Flower's Myth

Elegance and Daintiness. Talisman of Love. It is said that this kind of flowers began to grow from the tears of Asterea, the Greek goddess of the starry sky (also known as Virgo in Rome), who cried because she saw no stars when she looked down upon the earth.

Pink carnations are said to have first appeared on Earth when a tear fell from the Virgin Mary's eye when Jesus Christ was carrying the cross. According to Christian legend, the flower was said to have sprung up from the Earth when her tear hit the ground, therefore the pink carnation represents a Mother's undying love.

The Chinese legend tells the story of an elderly emperor who had heard about a magic herb that would give him eternal youth. This herb was said to grow on Dragonfly Island and could only be picked by young people. The elderly emperor therefore sent twenty-four children on what proved to be a long and hazardous journey. Much to their dismay, when they finally arrived at the island they found it totally deserted. There was no sign of the magic herb. All they found was a flower - the golden chrysanthemum, which today still symbolises the Chinese people's ties with their country. Later Mao Tse Tung replaced the imperial golden yellow with the red of the people's republic. The Japanese legend revolves around the god Izanagi and the goddess Iznami, who were sent to earth across a bridge of clouds because there were too many gods in heaven. When she arrived on earth, the goddess created the gods of the wind, the mountains and the sea, but perished miserably in the flames that sprang up while she was creating the god of fire. Izanagi, who missed her, followed her into a dismal place known as the 'Black Night'. When he finally caught a glimpse of the goddess, he was immediately pursued by an old witch. He fled back to earth, where he decided to cleanse himself in the river. The items of clothing he dropped onto the ground turned into twelve gods. His jewels turned into flowers, his bracelet into an iris, a second bracelet into a lotus flower and his necklace became a golden chrysanthemum.

Crocus was a friend of the Greek god Hermes. One day as the two friends were playing, Hermes accidentally hit and killed his friend. A small flower grew at the place of the accident. Three drops of Crocus' blood fell on the center of the flower and formed the spots on this plant. The plant took the name crocus because of this event. According to another myth, Crocus was a young man who transformed into a flower because of his unfulfilled love for a nymph called Smilax. At the same time, Smilax transformed into a vine-plant (Smilax aspera-Sarsparilla).

Gentleness and Innocence. Purity in Thought and Loyal Love. Though there are many names and short stories about daisy, one popular thing people like to do with this kind of common flower is plucking off the petals one by one and chant "he loves me" with the first and "he loves me not" with the next, and so on. The last petal left would tell whether one was loved or not.

The ginger family (Zingiberaceae) is made up of a large group of tropical herbs. The family name Zingiberaceae comes from the Greek word ziniberi which probably evolved from an ancient Indian name for ginger. Although more popularly known as a spice the flower of gingers is one of the more impressive tropical plants. The early Greek and Roman writings have recorded the use of ginger as a spice. Today our international cuisine has a constant demand for its wonderful spice. Most gingers are native to the fields and rain forests of Indo-Malaysia.

The Heliconia comes in Red, Orange, Yellow and Pink. The flowering part of the Heliconia is known as an inflorescence bract. They are large erect herbs often with extensive rhizomatous growth. The name Heliconia comes from Greek mythology after the great Mount Helicon. The variety of common names it also goes under such as lobster claw and parrot flower reflect their beak-like shape. This was the abode of the of the 9 inspirational goddess muses of the arts and sciences. The Heliconia is found in mountains, forest, lowlands, and places where it is very moist like tropical regions. Sometimes they are found next to small creeks and open areas. They are native to Central and South America and some islands of the South Pacific.

Sincerity. Games and Sport. Rashness and Woe. A well-known Greek myth tells of a handsome Spartan youth called Hyacinthus, loved by the god Apollo, was accidentally killed when the two were casting discus together. Broken hearted, Apollo created the hyacinth flower out of the blood of his friend that bore on its petal the Greek syllables of lament ai ai, meaning "woe."

Faith, Wisdom and Valor. Hope, Light and Power. Eloquence, Message and Promise. Emblem of the Warrior. The flower got its name from the Greek goddess Iris, goddess of the rainbow. Iris was also known to be the messenger of Zeus and Hera. Iris would take messages from "the eye of Heaven" to earth travelling on the arc of the rainbow. The word iris means "eye of heaven". It was the name given to the goddess, this flower, and the center of your eye. This means that each of us carries a piece of heaven with us. Since Iris is the Greek goddess of messenger of love, her sacred flower is considered the symbol of communication and message. Greek men would often plant iris on the graves of their beloved women as attribute to the goddess Iris, whose duty it was to take the souls of women to the Eysian fields.

