海女，在希腊神话中，14世纪晚期，Nereides（复数），通过拉丁语源自希腊语 Nēreis（属格 Nēreidos），是古老海神 Nēreus 的女儿，他是波图斯和盖亚的儿子，德里斯的丈夫。这个名字与 naros（意为“流动的，液体的，我流动”）有关（参见 Naiad）。在动物学中，“海百足虫”（1840年）。
The most famous among them were Amphitrite, Thetis, and Galatea. The Nereids were beautiful maidens helpful to voyagers, and constituted the main body of the female, as the Tritons did of the male, followers of Poseidon or Neptune. They were imagined as dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, wooed by the Tritons, and passing in long processions over the sea seated on hippocamps and other sea-monsters. Monuments of ancient art represent them lightly draped or nude, in poses characterized by undulating lines harmonizing with those the ocean, and often riding on sea-monsters of fantastic forms. [Century Dictionary]
其中最著名的包括安菲特里忒、忒提斯和加拉泰亚。海女们是美丽的少女，乐于帮助航海者，构成了波塞冬或海王星的女性随从主力，就像特里同斯（海神的男性随从）一样。人们想象她们在海上舞蹈、歌唱、演奏乐器，受到特里同斯的追求，骑着海马和其他海怪，组成长队在海面上行进。古代艺术的作品常常表现她们轻盈地披着衣物或赤裸，姿态优美，线条与海洋的波动相协调，常常骑乘在奇幻形状的海怪上。[《世纪词典》]
