The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-29
FLOWERS IN FOLK LORE.
REGARDED As eeNEFlcENT IN POP
uLAR LEGEND AND STORY.
world Wide Admiration Of the Ross-An-
<m,nc, Amaranth and Asphodei-But-
tercups and Dalsies-The forset-Ms-Not'
Tradition Of the Lily-Modest Violet.

Tradition of the Lily-Modest Violet.
The Syrians regarded the rose as an
emblem Of immortality. Chinese plant 1t
over graves. and In the Tyrol 1t Is said to
produce sleep Germans call the rose OF
Jericho the Christmas rose. and 1t Is sup
posed to divine the events Of the year. II
Stepped In water, on Christmas eve. 1t Is
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 certain
Mount Calassy, In India. and on this table
lies silver rose that contains two beauti-
full women who praise God without ceas-
ing In the center Of the rose Is the
triangle-the residence Of God.
1t Is said that If a white rose blooms in
autumn an early death is prognosticated,
while an autumn blooming red rose signi-
fies marriage The red rose, 1t Is also
said. will not bloom over grave. Rose
leaves are sometimes thrown on the hire
for good luck, and rose bush may be
made to bloom In autumn by pruning 1t
ON St. Johns oay Here, as well as In
France and Italy, 1t is believed that rosy
cheeks will come to the lass who buYies
a
In Posen. young women assure the ndei,
ity of their lovers by carrying rosebud
in the breast. Rose leaves are chosen Tor
divination 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. AsFHODEL.
The anemone was regarded as the sym
boil of sickness in ancient Egypt. 1t was
tabled TO have sprung from the tears wept
by Venus over Adonis. The amaranth
would says Pliny, recover Its color II
sprinkled with water. 1t was symbol
of Immortality, the word meaning ever
lasting" The asphodel was its opposite,
meaning regret" The spirits of the
dead were 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. Ii the
flower died, it was an III omen. The
flower basil Is test of purity. If 1t Is
put under the plate OF an impure maiden
in voigtland, she will not touch 1t.
Our familiar buttercup was so named
from On 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 anciently called
"tbankless 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 a 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-.
tonbed in caverns. Tho Swiss regard
with superstitious feeling the little edel-
weiss (our cats foot or everlasting). Its
Swiss name signifies noble purity.
LEGEND AND TRADITION.
The common marigold is named in
if touched by the bare foot Of a pure
hearted person on certain morning, 1t
gives power to understand the language
of birds The crocus signifies unre
Quilted love. The poppy is well known
symbol of death The snowdropis sacred
to the Virgin Mary. The primrose is an
important flower in folk lore. 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 typi-
fed fertility, to the prophets 1t 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
transformed 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
formerly 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 well
known as the national emblem of Scot
land. Lastly, there is the modest violet,
type of humility. Mohammedans are fond
Of it, as their founder revered 1t as type
of his religion. 1t was the badge of me
dinval minstrels, and golden violet was
the prize in the poetical contests at Tou-
louise IF S. Bassett in Globe Democrat
The Bull and the Band.