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Goddesses of Ancient Greece - N
Naiads
The Naiads were nymphs of bodies of fresh water and were one of the three
main classes of water nymphs - the others being the Nereids (nymphs of
the Mediterranean Sea) and the Oceanids (nymphs of the oceans). The Naiads
presided over rivers, streams, brooks, springs, fountains, lakes, ponds,
wells, and marshes. They were divided into various subclasses: Crinaeae
(fountains), Pegaeae (springs), Eleionomae (marshes), Potameides (rivers),
and Limnades or Limnatides (lakes). Roman sources even assigned custody
of the rivers of Hades to Naiads classified as Nymphae Infernae Paludis
or the Avernales.
The Naiad was intimately connected to her body of water and her very existence
seems to have depended on it. If a stream dried up, its Naiad expired.
The waters over which Naiads presided were thought to be endowed with
inspirational, medicinal, or prophetic powers. Thus the Naiads were frequently
worshipped by the ancient Greeks in association with divinities of fertility
and growth.
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Napaeae
In Greek myth, the nymphs of mountain valleys.
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Neaera
A Greek nymph, by Helios the mother of Lampetia and Phaetusa.
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Nemesis
("due enactment") Child of Nyx, Goddess of divine vengeance,
and implacable retribution. She is usually depicted bearing a scourge
and a wheel; the latter seems to hint at an association with earlier seasonal
Divinities. Her anger is directed toward human transgression of the natural,
right order of things and of the arrogance causing it. Nemesis pursues
the insolent and the wicked with inflexible vengeance. Her cult probably
originated from Smyrna. She is regarded as the daughter of Oceanus or
Zeus, but according to Hesiod she is a child of Erebus and Nyx.
She is portrayed as serious looking woman with in her left hand a whip,
a rein, a sword, or a pair of scales. In the Hellenistic period she was
portrayed with a steering wheel. Also called Rhamnusia, from a temple
and statue of her in Rhamnus, a village in the northern part of Attica.
The epithet Adrasteia "she whom none can escape", properly of
those of the Phrygian Cybele, was later applied to her.
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Neireids
The Nereids are the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris who dwell in the
Mediterranean Sea. These beautiful women were always friendly and helpful
towards sailors fighting perilous storms. They are believed to have the
power of prophecy, and belong to the retinue of Poseidon. In ancient art,
particularly on black-figured Greek vases the Nereids were portrayed fully
clothed, such as on a Corinthian vase (6th century BCE) where they stand
around Achilles' deathbed, dressed in mourning-garbs. In later art they
were portrayed naked or partially naked, riding on dolphins, seahorses,
and other marine creatures.
Nephele
A nymph, the first wife of Athamas, and mother of Phrixus and Helle. When
she was driven away by her husband, she protected her children against
the threats of their stepmother Ino.
Nike
She is the Goddess of victory and daughter of Styx. This fierce river
goddess became associated with Pallas Athena by Hellenic times, although
she appeared on vases and urns of much more antique origin. She can run
and fly at great speed and is a constant companion of Athena. Nike is
the daughter of Pallas and Styx and the sister of Cratos, Bia, and Zelus.
She was represented as a woman with wings, dressed in a billowing robe
with a wreath or staff. The original depiction of Nike as "Winged
Victory", headless and armless, dating from c. 500 BCE was found
at Samothrace, is today housed in the Louvre.
Niobe
Niobe is one of the more tragic figures in Greek myth. She was the daughter
of Tantalus and either Euryanassa, Eurythemista, Clytia, or Dione (no
one seems to know for sure) and had two brothers, Broteas and Pelops.
Niobe was the queen of Thebes (the principle city in Boetia), married
to Amphion, King of Thebes. Niobe is weeping even to this day...Carved
on a rock cliff on Mt Sipylus is the fading image of a female that the
Greeks claim is Niobe (it was probably Cybele, the great mother-goddess
of Asia Minor). Composed of porous limestone, the stone appears to weep
as the water after a rain seeps through it.
Nymphs
In Greek mythology, nymphs are spirits of nature. They are minor female
deities and the protectors of springs, mountains, and rivers. Nymphs are
represented as young, pretty girls. Each subtype presides over a certain
aspect of nature. Depending of their habitat, there are: Dryads (forests),
Naiads (springs and rivers), Nereid (the Mediterranean), Oceanids (the
sea) and Oreads (mountains), Limoniads (meadows), Limniads (lakes, marshes
and swamps) and Napaea (valleys). They were worshipped in a nymphaeum,
a monumental fountain which was raised in the vicinity of a well. The
male counterpart of a nymph is the satyr.
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Nyx
Nyx is the goddess and embodiment of the night. According to Hesiod in
his Theogony (11.116-138), "From Chaos came forth Erebus and black
Night Nyx; of Night were born Aether being the bright upper atmosphere
and Day Hemera, whom she conceived and bore from union with Erebus her
brother". Also from the Theogony (11. 211-225); "And Night borehateful
Doom Moros and black Fate and Death Thanatos, and she bore Sleep Hypnos
and the tribe of Dreams. And again the goddess murky Night, though she
lay with none, bare Blame and painful Woe, and the Hesperides who guard
the rich golden apples and the trees bearing fruit beyond glorious Ocean.
Also she bore the Destinies and ruthless avenging Fates who were regarded
as old women occupied in spinning, Clotho the Spinner of the thread of
life and Lachesis the Disposer of Lots, she who allots every man his destiny
and Atropos She Who Cannot Be Turned, who finally cuts the thread of life
who give men at their birth both evil and good to have, and they pursue
the transgressions of men and of gods, and these goddesses never cease
from their dread anger until they punish the sinner with a sore penalty.
Also deadly Night bore Nemesis Indignation to afflict mortal men, and
after her, Deceit Apate and Friendship and hateful Age and hard-hearted
Strife. From that great work we find that Nyx produced a host of offspring.
Other sources give Charon who ferried the dead over the rivers of the
infernal region as being the son of Erebus and Nyx, although according
to the Theogony he was born from Chaos. Also according to Aristophanes,
Birds 693 ff, "in the infinite bosom of Erebus, Night with black
wings first produced an egg without a seed. From it, in the course of
the seasons, Eros was born--the desired, whose back sparkled with golden
wings, Eros like swift whirlwinds".
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