What do you think?
The Mystery and Magic of Trees and Flowers
In this enchanting collection of legend, folklore & traditions, Lesley Gordon has gathered together some remarkable and little-known stories behind some of today's most popular plants, trees & flowers.
She discusses the flower myths of the ancient world: how myrtle was the flower of Aphrodite, who was crowned with its blossoms at the judgement of Paris, and how the first violet blooms from the place where the lyre of Orpheus fell after his loss of Eurydice. The many flowers associated with the Virgin Mary are listed, such as Lady's Smock and Lady's Tresses; plants and flowers in witchcraft and ancient Saxon lore are described, and also included is the traditional language of flowers. She explores the legend of trees: the Tree of Life, the Yggdrasil of the Norse Edda, the olive as a symbol of peace and the cypress for mourning and death. She travels the centuries through ancient Greece, India, China and Egypt and shows how many of the ancient beliefs are still flourishing today.
Delightfully illustrated with illustrations from many countries and periods, this little book will have great popular appeal.
Jacket front: The Day Dream by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Jacket back: The transformation of Daphne into a bay or laurel, from a sixteenth-century French manuscript of Ovid's Metamorphosis.
She discusses the flower myths of the ancient world: how myrtle was the flower of Aphrodite, who was crowned with its blossoms at the judgement of Paris, and how the first violet blooms from the place where the lyre of Orpheus fell after his loss of Eurydice. The many flowers associated with the Virgin Mary are listed, such as Lady's Smock and Lady's Tresses; plants and flowers in witchcraft and ancient Saxon lore are described, and also included is the traditional language of flowers. She explores the legend of trees: the Tree of Life, the Yggdrasil of the Norse Edda, the olive as a symbol of peace and the cypress for mourning and death. She travels the centuries through ancient Greece, India, China and Egypt and shows how many of the ancient beliefs are still flourishing today.
Delightfully illustrated with illustrations from many countries and periods, this little book will have great popular appeal.
Jacket front: The Day Dream by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Jacket back: The transformation of Daphne into a bay or laurel, from a sixteenth-century French manuscript of Ovid's Metamorphosis.
113 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 16, 2019
Lovely, not a complicated book, but a great collection of folklore and beautiful pictures
July 26, 2024
Fun and interesting, scope very limited to western Europe
October 26, 2011
Engaging little book which collects together some of the myth and magic about the properties of various trees and flowers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews