Water Babies is a much more literal purification, compared to “at the back of the north wind” which is a more spiritual purification. Nature is a healing and cleansing property in both, which interestingly prepares people for the afterlife. Both use purification through nature as a method of rebirth, and as preparation for a regeneration or moral reform. I’ve attached my notes and started essay below. Here are the sources I have found.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26347304&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1712678126886314&usg=AOvVaw3eaGhertPIMGYF_zipr3Km
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1286&&context=studies_eng_new&&sei-redir=1&referer=https%253A%252F%252Fscholar.google.ca%252Fscholar%253Fhl%253Den%2526as_sdt%253D0%25252C5%2526q%253Dpurification%252Bthe%252Bwater%252Bbabies%2526btnG%253D#search=%22purification%20water%20babies%22
https://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=crossingborders
https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1160&&context=northwind&&sei-redir=1&referer=https%253A%252F%252Fscholar.google.ca%252Fscholar%253Fhl%253Den%2526as_sdt%253D0%25252C5%2526q%253Dat%252Bthe%252Bback%252Bof%252Bthe%252Bnorth%252Bwind%252B%2526btnG%253D#search=%22back%20north%20wind%22
https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1211&&context=northwind&&sei-redir=1&referer=https%253A%252F%252Fscholar.google.ca%252Fscholar%253Fhl%253Den%2526as_sdt%253D0%25252C5%2526q%253D%252522purification%252522%252BAND%252B%252522at%252Bthe%252Bback%252Bof%252Bthe%252Bnorth%252Bwind%252522%2526btnG%253D#search=%22purification%20back%20north%20wind%22