The muses (fairies)

[Theseus]

A Greek lady on a programme I saw said the nine Muses were still believed in but now called 'fairies' but the term she used was not Neraides but some other word I did not recognise. Can anyone suggest what it might have been?:angry:

 

[Alexandra]

Ξωτικά; Αερικά; Ξωθιές; Συλφίδες;

 

[nickel]

Καλοκυράδες is a common alternative I can imagine her giving.

Here's some heavy stuff to wade through:
http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.article&id=206054

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, both, for your excellent help!

 

[AoratiMelani]

How are the ancient Muses related to the contemporary tradition of fairies? I don't see the connection.

I can understand fairies being related to nymphs (naiads, dryads etc.) or even to the Fates (Moires), I can see the analogy there, but the Muses? Protectors of the arts? Doesn't seem to add up. Not that I know much about folklore and its relation to mythology, just thinking out loud.

 

[Earion]

Well said, Invisible! That's my question, too.

 

[nickel]

Έστειλα στο κείμενο εκεί μήπως πιάσουμε καμιά άκρη στο πώς άρχισε να γίνεται μπέρδεμα μουσών, νυμφών, μοιρών και άλλων θηλυκών δυνάμεων. Π.χ. Το τρίχωρο σπήλαιο του Λόφου των Μουσών, γνωστό ως «Φυλακές του Σωκράτους», ήταν το ενδιαίτημα των Μοιρών.

 

[dominotheory]

A Greek lady on a programme I saw said the nine Muses were still believed in but now called 'fairies' but the term she used was not Neraides but some other word I did not recognise. Can anyone suggest what it might have been?:angry:

I was about to suggest the Nymphs (Νύμφες) or the Fates (Μοίρες) as two possible difficult-to-recognize modern day substitutes for the Muses, to which suggestion I would add, in total agreement with AoratiMelani and Earion, that they seem quite irrelevant.

On the same line of thought, it could also be Graces (Χάριτες) or Sirens (Σειρήνες) this Greek lady was talking about and I'm under the impression that what's mentioned before applies to them too, though with some reservations regarding the former.

And if none of these works, here's a comprehensive list of Greek mythological figures – might prove to be of help ;)

 

[pontios]

A Greek lady on a programme I saw said the nine Muses were still believed in but now called 'fairies' but the term she used was not Neraides but some other word I did not recognise. Can anyone suggest what it might have been?:angry:

νύμφες του νερού; Νymphs (νύμφες) was already mentioned, I know, but maybe the 3 word term sounded like a single word?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse

"Sometimes they are referred to as water nymphs, associated with the springs of Helicon and with Pieris. It was said that the winged horse Pegasus touched his hooves to the ground on Helicon, causing four sacred springs to burst forth, from which the muses were born."