provided fresh drinking water for the town’s human inhabitants. When the goddess accidentally killed her, she took her name as an epithet in remembrance. Do not fault me for sheltering my flock from the hail in a rustic shrine, nor harm me for disturbing the pools. The could move about more freely than the stationary Dryads of the trees and Oreads of the mountains. She came up instead as a freshwater spring near Syracuse. Their curiosity could also be deadly, as the could drown someone out of a desire to examine them more closely. 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. The curiosity of the Naiads proved deadly, for example, for one of the Argonauts that took part in Jason’s famous quest for the golden fleece. Arethusa – A sea nymph who fled a pursuing river god. In Greek mythology the Naiads were the nymphs of rivers, streams, lakes, marshes, fountains and springs. Sometimes, entire cities took their names from the water goddess that resided there. Outside of the famous legends, ordinary people had reason to be wary of the Naiads. The Limnades (or the Limnatides) – The Naiad nymphs of lakes Naiad, (from Greek naiein, “to flow”), in Greek mythology, one of the nymphs of flowing water—springs, rivers, fountains, lakes. Thebe – She gave her name to the great city-state of Thebes. When he tried to flee, she fused their bodies together so he could never escape her. Many gods and heroes of ancient Greece experienced orphan-hood or abandonment in infancy. The Naiads were depicted as beautiful young women, usually seated, standing or reclining beside a spring, and holding a water-jug or frond of lush foliage. Omissions? In Greek mythology, there are different types of nymphs. They represented aspects of the natural world like bodies of … Like the waters they protected, the Naiads could be unpredictable. The Oceanids lived in the salty water of the seas and the Nereids specifically made the Mediterranean their home. Animals were ritually drowned there. Naiads, a drawing by Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Fountain of the Naiads, Piazza della Repubblica, Rome, Italy, Female spirit or nymph presiding over fresh waters, Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, 5. The Naiads were one of several classes of nymphs in the Greek world. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Ismene – She married King Argus and became the mother of Iasus. The nymphs of Pegae, a spring int he land of Mysia, fell in love with Hylas and wanted a closer look at the human man’s beautiful features. Often they had little control over anything except their own special place. In this way, the far-flung colonies retained a connection to the Greek peninsula. Anchinoe – A Nile River goddess, she was the mother of legendary kings of that land, including Aegyptus. Acheloides While older gods controlled the rivers, they were often accompanied by a retinue of their daughters. Learn all there is to know about the Naiads, the freshwater nymphs of ancient Greece! They were typically shy, however, so they were rarely seen by mortal humans. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site.