Flowers have played an important role in the life of all peoples since ancient times. They accompanied wars and feasts, solemn funeral processions, served to decorate altars and sacrifices, played the role of healing herbs, guarded the hearth and animals, and pleased the eye and soul. Flower plants were the most widespread in Europe, they were grown everywhere: from palace parks to modest city gardens. Love for unusual exotic plants reached its extreme forms - the fascination with tulips, or "tulip mania", in the 18th century swept the Dutch, and not only the rich, but almost the entire population of the country. The prices for bulbs of the new varieties were fantastic.

Many legends, tales and legends have long been associated with flowers - funny, sad, poetic and romantic ... Each chapter is devoted to one flower as a symbol.

Rose, symbol of silence

For the first time, the rose is mentioned in the legends of ancient India. There was no flower, they say, that would be surrounded by such honor as a rose. There was even a law according to which everyone who brought a rose to the king could ask him for everything. Anything .. The Brahmins cleaned their temples with it, and the kings cleaned their chambers, they paid tribute to it. The aroma of the rose was so beloved that in the palace gardens special grooves were made along all the paths and filled with rose water so that the evaporating wonderful smell would accompany the walkers everywhere.

The whole East began to bow before the rose and write legends about it. But Persia surpassed all, its poets dedicated hundreds of volumes to the rose. They themselves called their country a second - gentle, poetic - name: Gulistan, which means "garden of roses." Persian gardens were full of roses. Courtyards, rooms, baths. Not a single celebration was complete without them.

The beauty and smell of a rose inspired the poetic lines and the thinker, the sage Confucius. For her sake, he digressed from his immortal philosophical works. And in the library of one of the Chinese emperors, five hundred out of eighteen thousand volumes were treated only about the rose. In the imperial gardens, it grew in innumerable quantities.

In Turkey, the flower had its own, unexpected purpose: they showered newborns in serals with rose petals.

Europe shared the reverence of the East for the inimitable flower. The most famous temples of Venus in Greece were surrounded by rose gardens of incredible luxury and length. The highest honor: her image was on the coins ...

Among the ancient Romans, during the Republic, the rose symbolized courage. Before the battle, warriors often changed their helmets for wreaths of roses. What for? In order, according to the customs of that time, to instill courage in yourself! The rose was likened to an order, an award for courage, unparalleled heroism, outstanding deeds. The Roman commander Scipio the African Sr. appreciated the courage of his soldiers, who were the first to break into the enemy camp: they marched through Rome in a triumphal procession with bouquets of roses in their hands, and the silhouettes of roses were knocked out on their shields. And Scipio the Younger honored the soldiers of the first legion that conquered the walls of Carthage, ordering them to decorate their shields and the entire triumphal chariot with pink wreaths.

When the decline of Rome began, the rose as an ornament began to be mercilessly abused. Proconsul Verres moved around Rome in no other way than on a stretcher, the mattress and pillows of which were constantly stuffed with fresh rose petals. In the dining room of Emperor Nero, the ceiling and walls rotated through a special mechanism, alternately depicting the seasons. Instead of hail and rain, millions of rose petals rained down on the guests. The whole table was strewn with them, and sometimes even the floor. In roses were all served dishes, bowls of wine, as well as servants-slaves.

But other than decoration, a little-known meaning was then at the rose. Have you ever heard that she was also a symbol of silence? And was directly related to the god of silence? And it was directly related to the god of silence Harpocrates... Remember, the one who is familiar to us who puts his finger to his lips7 So, imagine how dangerous it was under the cruel rulers of the period of the decline of Rome to share your thoughts publicly! They figured out how to warn the drunk heads. And again resorted to the rose. At the time of feasts they hung her White color ok on the ceiling of the hall. And everyone knew: as you look at him, you will remember why he is here. Restrain yourself, do not blurt out too much! How much did the symbolic rose save from mortal danger! From this tradition, the well-known Latin expression was born: "said under the rose."

asters

Perhaps there is not a single garden where asters would not bloom in autumn. What colors you will not see: red, white, yellow, etc. But asters differ not only in color. There are terry asters with a large number of narrow petals sticking out in all directions. In some, the petals are straight, in others wavy, curved inward, in others narrow, pointed - needle-like. Her homeland is the northern regions of China, Manchuria, Korea.

And the first asters that grew up in Europe were completely different.

In 1728, the famous French botanist Antoine Jussier was sent from China the seeds of a rare unknown plant, Jussier sowed the seeds in the spring in Paris botanical garden. In the same summer, the plant bloomed with a red radiant flower with a yellow center. It looked like a very large daisy. The French immediately named the plant the Queen of Daisies. They were very mistaken: both the aster and the daisy are from one very large family of Compositae.

Botanists and gardeners really liked the Daisy Queen. They began to develop new varieties of different colors. And unexpectedly, twenty-two years later, an unprecedented double flower bloomed. The yellow center disappeared, tongues grew out of the tubular flowers, the same as those of the marginal ones. As the botanists saw such a flower, they exclaimed in Latin: "Aster!" - "Star!". Since then, the name “Chinese aster” has been established behind this flower.

Gardeners immediately began to plant terry asters in all the gardens of France. There were especially many of them in the royal garden of Trianon. Trianon gardeners in the 18th century brought out the main forms of asters, peon-shaped and needle-shaped.

Translated from Greek, "aster" means "star". According to an old legend, an aster grew from a speck of dust that fell from a star. According to popular belief, if you hide in a flower garden of asters at night and listen, you can hear a barely perceptible whisper - these are the asters talking to their sisters - the stars.

chrysanthemums

Royal flower - this is sometimes called chrysanthemums. Of these, bouquets are made for the most prestigious celebrations and distinguished guests. Chrysanthemums are given as a symbol of constancy and fidelity to their promises. Graceful reed, chic pompom, fiery bright or delicate, like daisies, chrysanthemums are beautiful and varied. Among these flowers there are very small dwarfs only 30-40 cm tall and real giants, up to one and a half meters high.

Since ancient times, the Japanese have a particularly respectful attitude towards chrysanthemum. In the Land of the Rising Sun, the flowering of chrysanthemums is celebrated just as solemnly. Like the cherry blossoms. The chrysanthemum has become not only the national symbol of Japan, but also the emblem of the imperial house. The highest Japanese award is called the Order of the Chrysanthemum. In honor of this flower, national festivals are held in autumn. It is believed that these plants have the magical power to prolong a person's life, and he who drank the dew from the petals of chrysanthemums remains forever young.

The Chrysanthemum Festival takes place here in late autumn. Garlands are woven from flowers, they decorate windows and doors of houses; people talk to each other good wishes. For the Japanese, the chrysanthemum is not only a symbol of health and happiness, but also a beautiful flower that can be admired endlessly. That is why Japanese writers so often sing of the chrysanthemum. “Once, at the time of the ninth moon, it rained all long night until dawn. In the morning it ended, the sun rose in full brilliance, but large drops of dew were still hanging on the chrysanthemums in the garden, ready to spill just about. ... Soul-piercing beauty!”

As a result of centuries of culture in Japan, there are thousands of varieties of chrysanthemums. They are grown in pots for dwellings, as well as in the form of large cascades, pyramids, hemispheres and various figures - for large interiors and city parks.

The so-called chrysanthemum dolls enjoy particular success with the public at the exhibition. They appeared in Japan in early XIX century and quickly gained immense popularity, especially in and around Tokyo. For the body of the dolls, a voluminous frame is made of straw, bamboo, wire mesh, etc. It is filled with nutrient soil and moss. Prepared seedlings are planted in a moist substrate through the frame. Then, by repeated pinching of new shoots, the figure is completely covered, like clothes, with small inflorescences blooming at the same time. The head, neck and hands are made of wax or plasticine, the headdress is made of flowers. Often chrysanthemum dolls "play scenes" on well-known literary and historical themes.

Today, few people remember that ancient China was the birthplace of this culture. The day when chrysanthemums are honored in China is called Chongyangjie - the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. The fact is that nine in Chinese tradition is an auspicious number, and two nines immediately indicate a happy day. At this time, chrysanthemums are in full bloom in China, so the main tradition of the holiday is admiring chrysanthemums. During the festival, they drink drinks infused with its petals. Flowers adorn the windows and doors of houses.

tulips

Holland is known as the "land of tulips". However, the birthplace of the flower is Turkey, and the name is "turban". Tulips were brought from Turkey in the 16th century, and a real "tulip fever" began in Holland. Everyone who could, took out, grew and sold tulips, striving for enrichment. So, in the 17th century, 4 bulls, 8 pigs, 12 sheep, 2 barrels of wine and 4 barrels of beer were given for a bulb of one flower. It is said that on a building in Amsterdam there is still a plaque with an inscription that two houses were bought for three tulip bulbs.

lilies of the valley

Many nations revered the lily of the valley as a symbol of spring. So, the ancient Germans decorated their clothes with them on the spring holiday Ostern. At the end of the holiday, withered flowers were solemnly burned, as if sacrificing to Ostara, the goddess of the dawn, the messenger of warmth.

In France, there is a tradition to celebrate the "lily of the valley". The tradition originated in the Middle Ages. On the first Sunday in May, in the afternoon, the villagers went to the forest. In the evening, everyone returned home with bouquets of lilies of the valley. The next morning, having decorated the house with flowers, they arranged a general feast, and then they began to dance. Girls decorated dresses and hairstyles with lilies of the valley, young men inserted bouquets into their buttonholes. During the dances, young people exchanged bouquets and love confessions ... And quite in ancient times they would have been considered engaged. Refusal of a bouquet is a rejection of friendship, throwing a lily of the valley under your feet is nothing but a show of extreme contempt.

The Latin name in translation sounds like "lily of the valleys". Russian nicknames for lily of the valley are as follows. Yaroslavl and Voronezh residents call it a landushka, Kostroma residents - mytnaya grass, Kaluga residents - hare salt, Tambov residents - the culprit. It is also known as a vannik, smooth, raven, hare ears and forest tongue. The word "lily of the valley" originates from the concept of "smooth". Perhaps because of the smooth soft leaves.

Lilies of the valley are compared with tears and an old legend says that this wonderful flower grew from tears that fell to the ground. The delicate aroma of lily of the valley attracts bees and bumblebees, which contribute to the pollination of flowers, after which the berries develop initially green, and when ripe, orange-red berries. A poetic legend is dedicated to them: once, a long time ago, Lily of the valley fell in love with the beautiful Spring and, when she left, mourned her with such burning tears that blood came out of his heart and stained his tears. The enamored Lily of the Valley endured his grief just as silently as he carried the joy of love. In connection with this pagan tradition, a Christian legend may have arisen about the origin of the lily of the valley from the burning tears of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Cross of Her crucified Son.

There is a belief that on bright moonlit nights, when the whole earth is covered in deep sleep, the Blessed Virgin, surrounded by a crown of silver lilies of the valley, sometimes appears to those happy mortals for whom unexpected joy is preparing.

Marigold

The homeland of marigolds is America. Mexican Indians believed that where this flower grows, you can find gold. Even before the discovery of America by Europeans, the indigenous people of Mexico began to grow marigolds as an ornamental plant.

The origin of the name of this plant is interesting. This flower came to Europe only in the 16th century. Carl Linnaeus named it in honor of the grandson of the god Jupiter Tages, famous for his beauty and ability to predict the future. The Spaniards gave this name to the marigolds during the conquest of Mexico due to the fact that, settling next to the gold-bearing veins, the flowers, no worse than Tadis, indicated the location of gold.

The British call marigolds "merilgold" - "Mary's gold", the Germans - "student flower", Ukrainians - Chernobrivtsy, and here - for the velvety petals - marigolds or velvet.

Pansies

This flower, of course, is familiar to everyone. Botanists call pansies viola or violet tricolor. Among all peoples, the violet is considered a symbol of reviving nature.

It is still unknown where he got it from. beautiful name, in other countries it is called differently. The Germans call him stepmother, explaining this name as follows. The lower largest and most beautiful petal is an overdressed stepmother, two higher, no less beautiful petals are her own daughters, and the top two, white petals are her poorly dressed stepdaughters. The legends say that at first the stepmother was upstairs, and the poor stepdaughters were downstairs, but the Lord took pity on the downtrodden and abandoned girls and turned the flower, while the evil stepmother gave a spur, and her daughters hated mustaches.

According to others, pansies depict the face of an angry stepmother. Still others believe that the flowers look like a curious face, and say that it belonged to a woman who was turned into this flower because, out of curiosity, she looked where she was forbidden to look. This is confirmed by another legend. Once Aphrodite was bathing in a remote grotto where no human eye could penetrate. But suddenly she heard a rustle and saw that several mortals were looking at her. Arriving in indescribable anger, she asked Zeus to punish people. Zeus at first wanted to punish them with death, but then relented and turned people into pansies.

The Greeks call this flower the flower of Jupiter. One day, Jupiter, bored of sitting on a throne among the clouds, decided to descend to earth. In order not to be recognized, he turned into a shepherdess. On Earth, he met the beautiful Io, the daughter of the Greek king Inoch. Fascinated by her unusual beauty, Jupiter forgot about his divine origin and immediately fell in love with the beauty. Proud, impregnable Io could not resist the spell of the Thunderer and was carried away by him. The jealous Juno soon found out about this. And Jupiter, in order to save poor Io from the wrath of his wife, was forced to turn her into a wonderful snow-white cow. For the beauty, this transformation was the greatest misfortune. In order to somewhat mitigate the terrible fate of Io, the earth, on the orders of Jupiter, grew a tasty food for it - an unusual flower, which was called the flower of Jupiter and symbolically depicted a blushing and pale girlish modesty.

In the Middle Ages, the flower was surrounded by mystery. Christians considered pansies to be the flower of the Holy Trinity. They compared the dark triangle in the center of the flower with the all-seeing eye, and the divorces surrounding it with the radiance coming from it. The triangle depicted, in their opinion, the three faces of the Holy Trinity, originating from the all-seeing eye - God the Father.

In France, white pansies were considered a symbol of death. They were never given to anyone or made into bouquets. In other areas, the flower served as a love symbol of fidelity. And it was customary to give each other their portraits, placed in an enlarged image of this flower. In England, on Valentine's Day, February 14, it was customary to send a bunch of pansies to the subject of your heart with a note or a letter with a dried flower. In modern symbolism, pansies denote thoughtfulness. Pansies have been cultivated as garden flowers since the beginning of the 16th century. Pansies or violet Vitrok - perennial belonging to the violet family.

But not only the ancient Greeks and Romans revered this flower. Shakespeare and Turgenev loved him, Goethe had such a passionate love for this flower that, going out for a walk, he always took seeds with him and scattered them wherever possible. The flowers sown by him multiplied so much that the squares, parks and environs of Weimar were covered with a luxurious multi-colored carpet in the spring.

However, this plant is known not only for its attractiveness. It is used in the form of decoctions and teas for colds, for gargling. The decoction is also used for skin diseases.

space guest

The name of this plant "kosmeya" is derived by some from the Greek kosmeo - "decoration", others refer to the similarity of its bright inflorescences, burning against the background of feathery foliage, with constellations shining in the night sky ... True, there is also an offensive nickname - "unkempt lady", given it is clearly for the similarity of thin foliage with naughty curls.

The homeland of the plant is tropical and subtropical America.

Marigolds tarred with amber

This is how the famous 19th-century poet Lev Mei wrote about calendula officinalis. It is grown on household plots mainly as an ornamental plant. But its bright, as if flaming, inflorescences contain substances that have effective medicinal properties from many diseases. And the first information about this was found in the ancient Greek military doctor and philosopher Dioscorides, who lived in the 1st century BC. He used an infusion of calendula for liver diseases as a remedy for spasms of internal organs. For centuries, calendula has been used by celebrities such as the Roman physician Galen, Abu Ali Ibn Sina, the Armenian physician Amirovlad Amasiatsi and the famous herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, who claimed that this plant can strengthen the heart.

Calendula was used not only as a medicine, but also as a vegetable. In the Middle Ages, it was added to soup, oatmeal was cooked with it, dumplings, puddings and wine were made. For a long time it was considered "a spice for the poor." After all, real spices were brought from overseas and were very expensive. Calendula, on the other hand, was widely available and, replacing saffron, perfectly tinted dishes in a yellow-orange color, giving them a unique tart taste, which was very much appreciated not only by poor, but also by rich gourmets.

She was the favorite flower of the Queen of Navarre, Margaret of Valois. In the Luxembourg Gardens, in Paris, there is a statue of the queen with a marigold in her hands.

Iris means "rainbow"

The flower of this plant is amazingly arranged. His petals. Or, more precisely, the perianth lobes are deployed in such a way that any of their detail is visible to the viewer. The mysterious brilliance of the flower, especially noticeable under oblique rays of the sun and electric lighting, is explained by the structure of the skin cells, which focus light like miniature optical lenses. In Greek, iris means rainbow.

A flower, personifying one of the most beautiful phenomena of nature, among the Russian people is affectionately and affectionately called a iris; Ukrainians called the iris a cockerel for the brightly colored flowers raised above the fan of leaves.

As an ornamental plant, iris has been known for a very long time. This is evidenced by a fresco on one of the walls of the Knossos Palace, depicting a young man surrounded by blooming irises. This fresco is about 4000 years old.

The whitish iris has been cultivated by the Arabs since ancient times. From Arabia, this iris with a low peduncle and fragrant white flowers was distributed by Mohammedan pilgrims throughout the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea. During the reign of the Moors, this period came to Spain. After the discovery of America, it was brought to Mexico, and from there it entered California, where it can be found in a wild form.

The American iris scholar Mitchell discovered drawings of irises dated 1610 by the Flemish artist Jan Brueghel in Madrid. These drawings show that even in those distant times, Europeans were already familiar with the decorative forms of iris with bordered petals.

Have long been interested in man and medicinal properties iris. The Greek physician Dioscorides talks about them in his essay On Medicines.

Various useful properties possess leaves, rhizomes and even roots of irises. For more than 300 years in Italy, under the name of violet root, Florentine iris has been grown, the rhizome of which contains valuable iris oil, which includes a special substance - iron - with a delicate aroma of violets. This oil is used in the perfume industry. Substances with antiseptic properties were found in the roots and rhizomes of the Dzungarian iris. The leaves of this species produce a very strong fiber used to make brushes. In most species of iris, the leaves are very rich in vitamin C.

The first printed mention of irises as ornamental plants we find in the book of the botanist Karl Clusius, published in Antwerp in 1576.

Of particular importance in the history of iris culture are the late 19th - early 20th centuries. This time is associated with the names of two English botanists - Michael Foster and William Dykes. The first of them, as a result of hybridization work with irises, created a qualitatively new group of polyploid forms, and Dykes conducted the most detailed studies of iris species of natural flora. He studied and described them in the monograph "The Genus Iris", published in 1913. To this day, it is a major reference for those who want to get acquainted with the world's diversity of natural species.

In the 20th century, irises as flower and decorative medicinal perennials were widely recognized by flower growers in most countries of the world. By the number of varieties, and there are more than 35 thousand of them, this perennial has taken one of the first places among cultivated plants.

A very special place is occupied by the culture of irises in Japan. This country is the undoubted patriarch of iris growing. Here, as a result of centuries of work, the culture of Japanese irises has been perfectly mastered, many of which are strikingly beautiful, especially in combination with reservoirs.

Legend has it that in the 4th century AD, iris saved the Frankish king Clovis Meroving from defeat in battle. The king's troops fell into a trap on the Rhine River. Noticing that the river was overgrown with irises in one place, Clovis moved his people through shallow water to the other side. In honor of the salvation, the king made his emblem a golden iris flower, which since then has been considered a symbol of power by the French.

When the titan Prometheus stole heavenly fire on Olympus and gave it to people, a marvelous rainbow flared up on earth. Until dawn, she shone over the world, giving people hope. And when the sun rose in the morning, where the rainbow burned, wonderful flowers bloomed. People named them irises after the rainbow goddess Irida.

Legends of many peoples of the world are dedicated to iris. It is known as the oldest garden culture. His image, found on the frescoes of the island of Crete, was made in the 3rd millennium BC. In ancient Egypt, the iris was considered a symbol of royal power, inspired respect for the subjects. Italians consider it a symbol of beauty. The city of Florence got its name from the fields of flowering irises. Since the leaves of the iris look like swords, in Japan the flower is considered a symbol of courage. The words "iris" and "warrior spirit" are denoted by the same hieroglyph.

rain flower

Hyacinth was greatly loved by the inhabitants of the East. The following lines were born there: "If I had three loaves of bread, then I would leave one loaf, and sell two and buy hyacinths to feed my soul ..."

The Turkish sultan had a special garden in which only hyacinths were grown, and at the time of flowering, the sultan spent all his free time in the garden, admiring their beauty and enjoying the aroma.

This flower is a gift from Asia Minor. Its name means "rainy flower" - it is with spring rains that it blooms in its homeland.

Ancient Greek myths associate its name with the name of the beautiful young man Hyacinth. Hyacinth and the sun god Apollo competed in discus throwing. And a misfortune happened: the disk thrown by Apollo hit the young man's head. Heartbroken, Apollo was unable to revive his friend. Then he directed his beams at the blood flowing from the wound. This is how this flower was born.

AT Western Europe hyacinth came at the end of the 17th century, thanks to a shipwreck. A ship carrying goods crashed off the coast of Holland.

Cases of hyacinth bulbs were thrown ashore. The bulbs have rooted and bloomed. Dutch flower growers transplanted them into their gardens and started breeding new varieties. Soon hyacinth became a universal passion.

In honor of the breeding of a new variety, magnificent "christenings" were arranged, and the "newborn" was given the name famous person. The cost of bulbs of rare varieties was incredibly high.

Lilac

Lilac got its name from the Greek syrinx - pipe. One ancient Greek legend tells. Young Pan, the god of forests and meadows, once met a beautiful river nymph - Syringa, a gentle messenger of the dawn. And he admired her beauty so much that he forgot about his amusements. Pan decided to speak to Syringa, but she got scared and ran away. Pan ran after her, wanting to calm her down, but the nymph suddenly turned into a fragrant bush with delicate purple flowers. Pan wept inconsolably near the bush and since then became sad, walking alone through the thickets of the forest, and tried to do good to everyone. And the name of the nymph Syringa was called a bush with beautiful flowers - lilac.

There is another story about the origin of lilacs. The goddess of spring woke up the Sun and his faithful companion Iris, mixed the rays of the sun with the colorful rays of the rainbow, began to generously sprinkle them on fresh furrows, meadows, tree branches - and flowers appeared everywhere, and the earth rejoiced from this grace. So they reached Scandinavia, but the rainbow was left with only purple paint. Soon there were so many lilacs here that the Sun decided to mix the colors on the Rainbow palette and began to sow white rays - so white joined the purple lilac.

In England, lilac is considered a flower of misfortune. An old English proverb says that one who wears lilac will never wear a wedding ring. In the East, lilac is a symbol of a sad parting, and lovers give it to each other when parting forever.

Chamomile

According to a fairy tale, daisies in ancient times were umbrellas for little steppe gnomes. It will rain, the dwarf will pick a flower and walk with it. Rain knocks on the umbrella, trickles flow from it. And the gnome remained dry.

And here is the legend of chamomile. A long time ago there lived a girl. Her name has already been forgotten. She was beautiful, modest and gentle. And she had a loved one - Roman. They loved each other very much, their feelings were so sublime and warm that it seemed to them that they were not mere mortals.

The lovers spent every day together. Roman liked to give his girlfriend small, beautiful, like the Girl herself, gifts that he made for her. One day he brought a flower to his beloved - they had never seen anything like this before. The girl admired this flower for a very long time. It was modest - white elongated petals settled around the sunny center, but such love and tenderness came from the flower that the Girl really liked it. She thanked Roman and asked where he got such a miracle? He said that he dreamed about this flower and when he woke up he saw this flower on his pillow. The girl suggested calling this flower Chamomile - after the affectionate name of Roman, and the young man agreed. The girl said: "And why will only you and I have such a flower? Come on, you will collect a whole bunch of these flowers in an unknown country, and we will give these flowers to all our lovers!" Roman understood that it was impossible to get flowers from a dream, but he could not refuse his Beloved. He went on his way. For a long time he was looking for these flowers. Found at the end of the world the kingdom of dreams. The King of Dreams offered him an exchange - Roman remains forever in his kingdom, and the King gives him a field of flowers to the Girl. And the young man agreed, for the sake of his beloved he was ready for anything!

The girl waited a long time for Roman. I waited a year, two, but he still did not come. She cried, was sad, lamented that she wished the unrealizable ... But somehow she woke up, looked out the window and saw an endless field of chamomile. Then the Girl realized that her Daisies were alive, but he was far away, not to see him anymore!

The girl gave people Chamomile flowers. People fell in love with these flowers for their simple beauty and tenderness, and lovers began to guess at them. And now we often see how one petal is torn off from a chamomile and sentenced: "loves - does not love?"

Cornflower

A legend born in Rus'.

Once the sky reproached the grain field with ingratitude. "Everything that inhabits the earth thanks me. Flowers send me their fragrances, forests - their mysterious whispers, birds - their singing, and only you do not express gratitude and stubbornly remain silent, although no one else, namely, I fill the roots of cereals with rainwater and make ripen golden ears.

"I am grateful to you," answered Field, "I decorate the arable land with exciting greenery in spring, and in autumn I cover it with gold." There is no other way I can express my gratitude to you. I have no way to ascend to you; give it, and I will shower you with caresses and talk about love for you. Help me." "Well," the sky agreed, "if you cannot ascend to me, then I will come down to you." And ordered the earth to grow magnificent blue flowers among the ears, pieces of himself. Since then, ears of cereals with every breath the breeze leans towards the messengers of heaven - cornflowers, and whispers tender words of love to them.

Water lily

The water lily is nothing more than the famous fairy-tale grass. Rumor ascribes magical properties to it. She can give strength to overcome the enemy, protect from troubles and misfortunes, but she can also destroy the one who was looking for her with unclean thoughts. A decoction of a water lily was considered a love drink, it was worn in an amulet on the chest as a talisman.

In Germany, it was said that once a little mermaid fell in love with a knight, but he did not reciprocate her feelings. From grief, the nymph turned into a water lily. There is a belief that the nymphs take refuge in flowers and on the leaves of water lilies, and at midnight they begin to dance and drag people passing by the lake with them. If someone managed to somehow escape from them, then grief will dry him up later.

According to another legend, water lilies are the children of a beautiful countess, carried away by the swamp king into mud. The countess's mother, heartbroken, went daily to the shore of the swamp. One day she saw a marvelous white flower, the petals of which resembled the complexion of her daughter, and the stamens - her golden hair.

Snapdragon

Snapdragon, or lion's mouth - what a terrible name for a flower! This plant has an inflorescence - a brush, completely hung with flowers resembling muzzles. If you squeeze the flower from the sides, it "opens its mouth" and immediately closes. Because of this, the plant is named: antirrinum - snapdragon. And only a strong bumblebee can penetrate the flower for nectar, which is stored in a long spur.

Snapdragon really comes from the country where real lions live - from Africa.

In the legends of the ancient Greek hero, our modest garden flower. Hercules defeated the terrible German lion by tearing his mouth with his hands. This victory delighted not only mortals, but also the gods on Olympus. The goddess Flora created a flower in honor of the feat of Hercules, resembling the bloodied mouth of a lion.

Coltsfoot

It just so happened among the people that a mother is necessarily kind, gentle and at the same time modest, discreet. And the stepmother, although beautiful, is evil and cruel.

A family once lived in a village. Everything was good and all right. And a cow with a calf, and a pig with piglets, order in the house, love in the heart. And the most beautiful of all - five daughters. So cheerful, so affectionate, and their hair is golden, as if decorated with sunbeams. But a bad time came, their mother died, and the father married another. The stepmother took a dislike to her stepdaughters and kicked them out of the house. Since then, every year in early spring they return to their native outskirts and hear that their beloved mother is calling. But as soon as they see their stepmother, they disappear again, until next spring.

Unpretentious in form, and more expensive than the most exquisite flowers, these are the first swallows of spring. A little time will pass, and they will disappear, dissolve into a green grassy carpet. In their place, others will appear - with shaggy, slightly whitish on one side and smooth, as if waxed on the other, leaves. It is because of them that the plant received such a strange name. As if the soft maternal kindness was combined in them with the cruel coldness of the stepmother.

Aster - aster in the language of the ancient Romans means "star". At dusk, when the thin and sharp light of bright constellations sways in the sky, the aster seems to send greetings from the earth to her distant sisters, who are so similar to her. The Oneida Indians have such a tradition. The young hunter fell in love with the girl, and she was indifferent to him. - If I knock down a star from the sky, will you become mine? he asked the proud beauty. No one else from their tribe could make the bride happy with such a gift, and the girl, thinking that the hunter was just a braggart, agreed. When the Indians from the neighboring wigwams found out about this, they began to laugh at the young man. But the hunter stood his ground. “Come to the big meadow in the evening,” he said. When in the evening they flashed in the sky bright stars, all the men from the Oneida tribe gathered to see if the young hunter could fulfill his promise. The young man raised his bow, pulled the string and sent an arrow up. And a moment later, high in the sky, a silver star shattered into small sparks - it was struck by a hunter's well-aimed arrow. Only the desired happiness was bypassed. God got angry at a mere mortal who dared to shoot down the stars from the sky. After all, if other lovers also follow his example, then there will be no stars left in the sky at all, and the moon will hardly survive ... And he sent a terrible storm to the earth. For three days and three nights a fierce hurricane raged, everything on earth was shrouded in thick darkness, the sea overflowed its banks, and where there was an ocean before, dry land formed, and trees fell with a groan into the water, a steep wave carried away Indian huts, turned over fragile pirogues, on which people tried to escape ... When the storm subsided, no one could find the daredevil who knocked down a star from the sky. He turned into a small silver flower, which the Indians gave a name - a shooting star.

MAGNOLIA

According to Chinese legends, in ancient times, evil Honghuzi attacked a peaceful Chinese village, killed men, old people and children, took cattle, destroyed rice crops, and one hundred of the most beautiful girls were tied up and left in the square. Ninety-nine days and nights the invaders had fun, and every morning they killed one of the captives. When the time came to die last, she hugged the ground on which the dead bodies of her friends lay, and began to lament bitterly: “Native land! You raised our fathers and mothers, you saw death and our torment. Do not allow decay to devastate our young bodies. Don't let us disappear forever!" And when the drunken hunghuses woke up the next morning, there was not a single girl in the square, only a large beautiful tree grew there, and a hundred beautiful white and pink buds were ready to open on it in all their splendor. The robbers in wild anger cut the tree into pieces and scattered it on fast horses over the steppes and foothills. But where a part of the magic tree fell, a new plant appeared in that place, on which a hundred tender buds, a hundred resurrected girlish hearts, bloomed every spring. This tree was a magnolia.

TULIP

Once upon a time, human happiness was hidden in tightly compressed tulip buds. And no one by force or cunning could get to him. One day a beggar woman with a golden-haired child was walking through the meadow. She did not even think of getting to the heart of the tulip and taking her happiness from there. But the baby escaped from her hands and, laughing, rushed to the marvelous flower. The tulip, seeing the purity of the child's feelings, opened its petals. Now, in early spring, these delicate flowers readily open their hearts to us and give happiness to anyone who yearns for it.

CORNFLOWER

Ancient Russian legend: Once the sky reproached the grain field with ingratitude. “Everything that inhabits the earth thanks me. Flowers send me their fragrances, forests - their mysterious whispers, birds - their singing, and only you do not express gratitude and stubbornly remain silent, although it is no one else, but it is I who fill the roots of cereals with rainwater and make the golden ears ripen. “I am grateful to you,” answered the field. - I decorate the arable land with waving greenery in spring, and in autumn I cover it with gold. There is no other way I can express my gratitude to you. I have no way to ascend to you; give it, and I will shower you with caresses and talk about love for you. Help me". "Heaven well agreed, - if you cannot ascend to me, then I will descend to you." And he ordered the earth to grow magnificent blue flowers among the ears, pieces of himself. Since then, the ears of cereals, with every breath of the breeze, bow to the messengers of heaven - cornflowers, and whisper tender words of love to them.

CHAMOMILE

A girl lived in the world, and she had a favorite - Roman, who made gifts for her with his own hands, turned every day of the girl's life into a holiday! Once Roman went to bed - and he dreamed of a simple flower - a yellow core and white rays that diverged to the sides from the core. When he woke up, he saw a flower next to him and gave it to his girlfriend. And the girl wanted all people to have such a flower. Then Roman went in search of this flower and found it in the country of Eternal Dreams, but the king of this country did not give the flower just like that. The ruler told Roman that the people would get a whole field of chamomile if the young man stayed in his country. The girl waited for her beloved for a very long time, but one morning she woke up and saw a huge white-yellow field outside the window. Then the girl realized that her Roman would never return and named the flower in honor of her beloved - Chamomile! Now the girls are guessing on a camomile - "Loves does not love!"

CHRYSANTHEMUM

In the east, this flower, which is already 2,500 years old, was erected to an unattainable height. Chrysanthemum was given the status of a national symbol. In Japan, this flower is present on the national emblem of the country, on documents of national importance, on the highest Japanese order, which is called the "Order of Chrysanthemums". There is a national holiday of chrysanthemums, which is celebrated in October. Still arguing about whether China or Japan is the birthplace of chrysanthemums? In both countries, these flowers are loved and bred. But this is what one legend has preserved for us. Once upon a time, many centuries ago, a mighty emperor ruled in China. He was not afraid of anything in the world, except for old age, and he thought of only one thing: to rule and live as long as possible. And so he called his chief physician and ordered to prepare a drug that would prolong his youth. The cunning doctor bowed low before the emperor: - Oh, mighty lord, - he said. - I could prepare such an elixir, but for this you need to get wonderful flowers that grow in the east, on distant islands ... - I will order those flowers to be delivered immediately! cried the emperor. “Oh, if only it were that easy,” the doctor sighed. - The whole secret is that a person with a pure heart should pick them - only then the plant will give its miraculous power ... The emperor thought: he knew that neither he nor his courtiers were fit to fulfill this condition. And then he decided to send 300 boys and 300 girls to the islands: surely among them there are many people with a pure heart! They did just that - they equipped many ships and sent them, led by the imperial doctor, to the islands - to where Japan is now located. On one of them they found a beautiful flower - a chrysanthemum and could not stop admiring it! “I don’t know if this flower is suitable for an elixir,” exclaimed the doctor, “but, without a doubt, it pleases the heart and rejuvenates the soul!” The wise doctor knew well the insidious and cruel disposition of his emperor. “Surely,” he thought, “the emperor will think that my companions and I were the first to try the elixir, and will order us all to be executed as soon as he receives the drug.” And then everyone decided not to go back. They stayed on the islands and founded a new state there. It is not known whether they prepared a wonderful elixir or not, but the chrysanthemum has become their favorite flower...

GLADIOLUS

Among the Romans, gladiolus was considered the flower of gladiators. According to legend, the cruel Roman commander captured the Thracian warriors and ordered them to be turned into gladiators, and the commander ordered the most beautiful, brave, dexterous and loyal friends Sevtus and Teresa to fight each other first, promising that the winner would receive the hand of his daughter and be released to freedom. Many curious townspeople converged to look at this spectacle. However, they did not see what they wanted: when the war trumpets blew, calling the brave warriors to battle, Sevt and Teres stuck their swords into the ground and rushed to each other with open arms. The crowd roared indignantly. The trumpets sounded again, demanding a duel, and when the soldiers again did not satisfy the expectations of the bloodthirsty Romans, they were put to death. But as soon as the bodies of the defeated touched the ground, blooming gladioli grew from the hilts of their swords, which to this day are considered a symbol of friendship, loyalty, memory and nobility.

DAISY

The flower got its name "daisy" from the Greek word margarites - "pearl". This flower has a very beautiful legend about its origin. When, having learned the good news from the Archangel Gabriel, the Blessed Virgin went to Elizabeth, everywhere where the foot of the future Mother of God stepped, small white flowers grew. White, in the form of radiance, the petals spoke of the glory of God, and the golden mean - of the sacred fire that burned in the heart of Mary. There is another legend about the origin of daisies. The Blessed Virgin, while still a child, looked at the sky at night, and She wished that the wonderful stars would become earthly flowers. Then the stars were reflected in brilliant drops of dew, and in the morning the earth was strewn with white flowers. And since the buds of daisies look like stars, people to this day believe that these flowers keep the secret of human happiness, and ask about it, counting their petals. Romantic knights, for whom the Virgin Mary served as an ideal, chose the humble daisy as their flower. According to custom, a knight in love brought a bouquet of daisies to the lady of the heart. If the lady dared to answer "yes", she chose the largest daisy from the bouquet and gave it to the man. From that moment on, he was allowed to draw a daisy on his shield - a sign of mutual love. But if the lady was indecisive, she wove a wreath of daisies and gave it to the knight. Such a gesture was not considered a categorical refusal, and sometimes, until the end of his life, the owner of a wreath of daisies waited for the favor of a cruel lady.

PEONY

Once the goddess Flora was going on a long journey and during her absence she decided to choose a replacement for herself. She informed the flowers about her decision and gave them 48 hours to consider a candidate for such an honorary post. At the appointed hour, everyone gathered in the forest clearing. The flowers were dressed in their brightest outfits, shone with freshness and were fragrant with various aromas. However, no one had any doubt that only a beautiful rose could replace Flora. It has no equal in beauty, aroma and grace of a flower. One peony thought otherwise. He puffed up as much as possible to outdo the rose with the pomp and size of the flower. He looked at everyone with pride and contempt, no doubt that it was he who was worthy to be the rival of the rose. And when Flora crowned the rose with her wreath, he alone shouted: "I do not agree!" The goddess got angry. "Stupid flower," she told him. For your self-satisfaction, always remain so swollen and fat. May butterflies and bees never visit you. You will be a symbol of pride, conceit and swagger. Peony blushed with shame at these words.

FORGET-MENT

How the forget-me-not got its name is told in one ancient Roman legend. One day, the goddess of vegetation, Flora, descended to earth and began to bestow names on flowers. She named all the flowers and was about to leave, but suddenly she heard a weak voice: - Do not forget about me, Flora! Give me a name too! With difficulty, the goddess saw a small blue flower in the forbs. - Well, - the goddess took pity, - be Forget-me-not. Together with the name, I endow you with wonderful power: you will return the memory to those people who begin to forget their homeland or their loved ones.

GINSENG

A long time ago, no one remembers when, two ancient Chinese families Xi Liadnji and Liang Seer lived next door. In the family of Xi Lianji, a fearless warrior named Ginseng was famous. He was brave and kind, defended the weak, helped the poor. These qualities passed to him from his ancestors, who descended from the king of forest animals - the tiger. Warrior Song Shiho - a representative of the Liang Seer clan - unlike Ginseng, was insidious, evil, cruel and rude, but very handsome and stately. One day a terrible monster attacked the country - a yellow dragon. All the men rose to fight the monster, and only Song Shiho went over to the camp of the enemy and became the yellow dragon's faithful assistant. Ginseng, on the other hand, volunteered to fight the dragon one on one. Desperately fought with the dragon Ginseng. The monster spewed flames at him, scratched him with claws, but Ginseng survived. And not only survived, but also threw the enemy to the ground. And the traitor Song Shi-ho Ginseng captured and tied to a rock, so that later he could be judged by the court of the people. But the captured Song Shiho was seen by Ginseng's sister, the beautiful Liu La, and fell in love at first sight. At night, she crept up to the rock, cut the rope that the captive was tied to, helped deceive the vigilant guards, and rode away with Song Shiho. Ginseng rushed in pursuit of the fugitives and overtook them. Nearer and nearer came the sound of his horse's hooves. And now Liu La, in fright, hid behind a rock, and the soldiers, dismounting, began the duel. They fought for a long time, but Ginseng was a more experienced and courageous warrior: he began to win. Here he raised his sword for the last fatal blow. Liu La screamed in horror. Ginseng shuddered (after all, his sister was screaming), looked around and then received a treacherous blow in the back. Song Shiho was ready to celebrate victory, but, mortally wounded, Ginseng straightened up and plunged his sword into the traitor's chest up to the hilt. And then life left him. Liu La bitterly mourned the death of her brother and beloved. Then she gathered her strength and buried them, but did not leave this terrible place, but spent the night nearby. And the next morning, at the burial place of Ginseng, she saw a plant that had never been seen before, which grew there overnight (the plant grew only on the grave of the hero Ginseng, the grave of the traitor Song Shiho was overgrown with grass). So people called this amazing plant ginseng, in memory of the hero from the Xi Liangji clan.

Orchid

Long ago, long before humans existed, the only visible parts of the earth were the snow-capped peaks of high mountains. From time to time the sun thawed the snow, thus causing the water to descend from the mountains in a stormy stream, forming amazing waterfalls. Those, in turn, rushed towards the seas and oceans with seething foam, after which, evaporating, they formed curly clouds. These clouds, in the end, completely blocked the view of the earth from the sun. Once the sun wanted to pierce this impenetrable cover. There was heavy tropical rain. After him, a huge rainbow formed, embracing the entire sky. Fascinated by the hitherto unseen spectacle, the immortal spirits, then the only inhabitants of the earth, began to flock to the rainbow from all, even the most remote, edges. Everyone wanted to grab a place on the colorful bridge. They pushed and fought. But then everyone sat down on the rainbow and sang in unison. Little by little, the rainbow sagged under their weight, until, finally, it collapsed to the ground, crumbling into a myriad of small multi-colored sparks. Immortal spirits, who had never seen anything like it before, watched the fantastic colorful rain with bated breath. Every particle of the earth gratefully accepted the fragments of the heavenly bridge. Those that were caught by the trees turned into orchids. From this began the triumphal procession of orchids across the earth. There were more and more multi-colored lanterns, and not a single flower dared to challenge the right of an orchid to be called the queen of the flower kingdom.

LILY

In ancient German mythology, the thunder god Thor was always depicted holding a lightning bolt in his right hand, and a scepter topped with a lily in his left. She also adorned the brow of the ancient inhabitants of Pomerania during the festivities in honor of the goddess of spring, and her fragrant aureole served in the German fairy-tale world as a magic wand for Oberon and the home of small fairy-tale creatures - elves. According to these legends, each lily had its own elf, who was born with her and died with her. Corollas of these flowers served as these tiny creatures, bells, and shaking them, they called their pious brethren to prayer. Prayer meetings usually took place in the late evening hour, when everything in the gardens calmed down and plunged into a deep sleep. Then one of the elves ran to the flexible stem of the lily and began to shake it. Lily bells rang and woke up sweetly sleeping elves with their silvery ringing. The tiny creatures woke up, crawled out of their soft beds, and silently and solemnly went to the lily corollas, which served them at the same time as chapels. Here they bowed their knees, folded their hands piously and thanked the Creator in fervent prayer for the blessings sent to them. Having prayed, they just as silently hurried back to their flower cradles and soon fell asleep again in a deep, carefree sleep...

LILY OF THE VALLEY

When lilies of the valley bloom, it seems that the very air in the forest is infused with their aroma. No wonder there is a saying among the people: "Lilies of the valley - breathe!". The lily of the valley will fade, and a large red berry appears in place of the crumbled petals. The ancient Germans assured that this was not a berry at all, but burning tears with which the lily of the valley mourns her parting with Spring. Spring though fell in love with lily of the valley, but not for long. Forever young and restless, Spring does not find peace for herself and, scattering caresses to everyone, does not happen to anyone for a long time. In passing, she caressed the lily of the valley. He blossomed with happiness, reached out to Spring, but she left the poor thing in the middle of a hot forest. The lily-of-the-valley drooped with grief, its flowers fell off, and a tear-drop of blood rolled out of the stalk.

SNOWDROP

There are still snowdrifts, and on the thawed patches you already see flowers blue as the sky - small, quiet, delicately smelling. And it begins to seem that it was them, tiny, but brave, that the winter was frightened and surrendered. Snowdrops are freezing in a cruel wind, they are lonely, uncomfortable and unaware, probably that it is from them that the last snow is about to start running away ... A long time ago, when life was just beginning on earth and everything around was covered with snow, one snowflake, they say, as if she risked turning into a flower in order to warm the earth with her warmth. There was no one else to do it. And she became a flower - a snowdrop, and the delicate flower warmed the earth, and life appeared on it.

References:

Krasikov S.P. Flower legends. - M., 1990. Babenko V.G. Myths and plants. - M., 2004. McCallister R. Everything about plants in legends and myths. - SPb., M., 2007.

Site material:

Http://www.florets.ru/ http://www.pgpb.ru/cd/primor/zap_prim/legend/l7.htm flowers.forum2x2.ru kvetky.net›category/istoriya-i-legendyi-o- tsvetah/

The names of flowers came to us from different countries, but Ancient Greece beats all records. Yes, it is understandable, the cult of beauty flourished here, and each of the most beautiful creations of nature gave rise to the most beautiful legend.

The origin of the names of various colors is very curious. Often, the name contains in a compressed form the history and legend of the flower, reflects the main or characteristic features, an assessment of its main qualities, its place of growth, and even some kind of secret.

Adonis(from the Phoenician - lord) was the lover of the goddess of love Aphrodite herself, her constant companion. But the gods, and especially the goddesses, are jealous. The goddess of the hunt, Artemis, sent a wild boar to Adonis, who killed him. Aphrodite sprinkled the blood of Adonis with nectar, and it turned into flowers - adonis. Aphrodite weeps bitterly for her beloved, and anemones grow from her tears.

Envy ruined and Peona, healer of the Olympic gods, a student of the god of healing Asclepius. When he cured the god of the underworld Hades, the teacher hated the student. Fearing the revenge of Asclepius, Peon turned to the gods whom he treated, and they turned him into a magnificent flower - a peony.

Delphinium many peoples of Europe are compared with spurs, and only in Ancient Greece, living surrounded by the sea, believed that it looked like a dolphin's head. And no wonder, in Ancient Greece the cult of the dolphin flourished, it was one of the incarnations of the god Apollo, in honor of the dolphin, Apollo founded the city of Delphi.

