Mythology And Flowers

by prestigeflowers

The symbolism and traditions of today are irrefutably the result of a number of ancient beliefs.  The reasons behind many traditions may have changed over the years but there are those that very much live on.  As far as flowers go, many of their meanings and names come from some or other kind of myth or story.  Your florist is probably familiar with some of the meanings of their most popular flowers since it helps them give advice in terms of choosing the right flowers for the right occasion.  They may not, however, be familiar with all the myths and legends associated with even their best sellers.

While conducting some research, I stumbled upon some pretty interesting myths about flowers.  One is the Greek myth about the Anemone flower.  According to legend, Adonis was loved by both the queen of the underworld, Persephone, and the goddess of love, Aphrodite.  One day, Adonis was enjoying a trip out hunting, which was one of his favourite things to do.  He was all alone in the forest when a boar charged and attacked him.  It stabbed him with its tusks and the blood poured out.  Aphrodite heard him cry out and instantly raced to be by his side.  As Adonis died, red Anemones grew where his blood had fallen.  Other versions say that the Anemones were white and they turned red from his blood.  Anemones are believed to bring luck and ward off evil.

Roses are quite certainly the most popular flowers in the world today.  According to Greek mythology, it was Chloris, the goddess of flowers, who was responsible for creating this floral beauty.  While she was walking in the forest, she came across the body of a nymph.  Choris turn it into a flower before asking Dionysys, the god of wine, to give the flower its sweet smell.  She then sought the help of Aphrodite who bestowed on it the greatest of beauty.  The god of the west wind, Zephyrus, blew all the clouds away and allowed Apollo, the sun god, to shine down and make the flower bloom.  Today, roses are commonly associated with the message of love and different colours mean different kinds of love.  Red roses symbolise a passionate form of love while yellow roses are associated with friendship.

Another story that is quite interesting is that of the Peony.  According to myth, Paeon was studying under Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing.  He was instructed by Leto, Apollo’s mother and the goddess of fertility, to venture up Mount Olympus in order to retrieve a magical root that grew only there.  The root was said to posses the power to ease the pain of childbirth.  Overcome with jealousy, Asclepius threatened to kill Paeon.  Zeus, however, came to Paeon’s rescue and turned him into the Peony flower.  In both ancient times and today, Peonies are appreciated for their exquisite beauty and medicinal uses.  Today, the flower is associate with a number of meanings including compassion.  The Peony is also the traditional flower for the 12^th wedding anniversary so, if you know somebody celebrating, it would make for a fine flower delivery and an extremely thoughtful gift.