#Water 
is essential for the very survival of human and other beings. Without water, neither would one have food to eat, nor clothes to wear, nor nature to admire and live within, and nothing to help humans remain healthy. Viewed in a traditional perspective, water is associated with the feminine, while fire is linked to the masculine. Water is seen as an element of fertility and life-giver. Water is fluid, changeable, healing, life-bearing; all of which are traits that have been traditionally associated with the feminine. Many cultures associate water with women – be they goddesses, nature spirits or nymphs. This is particularly true of running water, such as springs or water fountains, as they represent fertility and childbirth. It is also particularly true of #aridlands, where water is scarce and all the more precious for it.
Nevertheless, in many cultures, water is regarded, apart from being a part of life; as the originator of life as well. Creation myths are stories that explain the beginnings of #humanity, #earth, #life and the #universe, and water features prominently in a large number of them. In one Egyptian myth, a chaos of churning water, called the Nu, rose up and receded again. With each recession from the turbulence of the water a hill of land would emerge, giving birth to the first sunrise.
There are many speculations about the pivotal role played by water in creation myths: in almost every culture, water has seemingly played a key role in explaining how life began, and how the Earth was given its current form of land, sky and sea. In all cultures, #waterislife, and represents fertility, growth and birth.
Apart from appearing in creation stories, water is also linked to scientific theories to explain the origin of humankind. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, the basis of modern biology, asserts that the first form of life was born of the ocean – that humankind emerged from the water in one form gradually evolving into its present shape.
#Mythology is the embodiment of stories associated with a particular culture. In almost all mythologies, #naturalelements – #water, #air, #fire, #earth – play a crucial role and are both central to the stories themselves, and represented in the characters that play them out. As in the creation stories, mythology frequently uses water as a source of life.
In many myths and legends, the sensuous nature of water is called to tell their stories. In certain cases, this is symbolized by a water spirit, often called a nymph, who takes the form of a beautiful young woman. The Greek water nymphs are the most well-known of such water spirits, but they populate the myths of a great number of civilizations. Not all mythological water spirits are as well-intentioned as nymphs: Welsh, Irish, Norse and other mythologies all tell of troublesome water spirits, all young girls or women, who lure victims to their water abode and cause them to drown, like the Sirens that Ulysses encounters in the Greek epic poem, the Odyssey.
Western Mythology
In the Western mythology, water is reckoned as the basis of many legends and myths. There are mythological water beings and gods, stories of heroes that have something to do with water, and even stories of isles and continents lost below the surface. Some of them are described here.
Bäckahästen was the name of a mythological horse in Scandinavian folklore. She would appear near rivers in foggy weather, and whoever decided to ride on her back was unable to get off again. The horse would than jump into the river, drowning the rider. Celtic folklore describes shape-shifting horses called kelpies, and it is thought Bäckahästen may be a kelpie.
Blue men of the Minch
These supernatural sea creatures were said to live in underwater caves in the Minch, a strait between Lewis, Long Island and the Shiant Islands near Scotland. The Blue Men looked like humans with blue skins. They were ill-famed for swimming alongside passing ships, and attempting to wreck them by conjuring storms and by luring sailors into the water. If a captain wanted to save his ship he had to finish their rhymes and solve their riddles, and always make sure he got the last word. The Blue men were actually hierarchical, as they were always ruled over by a chieftain. This led to the assumption they are somehow related to mermen. Some think the Blue Men may be Fallen Angels.
Ceto
A daughter of Gaia and Pontus, Ceto was a hideous sea monster in Greek mythology. She was regarded as the embodiment of the dangers of the sea. Her husband was Phorcys, and their children were called the Phorcydes. These include the Hesperides (nymphs), the Graeae (archaic water goddesses), the gorgons (female monsters with sharp fangs and hair of venomous snakes, such as Medusa), sea monster Scylla, and other water nymphs and sea monsters. Ceto eventually became the name for any sea monster.
