Wood Nymph — The

In Greek mythology, wood nymphs were considered minor deities or spirits closely tied to specific trees—most famously the oak.

: They served as protectors of the groves, and only trees not under their protection could be safely felled. The wood nymph

Artists have long used the nymph to represent the female form in a "liminal space" between the sacred and the earthly. In Greek mythology, wood nymphs were considered minor

: Unlike immortal gods, dryads were often mortal, their life force intrinsically linked to their tree; if the tree perished, the nymph did as well. In Greek mythology