Castalia

Castālia, in Greek myth, the nymph who, when pursued by Apollo, threw herself into the spring on Mount Parnassus near Delphi. The spring was held sacred to Apollo and the Muses. All who wished to consult the Delphic Oracle were required to purify themselves in its waters. It may still be seen a little to the north-east of Delphi. To the Romans, ‘drinking the waters of Castalia’ signified poetic inspiration, since Apollo was the god of poetry.

For other uses, see Castalia (disambiguation).

Castalia (Ancient Greek: Κασταλία), in Greek mythology, was a nymph whom Apollo transformed into a fountain at Delphi, at the base of Mount Parnassos, or at Mount Helicon. Castalia could inspire the genius of poetry to those who drank her waters or listened to their quiet sound; the sacred water was also used to clean the Delphian temples. Apollo consecrated Castalia to the Muses (Castaliae Musae). The 20th century German writer Hermann Hesse used Castalia as inspiration for the name of the fictional province in his 1943 magnum opus, The Glass Bead Game.

See also

• Castalian Spring

External links

• Theoi Project - Nymphe Kastalia

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