Silvija the Moss Maiden

I finished Silvija yesterday! I think she's really cute ^_^ Before I share pictures of her, though, I would like to tell you a few of the things I learned while researching the Moss Maidens.

Silvija is a Moss Maiden - they are also known as Wood Wives, Moss Folk, Wild Folk, Forest Folk, etc. They are a type of forest spirit, and their lives are closely intertwined to that of the tree in which they live. Some say that if you kill a tree, you kill the Moss Maiden who lives in it. Even peeling the bark off of a tree can harm her. Moss Maidens are very gentle and kind, skilled in herbal medicine, and often willing to help heal not only the other creatures that live in and around their trees, but humans as well. Sometimes they will approach a human and ask for a loaf of bread, or help fixing something (a wheelbarrow, for example). If the human does as she asks, she will give them twigs or wood chips as a reward. If the human keeps these gifts, they turn to gold later on. Moss Maidens are found throughout Germany, Scandanavia, and parts of Central Europe. They can appear either as old women, or young beautiful women, and they usually wear dresses made of moss. They are also said to weave moss "blankets" for the trees, hence their name. They are generally rather short in stature.

Now that you know a little about Moss Maidens, I hope you will understand Silvija a little better :) Silvija is a BJD made from Japanese glass seedbeads, Swarovski pearls, organic cotton fiber fill, ahimsa silk thread, and organic cotton thread. She is approximately 9.5 inches tall. Her dress represents moss. Her hair can represent moss too, or it could also be twigs or autumn leaves. And here she is!