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Pegaeae

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Believe it or not, all this was inspired by someone's hairstyle... :O Yes, I am weird. ^^

Colored Version here: [link]




In Greek mythology, the Pegaeae were a type of Naiad that lived in springs.

Naiads are a type of Nymph that presided specifically over small bodies of water, i.e., springs, streams, wells, fountains, etc. They're different from the River Gods, who ruled over rivers (obviously); and the more ancient gods who ruled over still water, ponds, marshes, whatever. Naiads are typically linked with freshwater.

More Mythology:
Naiades (Naiads) - Nymphs of Fresh Water

Naiades (Naiads) (Nayads) were nymphs of fresh water
Three classes of water nymphs:

1. Nereides (nymphs of the Mediterranean Sea)
2. Oceanides (nymphs of the oceans).
3. Naiades presided over rivers, streams, brooks, springs, fountains, lakes, ponds, wells, and marshes.
4. Naiads; the issue at hand had specalities in mythology.
* Crinaeae (fountains)
* Pegaeae (springs)
* Eleionomae (marshes)
* Potameides (rivers)
* Limnades or Limnatides (lakes).


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 Naiades presided were thought to be endowed with inspirational, medicinal, or prophetic powers. Thus the Naiades were frequently worshipped by the ancient Greeks in association with divinities of healing, fertility and growth.

Naiades were either daughters of Zeus, daughters of various river gods, or part of the family of the Titan Oceanus.

Like all the nymphs, the Naiades were in many ways female sex symbols of the ancient world and played the part of both the seduced and the seducer. Zeus in particular seems to have enjoyed the favors of countless Naiades and the other gods do not seem to have lagged far behind. The tale of the Naiad, Arethusa, and her pursuit by the river god, Alpheus, is a classic example of a lustful deity infatuated by a Naiad. The Naiades fell in love with and actively pursued mortals as well. Classical literature abounds with the stories of their love affairs with gods and men and with the tales of their resulting children.

Stories of the Naiades could take the form of cautionary tales with unhappy endings. The Naiad, Nomia, fell in love with a handsome shepherd named Daphnis and could not do enough for him. He repaid her love with unfaithfulness and she repaid his inconstancy by blinding him. The Naiades of a spring in Bithynia (Mysia) took a liking to Hylas (companion of Heracles) and lured him into their waters. The cautionary element is uncertain here. The fate of Hylas could have been either an abrupt death by drowning or everlasting sexual bliss.

Other stories of the Naiades were explanations of the origins of immortals and mortals. The sun god, Helios, mated with Aegle (renowned as the most beautiful of the Naiades) to produce the Charites. Melite, a Naiad of the Aegaeus River in Corcyra, had a liaison with Heracles and became the mother of Hyllus.

Naiades were the lovers of Endymion, Erichthonius, Magnes,
Lelex, Oebalus, Otrynteus, Icarius, Enops, and Thyestes and were therefore co-founders of important families.

Greek cities, islands, and mountains were called after the names of Naiades. The town of Lilaea, in Phocis, was named for Lilaea, the Naiad of the Cephissus River. After Zeus carried off the Naiad, Aegina (daughter of the river god, Asopus), to the island of Oenome, the island was reamed Aegina. Arcadians claim that the Nomian mountains are named after the afore-mentioned Naiad, Nomia. There is a reference in Homer's Odyssey to a cave, rather than a body of water, that is sacred to the Naiades. It might
be assumed, therefore, that this cave in Ithaca may have
contained a spring or have been the source of a stream or brook.

Information from: [link]
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Lily-Uzimaki's avatar
Creepy, although it looks like an unfinished drawing of mine, wierd!