Greek · Nymph of the mint
Minthe
Minthe was a nymph of the underworld who boasted of her beauty and her claim on Hades, and was trampled into the herb that still grows near springs and graves.
Story shape
A scent that remembers desire and its punishment
Some say Minthe was loved by Hades before Persephone arrived. When she claimed she would take the god back, Persephone tore her into the ground and the plant rose in her place. Others say she was simply too proud. Either way, the mint that grows in damp, dark places carries the memory of a nymph who refused to be forgotten.
Minthe is the nymph as invasive memory: sharp, persistent, and impossible to root out once she has taken hold of a place.
Tradition boundary
Greek nymphs are minor divinities tied to animate landscape: groves, springs, caves, mountains, and sea foam.