Mythical Creatures [EDITING]

Undines

The Undine (aka: Ondine, Undina) is a water spirit (or nymph) that usually appears as a beautiful woman. Unsuspecting men follow the undine's beautiful voice to where she dwells, whether that be a waterfall, river, or lake. Though she shares this trait with the sirens of Greek mythology, the undine does not drown her victims. Rather, the undine herself appears to be designed to play the role of the victim, hence why many Romantic-era authors found her story so compelling.

Unlike humans, she is soulless. But the Undine can get a soul by marrying a human and bearing him a child. However, if she does this, she loses her otherworldliness. A soul is what separates the ephemeral human life from the eternal elemental life.

The undine, or undine-like creatures, are not limited to just one mythology. They are found in Greek, Irish, Scottish, Russian, Norse, and German stories.

One German folktale tells the story of a young man who is caught in a storm and seeking shelter. He finds the cottage of a sweet elderly couple who live by the river. They have a beautiful daughter who is wild and tempestuous -- and incredibly enticing for this young man. She is an Undine, though the human man does not yet know it, and her elderly father is King of the Watery Realm.

The old man gives the traveler permission to marry his daughter and take her to his kingdom, but on the condition that he treat her well. Should he forget that promise, he would lose his wife forever.

They marry and the Undine gives birth to a son soon thereafter. Now in possession of a human soul, the nymph loses her wildness and becomes a demure, polite housewife -- which, in turn, causes her husband to be bored of her. Not even her devastating beauty keeps her husband from straying.

Once her husband betrays her, the Undine returns to her watery kingdom and warns him that if he should ever fall asleep, she would steal his breath. And of course, unable to stay awake, the man ultimately pays for cheating.

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Information from samanthakymmell-harvey.blogspot.com

Image from aminoapps.com