qualities which constitute grace, modesty, unconscious beauty, gentleness,
kindliness, innocent joy, purity of mind and body, and eternal youth.
They not only possessed the most perfect beauty themselves, but also
conferred this gift upon others. All the enjoyments of life were enhanced
by their presence, and were deemed incomplete without them; and wherever
joy or pleasure, grace and gaiety reigned, there they were supposed to be
present.
Temples and altars were everywhere erected in their honour, and people of
all ages and of every rank in life entreated their favour. Incense was
burnt daily upon their altars, and at every banquet they were invoked,
{164} and a libation poured out to them, as they not only heightened all
enjoyment, but also by their refining influence moderated the exciting
effects of wine.
Music, eloquence, poetry, and art, though the direct work of the Muses,
received at the hands of the Graces an additional touch of refinement and
beauty; for which reason they are always regarded as the friends of the
Muses, with whom they lived on Mount Olympus.
Their special function was to act, in conjunction with the Seasons, as
attendants upon Aphrodite, whom they adorned with wreaths of flowers, and
she emerges from their hands like the Queen of Spring, perfumed with the
odour of roses and violets, and all sweet-scented blossoms.
The Graces are frequently seen in attendance on other divinities; thus they
carry music for Apollo, myrtles for Aphrodite, &c., and frequently
accompany the Muses, Eros, or Dionysus.
HORÆ (SEASONS).
Closely allied to the Graces were the Horæ, or Seasons, who were also
represented as three beautiful maidens, daughters of Zeus and Themis. Their
names were Eunomia, Dice, and Irene.
It may appear strange that these divinities, presiding over the seasons,
should be but three in number, but this is quite in accordance with the
notions of the ancient Greeks, who only recognized spring, summer, and
autumn as seasons; nature being supposed to be wrapt in death or slumber,
during that cheerless and unproductive portion of the year which we call
winter. In some parts of Greece there were but two Horæ, Thallo, goddess of
the bloom, and Carpo, of the corn and fruit-bearing season.
The Horæ are always regarded as friendly towards mankind, and totally
devoid of guile or subtlety; they are represented as joyous, but gentle
maidens, crowned with flowers, and holding each other by the hand in a
round dance. When they are depicted separately as personifications of the
different seasons, the Hora {165} representing spring appears laden with
flowers, that of summer bears a sheaf of corn, whilst the personification
of autumn has her hands filled with clusters of grapes and other fruits.
They also appear in company with the Graces in the train of Aphrodite, and
are seen with Apollo and the Muses.
They are inseparably connected with all that is good and beautiful in
nature, and as the regular alternation of the seasons, like all her other
operations, demands the most perfect order and regularity, the Horæ, being
the daughters of Themis, came to be regarded as the representatives of
order, and the just administration of human affairs in civilized
communities. Each of these graceful maidens took upon herself a separate
function: Eunomia presided more especially over state life, Dice guarded
the interests of individuals, whilst Irene, the gayest and brightest of the
three sisters, was the light-hearted companion of Dionysus.
The Horæ were also the deities of the fast-fleeting hours, and thus
presided over the smaller, as well as the larger divisions of time. In this
capacity they assist every morning in yoking the celestial horses to the
glorious chariot of the sun, which they again help to unyoke when he sinks
to rest.
In their original conception they were personifications of the clouds, and
are described as opening and closing the gates of heaven, and causing
fruits and flowers to spring forth, when they pour down upon them their
refreshing and life-giving streams.
THE NYMPHS.
The graceful beings called the Nymphs were the presiding deities of the
woods, grottoes, streams, meadows, &c.
These divinities were supposed to be beautiful maidens of fairy-like form,
and robed in more or less shadowy garments. They were held in the greatest
veneration, though, being minor divinities, they had no temples {166}
dedicated to them, but were worshipped in caves or grottoes, with libations
of milk, honey, oil, &c.
They may be divided into three distinct classes, viz., water, mountain, and
tree or wood nymphs.
WATER NYMPHS.
OCEANIDES, NEREIDES, AND NAIADES.
The worship of water-deities is common to most primitive nations. The
streams, springs, and fountains of a country bear the same relation to it
which the blood, coursing through the numberless arteries of a human being,
bears to the body; both represent the living, moving, life-awakening
element, without which existence would be impossible.
Hence we find among
most nations a deep feeling of attachment to the streams and waters of
their native land, the remembrance of which, when absent in foreign climes,
is always treasured with peculiar fondness. Thus among the early Greeks,
each tribe came to regard the rivers and springs of its individual state as
beneficent powers, which brought blessing and prosperity to the country. It
is probable also that the charm which ever accompanies the sound of running
water exercised its power over their imagination. They heard with delight
the gentle whisper of the fountain, lulling the senses with its low,
rippling tones; the soft purling of the brook as it rushes over the
pebbles, or the mighty voice of the waterfall as it dashes on in its
headlong course; and the beings which they pictured to themselves as
presiding over all these charming sights and sounds of nature,
corresponded, in their graceful appearance, with the scenes with which they
were associated.