Kraken
The Kraken is a legendary sea monster that finds frequent mention in pirate myths. It was said to dwell off the coasts of Norway and Iceland. People thought the monster to be some sort of giant squid, living in the deep of the ocean and surfacing from time to time to attack ships. Some claim that islands that were seen from time to time and subsequently vanished may actually have been Kraken sightings. It is stated that some qualities of the Kraken resemble undersea volcanic activity in the Scandinavian region, including bubbles and currents.
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is the name assigned to a mythological aquatic spirit in several different legends, including the famous legend of King Arthur. She was said to have raised Sir Lancelot of the Lake, given Excalibur to King Arthur, and brought the King to Avalon after his death. Evidently, Viviane was Lady of the Lake in the beginning of King Arthur’s life, and Nimue later succeeded her. As Lancelot was raised he received a ring from The Lady that would protect him from all magic.
Nessie
Nessie is a mystifying creature claimed to reside in the Lochness Lake near Inverness, Scotland. The creature is often thought of as female, because of the female tone in its nickname. There are many reports of sightings and some people have even taken pictures they claim to be the monster, but without any conclusive evidence so far. The creature is now thought to be a plesiosaur (a carnivorous aquatic animal from the dinosaur era). Many palaeontologists are opposed to this theory, and claim that the water is too cold for a cold-blooded dinosaur to live in, and that the loch simply does not have enough food to preserve it. Additionally, the dinosaur would have to surface often to breathe, and therefore it would have been seen more often. Some palaeontologists claim it is impossible for an animal that went extinct millions of years ago to live in a lake that dates only 10,000 years back. But many people still believe, stating that animals can adapt to different conditions through time.
Melusine
Melusine was a feminine spirit of freshwater in sacred springs and rivers in European mythology. She is usually depicted as a kind of mermaid, and may even have wings in some pictures. According to one version, she was born to the Fay Pressyne and a common man, and taken to the isle of Avalon when she was little to grow up there. When she heard of her human father betraying her mother, she sought revenge on him. Her mother heard of this and cursed her to look like a serpent from the waste down. She supposedly got scaled arms and fins for hands, and could never change back to her old form.
Merpeople
Many a myth represented merpeople as creatures having the head and upper body of a human, and a fishtail instead of legs. Female merpeople are known as mermaids, and male merpeople are known as mermen. They usually had great beauty and charm, and thereby lured sailor men to their deaths. Some stories include mermaids altering their form to resemble humans. In the old Disney movie ‘The Little Mermaid’, Ariel assumes human form to gain the love of human prince Eric.
Sirens
In Greek mythology Sirens were sea nymphs that lived on the island Sirenum scopuli, and were daughters of Ceto, the sea monster, and Phorcys the sea god. They drew sailors to the rocks by their enchanted singing, causing their ships to sink. Some claim the sirens were playmates of young Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter. As Persephone was abducted by Hades to become his queen of the Underworld, Demeter cursed the sirens to become monsters of lore. Sirens were often depicted as women with the legs and wings of birds, playing a great variety of musical instruments. However, they may also be depicted as half human, half fish (see picture). Consequently siren is often applied as a synonym for mermaid, because many believe sirens and mermaids are similar creatures. In German mythology, sirens were known as Nixes, and in Welsh and Breton mythology as Morgans.
Titans
The Titans were twelve divine beings that ruled the earth in Greek mythology. They were associated with the primal concepts drawn from their names, such as ocean, moon and memory. Oceanus and Thetys, children of Uranus and Gaia, were the Titans that ruled over the sea. Oceanus was said to have the upper body of a man with a long beard and horns, and the lower body of a serpent. He ruled over the oceans. His sister Thetys ruled over the rivers, including the Nile and the Menderes. They married each other and had over 3000 children, known as the Oceanids. After the Olympians, the younger siblings of the Titans, eventually overthrew them, Poseidon (Neptune) and his unwilling queen Amphitrite ruled over the waters.
