She went on to point out that camellia branches on the wedding table were a symbol of long life and steadfastness. In explaining a flower known as the 'Grandmother Flower' in Korean, Crane gave a full detail of the fairy tale that gave it the name. The Grandmother Flower, which is a kind of a windflower referred to as Pulsatilla koreana in its botanical name, is said to be the reincarnation of a poor old lady for the little flower is bent and all red inside, like a broken heart, and also features gray fuzz. According to the popular fairy tale, the old lady missed so much her daughters who lived far away and died on a long journey to her daughters. In addition, she introduced the local use of some flowers as medicines, foods and dyes, besides basic explanations on ecological and biological information on the flowers.
Wild camphor is splendid for colds, as the old Korea doctor knows.
Its dried leaves in clothes-chests keep away the moth pest, Crane observed. The knowledge of the additional values of wild flowers recorded in this book can be scientifically employed to develop alternative medicines and natural and healthy diets, experts contend. But Crane's book offers a valuable guideline in the effort of reviving bygone traditions. Copyright 2000 Digital Korea Herald. All rights reserved.