Red Anemone. Flowers of Holland
by Jenny Rainbow
Title
Red Anemone. Flowers of Holland
Artist
Jenny Rainbow
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Anemone
Common names: Windflower, Smell Fox.
Anemone is originally derived from the Greek word "Anemos" meaning "wind" hence the name windflower. It belongs to the buttercup family.
According to other Greek myths, Anemone was the name of a nymph that Zephyr, the sweet Spring wind, and Borea, the god of the West Wind were in love with. Chloris, the goddess of flowers, took revenge on the nymph and turned her into a flower which withered by the time Zephyr arrived. Yet another legend says, that anemones came from Venus's tears when she was weeping for Adonis. The story goes that Aphrodite, being in love with Adonis, kept him longer by her side, than what was allowed by the Gods, thus triggering the vengeance of Persephone. While weeping for his death, Aphrodite swore he will live for ever and the beautiful flower Anemone, is born out of her tears.
In Palestine, the Anemone was thought to have grown under the cross of Jesus.
Superstitions about the anemone existed in Europe, and Egypt. Anemones were thought to carry diseases. The Egyptians believed that the Anemone as the emblem of sickness, because of the flush of colour upon the backs of the white sepals. The Chinese call it the ~Flower of Death~. In some European countries it is looked on by the peasants as a flower of ill omen. The Romans used it as a charm against fever. In Europe it was a custom to hold your breath while running through a field of anemones. They believed that even the air around the anemone was poisonous. Anemones were used as charms against disease. They were often worn around the neck or arm. Englishmen once believed that the anemone possessed magical properties. They recommended everyone gather in the earliest anemone they saw, and keep it as a charm against pestilence. It was carefully wrapped in silk and carried as an amulet or charm about the person.
Greek legends say that Anemos, the Wind, sends his namesakes the Anemones, in the earliest spring days as the heralds of his coming. Pliny affirmed that they only open when the wind blows, hence the name -Windflower. The old herbalists called the "Wood Anemone" "The Wood Crowfoot", because its leaves resemble in shape those of some species of Crowfoot.
Still other mythology connects the anemone to magical fairies, who were
believed to sleep under the petals after they closed at sunset.
Perhaps it's because of this magical and prophetic tales that today in the
language of flowers, anemones represent anticipation.
Uploaded
April 26th, 2013
Statistics
Viewed 1,715 Times - Last Visitor from Syosset, NY on 04/24/2024 at 2:23 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet