Nymph Classes

bayoread:

Celestial nymphs

  • Aurae (breezes), also called Aetae or Pnoae
  • Asteriae (stars), mainly comprising the Atlantides (daughters of Atlas)
  • Hesperides (nymphs of the West, daughters of Atlas; also had attributes of the Hamadryads)
  • Hyades (star cluster; sent rain)
  • Pleiades (daughters of Atlas and Pleione; constellation; also were classed as Oreads)
  • Maia (partner of Zeus and mother of Hermes)
  • Electra
  • Taygete
  • Alcyone
  • Celaeno
  • Asterope
  • Merope
  • Nephele (clouds)

Land nymphs

  • Alseides (glens, groves)
  • Auloniades (pastures)
  • Leimakides or Leimonides (meadows)
  • Napaeae (mountain valleys, glens)
  • Oreads (mountains, grottoes), also Orodemniades

Wood and plant nymphs

  • Anthousai (flowers)
  • Dryades (trees)
  • Hamadryades or Hadryades
  • Daphnaeae (laurel tree)
  • Epimeliades or Epimelides (apple tree; also protected flocks), other name variants include Meliades, Maliades and Hamameliades; same as these are also the Boucolai (Pastoral Nymphs)
  • Kissiae (ivy)
  • Meliae (manna-ash tree)
  • Hyleoroi (watchers of woods)

Water nymphs (Hydriades or Ephydriades)

  • Haliae (sea and seashores)
  • Nereids (50 daughters of Nereus, the Mediterranean Sea)
  • Naiads or Naides (fresh water)
  • Crinaeae (fountains)
  • Eleionomae (wetlands)
  • Limnades or Limnatides (lakes)
  • Pegaeae (springs)
  • Potameides (rivers)
  • Oceanids (daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, any water, usually salty)

Underworld nymphs

  • Cocytiae, daughters of the river god Cocytus
  • Lampades – torch bearers in the retinue of Hecate
  • individual underworld nymphs:
  • Leuce (white poplar tree), lover of Hades
  • Minthe (mint), lover of Hades, rival of Persephone

Other nymphs

  • Hecaterides (rustic dance) – sisters of the Dactyls, mothers of the Oreads and the Satyrs
  • Kabeirides – sisters of the Kabeiroi
  • Maenads or Bacchai or Bacchantes – frenzied nymphs in the retinue of Dionysus
  • Lenai (wine-press)
  • Mimallones (music)
  • Thyiai or Thyiades (thyrsus bearers)
  • Melissae (honey bees), likely a subgroup of Oreades or Epimelides
  • The Muses (memory, knowledge, art)
  • Themeides – daughters of Zeus and Themis, prophets and keepers of certain divine artefacts