![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Naiad1.jpg/640px-Naiad1.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Naiad
Female spirit or nymph in Greek mythology / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Naiad (disambiguation).
In Greek mythology, the naiads (/ˈnaɪædz, ˈneɪædz, -ədz/; Greek: ναϊάδες, translit. naïádes), sometimes also hydriads,[1] are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021) |
Quick Facts Grouping, Sub grouping ...
![]() A Naiad by John William Waterhouse, 1893; a water nymph approaches the sleeping Hylas. | |
Grouping | Nymphs |
---|---|
Sub grouping | Water spirit Elemental |
Similar entities | Mermaid Huldra Selkie Siren |
Habitat | Any body of fresh water |
Close
They are distinct from river gods, who embodied rivers, and the very ancient spirits that inhabited the still waters of marshes, ponds and lagoon-lakes such as pre-Mycenaean Lerna in the Argolis.