Completely and totally off-topic, but might be useful for categorizing
Goldberry. =)
NYMPH, dryad, hamadryad, alseid, wood nymph; naiad, fresh-water nymph; oread,
mountain nymph; nereid, sea nymph; limoniad or leimoniad, meadow nymph or
flower nymph; Oceanid, ocean nymph; napæa, glen nymph; potamid, river nymph;
Pleiades or Atlantides, Hyades, Dodonides.
FAIRY, fay, sprite or spright [archaic]; nix (fem. nixie), water sprite; the
Good Folk, brownie or browny, pixy, elf (pl. elves), banshee or banshie; the
Fates or Mæræ, Clotho (Spinner), Lachesis (Disposer of Lots), Atropos
(Inflexible One); gnome, kelpie; faun; peri, nis, kobold, sylph, sylphid;
undine, sea maid, sea nymph, mermaid (masc. merman); Mab, Oberon, Titania,
Ariel; Puck, Robin Goodfellow, Hobgoblin; Leprechaun; denizens of the air;
afreet &c. (bad spirit) [See Evil Spirits].
(Taken from: http://www.bartleby.com/110/979.html)
Using the terminology above, I'd say that the River-Woman is a Naiad, and
Goldberry, as her daughter, would be a nixie. Nymphs are usually tied closely
to their 'source'-- dryad's can't travel far from their trees for instance--
while sprites seem to have more freedom of movement in the tales. So while
Goldberry is still associated with water, she's not tied to it in the way a
naiad would be.
It should be noted, however, that we're applying terms from an entirely
different mythos to Tolkien's. So we shouldn't expect them to mesh fully.
Inferno.
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tOR.N's Message Board Parody Collection (thanks to Gorel)
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"We have sworn, and not lightly. This oath we will keep. We are threatened with many evils, and treason not least; but one thing is not said: that we shall suffer from cowardice, from cravens or the fear of cravens. Therefore I say that we will go on, and this doom I add: the deeds that we shall do shall be the matter of song until the last days of Arda." --Feanor--
