Cerceis
Oceanid nymph whose name evokes the weaver's shuttle and the craft of textile-making
The Myth of Cerceis
Cerceis was a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys named in Hesiod's catalogue of the Oceanids in the Theogony. Her name is related to the Greek kerkis, the weaver's shuttle used to pass thread back and forth across the loom. Weaving was among the most honoured crafts in Greek culture, practised by mortals and goddesses alike — Athena herself was its divine patron. The connection between water nymphs and weaving was natural: the rhythmic flow of a stream mirrors the back-and-forth motion of the shuttle, and water was essential for processing wool and linen. Cerceis thus represented the creative, industrious aspect of flowing water.
Parents
Oceanus and Tethys
Symbols
Fun Fact
Greek women spent so much time weaving that the shuttle became a standard grave offering for them
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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