Greek deities series |
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Nymphs |
Britomartis (/brɪtoʊˈmɑːrtɪs/;[1]Ancient Greek: Βριτόμαρτις) was a Greek goddess of mountains and hunting, who was primarily worshipped on the island of Crete. She was sometimes believed to be an oread, a mountain nymph, but she was often conflated or syncretized with Artemis and Aphaea, the "invisible" patroness of Aegina.[2] She is also known as Dictynna or as a daughter of Dictynna (Δίκτυννα).[citation needed]
In the 16th century, the naming of a character identified with English military prowess as "Britomart" in Edmund Spenser's knightly epic The Faerie Queene led to a number of appearances by "Britomart" figures in British art and literature.