Wichita eagle., 1888-07-26
FLOWERS IN FOLK LORE.
REGARDED AS BENEFlCENT IN Pop
ULAR LEGEND AND STORY.
!" ORD Wide Admiration of the Rose-An-
emone, Amaranth and AsphOdel-But-
tercups and Daisies-The Forset-Me-Not.
Tradition Of the Luy-Modest Violet.

; emone, Amsranth and Asphodel-But
tercups and Daisies-The Forget-Me-Not
Tradition Of tho Liy-Modest Violet.
The Syrians regarded the rose as an
emblem OF Immortality Chinese plant i,
over graves. and in the Tyrol it is said te
produce sleep Germans call the rose OF
jericho the Christmas rose. and it is sup
posed to divine the events of tho year. il
STEPPED IN water, on Christmas eve 1t il
said in Persia that there is a certain
charmed day in which the rose has q
heart OF gold Another tradition relates
that there is silver table on a certain
Mount Calassy, in India. and on this table
lies silver rose that contains two beauti-
fuI women who praise God without ceas-
ing In the center of the rose Is the
trlangle-the residence Of God
1t Is said that if white rose blooms in
autumn an early death is prognosticated,
While an autumn blooming red rose signi-
hes marriage The red rose, 1t is also
SAID, VIII not bloom over. a grave. Rose
| leaves are sometimes thrown on the fire
Tor good luck, and a rose bush may be
made to bloom in autumn by pruning it
on st. Johns day. Here, as well as in
France and Italy, it is believed that rosy
cheeks will come to the lass who buries
a drop OF her blood under rose bush.
| In fosen, young women assure the tidel-
lty or their lovers by carrying a rosebud
IN the breast. Rose leaves are chosen for
diyination In Thuringia. the maiden hav-
| ing several lovers scattering leaf named
| after each one on the water; the leaf that
sinks last is the true lover.
ANEMONE, AMARANTH, AsPHODEL.
The anemone was regarded as the SYM
Dol of sickness in ancient Egypt. 1t was
| tabled to have sprung from the tears wept
by Venus over Adonis. The amaranth
would, says PGny, recover its color if
sprlnkled with water. It was a symbol
OF Immortality. the word meaning lever
lasting" The asphodel was its opposite,
meaning regret. The spirits of the
dead we're thought to subsist on this
flower. The bachelors button is SO named
because youths carried one in the pocket
to divine their success in love. If the
flower died. it was en- i'll omen The
flower basil is test of purity If it is
put under the plate of an impure maiden
In Voigtland, she will not touch it.
Our familiar buttercup was so named
from an idea that its consumption in.
creased the butter producing quality of
the cows milk Cows never eat them.
but they grow only in dry. rich pastures.
The columbine was snciently called a
''thankless flower" and was the emblem
of forsaken lovers. The meek little daisy,
opening its eye with the light of the
planet Venus, has always been favorite
with the poets. Its star form caused it
to be an object of superstition. and Ger
man maidens prognosticated their fortunes
with it,
The forget-me-not is one Of the flowers
that In German lore guard treasures en-
tombed in caverns. The Swiss regard
with superstitious feeling the little edel.
weiss Jour cats foot or everlastingl Its
Swiss name signifies noble purity.
LEGEND AND TRADITION.
The common marigold is named in
French Soucis (eare). In Breton legend,
if touched By the bare foot of pure
hearted person on a certain morning, it
gives power to understand the language
of birds. The crocus signifies unre-
Quilted love. The poppy is a well known
symbol of death The snowdrop is sacred
to the Virgin Mary The primrose is an
important flower in folk fore. The Ger.
mans name it ''Schlussel blume." or KEY
flower, 1t is tabled to open the way to
treasures.
The lily is additionally the emblem of
Diana and Lilith. Adams second wife
To the people of India and Egypt it tvpi-
fed fertility, to the prophets it had
mysterious Specification 1t is potent
against withcraft in Germany, If gath |
cred with prayer Spanish superstition
credits it with the power of restoring to
the human shape any one who has been
to an animal 1t is remedy
for venomous bites in England, and it
was formerly thought that the number of
flowers on the finest stem indicated the
price Of grain for the season.
The thistle. gathered in silence. was
valued charm 1t was sacred
to Thor. and was one of the many plants
that protected dwellings from lightning.
In England, the milk thistle Is Our
Lady's thistle" and the plant is we'll
known as the national emblem Of Scot
and Lastly. there is the modest violet,
5ype of humility Mohammedans are fond
If it, as their founder revered it as a type
If his religion 1t was the badge CT me
1ieval minstrels, and golden violet was
he prize in the poetical contests at Tou-
ouse.-F. S. Bassett in Globe Democrat.