Water nymphs (Naiads)
Nymphs are female nature entities that are bound to a particular location or land form. Naiads are water nymphs, and inhabit fountains, wells, springs, brooks, rivers, marshes, ponds and lagoons. The essence of a naiad was bound to the water body she inhabited. If a spring dried, the naiad within it died. In some stories naiads are depicted as dangerous creatures, because they could take men underwater when fascinated by their beauty, and these men were never to be seen again. Naiads were known by their jealous nature. A naiad that was once cheated by her husband is said to have blinded him in revenge. In Greek mythology naiads were friendly creatures that helped sailors fight perilous storms. They also had the power of foresight, and were said to make prophecies.
Achilles
In Greek legend Achilles was a hero of the Trojan War. He appeared to be invincible, and no man seemed to be able to defeat him. Legend tells us this was because his mother, sea nymph Thetis, had tried to make him immortal after birth by dipping him in the River Styx. She only forgot to wet the heel by which she held him, which became his vulnerable spot. In the Trojan War Achilles killed Hector, and eventually Hector’s younger brother Paris sought revenge upon him. As the fights continued, Paris killed Achilles by shooting an arrow through his heel.
Deucalion
In Greek mythology, Deucalion was the son of Prometheus, the Greek Titan of fire. Zeus was angry of the Greek people for their holistic beliefs, and he ended the Bronze Age with a Great flood. The sea rose and washed everything clean, but Deucalion’s father had forewarned him of the flood. He built and provisioned an arc and consequently he and his wife Pyrrha were the sole survivors. As the flood ended they built an altar for Zeus and he changed rocks into children. The men were called Deucalions, and the women were called Pyrrhas.
Daedalus and Icarus
One Greek legend tells us the story of Daedalus and his son Icarus being locked up in the labyrinth of the Minotaur by king Minos. Daedalus had one day helped the queen to get together with a white bull she had fallen in love with, and thus the Minotaur was born. A fierce creature, the Minotaur needed to be fed with at least fourteen Athens every nine years, so Daedalus and Icarus spend their time waiting until the Minotaur would find them, and eat them. One day Daedalus had formulated an escape plan; he decided to fabricate massive wings from the wings of birds his son shot from time to time. He tied together the bird wings with wax. Eventually, the massive wings were ready and the two set out to escape. Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun, because the wax would melt and the wings would no longer work. However, Icarus was so stunned by the whole thing working so well he totally forgot his father’s warning. He flew too close to the sun, the wax melted and his wings fell apart. Unable to help him, Daedalus watched helplessly as his only son fell down with amazing speed and landed in the sea. The blow as he hit the water was probably so fierce he died instantly.
Lawrence
In German mythology, Sir Lawrence was a very good-looking knight. One day water nymph Ondine came across him as he was on a quest, and she fell in love with him. As she pledged her love to him they were married. But as soon as a water nymph pledges herself to a human and bares his child, she will loose eternal life. After Ondine bore Lawrence a son, she began to age. Her changing appearance made Lawrence loose interest in his wife, and he soon started to see other women. One day, Ondine caught her husband with another woman in the stables, and she cursed him in revenge. He was to breathe as long as he was wake, but if he ever fell asleep he would die because his breathing would stop.
Noah
In the bible, Noah and his family are mentioned as the sole human survivors of the Great Flood. Noah was of the tenth generation after Adam, and all peoples of the world would descend from his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth. According to Legend Noah was told by God to build an Arc to save himself and his family from the flood that would destroy all mankind. He brought two of every kind of animal with him in the Arc, one male and one female. After one hundred and fifty days the water receded, and the Arc washed onto the mountains of Ararat. Noah built an altar there, and afterwards continued his life. It is said he lived to become 900 years old, and therewith was the last of the ancient peoples that were immensely long-lived. The story has many versions and in the flood myths of different Ancient Near-East countries, the flood survivor is given different names. Examples are Atrahasis, Ziusudra, and Utnapishtim in Sumerian mythology. The man in the Sumerian myth is saved from the flood by a warning of groundwater god Enki. This god was usually depicted covered with fish scales, with two streams of water originating from his shoulders, one being the Tigris, and the other the Euphrates.
