![]() ![]() ![]() “seeded apple”) was a hard fruit containing juicy red seeds that was sacred to the Aphrodite (Goddess of Love and Beauty). The root “narke,” from “narcissus,” meaning “sleep” or “numbness” is also the same root used in the word “narcoleptic” as well as “narcotics." Interestingly, ingesting the narcissus flower can prove quite poisonous. In time the flower became synonymous with Spring and new beginnings, especially when represented as a multitude rather than a single flower. In early Victorian floriography, the gift of a narcissus represented the egotism and vanity of the recipient or the unrequited love of the giver. The flower was also commonly planted on graves, perhaps due to the association with Persephone’s entrance to The Underworld. When Persephone picked the flower, the ground cracked beneath her and she fell to The Underworld where she was stolen away by The Lord Hades. The flower later became sacred to Hades after being used to lure Persephone (Goddess of Spring and later Queen of The Underworld) away from her playmates. In all versions of the myth, the place where Narcissus met his end became the first bloom of the beautiful narcissus flower. It’s from this tale where we get the origin of the term “narcissist: a fixation with oneself.“ In a much later version of the tale, Narcissus instead fell in love with his twin sister and refused to leave the pool as his reflection reminded him of her presence. There he remained with his reflection until taken by old age, or, in some tales, until he killed himself or dove into his reflection and drowned. ![]() For one day, Narcissus was lured to a pool where he spied and fell in love with his own reflection. As his blood splashed upon the steps, he cursed Narcissus, saying that he wished someday the hunter would too know the pain of unrequited love.ĭepending on the myth, it was either the curse of Aminias or Nemesis (Goddess of Revenge and Retribution) hearing of Echo’s fate that led Narcissus to his fate. ![]() Aminias took the sword and killed himself before the door to Narcissus’s home. Having rejected all of his other male suitors, Narcissus also rejected Aminias, but then presented the unfortunate young man with a sword. In another myth, Narcissus was also pursued by a young man named Aminias. Heartbroken, Echo wandered the mountain until fading to nothing but the remaining sound of her voice that repeated the words of all other visitors thereafter. Narcissus turned away and told her to leave him alone. When she finally mustered the courage to reveal herself, she confessed her love. Each time he asked, “Who’s there?” she would repeat his answer. In one myth, he was followed through a mountain pass by an Oread (mountain nymph) named Echo. It was named for a beautiful young hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was desired by both men and women alike. Narcissus (derived from the word meaning “sleep” or “numbness”) was a yellow flower (known today as the daffodil). The inclusion of cypress in a bouquet indicated the giver’s mourning, loss, or despair. Later in floriography (the Victorian language of flowers) the associations with death and mourning remained. Bodies of the respected were also placed upon a bed of cypress branches preceding burial and mourners would carry cypress branches as a sign of grief and respect. Being buried in a coffin made from cypress was a symbol of everlasting life, usually reserved for the interment of heroes. Cypress trees were planted near graves or in front of vestibules to signify hallowed ground and as a warning against entry. It is for this reason the cypress is known as “the mournful tree” and thus became a symbol of death and mourning, and therefore sacred to Hades. His grief was so great that as he lay beside the fallen creature he was transformed into the cypress tree. His favorite companion was a tamed stag he pierced accidentally with his hunting javelin as it lay sleeping on the ground.
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