According to legend, there once lived a young man in Hellas, whom the gods turned into a dolphin because he sculpted a statue of a deceased lover and breathed life into her. The young man often swam to the shore if he saw his beloved on it, but she did not notice him. And then the young man, in order to express his love, brought the girl a delicate azure flower. This was the delphinium.

"Hyacinth" in Greek it means "flower of the rains", but the Greeks associate its name with the legendary youth Hyacinth. He, as usual in legends, was friends with the gods, especially the god Apollo and the god of the south wind Zephyr patronized him. One day, Apollo and Hyacinth competed in the discus throw. And when the disk was thrown by the god Apollo, Zephyr, wishing Hyacinth victory, blew heavily. Alas, unsuccessful. The disk changed trajectory, hit Hyacinth in the face and killed him. Saddened, Apollo turned drops of hyacinth's blood into beautiful flowers. The shape of their flowers on one side resembled the letter "alpha", on the other - the letter "gamma" (the initials of Apollo and Hyacinth).

And Slavic mythology gave beautiful names flowers. They say that there was once a girl Anyuta. She fell in love with a beautiful young man, but he was afraid of her love. And Anyuta was waiting for him, waiting until she died of longing. And flowers grew on her grave, in the tricolor petals of which her purity, bitterness from betrayal and sadness were reflected: white, yellow and purple.

Or maybe everything was different, and many believe that the excessively curious Anyuta was turned into flowers, because she loved to look where it was not necessary.

Basil was also unlucky. He was bewitched by a mermaid. She tried to drag Vasilka into the water. But the stubborn boy did not succumb to her and settled in the field. A distressed mermaid turned him into a blue flower, the color of water.

About the origin roses There are many different legends.

From the waves of the sea, the goddess of love Aphrodite was born. As soon as she came ashore, the flakes of foam that sparkled on her body began to turn into bright red roses.

Muslims believe that the white rose grew from the sweat drops of Mohammed during his nightly ascent to heaven, the red rose from the sweat drops of the archangel Gabriel who accompanied him, and the yellow rose from the sweat of the animal that was with Mohammed.

The painters depicted the Mother of God with three wreaths. A wreath of white roses meant Her joy, red - suffering, and yellow - Her glory.

The red moss rose arose from the drops of Christ's blood flowing down the Cross. The angels collected it in golden bowls, but a few drops fell on the moss, a rose grew out of them, the bright red color of which should remind of the blood shed for our sins.

AT Ancient Rome the rose served as a symbol of sensual love. All guests of the imperial orgies put on wreaths of roses, threw rose petals into a bowl of wine, and after taking a sip, brought it to their beloved.

During the fall of Rome, the rose served as a symbol of silence. At that time, it was dangerous to share one's thoughts, so during feasts, an artificial white rose was hung on the ceiling of the hall, the look at which made many restrain their frankness. This is how the expression "sub rosa dictum" appeared - what was said under the rose, i.e. under secret.

Lily
According to Jewish legends, this flower grew in paradise during the temptation of Eve by the devil and could be defiled by it, but no dirty hand dared to touch it. Therefore, the Jews decorated them with sacred altars, the capitals of the columns of Solomon's temple. Perhaps for this reason, according to the instructions of Moses, lilies decorated the menorah.

The white lily - a symbol of innocence and purity - grew out of the milk of the mother of the gods - Hera (Juno), who found the baby of the Theban queen Hercules hidden from her jealous gaze, and knowing the divine origin of the baby, wanted to give him milk. But the boy, sensing his enemy in her, bit and pushed her away, and the milk spilled across the sky, forming the Milky Way. A few drops fell to the ground and turned into lilies.

They say about the red lily that it changed color on the night before the suffering of Christ on the cross. When the Savior walked through the Garden of Gethsemane, as a sign of compassion and sadness, all the flowers bowed their heads before Him, except for the lily, which wanted Him to enjoy its beauty. But when the pained look fell on her, the blush of shame for her pride in comparison with His humility spilled over her petals and remained forever.

In Catholic lands, there is a legend that the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the Annunciation appeared to the Blessed Virgin with a lily. With a lily, as a symbol of purity and purity, Catholics depict St. Joseph, St. John, St. Francis.

There is a belief that when lily of the valley blossoms, a small round berry grows - flammable, fiery tears, with which the lily of the valley mourns the spring, the round-the-world traveler, scattering her caresses to everyone and not stopping anywhere. The lily-of-the-valley in love endured his grief just as silently as he carried the joy of love.

When artificially breeding lilies of the valley, they are often grown in special-shaped vessels that look like balls, vases, and eggs. With careful care, lilies of the valley grow so tightly around the vessel that it becomes invisible.

chrysanthemum Japan's favorite. Its image is sacred and only members of the imperial house have the right to wear it. Only the symbolic chrysanthemum with 16 petals enjoys the power of government protection. It is a symbol of the life-giving sun.

In Europe, chrysanthemums were first imported to England in the 17th century. Here they are not so much flowers for bouquets as funeral ones. Perhaps that is why there is a sad legend about their origin.

The poor woman's son died. She decorated the grave dear to her with wild flowers picked along the way until the cold came. Then she remembered a bouquet of artificial flowers, which her mother bequeathed as a guarantee of happiness. She placed this bouquet on the grave, sprinkled it with tears, prayed, and when she raised her head, she saw a miracle: the whole grave was covered with live chrysanthemums. Their bitter smell seemed to say that they were dedicated to sorrow.

Carnation

According to an ancient legend, once upon a time gods lived on Earth. And once the goddess Artemis, the daughter of Zeus and Latona, returning from hunting, saw a shepherd boy who was playing the flute. He did not suspect that the sounds of the flute frightened and dispersed all the animals in the area. Enraged by the unsuccessful hunt, the goddess fired an arrow and stopped the heart of a wonderful musician. But very soon the anger of the goddess was replaced by mercy and repentance. She called on the god Zeus and asked him to turn the dead youth into beautiful flower. Since then, the Greeks have called the carnation the flower of Zeus, the wise and powerful god who gave the young man immortality.

Lotus- a symbol of passing through all the elements: it has roots in the earth, grows in water, blooms in the air, and is fed by the fiery rays of the Sun.

The mythopoetic tradition of ancient India represented our land as a giant lotus blooming on the surface of the waters, and paradise as a huge lake overgrown with beautiful pink lotuses, where righteous, pure souls live. The white lotus is an indispensable attribute of divine power. Therefore, many gods of India have traditionally been depicted standing or sitting on a lotus or with a lotus flower in their hand.

In the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, a lotus is described, which had a thousand petals, shone like the sun and scattered around a delicious aroma. This lotus, according to legend, lengthened life, returned youth and beauty.

Narcissus

In ancient Greek legend, the handsome young man Narcissus cruelly rejected the love of a nymph. The nymph withered from hopeless passion and turned into an echo, but before her death she cursed: "Let the one whom he loves not reciprocate with Narcissus."

On a hot afternoon, exhausted by the heat, young Narcissus leaned over to drink from the stream, and in its bright jets he saw his own reflection. Narcissus had never met such beauty before and therefore lost his peace. Every morning he came to the stream, dipped his hands into the water to hug the one he saw, but it was all in vain.

Narcissus stopped eating, drinking, sleeping, because he was unable to move away from the stream, and melted almost before our eyes, until he disappeared without a trace. And on the ground where he was seen, a fragrant white flower of cold beauty grew for the last time. Since then, the mythical goddesses of retribution, the Furies, have adorned their heads with wreaths of daffodils.

At different peoples and at different times the narcissist was loved and had different meaning. The Persian king Cyrus called it "the creation of beauty, immortal delight." The ancient Romans greeted the winners of battles with yellow daffodils. The image of this flower is found on the walls of ancient Pompeii. For the Chinese, it is obligatory in every home on New Year's holiday, and especially many daffodils are bred in Guangzhou (Canton), where they are grown in glass cups in wet sand or in small pebbles filled with water.

beautiful legend about orchids was with the New Zealand tribe of Majori. They were sure of the divine origin of these flowers. Long ago, long before humans existed, the only visible parts of the earth were the snow-capped peaks of high mountains. From time to time the sun thawed the snow, thus causing the water to descend from the mountains in a stormy stream, forming amazing waterfalls. Those, in turn, rushed towards the seas and oceans with seething foam, after which, evaporating, they formed curly clouds. These clouds eventually completely blocked the view of the earth from the sun.

Once the sun wanted to pierce this impenetrable cover. There was heavy tropical rain. After him, a huge rainbow formed, embracing the entire sky.

Fascinated by the hitherto unseen spectacle, immortal spirits - the only inhabitants of the earth at that time - began to flock to the rainbow from all, even the most distant lands. Everyone wanted to grab a place on the colorful bridge. They pushed and fought. But then everyone sat down on the rainbow and sang in unison. Little by little, the rainbow sagged under their weight, until it finally collapsed to the ground, scattering into a myriad of small multi-colored sparks. Immortal spirits, who had never seen anything like it before, watched the fantastic colorful rain with bated breath. Every particle of the earth gratefully accepted the fragments of the heavenly bridge. Those that were caught by the trees turned into orchids.

From this began the triumphal procession of orchids across the earth. There were more and more multi-colored lanterns, and not a single flower dared to challenge the right of an orchid to be called the queen of the flower kingdom.

