The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-03-19
THE MODEST CLOVER.
Quaint and Interesting Legends
of the LowIy Little Plant.
CALVARY CLOVER ODDITIES

The Common Red Glover Was Ones
Favorite Charm Against Witch |
Spells = The Belief In Luck That |
cIings About the Four Leaved Plant. !
The most probable origin of the name
clover is that which derives it from
the Latin clava-clubs-a the clover |
leaf slightly resembles the three prong
ed club of Hercules 1t is said, too, |
that the clubs of our playing cards are
In imitation of the same leaf. There
are many varieties of this common but
favorite plant, and, Notwithstanding its
practical uses IN agriculture, about ii
superstition has woven many quaint
and interesting legends.
The common red clover was once re-
puted to be baneful to witches, and
people of high and low degree wore
the leaf considering it a powerful
charm against their spells. 1t is sup
posed to have been introduced into
England from the Netherlands during
the reign Of Queen Elizabeth.
The thorny clover (Medicago eclumis)
is called Calvary clover on account of
some of its peculiarities In the first
place. 1t must be sowed in the spring,
and some say on Good Friday. As the
leaves appear above ground they have
deep red spot, resembling fresh spilled
Of ta{ts fufC
which will remain for some time before
dying away. The three leaflets stand
erect during the day with arms ex-
tended, but at sunset the arms are
brought together, and the upper leafet
Is bowed over them as II In prayer.
After a time a small yellow flower
appears and later a spiral pod covered
with sharp thorns. These thorns inter-
lace with one another as they ripen
and form a globular head, which when
fully matured may be removed from
its spiral coils, and the striking re-
semblance to crown Of thorns is
plainly seen. Thus Its blood stained
leaves, its extended arms and bowed
head and the day when the seed was
first planted to await its resurrection
have caused 1t to be christened Cal
vary clover. 1t is fitting, too, that
Palestine should be claimed as its ma
tive land
Legend says that the three leaved
clover, generally regarded as an en-
blem of the Trinity, was first used by
st. Patrick to illustrate how three sep
arate objects, such as leaves, could yet
form one. Those deeply versed in leg
endary lore, however. claim that St.
Patrick borrowed rather than origi-
mated the sanctity of the shamrock
(Medicago lupulina), held in the hand
of Hope among the Greeks, when he
thus Illustrated the Trinity in Its three
or found the cross in its four leaves
In the east also the trefoil is sacred.
as the holy books of Persia and Arabia
tell, and the legend of st. Patrick driv-
ing the snakes out Of Ireland has
more ancient root, for the Latins be-
lieved that snakes were never seen
near the trefol So If ST. Patrick wore
1t he was invested with additional
power to Danish these invaders Dr.
Prior says that this plant is regarded
in Ireland as the true shamrock. 1t has
been asserted that it was a still more
ancient religious symbol and expressed
among the ancient Teutonic race the
three grades of druids, bards and neo-
phytes. The druids held the clover In
great honor as charm. Hope was de-
picted by the ancients as a child stand
ing on tiptoe and holding a clover
bloom In It's hand.
But 1t is In connection with the four
leayed clover that manifold myths
have been developed Owing to It's
scarcity, it has generally been believed
that it would bring luck to the finder
This superstition is referred to in this
old stanza:
When sitting In the grass we see
A little four leaved clover.
IT'S luck for thee and luck for me
And luck for any lover.
If a lover can find two four leaved
cloyers and induce the object of his
love to eat one while he swallows the
other mutual love is sure to result.
The four leaved clover brings mys-
teri9us powers with it If it is found on
st. Johns eve, they say In the TyroI.
Like fern seed, 1t can render the wear
er invisible at will and gives especial
good fortune In gambling If a clover
is concealed in a gift it will enhance
Its value. A German proverb says of
a lucky man, "Er hat Elm vierblaet-
triges Kleeblatt gefunden" CHE has
found four leaved clover'O.
The fact that its four leaves are ar
ranged in the form of cross gives 1t
its significance. One who wears a bit
Of 1t can detect the presence Of evil
spirits.
While the four leaved clover is said
by tradition to possess weird magic
influence, the three leaved is looked
upon more In the light of a religious
symbol. Shakespeares Rosalind asks,
Can one desire too much of a good
thing? and may be answered, Yes, in
respect to clover leaves" for. notwith-
standing the wonderful virtues every
where ascrlbed to the four leaved clio
yer, the finder of the five leaved will
have bad luck
Even the two leaved clover is not
unregarded, but has Its legend and
the lucky maid who secures one is by
Its influence enabled to see her future
lover
The lowliest blossoms have always
called forth the poets praises, and even
Shakespeare alludes to the clover as
"honey stalks"-a fitting name, as the
bees revel In its sweetness