| Nereid | |
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Real Name |
Nereid |
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First Appearance |
Greek Myth |
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Created by |
Greek Myth |
Origin[]
In Greek mythology, the Nereids or Nereides are sea nymphs (female spirits of sea waters), the 50 daughters of the 'Old Man of the Sea' Nereus and the Oceanid Doris, sisters to their brother Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon, the god of the sea, and can be friendly and helpful to sailors (such as the Argonauts in their search for the Golden Fleece).
he Nereids symbolized everything that is beautiful and kind about the sea. Their melodious voices sang as they danced around their father. They are represented as beautiful women, crowned with branches of red coral and dressed in white silk robes trimmed with gold.
These nymphs are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father Nereus in the depths within a golden palace. The most notable of them are Thetis, wife of Peleus and mother of Achilles; Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon and mother of Triton; Galatea, the vain love interest of the Cyclops Polyphemus and lastly, Psamathe who became the mother of Phocus by King Aeacus of Aegina, and Theoclymenus and Theonoe by Proteus, a sea-god or king of Egypt.
In Homer's Iliad, when Thetis cries out in sympathy for the grief of Achilles for the slain Patroclus, her sisters appear. Four of her siblings, Cymodoce, Thalia, Nesaea and Spio were also among the nymphs in the train of Cyrene. Later on, these four together with their other sisters Thetis, Melite and Panopea, were able to help the hero Aeneas and his crew during a storm.
In one account, Cassiopeia boasted that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereides, who were enraged by the claim. Poseidon, in sympathy for them, sent a flood and a sea monster to the land of the Aethiopians, demanding as well the sacrifice of the princess. These sea goddesses also were said to reveal to men the mysteries of Dionysus and Persephone.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of nereids from before January 1, 1930 are in the public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances include:
- The Iliad
- Theogony
- Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus
- Fabulae of Hyginus
Public Domain Comic Appearances Inspired by Nereids[]
- Space Detective #3: On Neptune, The Avenger and Teena investigate the disappearance of the Sea Nymphs of Neptune who work as pearl divers including one named Nereid.
- Authentic Police Cases 28: Features a story titled The Kidnapped Sea Nymph which is the name of a boat in the story.
- Planet Comics #67: Features a cover only character, the Nymph of Neptune, who lured astronauts to their doom like a siren. After seducing them, the nymph feeds them to a tentacled alien hidden in the wreckage of a crashed rocket.
Notes[]
- In modern Greek folklore, the term "nereid" has come to be used for all nymphs, fairies, or mermaids, not merely nymphs of the sea.