OCEANIDES.
The OCEANIDES, or Ocean Nymphs, were the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys,
and, like most sea divinities, were endowed with the gift of prophecy.
They are personifications of those delicate vapour-like
{167} exhalations,
which, in warm climates, are emitted from the surface of the sea, more
especially at sunset, and are impelled forwards by the evening breeze. They
are accordingly represented as misty, shadowy beings, with graceful swaying
forms, and robed in pale blue, gauze-like fabrics.
THE NEREIDES.
The NEREIDES were the daughters of Nereus and Doris, and were nymphs of the
Mediterranean Sea.
They are similar in appearance to the Oceanides, but their beauty is of a
less shadowy order, and is more like that of mortals.
They wear a flowing,
pale green robe; their liquid eyes resemble, in their clear depths, the
lucid waters of the sea they inhabit; their hair floats carelessly over
their shoulders, and assumes the greenish tint of the water itself, which,
far from deteriorating from their beauty, greatly adds to its effect. The
Nereides either accompany the chariot of the mighty ruler of the sea, or
follow in his train.
We are told by the poets that the lonely mariner watches the Nereides with
silent awe and wondering delight, as they rise from their grotto-palaces in
the deep, and dance, in joyful groups, over the sleeping waves. Some, with
arms entwined, follow with their movements the melodies which seem to hover
over the sea, whilst others scatter liquid gems around, these being
emblematical of the phosphorescent light, so frequently observed at night
by the traveller in southern waters.
The best known of the Nereides were Thetis, the wife of Peleus, Amphitrite,
the spouse of Poseidon, and Galatea, the beloved of Acis.
THE NAIADES.
The NAIADES were the nymphs of fresh-water springs, lakes, brooks, rivers,
&c.
As the trees, plants, and flowers owed their nourishment to their genial,
fostering care, these divinities were {168} regarded by the Greeks as
special benefactors to mankind. Like all the nymphs, they possessed the
gift of prophecy, for which reason many of the springs and fountains over
which they presided were believed to inspire mortals who drank of their
waters with the power of foretelling future events. The Naiades are
intimately connected in idea with those flowers which are called after them
Nymphæ, or water-lilies, whose broad, green leaves and yellow cups float
upon the surface of the water, as though proudly conscious of their own
grace and beauty.
We often hear of the Naiades forming alliances with mortals, and also of
their being wooed by the sylvan deities of the woods and dales.
DRYADES, OR TREE NYMPHS.
The tree nymphs partook of the distinguishing characteristics of the
particular tree to whose life they were wedded, and were known collectively
by the name of the Dryades.
The HAMADRYADES, or oak nymphs, represent in their peculiar individuality
the quiet, self-reliant power which appears to belong essentially to the
grand and lordly king of the forest.
The BIRCH NYMPH is a melancholy maiden with floating hair, resembling the
branches of the pale and fragile-looking tree which she inhabits.
The BEECH NYMPH is strong and sturdy, full of life and joyousness, and
appears to give promise of faithful love and undisturbed repose, whilst her
rosy cheeks, deep brown eyes, and graceful form bespeak health, vigour, and
vitality.
The nymph of the LINDEN TREE is represented as a little coy maiden, whose
short silver-gray dress reaches a little below the knee, and displays to
advantage her delicately formed limbs. The sweet face, which is partly
averted, reveals a pair of large blue eyes, which appear to look at you
with wondering surprise and shy mistrust; {169} her pale, golden hair is
bound by the faintest streak of rose-coloured ribbon.
The tree nymph, being wedded to the life of the tree she inhabited, ceased
to exist when it was either felled, or so injured as to wither away and
die.
NYMPHS OF THE VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS.
NAPÆÆ AND OREADES.
The Napææ were the kind and gentle nymphs of the valleys and glens who
appear in the train of Artemis. They are represented as lovely maidens with
short tunics, which, reaching only to the knee, do not impede their swift
and graceful movements in the exercise of the chase.
Their pale brown
tresses are fastened in a knot at the back of the head, whence a few stray
curls escape over their shoulders. The Napææ are shy as the fawns, and
quite as frolicsome.
The OREADES, or mountain nymphs, who are the principal and constant
companions of Artemis, are tall, graceful maidens, attired as huntresses.
They are ardent followers of the chase, and spare neither the gentle deer
nor the timid hare, nor indeed any animal they meet with in their rapid
course. Wherever their wild hunt goes the shy Napææ are represented as
hiding behind the leaves, whilst their favourites, the fawns, kneel
tremblingly beside them, looking up beseechingly for protection from the
wild huntresses; and even the bold Satyrs dart away at their approach, and
seek safety in flight.
