Flowers have long been associated with tales and culture. In the early spring, the ancient Greeks staged a flower festival in honor of Dionysus, the god of fertility, wine, fruit, and pleasure. Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, was honored with a flower festival in early May. Cherry blossom festivals have been held in Japan since the 8th century.
Indeed, floral symbolism in literature and stories exposes a complete language of flowers you were never aware you were speaking! Send flowers online and add beauty to the life of your dear ones.
We’ll look at some of the most common mythical flowers and their meanings in the sections below.
Lotus
In Asian mythology, the lotus flower plays an important role. It’s also known as the sacred lotus.
“I appreciate the lotus since it is unstained while blooming from the muck,” wrote Confucius.
The lotus flower represents the purity of mind and body in Buddhism, and tradition has it that Gautama Buddha’s first steps prompted holy lotus blossoms to bloom. According to yoga traditions, the lotus indicates an individual’s ability to integrate inner energy through chakras.
Peonies
For almost thousands of years in China, the peony has been referred to as both the King and Queen of Flowers.
According to mythology, an Empress summoned all of the flowers in her royal garden to bloom by a magical proclamation. Except for the peony, who disobeyed. The Empress exiled the peony to the furthest regions of the empire after this disobedience. On the other hand, the peonies grew and produced beautiful flowers. As a result, the Empress permitted the peonies to return, and they were dubbed “Queen of Flowers” as a result.
“Floating clouds remind me of her attire, and blossoms remind me of her face,” wrote Li Bai, a famed Chinese poet from the Tang Dynasty. Peonies have come to symbolize renown, fortune, power, and longevity.
Chrysanthemum
The chrysanthemum has a millennia-old connection to mythology. Each culture linked with Japan and China has a separate narrative about how they came to be discovered in Japan.
According to mythology, a Chinese emperor thought a magical plant existed on Dragonfly Island in the Sunrise Sea 3,000 years ago (Japan).
Only young people were said to be able to gather this mystical plant. So the emperor dispatched a dozen young men and women to the island to swap golden chrysanthemums for the magical plant. After finding a magical plant, these young people stayed on the island and grew the chrysanthemum.
Rose
Rose bouquets have a long history of folklore worldwide, but we all know that the most enduring rose symbolism is love and beauty. Many rose mythology originated in Greece, which is the home of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Flowers in mythology, like all other mythological life forms, seem to come from blood, tears, or the elements:
According to one Greek tradition, the first roses bloomed from Aphrodite’s tears, while another claims that the blood from Aphrodite’s foot when she trod on a thorn placed by Cupid gave them their crimson hue.
Another legend claims that the rose was created by Chloris, a nymph who later became Flora, the flower goddess, and is credited with transforming fallen heroes into flowers.
Daffodil
The Narcissus, named for the Greek character at the center of its genesis narrative, is also known as the daffodil.
Narcissus gave his name to the symbolism of flowers in literature and myth and ghosts. As a punishment, the gods for his selfishness and ignorance of the nymph Echo, who adored him, Narcissus is claimed to have fallen in love with his lovely image. Narcissus perished in front of his mirror, and the narcissus bloom grew in his stead. The Narcissus now signifies both vanity and unrequited love in mythology.
Orchid
The orchid, whose name originates from a Greek term for, ahem, certain man-parts, illustrates the Greek fixation with relating flowers to male sexuality more than any other legendary flower and its meaning. Order flowers online and surprise your homies.
As a result, the orchid was associated with fertility and virility in ancient Greece. Fathers of pregnant children were advised to consume big blossoms if they preferred a male and smaller flowers if they sought a girl.