Sincerity and Majesty. Purity and Virginity. Symbol of Motherhood. Peace. According to the Roman myth, when Juno, the queen of the gods and goddess of marriage, was nursing her son Hercules, excess milk fell from the sky. Part of it stayed in the heavens, creating the Milky Way, and part of it fell to earth, creating the lilies. In Rome, lilies were known as Rosa junonis, or Juno's rose.

Egotism and Conceit. Symbol of Good Fortune. Emblem of Winter. Mirth and Joyousness. Emblem of Formality. This famous, flower inspired myth is perhaps more suited to the beauty of the narcissus. Narcissus was an exceptionally handsome young man. His mother had told him that he would live a long life if he did not look upon his own beauty. Narcissus however, decided to see his reflection on the surface of the water coming from a spring of Mount Helicon. He was so enchanted by his own beauty that he remained there, still, admiring his image until he died by the side of the spring and became the flower Narcissus which always bow down its head to its image in the water at its feet.. According to another version, he mistakenly thought that his own reflection was the face of the nymph that inhabited the spring and he drowned when we jumped into the water trying to catch her. The narcissus flower supposedly grew at that spot.

In Greek mythology, Orchis was the son of a nymph and a satyr. During a celebratory feast for Bacchus, Orchis committed the sacrilege of attempting to rape a priestess, resulting in his being torn apart by wild beasts, then metamorphosing into a slender and modest plant. Theophrastus was the first of the Western authors to mention orchids. It was he who first applied the name Orchis scientifically, echoing the myth of Orchis and reflecting the resemblance of the double root tubers to the male genitalia that got old Orchis in trouble in the first place. Greek women thought they could control the sex of their unborn children with Orchid roots. If the father ate large, new tubers, the child would be male; if the mother ate small tubers, the child would be female.

Plant of Healing. Happy Life and Prosperity. Flower of June in Japan It is believed that Peony is named for Paeon (also known as Paean), who seemed to be a deity of healing as he had healed Hades and Ares of wounds. The flower myth concerning about him says that Paeon was a student of Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. He was once instructed by Leto (Apollo's mother and goddess of fertility) to obtain a magical root growing on Mount Olympus that would soothe the pain of women in childbirth. Asclepius became jealous and threatened to kill his pupil. Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by changing him into the peony flower. However, peony seeds were used on pregnant women in ancient times.

Many legends exist about the rose. In a Greek myth, the rose was created by the goddess of flowers, Chloris. On day, she found the lifeless body of a nymph in the woods and she turned her into a flower. She called upon Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Dionysus, the god of wine. Aphrodite gave the flower beauty as her gift and Dionysus added nectar to give it a sweet fragrance. Zephyrus, god of the West Wind, blew the clouds away so Apollo, the sun god, could shine and make the flower bloom. That is how the rose was created and rightfully crowned "Queen of Flowers". A Roman myth tells how a beautiful woman named Rhodanthe, being persistently pursued by her numerous suitors, sought refuge in the Temple of Diana. Diana, the goddess and protection of maidens, became incensed at this and turned Rhodanthe into a beautiful rose and the suitors into thorns. Thus, the rose has become a symbol for love and beauty. However, the rose has become the symbol of indulgence also when the Romans used roses extravagantly. That's why early Christians would not allow roses in the Church. Yet later, roses signified the early martyrs and their persecutors. Those are the religious aspects of this beautiful flower. Moreover, the rose also plays a part in history, as the wars which racked England during the 14th century gained the name the Wars of the Roses from the white rose of the House of York and the red rose of the House of Lancaster; but the flower was adopted by the Tudor dynasty and became a royal device with peace restored.

Homage and Devotion. "My eyes see only you!" Clytie was a nymph who loved Helius (the god of the Sun), but he scorned her in favour of another girl called Leucothoe. In a fit of jealousy Clytie told the affair to Leucothoe's father, King Orchamus of Persia, who then buried his daughter alive as a punishment. Helius hated Clytie even more, and poor Clytie wasted away and became the sunflower, whose head turns to follow the course of the sun across the sky each day.

Perfect Lover. "A declaration of love!" Flower of Spring. Imagination and Dreaminess. It is said in a Persian legend that a young man, Farhad, was in love with a beautiful woman, Sharin. One day, Farhad received news that his lover was dead. In his grief, he jumped off a high cliff, and where his body landed, there the tulips first began to grow. The saddest part was that the message was sent by a jealous rival, and Sharin was actually still alive.