Pansies

An ancient legend tells that the beautiful Anyuta once lived in the world. She fell in love with her cold-blooded seducer with all her heart. The young man broke the heart of the gullible girl, and Jonah died of grief and anguish. On the grave of poor Anyuta, violets grew, painted in shooting range. Each of them personified three feelings that she experienced: hope for reciprocity, surprise from an unjust insult, and sadness from unrequited love. For the ancient Greeks, pansy-colored shooting ranges were symbols of a love triangle. According to legend, Zeus liked the daughter of the king of Argos, Io. However, Zeus' wife Hera turned the girl into a cow. Only after long wanderings did Io regain her human form. To please his beloved, the Thunderer grew tricolor violets for her. In Roman mythology, these flowers are associated with the image of Venus. The Romans believed that the gods turned men into pansies, who secretly spied on the bathing goddess of love. Since ancient times, pansies have symbolized fidelity in love. Many peoples eat customs associated with these flowers. For example, Polish girls gave their beloved pansies if he left for a long time. This symbolized the preservation of fidelity and love to give. It is no coincidence that in France, tricolor violets were called "flowers for memory." In England, they were a "heart's delight", they were presented to each other by lovers on February 14 - Valentine's Day.

Aster

The thin petals of the aster are a bit reminiscent of the rays of distant stars, which is why the beautiful flower was called "aster" (lat. aster - "star"). An ancient belief says that if you go out into the garden at midnight and stand among the asters, you can hear a quiet whisper. These flowers communicate with the stars. Already in ancient Greece, people were familiar with the constellation Virgo, which was associated with the goddess of love, Aphrodite. According to ancient Greek myth, the aster arose from cosmic dust when the Virgin looked from the sky and wept. For the ancient Greeks, the aster symbolized love. In China, asters symbolize beauty, precision, elegance, charm and modesty.
For Hungarians, this flower is associated with autumn, which is why in Hungary the aster is called the “autumn rose”. In ancient times, people believed that if a few aster leaves were thrown into a fire, the smoke from this fire could drive out snakes. The aster flower is a symbol of women born under the astrological sign of Virgo.

Marigold

The plant received its Latin name in honor of the son of Genius and the grandson of Jupiter - Tages (Tageta). This character of ancient Greek mythology became famous for being able to predict the future. Tages was a boy, but his intelligence was unusually high, and he had the gift of foresight. Similar myths existed among the Etruscans. Tages appeared to people in the form of a baby, which the plowman found in a furrow. The child told people about the future of the world, taught them to read the insides of animals, and then disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. The predictions of the baby god were recorded in the prophetic books of the Etruscans and betrayed to posterity. In China, marigolds are a symbol of longevity, which is why they are called "flowers of ten thousand years."
In Hinduism, this flower was personified with the god Krishna. In the language of flowers, marigolds mean fidelity.

Cornflower

The Latin name of this plant is associated with the centaur Chiron - the ancient Greek mythological hero - half-horse and half-man. He had knowledge about healing properties many plants and with the help of a cornflower he was able to recover from the wound inflicted on him by the poisoned arrow of Hercules. This was the reason to call the plant centaurea, which literally means "centaur".
The origin of the Russian name of this plant is explained by an old folk belief. A long time ago, a beautiful mermaid fell in love with a handsome young plowman Vasily. The young man reciprocated her, but the lovers could not agree where they should live - on land or in water. The mermaid did not want to part with Vasily, so she turned him into a wild flower, which in its color resembled the cool blue of water. Since then, according to legend, every summer, when blue cornflowers bloom, mermaids weave wreaths from them and decorate their heads with them.

Delphinium

Ancient Greek legends tell how Achilles, the son of Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis, fought under the walls of Troy. His mother gave him magnificent armor, forged by the blacksmith god Hephaestus himself. The only weak point of Achilles was the heel, by which Thetis held him as a child, when she decided to dip the baby in the sacred waters of the river Styx. It was in the heel that Achilles was struck by an arrow shot from a bow by Paris. After the death of Achilles, his legendary armor was awarded to Odysseus, and not to Ajax Telamonides, who considered himself the second hero after Achilles. In desperation, Ajax threw himself on the sword. Drops of the hero's blood fell to the ground and turned into flowers, which we now call delphiniums. It is also believed that the name of the plant is associated with the shape of its flowers, resembling the back of a dolphin. According to another ancient Greek myth, the cruel gods turned a young man into a dolphin, who sculpted his dead beloved and revived her. Every day he swam to the shore to meet his beloved, but he could not find her. One day, standing on a rocky shore, the girl saw a dolphin. She waved at him, and he swam up to her. In memory of his love, the sad dolphin threw a blue delphinium flower at her feet. Among the ancient Greeks, the delphinium symbolized sadness. According to Russian belief, delphiniums have medicinal properties, including helping to heal bones in case of fractures, so until recently in Russia these plants are called larkspur. In our time, the plant is often referred to as a spur. In Germany, the popular name for the delphinium is knight's spurs.

Iris

The generic name of the plants comes from the Greek word iris - "rainbow". According to ancient Greek mythology, the goddess of the rainbow, iris (Irida), fluttered across the sky on light, transparent, iridescent wings and carried out the instructions of the gods. People could see her in raindrops or on a rainbow. In honor of the golden-haired iris, a flower was named, the shades of which were as magnificent and varied as the colors of the rainbow.
The xiphoid leaves of iris symbolize courage and courage among the Japanese. This is probably why in Japanese "iris" and "warrior spirit" are denoted by the same hieroglyph. In Japan, there is a holiday called Boys' Day. It is celebrated on May 5th. On this day, in every Japanese family where there is a son, many objects with the image of irises are exhibited. From the flowers of iris and orange, the Japanese prepare a drink called "May pearls". In Japan, they believe that drinking this drink will instill courage in the souls of future men. In addition, according to Japanese beliefs, "May pearls" have healing properties, it can cure many ailments.
In ancient Egypt, irises were considered a symbol of eloquence, and in the East they symbolized sadness, so white irises were planted on graves.

Calendula

The scientific name of calendula comes from the Latin word calendae, meaning the first day of each month. It can be assumed that the reason for identifying the plant with the beginning of a new cycle was its inflorescences, which constantly replace each other during flowering. The species name of calendula - officinalis - is associated with its medicinal properties (from the Latin officina - "pharmacy"). Due to the peculiar shape of the fruit, the people call calendula marigolds. In Russian folklore, an ancient legend about the origin of this name has been preserved. It tells that a boy was born to a poor water family. He grew up sick and weak, so they called him not by his first name, but simply by Snake. When the boy grew up, he learned the secrets of medicinal plants and learned to heal people with their help. From all the surrounding villages, sick people began to come to Zamorysh. However, there was evil person, who envied the glory of the doctor and decided to lime him. Once, on a holiday, he brought a goblet of wine with poison to Zamorysh. He drank, and when he felt that he was dying, he called people and bequeathed to bury after death the nail from his left hand under the poisoner's window. They fulfilled his request. A medicinal plant with golden flowers grew in that place. In memory of a good doctor, people called this flower marigolds. The first Christians called the calendula "Mary's Gold" and decorated the statues of the Savior's mother with it. In ancient India, garlands were woven from calendula and decorated with statues of saints. The calendula is sometimes called the "bride of summer" because of the flower's tendency to follow the sun.

Lily of the valley

The generic name of the lily of the valley is translated as "lily of the valleys" (from the Latin ocnvallis - "valley" and the Greek lierion - "lily") and hints at its habitat. The specific name indicates that the plant blooms in May. In Bohemia (Czechoslovakia), lily of the valley is called tsavka - “bun”, probably because the flowers of the plant resemble round delicious buns.
According to ancient Greek myth, the goddess of hunting Diana, during one of her hunting trips, wanted to catch the fauns. They ambushed her, but the goddess rushed to run. Sweat dripped from her flushed face. They were incredibly fragrant. And where they fell, lilies of the valley grew.
In Russian legends, the white flowers of the lily of the valley are called the tears of the sea princess Volkhva, who fell in love with the beautiful harpman Sadko. However, the young man's heart belonged to his bride, Lyubava. Upon learning of this, the proud princess decided not to reveal her love. Only sometimes at night, by the light of the moon, one could see how the beautiful Magus was sitting on the shore of the lake and crying. Instead of tears, the girl dropped large white pearls on the ground, which, touching the ground, sprouted with charming flowers - lilies of the valley. Since then, in Rus', the lily of the valley symbolizes hidden love. If white and fragrant flowers Lily of the valley was personified with something joyful and beautiful, then its red berries in many cultures symbolized sadness for the lost. One Christian legend tells that the red fruits of the lily of the valley came from the burning tears of the Most Holy Theotokos, which she shed while standing at the body of the crucified Christ.

Lily

Ancient Greek myths attributed divine origin to the lily. According to one of them, once the goddess Hera fed the baby Ares. Drops of splashed milk fell to the ground and turned into snow-white lilies. Since then, these flowers have become the emblem of the goddess Hera.
Among the ancient Egyptians, the lily, along with the lotus, was a symbol of fertility. Christians also adopted love for her, making her a symbol of the Virgin Mary. The straight stem of the lily represents her mind; drooping leaves - modesty, delicate aroma - divinity, white color - chastity. According to Holy Scripture, the archangel Gabriel held the lily when he announced to Mary about the imminent birth of Christ. There was a legend about the Siberian red lily, or saran in Ancient Rus'. It was said that she grew up from the heart of a deceased Cossack who took part in the conquest of Siberia under the leadership of Yermak. The people also called it "royal curls."

