| Nymph | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Other Names |
Meliae, Dryads, Alseids, Naiads, Nereids, Oceanids, Oreads, Hesperides, Hyade, or Pleiades |
|
First Appearance |
Greek Myth |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
A nymph is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, landform, or tree, and are usually depicted as maidens. Because of their association with springs, they were often seen as having healing properties; other divine powers of the nymphs included divination and shapeshifting. In spite of their divine nature, they were not immortal.
Nymphs are divided into various broad subgroups based on their habitat, such as the Meliae (ash tree nymphs), the Dryads (oak tree nymphs), the Alseids (grove nymphs), the Naiads (spring nymphs), the Nereids (sea nymphs), the Oceanids (ocean nymphs), and the Oreads (mountain nymphs). Other nymphs included the Hesperides (evening nymphs), the Hyades (rain nymphs), and the Pleiades (companions of Artemis).
Nymphs featured in classic works of art, literature, and mythology. They are often attendants of goddesses and frequently occur in myths with a love motif, being the lovers of heroes and other deities. Desirable and promiscuous, nymphs can rarely be fully domesticated, being often aggressive to their mortal affairs. Since the Middle Ages, nymphs have been sometimes popularly associated or even confused with fairies.
A list of notable nymphs can be found here.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Nymphs from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- The Iliad
- The Odyssey
- Theogony
- The Precepts of Chiron Fragments
- Fragments of Unknown Position
- The Homeric Hymns
- Birds
- Thesmophoriazusae
- Apollonius Rhodius, The Argonautica
- Hymns
- Greek Geography
- Description of Greece
- The Orphic Hymns
- Deipnosophistae
- Imagines
- Cynegetica
- The Taking of Ilias
- Dionysiaca
- Metamorphoses
- Fasti
- Aeneid
- Elegies
- De Natura Deorum
- Phaedra
- Valerius Flaccus, The Argonautica
- Thebaid
Pubic Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Judge #2256: Includes a cartoon entitled the Pipes of Pan which features the Greek god of the same name and some nymphs.
- 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.
- Black Cat Comics #9: The story titled Legend of the Sun Eclipse features fauns, wood nymphs, Zeus, Diana, and Thor.