There is a myth connected with one of these mountain nymphs, the
unfortunate Echo. She became enamoured of a beautiful youth named
Narcissus, son of the river-god Cephissus, who, however, failed to return
her love, which so grieved her that she gradually pined away, becoming a
mere shadow of her former self, till, at length, nothing remained of her
except her voice, which henceforth gave back, with unerring fidelity, every
sound that was uttered in the hills and dales. Narcissus himself {170} also
met with an unhappy fate, for Aphrodite punished him by causing him to fall
in love with his own image, which he beheld in a neighbouring fountain,
whereupon, consumed with unrequited love, he wasted away, and was changed
into the flower which bears his name.
The LIMONIADES, or meadow nymphs, resemble the Naiades, and are usually
represented dancing hand in hand in a circle.
The HYADES, who in appearance are somewhat similar to the Oceanides, are
cloudy divinities, and, from the fact of their being invariably accompanied
by rain, are represented as incessantly weeping.
The MELIADES were the nymphs who presided over fruit-trees.
Before concluding this subject, attention should be drawn to the fact that,
in more modern times, this beautiful idea of animating all nature in detail
reappears under the various local traditions extant in different countries.
Thus do the Oceanides and Nereides live again in the mermaids, whose
existence is still believed in by mariners, whilst the flower and meadow
nymphs assume the shape of those tiny elves and fairies, who were formerly
believed to hold their midnight revels in every wood and on every common;
indeed, even at the present day, the Irish peasantry, especially in the
west, firmly believe in the existence of the fairies, or
"good people," as
they are called.
THE WINDS.
According to the oldest accounts, Æolus was a king of the Æolian Islands,
to whom Zeus gave the command of the winds, which he kept shut up in a deep
cave, and which he freed at his pleasure, or at the command of the gods.
In later times the above belief underwent a change, and the winds came to
be regarded as distinct divinities, whose aspect accorded with the
respective winds with which they were identified. They were depicted as
{171} winged youths in full vigour in the act of flying through the air.
The principal winds were: Boreas (the north wind), Eurus (the east wind),
Zephyrus (the west wind), and Notus (the south wind), who were said to be
the children of Eos and Astræus.
There are no myths of interest connected with these divinities. Zephyrus
was united to Chloris (Flora), the goddess of flowers.
Of Boreas it is
related that while flying over the river Ilissus, he beheld on the banks
Oreithyia, the charming daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens, whom he
carried off to his native Thrace, and there made her his bride. Boreas and
Oreithyia were the parents of Zetes and Calais, afterwards famous in the
expedition of the Argonauts.
There was an altar erected at Athens in honour of Boreas, in commemoration
of his having destroyed the Persian fleet sent to attack the Greeks.
On the Acropolis at Athens there was a celebrated octagonal temple, built
by Pericles, which was dedicated to the winds, and on its sides were their
various representations. The ruins of this temple are still to be seen.
PAN (FAUNUS).
[Illustration]
Pan was the god of fertility, and the special patron of shepherds and
huntsmen; he presided over all rural occupations, was chief of the Satyrs,
and head of all rural divinities.
According to the common belief, he was the son of Hermes and a wood nymph,
and came into the world with horns sprouting from his forehead, a goat's
beard and a crooked nose, pointed ears, and the tail and feet of a goat,
and presented altogether so repulsive {172} an appearance that, at the
sight of him, his mother fled in dismay.
Hermes, however, took up his curious little offspring, wrapt him in a hare
skin, and carried him in his arms to Olympus. The grotesque form and merry
antics of the little stranger made him a great favourite with all the
immortals, especially Dionysus; and they bestowed upon him the name of Pan
(all), because he had delighted them _all_.
His favourite haunts were grottoes, and his delight was to wander in
uncontrolled freedom over rocks and mountains, following his various
pursuits, ever cheerful, and usually very noisy. He was a great lover of
music, singing, dancing, and all pursuits which enhance the pleasures of
life; and hence, in spite of his repulsive appearance, we see him
surrounded with nymphs of the forests and dales, who love to dance round
him to the cheerful music of his pipe, the syrinx. The myth concerning the
origin of Pan's pipe is as follows:--Pan became enamoured of a beautiful
nymph, called Syrinx, who, appalled at his terrible appearance, fled from
the pertinacious attentions of her unwelcome suitor. He pursued her to the
banks of the river Ladon, when, seeing his near approach, and feeling
escape impossible, she called on the gods for assistance, who, in answer to
her prayer, transformed her into a reed, just as Pan was about to seize
her. Whilst the love-sick Pan was sighing and lamenting his unfortunate
fate, the winds gently swayed the reeds, and produced a murmuring sound as
of one complaining. Charmed with the soothing tones, he endeavoured to
reproduce them himself, and after cutting seven of the reeds of unequal
length, he joined them together, and succeeded in producing the pipe, which
he called the syrinx, in memory of his lost love.
