Cyane
Nymph who dissolved into a pool after Hades abducted Persephone.
Cyane is a Sicilian nymph in Greek mythology who attempted to prevent Hades from abducting Persephone. Her story is recorded in Ovid's Metamorphoses, where she dissolves into the waters of a pool named after her.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Nymph
- Location
- Sicily
- Associated body of water
- Pool and river named Cyane
- Partner
- Anapus (river-god)
- Role in myth
- Playmate of Persephone
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Cyane's parentage is not disclosed in surviving accounts.
- She had as a partner the river-god Anapus, and they were both honored in Sicily with images depicting them with human forms.
Mythology
In Ovid's version, Cyane was a Sicilian nymph who played with Persephone. When Hades broke from the earth and seized the girl, Cyane stood in his way and cried out that he could not force her into marriage. Hades paid no attention and vanished underground with Persephone. Cyane wept so hard she melted into her own tears, joining the pool's waters. Later, Demeter came to that pool searching for her daughter. Though Cyane had lost her voice and mouth, she pushed Persephone's belt up to the surface, letting Demeter know the girl had been taken. Diodorus Siculus tells a different story: Hades' kidnapping near Syracuse made a fresh spring burst forth, named Cyane or Azure Fount, and considered sacred to the maiden goddess.
More in Metamorphoses Into Bodies of Water in Greek Mythology
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