- Author: Nancy Forrest
I recently learned that my favorite flowers are linked to my Greek heritage and Greek mythology [1]. Unbeknown to me, my favorite flowers and the ones I grow in my garden are daffodils, lilies, gladiolus, and roses. Other favorites associated with Greek mythology are anemones and peonies. For some reason these flowers don't seem to grow well in my yard, probably due to my clay soil.
One of the most famous floral myths involves the Narcissus flower, commonly known as the daffodil. This springtime favorite is named after the beautiful Greek youth, Narcissus, who became so enchanted by his reflection in a river that he stayed on its banks, staring at himself until he died. Other stories say he was so absorbed by his looks that he fell into the river and drowned. Either way, daffodils sprung up on the spot where he perished, bending their necks towards the water as he had done. Hence, the term ‘narcissistic', means a fixation with oneself.
Lilies are associated with Hera's milk in Greek mythology. Her husband, Zeus, the god of thunder and lightning had an affair with a mortal that led to the birth of Hercules. However, Zeus knew that Hera's breast milk was the best for raising gods; thus, he drugged her to sleep. But Hera woke up as the child suckled and flung him away spraying milk across the sky (Milky Way) and as it touched the earth, the white lilies sprouted.
In classical Greek mythology, the Gladiolus flower means links to the god Apollo. One story revolves around Hyacinthus who was accidentally killed by the discus of the god Apollo, a gladiolus flower sprouted from his corpse. Another myth is about Demeter the goddess of the harvest. She had a sacred grove from which an irreligious man, Erisichton, repeatedly stole firewood. One day the man beheaded one of Demeter's worshipers and from the disciple's blood sprouted a gladiola. Another version is that Demeter punished Erisichton with famine. He became poor and he tried to sell his daughter, fortunately, she managed to escape from him. Demeter found her in the grove and turned her into a gladiola [2].
A Rose by any other name is still a rose, which is symbolic of romance. You thought Shakespeare but jumble up the letters of ‘rose' and it's an anagram of ‘Eros', the god of love. Legend has it that Chloris, the goddess of flowers, stumbled upon a lifeless nymph while walking through the woods one day. Saddened by its death, she turned it into a flower so beautiful that all the gods would consider it the Queen of Flowers. Indeed, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was so struck by its beauty that she named it ‘rose' in honor of her son, Eros. "There's a rival Greek myth that connects the red rose to devotion." (“These Are Some of the Best Floral Myths - Thurs.”) The story goes that, upon discovering a plot to kill her mortal lover, Adonis, Aphrodite ran through a bush of white roses to warn him. Its thorns scratched her ankles, and her blood turned the petals red.
Sadly, Aphrodite was too late, as Adonis had already been gored by a wild boar. His blood mingled with her tears and burst into Anemones. In another version of this story, the anemones were white before the death of Adonis, whose blood turned them red. (“Flowers in Mythology - Myth Encyclopedia”)
Popular Peonies signify compassion and are named after Paean, the physician who tended to the wounds of the gods. One day, Paean healed Pluto, the god of the underworld, with a milky liquid taken from the root of a magical flower he had found on Mount Olympus. His success humiliated Asclepius (his teacher) who plotted to kill his pupil for outsmarting him. Zeus, the king of the gods, took mercy on Paean by turning him into the plant that had saved Pluto's life. Peony roots, seeds, and petals were widely used in ancient times to treat a variety of aches and pains. Research has since proven that they can indeed have anti-inflammatory effects, so perhaps there's truth to myths after all...
