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Alyssa Polizzi's avatar

Oh, I just love that sense of home found in the varying colors of green. How beautiful! Any particular nymph or grouping of nymphs you feel drawn to?

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Laura Durban's avatar

I used to feel connected to the green nymphs and draiads, to Daphne (although I usually ran towards relationships rather than away from men haha) and it only clicked until I read the elucidation that my soul home seems to be the well maidens, of whom I personally believe some - after being mistreated and disrespected - made it into the forests and became nymphs, not fully fae anymore but also not fully human. I am currently writing on a short story or modern faerytale about this, hoping to give a different layer of meaning to the usually just frolicking and dancing birch tree nymphs.

Do you have any insights on the potential origins of the sirens/meneads/nymphs in Greek mythology that could be more profound than the common conception? As I stumbled upon a short paragraph in Stuart Hardys mine maiden book on the theory of goddess and priestesses cults predating them and they were turned by patriarchy into side kicks to god/esses so to say

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Alyssa Polizzi's avatar

Nothing comes to mind initially regarding sirens/maenads/nymphs for potential origins. But it does remind me of Christine Downing's work. She has some great scholarship and books on the great goddesses and some of their origins. I'm not sure if she has spoken about nymphs, but that may be a place to look!

Your short story work sounds fascinating, lovely to give these figures new life and meaning.

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Laura Durban's avatar

Fantastic tip, thank you very much.

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Alyssa Polizzi's avatar

You're welcome :)

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Laura Durban's avatar

Greek not green nymphs that was supposed to say ЁЯШВ

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