Lotus

Since time immemorial in ancient Egypt, India and China, the lotus has been a particularly revered and sacred plant. Among the ancient Egyptians, the lotus flower symbolized the resurrection from the dead, and one of the hieroglyphs was depicted in the form of a lotus and meant joy. In ancient Greek mythology, the lotus was the emblem of the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite. In ancient Greece, stories about people eating lotus were circulated - "lotophages", or "lotus eaters". According to legend, the one who tastes the lotus flowers will never want to be with the homeland of this plant. For many nations, the lotus symbolized fertility, health, prosperity, longevity, purity, spirituality, hardness and the sun. In the East, this plant is still considered a symbol of perfect beauty. In the Assyrian and Phoenician cultures, the lotus personified death, but at the same time rebirth and future life.
For the Chinese, the lotus personified the past, present and future, since each plant simultaneously has buds, flowers and seeds.

Peony

According to historical sources, the peony got its name in honor of Paeonia, the area where one of its species originated. However, there are other versions. According to one of them, the name of this plant is associated with the name of the character of ancient Greek mythology - Peony, who was a talented student of the doctor Aesculapius. Once Peony cured the lord of the underworld Pluto, wounded by Hercules. The miraculous healing of the ruler of the underworld aroused jealousy in Esculapius, and he decided to kill his student. However, Pluto, who learned about the evil intentions of Esculapius, in gratitude for the help rendered to him, did not let Pion die. He turned a skilled doctor into a beautiful medicinal flower, named after him a peony. In ancient Greece, this flower was considered a symbol of longevity and healing. Gifted Greek doctors were called peonies, and medicinal plants"peony herbs".
Another ancient legend tells how one day the goddess Flora was going on a trip to Saturn. During her long absence, she decided to find an assistant. The goddess announced her intention to the plants. A few days later, Flora's subjects gathered at the edge of the forest to choose their temporary patron. All the trees, shrubs, herbs and mosses voted in favor of the charming rose. Only one peony shouted that he was the best. Then Flora went up to the impudent and stupid flower and said: “In punishment for your pride, not a single bee will sit on your flower, not a single girl will pin it on her chest.” Therefore, among the ancient Romans, the peony personified pomposity and swagger.

Rose

The queen of flowers - the rose - has been sung by people since ancient times. They created many legends and myths about this magnificent flower. In ancient culture, the rose was a symbol of the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. According to ancient Greek legend, Aphrodite was born from the sea off the southern coast of Cyprus. At this moment, the perfect body of the goddess was covered with snow-white foam. It was from her that the first rose with dazzling white petals arose. The gods, seeing a beautiful flower, sprinkled it with nectar, which gave the rose a delicious aroma. The rose flower remained white until Aphrodite learned that her beloved Adonis was mortally wounded. The goddess ran headlong to her beloved, not noticing anything around. Aphrodite did not pay attention as she stepped on the sharp thorns of roses. Drops of her blood sprinkled the snow-white petals of these flowers, turning them red.
There is an ancient Hindu legend about how the god Vishnu and the god Brahma started a dispute about which flower is the most beautiful. Vishnu preferred the rose, and Brahma, who had never seen this flower before, praised the lotus. When Brahma saw the rose, he agreed that this flower was the most beautiful of all plants on earth.
Thanks to its perfect shape and wonderful aroma for Christians, the rose has symbolized paradise since ancient times.

Based on the materials of the book "All about plants in legends and myths"
Roy McAllister

Flowers have been grown since ancient times, for each nation they played a special role. Beautiful buds inspired people to create fascinating legends and myths. Thanks to them, each plant has its own unique history. Fortunately, a great many legends have survived to our time and we have the opportunity to get acquainted with them.

VIOLET

Violet is shrouded in a huge number of legends and stories. The myths of ancient Greece connect the origin of the flower with the gods of Olympus. One day, one of the daughters of Atlas turned to Zeus for help. Apollo pursued her. The girl asked Zeus to hide and protect her. The Great Thunderer turned her into a flower - a beautiful violet, and covered her in the shade of the bushes. Violet began to bloom every spring and fill the heavenly forests with fragrance. And since then it has become a symbol of spring and reviving nature. So she would have remained there, if not for the case.

Violets fell on the ground when the daughter of Zeus Persephone, who was collecting them, was kidnapped in the forest by the lord realms of the dead. That's how it was. Persephone discovered violets growing on a slope, and, succumbing to their charm, decided to pick a few flowers for herself. The god of the underworld of the dead, Hades, passing by, admired the beautiful Persephone and, against his will, took her to his gloomy kingdom. Demeter, the mother of Persephone, waited a long time for her daughter, and, without waiting, rushed in search. The violets that Persephone dropped, found by the unfortunate mother at the entrance to the underworld of Hades, revealed to her the secret of her daughter's abduction. Demeter prayed, asking Zeus to free her daughter from the realm of the dead, but Zeus did not want to quarrel with the harsh Hades and decided that Persephone would live with her mother for two thirds of the year, enjoying the sun and light, and spend the remaining third, as the queen of the world of the dead, with her husband .

After the Greeks, violet was popular with the ancient Gauls, for whom it was a symbol of innocence and modesty. Love passed to the descendants of the Gauls - the French. Their highest prize in poetry competitions was the golden violet.

HYACINTH

According to ancient Greek legend, the young son of the king of Sparta, Hyacinth, was so beautiful that his beauty overshadowed the gods of Olympus. Once he and his friend Apollo competed in discus throwing. Apollo threw a disk and accidentally hit Hyacinth with it. And maybe not by accident. After all, it was the god of the south wind Zephyr who blew so hard that the disk flew off into the young man Hyacinth. The blow turned out to be fatal, and Apollo, saddened by the tragic death of his friend, turned drops of his blood into beautiful flowers - hyacinths. There is a later legend about the time of the Trojan War, when Ajax and Odysseus simultaneously claimed possession of Achilles' weapons after his death. The council of elders unfairly awarded weapons to Odysseus, and this impressed Ajax so much that he stabbed himself with a sword. A hyacinth grew from the drops of his blood, the petals of which are shaped like the first letters of Ajax's name - alpha and upsilon.

ORCHID

The legend of orchids originates from New Zealand. Maori tribes lived there, who were sure of the divine origin of these flowers. Even before the appearance of people, the legend tells, the only visible parts of the Earth were the snow-capped peaks of the mountains. The snow melted from the sun, and the water descended from the mountains in a stormy stream, forming waterfalls. Waterfalls rushed in a stormy stream into the seas and oceans, evaporating, forming clouds. These clouds completely blocked the sun's view of the earth. The sun decided to destroy this cloudy wall. It started to rain, followed by a rainbow. Immortal spirits - the inhabitants of the Earth, flocked to the rainbow, each found a place for himself on this colorful bridge. Under their weight, the rainbow crumbled into a huge number of sparks. The sparks that were caught in the air by the trees turned into orchids.

ROSE FLOWER

In ancient Greek culture, the rose was a symbol of the goddess of beauty and love, Aphrodite. From the myths it follows that Aphrodite was born from sea foam. It was from this foam that a flower arose - a rose with snow-white petals. The gods sprinkled the flower with nectar, which gave the petals a wonderful fragrance. How did the red rose come about? Aphrodite learned that her beloved Adonis was mortally wounded. The goddess ran to him and did not notice that she was running along the sharp thorns of roses. Drops of her blood turned the flower red.

There is also a Hindu story that tells how the gods Vishnu and Brahma argued. The reason for their disagreement was the flowers - which flower is the most beautiful? Brahma, who had never seen a rose, admired the lotus, and Vishnu admired the delicate rose. But when Brahma saw the rose, he agreed that there is no more beautiful flower in the world.

GERANIUM

An Eastern legend about geraniums says that a long time ago, geraniums were an unremarkable flower. People did not like her, they believed that she did not bring any benefit, and there was not even joy from geraniums. But once the prophet Mohammed hung his wet cloak on this flower, and the geranium put it under the warm rays of the sun and quickly dried it. As a token of his gratitude, Magomed covered the plant with fragrant and fragile flowers.

ANTHURIUM

According to legend, the red anthurium is a young beauty who turned into a flower. And it was like that. When people lived in tribes, they were ruled by a cruel leader. And he wanted to marry a young girl, but the chosen one refused him. But the ruler, not accustomed to refusals, attacked the village where the girl lived and brought her to him by force. On the day of the celebration, in her wedding red dress, the girl threw herself into the fire. The gods took pity on the unfortunate bride and turned her into a red anthurium flower. And her village - in an impenetrable rainforest.

CACTUS LOPOFORA

To be honest, I hear this name for the first time, although this cactus looks familiar to many. The legend of the Tarahumara Indian tribe from Mexico tells about him: “... a lonely man walked through the desert and languished from heat, thirst and fatigue. Suddenly he heard a voice coming from the earth. A man saw peyote (Lofofora cactus - author's note) and heard: "I am your God, take me and eat." The man took this cactus, ate it and felt that his strength returned to him, and he safely reached his tribe. Here is such a flower-savior.

CYCLAMEN

The legend of cyclamen is associated with King Solomon. After the king built the temple, he thought for a long time about what his crown would look like. He was offered a variety of forms, but none of them liked. Once Solomon, going for a walk, drew attention to a pink cyclamen, which lurked among the rocks. The king was delighted with the beauty and modesty of this plant and ordered a crown similar to the shape of a cyclamen. “He will remind me of wisdom and simplicity - the qualities necessary to rule the state,” Solomon decided.