Symbols of Chastity and Purity I want to use.

I seem to have found my ideal creature, now I need to establish what I want put on her to represent my chosen virtue.

So far I have found these things in nature to represent Purity.

• Waterlilies. "According to Buddhism, enlightenment is associated with this blossom. Different colored water lilies have different representations according to the ancient Buddhists, and the practice is still carried out. For instance a red lily connotes love and passion, and is considered to be the lotus of the heart. The iconography of the purple lily is mystic power, whereas the white lily is mental purity. The highest deity is represented with a pink lily and blue lilies are often associated with knowledge. In the spiritual arena of Hinduism, the concept of resurrection is symbolically denoted by the water lily. This is because at night (or during darkness) the lilies close their blossoms and with the first ray of the sun, they open. It is also a symbol of purity, because even though the plant grows in mud, the flower is pure and free from blemishes". (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-does-a-water-lily-symbolize.html)

•  Pearls. "The pearl was imbued with many of its implications in the context of paintings of the Madonna. Through representations of the Virgin Mary pearls came to be associated with faith and chastity. The pearls used to adorn the Virgin were not necessarily the pearls one would see in everyday life. These were larger, perfectly round, and flawlessly white with a beautiful luster, while normal pearls may have irregular shapes and lack the Virgin pearls’ snow-white sheen. The perfection of the pearls served to mirror the Christian perfection of the Virgin Mary. Interestingly enough, they also mirror the impossibility of the Virgin’s standard. In order to be the perfect Christian woman one must be a virgin and yet a mother, fertile yet free from lust. As the ideal woman of Christianity, the Virgin’s impossible pearls mirror her impossible persona. Additionally, the Virgin Mary’s beauty promoted comparison with the beauty of a pearl. As depictions of the Virgin became younger, more beautiful, wealthier, and whiter as time went on, so did comparisons between her visage and pearls. The Virgin’s beauty became inexplicably connected with her goodness." (http://www.melissahuang.com/2013/05/03/pearls-unicorns-and-lilies-symbols-of-feminine-purity-in-the-renaissance/)

• Starfish. Oddly enough "In Christian symbolism the Starfish represents the Virgin Mary (Stella Maris which means Star of the Sea) who lovingly creates safe travel over troubled waters and is also seen as an emblem of salvation during trying times. The star as well as the Starfish are seen as celestial symbols and as such, they represent infinite divine love. In addition to love, the Starfish also holds characteristics such as guidance, vigilance, inspiration, brilliance and intuition" (http://www.whats-your-sign.com/love-symbol-animal.html)

• Water. "The symbolism of water has a universal undertone of purity and fertility. Symbolically, it is often viewed as the source of life itself as we see evidence in countless creation myths in which life emerges from primordial waters. Interestingly, we are all made of water, and so we can liken many of these myths and allegories to our own existence (the macrocosm mirroring the microcosm and vice versa). Further, we can incorporate symbolism of circulation, life, cohesion and birth by associating the creative waters of the earth with the fluids found in our own body (i.e., blood). In Taoist tradition, water is considered an aspect of wisdom. The concept here is that water takes on the form in which it is held and moves in the path of least resistance. Here the symbolic meaning of water speaks of a higher wisdom we may all aspire to mimic." (http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolism-of-water.html)

All of this together makes me want to create this aquatic mermaidesque creature that seeks out pearls maybe wearing starfish and lillies. Maybe look into it being a shore dweller that looks in rock pools and shallow water for clams, Don't really want to venture into a deep sea diving being as I'm already aware that to deep sea dive a humanoid creature would have to have no hair and be streamlined to avoid creating drag, have massive lungs and specialized adaptations to avoid buoyancy and would have to be covered in blubber to stop freezing to death in cold water, and due to osmosis and salt water the skin would shrivel up and looked wrinkled. Not very innocent and Pure looking to say the least. (Source, Fact or Faked)