Lily of the valley

Lily of the valley, for many of us a flower, associated with a fairly advanced spring... Walking through the forest in April and May, we may first come across clusters of some leaves, and then see beautifully spaced white fields between the trees. When we look at this phenomenon, we feel a certain calmness and bliss in our souls. Does this have anything to do with the symbolism of the lily of the valley?

Lily of the valley - names and first mentions.

The first mentions of lily of the valley in literature date back to the turn of the XNUMX – XNUMX centuries. Then the plant was called lily, cili lily of the valleytranslation from Latin. Unfortunately, in those days this name was often confused with white lily, cili White Lily. Linnaeus used the time of its flowering to create the scientific name for this plant, which gave us the name that is known to this day. Convallaria may... The symbolism of the lily of the valley is very wide and depending on the region of the world, through the prism through which we will look at the flower train, its meaning may be different.

Lily of the valley in symbols and mythology.

Lily of the valley is known throughout the world for the low exactingness of this plant to living conditions. In medieval Europe, lily of the valley was considered a symbol of youth, happiness and well-being... Its symbolism also includes Fr. subject of human relationships... Since this is also a symbol purity and modesty added to bridal bouquets. This was also due to the fact that the lily of the valley flowers were white, which is a symbol of purity and innocence. This practice is still practiced with great success in some parts of the world. From the Middle Ages to subsequent years lily of the valley was equated with the knowledge of medicine and art it is too he often appeared in portraits of people associated with science, as a symbol of knowledge.

Another feature that lilies of the valley belong to is shynessso they are considered flowers young and in love... Interestingly, lilies of the valley are also important in astrology. They were believed to have magical properties and bring good luck, especially to those born under the sign of cancer.

In the Christian religion, lilies of the valley also occupy an honorable place, because their origin is explained by two legends. First, that lilies of the valley were made from the tears of the Virgin Marywhich she threw off during the crucifixion of Jesus. The second legend says that the lilies of the valley are actually Eve's tears, which she shed after leaving Paradise. Lilies of the valley have grown from those that have fallen to the ground. Both of these legends are associated with the shape of the flowers of this plant.

Interesting facts and customs associated with lily of the valley.

The ancient Chinese also appreciated the importance of the lily of the valley. They used its root and herbs to treat heart disease. On the other hand, in medieval Europe, lily of the valley teas were used to treat heart disease, epilepsy, and general pain. Lily of the valley has survived in medicine to this day and is successfully used for the aforementioned ailments.

Among the curiosities associated with this flower, it is worth mentioning that in France, before the first Sunday of May, lilies of the valley were collected in the forests, so that the white color of their flowers adorned the windows and doors of houses. Exactly Lily of the valley is celebrated in France on May 1. and then you can also buy it on the street. By tradition, on this day, family members present themselves with bouquets of these flowers. Close enough to France, because in Germany, spring was also welcomed along with lily of the valley flowers. During the flowering of these plants, folk festivities were organized in the forests, during which bouquets of these flowers were thrown into fires, offering an offering to Ostara, the German goddess of spring. Of the additional curiosities, it is worth mentioning that since 1982 lily of the valley Finland's national flower and her likeness began to adorn the 10 penny coin.