Nymphs In Greek Mythology

We've heard and seen Nymphs several times in today's media. In the book series of Percy Jackson they are mentioned there. In the television series Charmed they were also mentioned. But what are they?

Nymphs were considered to be like divine spirits, always feminine. They were always nymphs of a specific location. The woods, oceans, meadows and many others.

There are many different kinds of Nymphs, all of them fell under a certain category. The categories include Water Nymphs, Underworld Nymphs, Celestial Nymphs, Wood and Plant Nymphs and Land Nymphs.

Like their names the Water Nymphs were always located in a place that had water. Whether it's a fountain, the sea, swamps or anything of that nature. They protected the are of water.

The Underworld Nymphs are depicted to carry torches. A group of these nymphs were said to have been a gift to Hecate from Zeus for her loyalty. They are said to join her on her night time ventures and hauntings.

Land Nymphs are exactly of that, the land. These are the nymphs of the pastures, the meadows, valleys or anything else of the like. A group of these were said to always be in the company of the god Pan.

The wood and plant nymphs were located in the woods or any area with plant life. These were the nymphs of the trees and flowers. They were said to protect the tree life as well as flowers from any harm.

The Celestial nymphs are a little more difficult to explain. However they seem to be very beautiful are the ones that seem to be changed into something. Like one particular group was turned into a cluster of stars that is located in the zodiac Taurus. Another was said to be changed into a fountain.

All nymphs always look like maidens. The water nymphs are said to resemble water. Sometimes making themselves look like water then returning to human shape. All nymphs are said to have shape shifting capabilities. Able to represent the area they are located but able to also take form of human. But one thing they all have in common is that at one point they all can look like beautiful maidens.

These beautiful feminine spirits have always interested me as soon as I found out about them. In with in my personal life and the religion I follow I believe that they are real to this day. But that is just me. We each can believe whatever we want. To each our own. Yet you cannot deny the beauty these beings have.

These female divine spirits are depicted as being beautiful young maidens who enjoy singing and dancing. There are many different descriptions of Nymphs however they usually remain resembling young women who have freedom, not tied down to anything except where they are located.

There are several different categories of Nymphs that are mentioned, Celestial is one of the many. These are the Nymphs of the West, considered to be daughters of Atlas. One example of a Celestial Nymph is one that went by the name Aegle. She was one of the most beautiful of all Nymphs and was said to be the daughter of Zeus. Another example is the one that went by the name of Arethusa. She was the daughter of Nereus and was said to later become a fountain on the island of Ortygia.

Another cluster of Celestial Nymphs called themselves Hyades. They are a sister of nymphs that would bring rain. These nymphs were eventually turned into a cluster of stars set in the head of the zodiac Taurus.

Among the many different kinds of nymphs are the land nymphs. This group belonged to glens, pastures, valleys, meadows and so on and so forth. An example of a land nymph are the ones who called themselves Auloniad. They were nymphs of mountain pastures and vales. They are said to be in the company of Pan, the god of nature.

These Nymphs include tree nymphs, flower nymphs. Some were considered to be watchers of the woods. The Epimeliad are nymphs that protected apple trees but are now said that it was possible they were protects of sheep. They had white hair like blossoms or wool. They were said to be able to shape shift from tree to human form.

These nymphs were of the seas, fountains, wetlands and basically any location with water. The Oceanids, also were known to be the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys are an example of the water nymph. They were nymphs of any water but usually of salty areas. Their number was said to be in the thousands.