Laurus nobilis Elder listed a variety of conditions which Laurel oil was supposed to treat: paralysis, spasms, sciatica, bruises, headaches, catarrhs, ear infections, and rheumatism. Laurel oil is a main ingredient, and the distinguishing characteristic of Aleppo soap. In ancient Greece, the plant was called "daphne", after the mythic mountain nymph of the same name. In the myth of Apollo and Daphne, the god Apollo fell in love with Daphne, a priestess of Gaia (Mother Earth), and when he tried to seduce her she pled for help to Gaia, who transported her to Crete. In Daphne's place Gaia left a laurel tree,
The Wood Nymph himself too much" in early "confessional" works, such as "En saga", "Lemminkäinen and the Maidens of the Island", and "The Wood Nymph". In the absence of any new information from Sibelius's papers, however, the reason why "The Wood Nymph" was never published ultimately "appears doomed to remain a subject of speculation". Even after the wave of publicity that followed its reemergence, "The Wood Nymph" remains rarely recorded compared to other early Sibelius works. It received its world premiere in 1996 under the BIS label with Osmo Vänskä leading the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Some musical material was unavailable until the publication