Nereid
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Related e |
Featured: |
In Greek mythology, the Nereids (neer'-ee-eds) (Νηρηΐδες) are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris. They often accompany Poseidon and are always friendly and helpful towards sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father in the depths within a silvery cave. The most notable of them are Thetis, wife of Peleus and mother of Achilles; Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon; and Galatea, love of the Cyclops Polyphemus.
Names of the Nereids
This list is correlated from four sources: Apollodorus, Hesiod, Homer, and Hyginus. Because of this the total number of names goes beyond fifty.
- Actaea
- Agave
- Amathia
- Amphinome
- Amphithoe
- Amphitrite
- Apseudes
- Arethusa
- Asia
- Autonoe
- Beroe
- Callianassa
- Callianira
- Calypso
- Ceto
- Clio
- Clymene
- Cranto
- Creneis
- Cydippe
- Cymo
- Cymatolege
- Cymodoce
- Cymothoe
- Deiopea
- Dero
- Dexamene
- Dione
- Doris
- Doto
- Drymo
- Dynamene
- Eione
- Ephyra
- Erato
- Eucrante
- Eudore
- Eulimene
- Eumolpe
- Eunice
- Eupompe
- Eurydice
- Evagore
- Evarne
- Galene
- Galatea
- Glauce
- Glauconome
- Halie
- Halimede
- Hipponoe
- Hippothoe
- Iaera
- Ianassa
- Ianira
- Ione
- Laomedia
- Leiagore
- Leucothoe
- Ligea
- Limnoria
- Lycorias
- Lysianassa
- Maera
- Melite
- Menippe
- Nausithoe
- Nemertes
- Neomeris
- Nesaea
- Neso
- Opis
- Orithyia
- Panopaea
- Panope
- Pasithea
- Pherusa
- Phyllodoce
- Plexaure
- Ploto
- Pontomedusa
- Pontoporia
- Poulunoe
- Pronoe
- Proto
- Protomedia
- Psamathe
- Sao
- Spio
- Thaleia
- Themisto
- Thetis
- Thoe
- Thoosa
- Xantho
In modern Greek folklore, the term "nereid" has come to be used of all nymphs, or fairies, not merely nymphs of the sea.