Water, as you know, is one of the main elements, thanks to which life originated and continues on our planet. A great variety of ancient legends, fairy tales and legends are associated with the element of water. Also, in the mythology of almost every nation in ancient times, there were several gods and goddesses, whose field of activity was associated with the seas, oceans, rivers and streams. In addition to the deities who are the creators / patrons of the water element, legends often mention creatures that live either near water bodies or in them. It is interesting that these mythical entities, in most cases, pose a threat to a person and are hostile to him. Stakh in front of the inhabitants of lakes, swamps and rivers was so strong among some peoples that in our purely practical age, one can hear legends about "bad", "damned" places,to approach which, especially at nightfall, is mortally dangerous.
As a rule, drowned or drowned women turn into water spirits, most often the latter (generally - mermaids). The Limniads, characters in ancient Greek mythology, are a rare exception to this rule. They are called the descendants of the gods of rivers and lakes, i.e. the nature of these beings was originally defined as "divine" and not related to the mortal world.
Limniads (also, in Russian transcription, “limnads or, less often,“leimenides), most likely anticipated the appearance in Greek legends of the famous “naiads” - the daughters of the god Zeus. Unlike their more famous sisters, patrons of streams and rivers, limniads prefer to live in reservoirs with stagnant water, most often in swamps and lakes. Also, they can be seen in meadows and fields near water.
Legends describe limnad as beautiful, long-haired girls with velvety, glowing skin from the inside. In addition, these entities have dark green or deep blue eyes, full lips, and shiny, emerald-tinted teeth. The physique of limniada is not much different from the usual representative of the fair sex, the only difference is the presence of membranes between the fingers of the hands. However, this sign of their belonging to magical creatures is easily hidden under small bracelets woven from branches and algae. Otherwise, the only "clothing" limnad can be called a belt covering the waist and a wreath worn on the head, also made of aquatic plants.
Despite their divine origin, limniads towards humans behave as aggressively as other water entities like them. During the day, they usually sleep, appearing only after dark. Limnads light up lights above the surface of the reservoir, allowing you to see the silhouettes of the maidens walking on the water. These lights often attract the attention of a casual passer-by, who, rushing towards them, gets bogged down or falls into the clutches of limniad. In either case, the fate of a person is predetermined - it is impossible to get out of such a situation alive. Although, in general, limnads prefer to eat ambrosia (divine food that bestows immortality and eternal youth), they do not mind trying human flesh if any traveler succumbs to their spell.
Limniads belong to the lower caste of the Olympian gods, which does not prevent them from instilling reverence and fear in mere mortals. Like all such creatures, they live indefinitely, but, at the same time, they are not immortal. Ancient Greek myths say that, with proper skill, limnada can be killed, however, they are silent in what way.