The Nymphs: Beautiful Spirits of Nature
Nymphs appear frequently throughout classical mythology. These beautiful nature-goddesses (often, a nymph was the daughter of Zeus or another deity) were eternally youthful. Most nymphs attended upon a higher deity or a higher-ranking nymph. Personifications of fertility and natural grace, they creatures resided in caves, trees, springs, or other bodies of water. The myths relate numerous love affairs involving nymphs and either men or gods. Examples include Poseidon and Amphitrite (Chapter 7), Ares and Cyrene (Chapter 10), Apollo and Daphne (Chapter 13), and Odysseus and Calypso (Chapter 19). Different kinds of nymphs could be found throughout nature:
Crinaeae: Lived in fountains
Dryads: Lived in trees
Hamadryads: Lived in specific trees and died when the tree died
Leimakids: Lived in meadows
Meliae: Lived in ash trees
Naiads: Lived in fresh water
Napaeae: Lived in valleys
Nereids: Lived in the sea
Oreads: Lived in mountains
Pegaeae: Lived in springs
Although they were goddesses, the nymphs were not immortal; however, they did live very long lives. Nymphs usually appear as minor characters in myths that feature higher-level gods or heroes. Fun-loving and playful, nymphs were sometimes cruel. For example, if a nymph's beloved refused or mistreated her, she could be vindictive. When the river-nymph Nais discovered her lover's infidelity, she struck him blind. He fell into a river, and the other river nymphs let him drown.