Chinese Mythology
The most ancient records are perhaps those found in Chinese Folklore. Water-Beings such as river gods, supernatural fish and water spirits have been a part of Chinese tradition for millennia. In the Chinese mythological folklore, Fuxi (Fu-His) and his wife Nu Gua (Nu Kua), amphibious beings half-human and half-fish, are described as the founders of Chinese Civilization AFTER the Great Flood and are dated to 3322 BC. Fu-His has been credited with the invention of the I-Ching, a system of trigrams and hexagrams found in the Book of Change. It is said that this system was revealed to Fu-His by another Water-Being from the Yellow River.
Dragon Kings were believed by the Chinese to consist of four separate dragons, each of which ruled over one of the four seas in the north, east, south and west. These Dragon Kings could shape-shift to human form, and lived in crystal palaces guarded by shrimps and crabs. Dragons played an important role in Chinese mythology. They were often bound to the elements. Panlong were the water dragons, believed to inhabit the waters of the entire Orient (the Near, Middle and Far East).
Hindu Mythology
Under the Hindu mythology, four Vedas occupy the most reverend and supreme position. In the Vedic texts, water is referred to as Apah, or literally the Waters, which are considered to be purifying in a spiritual context. As said in (Rg Veda): ‘Hail to you, divine, unfathomable, all purifying Waters…’ The Rg Veda identifies the Waters as the first residence or ayana of Nara, the Eternal Being and therefore water is said to be pratishtha, the underlying principle, or the very foundation of this universe. As is said in Satpatha Brahmanas: “Water may pour from the heaven or run along the channels dug out by men; or flow clear and pure having the Ocean as their goal…In the midst of the Waters is moving the Lord, surveying men’s truth and men’s lies. How sweet are the Waters, crystal clear and cleansing…From whom… all the Deities drink exhilarating strength, into whom the Universal Lord has entered…”
Early Vedic texts also identify water as a manifestation of the feminine principle, known commonly as Sakti. ‘I call the Waters, Goddesses, wherein our cattle quench their thirst; Oblations to the streams be given…’ (Rg Veda). It is said that the primordial cosmic man or Purusa was born of the Waters. Similarly later Vedic texts identify that, ‘Water is female…’ (Satpatha Brahmanas).
Vedic philosophy thus bestows a sacred character on water, which is then identified as a medium to attain spiritual enlightenment. The concept of purification in early Vedic texts was basically spiritual, rather than moral and/or physical. The Atharva Veda identifies water as the very essence of spiritual sacrifice or ‘the first door to attain the divine order.’ The use of water in daily life as well as in ritualistic ceremony was referred to as spiritual sacrifice, a process of attaining eternity.
A cleansing bath was believed to liberate one from sin and impurity. The act of bathing was considered intensely spiritual and it was believed that physical acts of imperfection were removed and spiritual oneness with the Eternal Self was attained during the process. According to the Vedas, it was not the act of taking a bath itself, but the coming into contact with the sacredness of water, and the attainment of such knowledge and proximity that made one sinless and guided the individual to the Eternal Self.
Manu, the law-giver and author of Manu Smiriti, is said to be the person who survived a great flood. One day as he washed his hands in the river, a fish swam into his hands and begged him to save his life. It was Matsya, an avatar (the bodily manifestation of a god). Manu put the fish in a jar, and as it grew bigger he subsequently placed in a tank, a river and than the ocean. Then, the fish warned him that soon a great flood would destroy all life. Manu built a boat and was towed onto a mountaintop by Matsya, thereby surviving the flood.
By Dr. Arvind Kumar