Pan was regarded by shepherds as their most valiant protector, who defended
their flocks from the attacks of wolves. The shepherds of these early
times, having no penfolds, were in the habit of gathering together their
flocks in mountain caves, to protect them against the
{173} inclemency of
the weather, and also to secure them at night against the attacks of wild
animals; these caves, therefore, which were very numerous in the mountain
districts of Arcadia, Boeotia, &c., were all consecrated to Pan.
As it is customary in all tropical climates to repose during the heat of
the day, Pan is represented as greatly enjoying his afternoon sleep in the
cool shelter of a tree or cave, and also as being highly displeased at any
sound which disturbed his slumbers, for which reason the shepherds were
always particularly careful to keep unbroken silence during these hours,
whilst they themselves indulged in a quiet siesta.
Pan was equally beloved by huntsmen, being himself a great lover of the
woods, which afforded to his cheerful and active disposition full scope,
and in which he loved to range at will. He was regarded as the patron of
the chase, and the rural sportsmen, returning from an unsuccessful day's
sport, beat, in token of their displeasure, the wooden image of Pan, which
always occupied a prominent place in their dwellings.
All sudden and unaccountable sounds which startle travellers in lonely
spots, were attributed to Pan, who possessed a frightful and most
discordant voice; hence the term _pan_ic terror, to indicate sudden fear.
The Athenians ascribed their victory at Marathon to the alarm which he
created among the Persians by his terrible voice.
Pan was gifted with the power of prophecy, which he is said to have
imparted to Apollo, and he possessed a well-known and very ancient oracle
in Arcadia, in which state he was more especially worshipped.
The artists of later times have somewhat toned down the original very
unattractive conception of Pan, as above described, and merely represent
him as a young man, hardened by the exposure to all weathers which a rural
life involves, and bearing in his hand the shepherd's crook and
syrinx--these being his usual attributes--whilst small horns project from
his forehead. He is either undraped, or wears merely the light cloak called
the chlamys.
The usual offerings to Pan were milk and honey in {174}
shepherds' bowls.
Cows, lambs, and rams were also sacrificed to him.
After the introduction of Pan into the worship of Dionysus, we hear of a
number of little Pans (Panisci), who are sometimes confounded with the
Satyrs.
FAUNUS.
The Romans had an old Italian divinity called Faunus, who, as the god of
shepherds, was identified with the Greek Pan, and represented in a similar
manner.
Faunus is frequently called Inuus or the fertilizer, and Lupercus or the
one who wards off wolves. Like Pan, he possessed the gift of prophecy, and
was the presiding spirit of the woods and fields; he also shared with his
Greek prototype the faculty of alarming travellers in solitary places. Bad
dreams and evil apparitions were attributed to Faunus, and he was believed
to enter houses stealthily at night for this purpose.
Fauna was the wife of Faunus, and participated in his functions.
THE SATYRS.
[Illustration]
The Satyrs were a race of woodland spirits, who evidently personified the
free, wild, and untrammelled life of the forest. Their appearance was both
grotesque and repulsive; they had flat broad noses, pointed ears, and
little horns sprouting from their foreheads, a rough shaggy skin, and small
goat's tails. They led a life of pleasure and self-indulgence, followed the
chase, revelled in every description of wild music and dancing, were
terrible wine-bibbers, and addicted to the deep slumbers which follow heavy
potations. They were no less dreaded by mortals than by the gentle woodland
nymphs, who always avoided their coarse rough sports.
The Satyrs were conspicuous figures in the train of Dionysus, and, as we
have seen, Silenus their chief was tutor to the wine god. The older Satyrs
were called Silens, and are represented in antique sculpture, as more
nearly approaching the human form.
{175}
In addition to the ordinary Satyrs, artists delighted in depicting little
Satyrs, young imps, frolicking about the woods in a marvellous variety of
droll attitudes. These little fellows greatly resemble their friends and
companions, the Panisci.
In rural districts it was customary for the shepherds and peasants who
attended the festivals of Dionysus, to dress themselves in the skins of
goats and other animals, and, under this disguise, they permitted
themselves all kinds of playful tricks and excesses, to which circumstance
the conception of the Satyrs is by some authorities attributed.
In Rome the old Italian wood-divinities, the FAUNS, who had goats' feet and
all other characteristics of the Satyrs greatly exaggerated, were
identified with them.
PRIAPUS.
Priapus, the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, was regarded as the god of
fruitfulness, the protector of flocks, sheep, goats, bees, the fruit of the