The various threads about dinosaurs had me think about another group of beings that are common in many storytelling folklore around the world: the concept of a benevolent nature-oriented female spirit. They are called kodama in Japan, were in the form of many knowledge-filled animals in the Americas, most notably White Buffalo; and were given the ancient Greek name for bride, nymph.
And there is the most curious omission in the Bible in Genesis. Before the Great Flood, some angels took a liking of the women on Earth. The fallen angels’ giant-sized, bullying male offspring were known as the Nephelim, and were presumably wiped out by the Flood. But what were the female offspring, and what happened to them? That was a puzzle, until I read of the Greek legend of the original god Chaos defeated by Titans, the giants. Their sisters were nymphs, who birthed and nursed the beings that became the Pantheon that overthrew the Titans. This story came out almost the same time as the Genesis story as told to Moses at Mt. Sinai. It makes me wonder: were the female siblings of the Nephelim the same as those of the Titans? And did they somehow survive the flood by striking some agreement with God, as the nymphs have received almost eternal gratitude from the Pantheon?
Believe me, I admire the concept as much as anybody, and even modelled a martial art after them. and a google check It is most unfortunate that the name ‘nymph’ is used as fishing bait and has been taken over by the porn industry.