Electra
An Oceanid nymph, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, who married the sea god Thaumas and bore Iris the rainbow goddess and the Harpies.
The Myth of Electra
Electra was one of the three thousand Oceanids, the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys who embodied every body of water on earth. But Electra's domain was not rivers or springs — she was associated with storm clouds and the amber light that sometimes breaks through them. Her name connects to elektron, the Greek word for amber, the substance that also gave us the word 'electricity.'
She married Thaumas, a minor sea god whose name means 'wonder.' Their children were extraordinary: Iris, the rainbow messenger of the gods, and the Harpies — Aello, Ocypete, and Celaeno — those shrieking wind spirits who snatched food and souls. It is a striking family: from the same parents came the rainbow and the storm, beauty and terror, the gentle arc after rain and the screaming winds that precede it.
Hesiod lists Electra among the elder Oceanids in his Theogony, placing her in the first generation of water spirits who helped order the young cosmos.
Parents
Oceanus and Tethys
Symbols
Fun Fact
Every time you use the word 'electricity' you are invoking this nymph's name — Electra gave us elektron, Greek for amber, which produces static charge when rubbed.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
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