Gods Associated with the Nymphai – Part Two
Apollon
Another archetypal shepherd rather famous for his promiscuous nature with the Nymphai.
Aithousa – A Nymphe of Boiotia (in Central Greece) who was loved by Apollon. She bore him a son named Eleuther.
Akakallis – A Nymphe of Krete (in the Greek Aegean) who was loved by Apollon. She bore him twin sons: Philanderos and Phylakides.
Daphne – A Naias Nymphe of Arkadia (in Southern Greece) or Thessalia (Northern Greece) who was loved by Apollon. She fled from his advances and was transformed into a laurel tree.
Khrysothemis – A Nymphe and Queen of Bubastos in Karia (Asia Minor), the wife of King Staphylos. She had three daughters, one of which, Parthenos, was sometimes said to be a child of Apollon’s.
Korykia – A Naias Nymphe of Phokis (in Central Greece) who bore Apollon a son named Lykoras.
Kyrene – A Nymphe (or Princess) of the Lapith country (of Thessalia in Northern Greece). She was seduced by Apollon whilst hunting and bore him two offspring: Aristaios and Idmon.
Melaina – A Naias Nymphe of Phokis (in Central Greece) who, according to some, bore Apollon a son named Delphos (others say his mother was Thyia or Kelaino).
Melia – An Okeanis Nymphe who was abducted from the home of her father to Thebes by the god Apollon. Her brother Kaanthos was sent to retrieve her and after burning down the temple of Apollon was slain by the god. Melia was the mother of two sons: Teneros and Ismenos (and perhaps Keos, unless the mother of this hero was another Melia).
Okyrrhoe – A Naias Nymphe of the island of Samos (in the Greek Aegean) who was pursued by Apollon and took refuge on a boat leaving the island. The wrathful god turned the boat to stone and the skipper into a pilot-fish.
Othreis – A Nymphe of Mt Othrys in Malis (in Northern Greece), who bore Apollon a son named Phagros.
Ourea – A Sea-Nymphe of Troy (in Asia Minor), daughter of Poseidon, who was loved by Apollon during the building of the walls of Troy. She bore the god a son named Ileus.
Rhetia – A Nymphe who, according to some, was the mother of the Korybantes by Apollon.
Sinope – A Naias Nymphe of Sikyonia (in Southern Greece) who was abducted by Apollon to the Black Sea coast of Assyria, where the city of Sinope was named for her. According to most sources, she tricked Apollon into swearing an oath promising her her virginity. Others, however, say she became the mother of Syros (eponymous King of Assyria) by the god.
Stilbe – A Naias Nymphe of the Lapith country (in Thessalia, Northern Greece) who bore Apollon two sons: Lapithes and Kentauros.
Syllis – A Nymphe of Sikyonia (in Southern Greece) who bore Apollon a son named Zeuxippos.
Artemis
Goddess of the Hunt accompanied by a large retinue of Nymphai.
The Amnisiades – The twenty Naias Nymphe daughters of the River-God Amninos (in Krete) formed the core retinue of Artemis.
The Okeanides – Sixty (of the three thousand) Okeanides formed the core of the retinue of Artemis, along with twenty of the Naiades Amnisiades. They were all nine years old in observed appearance.
“Artemis far-shooting ranges the mountainside – on lofty Taygetos, it may be, or it may be on Erymanthos – taking her pleasure among the boars and the running deer; Nymphai of the countryside, daughters of Zeus who holds the aigis, are all around her and share her pastime; Leto her mother is glad at heart. With head and forehead Artemis overtops the rest, and though all are lovely, there is no mistaking which is she.” – The Odyssey
One of the most famous nymph and goddess myths is the tale of Callisto, who Artemis angrily turned into a bear after she was seduced by Zeus. The nymph was later honoured as a constellation among the stars.
Hekate
The Lampades were the torch-bearing Khthonian Nymphs of the underworld, companions of the goddess Hekate in her night-time revels and hauntings.
They were associated with the Eleusinian celebrants who carried torches during the nocturnal Mystery rites of Demeter.