The photograph to the left I call my 'Wood Nymph'. It was taken by me at Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island in 1999. From the base of the tree rises what I believe to be the spirit of the eagle, a clan totem in the Haida tradition.
In the mythology of the Haida people, Gyhldeptis is the goddess of the cedar forests. The Tlingit and Haida tribes of Alaska considered her a beneficent forest goddess who protected the people of the coastal forests. Her name means 'Lady of Hanging Hair', which is derived from the long flowing moss that trails from the branches of the Cedar trees she represented. According to legend, there came a time when her people were threatened by a tremendous whirlpool which was devouring all of the the seafaring ships. Hoping to stop the destruction, Gyhldeptis called together all of the natural powers -ice, the forest fire, and the spirits of the wind, amongst others to the coast together and prepared for them a huge feast. Delighted with the feast, they all agreed to work with Her and between them, they shaped the coastline, turning the whirlpool into a river which no longer threatened the people.
In the European tradition, wood nymphs are mythical tree spirits that are believed to live inside trees throughout Europe. It is said that if a man sees one, she will steal his heart and he will be destined to spend the rest of his life in madness looking for her. She will keep his heart until such time as the tree dies and only then will the man get it back.
The explanation makes sense, but I am a woman, the tree was in Canada, not in Europe and I had seen the ‘wood nymph’ walking about prior to taking the picture. Some people can see children by her side, some can see the eagle, others see tree spirits in the trees round about. Whatever you can see, there is no doubt that the picture has transformational properties and that it was a gift to help me and others along our spiritual path.
In the mythology of the Haida people, Gyhldeptis is the goddess of the cedar forests. The Tlingit and Haida tribes of Alaska considered her a beneficent forest goddess who protected the people of the coastal forests. Her name means 'Lady of Hanging Hair', which is derived from the long flowing moss that trails from the branches of the Cedar trees she represented. According to legend, there came a time when her people were threatened by a tremendous whirlpool which was devouring all of the the seafaring ships. Hoping to stop the destruction, Gyhldeptis called together all of the natural powers -ice, the forest fire, and the spirits of the wind, amongst others to the coast together and prepared for them a huge feast. Delighted with the feast, they all agreed to work with Her and between them, they shaped the coastline, turning the whirlpool into a river which no longer threatened the people.
In the European tradition, wood nymphs are mythical tree spirits that are believed to live inside trees throughout Europe. It is said that if a man sees one, she will steal his heart and he will be destined to spend the rest of his life in madness looking for her. She will keep his heart until such time as the tree dies and only then will the man get it back.
The explanation makes sense, but I am a woman, the tree was in Canada, not in Europe and I had seen the ‘wood nymph’ walking about prior to taking the picture. Some people can see children by her side, some can see the eagle, others see tree spirits in the trees round about. Whatever you can see, there is no doubt that the picture has transformational properties and that it was a gift to help me and others along our spiritual path.
