(Rural Deities, Water Deities, The Cameane, The Winds)

Division of Power and Comparison

These four myths show how each group of nymphs focused on only one ‘area’; this separation is similar to the idea of The Four Elements.

The first myth, Rural Deities, talks about the nymphs inhabiting trees and dancing around the forest, so this group would mostly appeal to the element of Earth. Then, in Water Deities, it is shown how Neptune and his family got property of the Ocean. The Camenae, a group of fountain-nymphs, would belong to the element of water as well.
Then, for the element of wind, obviously, the most appealing would be the myth of The Winds, that talks and names the winds of the North, East, South, and West.

Yet it is quite confusing, whether these “ideas” (myths and elements) should be compared or not. We must understand first that they are not entirely similar. Cause if they were, where would the nymph of fire be?

On the other hand, though, this fire nymph wouldn’t lack, cause fire is possibly represented mostly by Hades. But then again, which element might Zeus represent, if Hades represents one?

Lastly, while each group of nymphs is actually alive, and they mostly behave like humans, and they dance around, the elements are just elements; nor do they have life nor spirit, nowhere to live and no necessity to, but rather they seem to exist to represent other things (Horoscopes), and to differ cold from hot, and dry from wet.